MAY COBB
May Cobb is an award-winning author of The Hunting Wives, My Summer Darlings, A Likeable Woman, and Big Woods. Her books have received attention from Book of The Month, The Today Show, and Oprah Daily and have been optioned for film/TV. She has an M.A. from San Francisco State University and her essays and interviews have appeared in The Washington Post and Good Housekeeping. She currently lives in Austin with family.
THE HOLLYWOOD ASSISTANT
Berkley - Hardcover - July 9, 2024
Offered a dream job in Hollywood with a famous director and his actress wife, an insecure woman becomes their personal assistant where their secrets and lies place her in the crosshairs of a murder investigation.
Cassidy Foster is heartbroken, stuck in life, and getting a little too obsessed with plants. Then when a well-connected friend becomes sick of Cassidy’s moping and gets her a gig with famous Hollywood couple, Marisol and Nate Sterling, Cassidy jumps at the chance to move to sunny L.A.
The Sterlings are warm and welcoming. A perfect couple. All Cassidy has to do is be available a few hours a week for errands. In return, she has access to luxury. Designer clothes. A sparkling pool. Great pay.
When Nate takes interest in her, asking her to read scripts he’s written, Cassidy thinks this could be the key to kickstarting her writing dreams. As their business relationship grows, so does their attraction. Nate is sexy, talented, and Cassidy can’t believe her luck. Clearly, Marisol doesn’t know what she has. Maybe that’s why the two are always fighting when they think Cassidy isn’t around.
But Cassidy learns she was hired for a different purpose. The Sterlings aren’t the perfect couple. Marisol isn’t the perfect wife. And when one of them is found dead, Cassidy becomes the perfect suspect.
PRAISE FOR THE HOLLYWOOD ASSISTANT
“A wild and gripping ride“ —Booklist
“…as fun and fresh as it’s title—and fast: think Frieda McFadden’s The Housemaid—but sharp, too, and provocative, with a subtly retro attitude that recalls 80s cinema classics. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: May Cobb writes suspense you can mainline.” —A.J. Finn, #1 New York Times Bestselling author of The Woman In the Window
"The Hollywood Assistant is May Cobb at her best and like we've never seen her before—bringing her signature Piney Woods noir to Hollywood, where everyone is a performer and no motivation is pure. Cobb understands the dark hearts of women, the cravings—for power, success, love—that make things go bump in the night. It's impossible to choose a favorite Cobb novel, but with its sinister Rear Window twists and homage to classic erotic thrillers, The Hollywood Assistant is at the top of my list." —Katie Gutierrez, bestselling author of More Than You'll Ever Know
"A scorching sizzler of a thriller that grabs you by the neck from the opening line and doesn't release its hold until the brilliantly devious ending." —Samantha M. Bailey, USA Today and #1 international bestselling author of A Friend in the Dark
“Dare I say this is May Cobb’s best yet? The queen of sultry crime—the empress of women’s wrongs—is back with her most sumptuous and sensual book yet, set in an L.A. of apricot skies and ice-cold martinis, filled with taut, sweaty bodies you aren’t allowed to touch. Cobb crafts an expert tale of women whose longing and desire exceeds social acceptability, giving us anti-heroines who plot and take and don’t apologize—and who always, one way or another, come out on top. May Cobb is redefining the femme fatale for the twenty-first century—and, like her fatal femmes, The Hollywood Assistant is a hot, wisted, messed-up masterpiece.” —Ashley Winstead, author of Midnight is the Darkest Hour
"Every single May Cobb book is a treat I cannot put down. Nobody writes characters as relatable as Cobb, I don't know how she does it! It's like she's in my head, reading all of my intrusive thoughts, and she's poured them into her main characters. A delicious book I tore through in one sitting." —Jesse Q. Sutanto, author of You Will Never Be Me
“The Hollywood Assistant by May Cobb is the best kind of stay-up-all-night-page-turner: wickedly creepy, steamy, and intense. Expertly plotted and brimming with dark surprises, The Hollywood Assistant is classic Cobb. I was absolutely transfixed. Don't miss this knock-out thrill ride.” —Heather Gudenkauf, New York Times bestselling author of The Overnight Guest and Everyone Is Watching
“May Cobb’s The Hollywood Assistant is an impeccably plotted thriller that twists again and again, drawing you deeper with each turn into the layers of obsession and manipulation that writhe under the dazzling surface of Hollywood glamor. But don’t be fooled as you sink into the sensuous mirage Cobb weaves in the opening chapters–the minute you’re swooning, she’ll stab you.” —Jenna Satterthwaite, author of Made for You
“May Cobb hits it out of the park yet again with this juicy, twisty thriller about a dream job that quickly turns into a nightmare. With a sun-soaked California setting, ratcheting tension, and simmering secrets coming to a boil, The Hollywood Assistant is a read that demands to be finished in one setting. Sexy, addictive, and bursting with complicated marriage and relationship dynamics... any reader will be desperate to know what happens next.” —Laurie Elizabeth Flynn, author of The Girls Are All So Nice Here
"May Cobb pulls back the curtain on Hollywood glamor in a sexy, twisty mystery that will have readers guessing (and gasping) until the very last page." —Robyn Harding, Internationally Bestselling Author of The Drowning Woman
A Likeable Woman
Penguin Random House - Hardcover - July 11, 2023
She’s back in her affluent hometown for the first time in years and determined to unravel the secrets of her mother’s death hidden in the unpublished memoir she left behind…even if it kills her…
After her troublemaker mother’s mysterious death, Kira fled her wealthy Texas town and never looked back. Now, decades later, Kira is invited to an old frenemy’s vow renewal party. Though she is reluctant to go, there are things calling her back . . . like chilled wine and days spent by the pool . . . like her sexy childhood crush, Jack. But, more importantly, it’s the urgent texts from her grandmother who says she has something to give Kira. Something about her mother’s death, something that looks an awful lot like murder.
When her grandmother gives Kira a memoir that her mother had been working on before she died, she is pulled into the past and all of the sizzling secrets that come along with it. With few allies left in her gossipy, country club town, Kira turns to Jack for help. As she gets closer to what—and who—might have brought about her mother’s end, it becomes clear that someone wants the past to stay buried.
And Kira might be next.
PRAISE FOR A Likeable Woman
One of BookBub’s Best Mysteries and Thrillers of Summer 2023
One of PureWow’s 17 Best Beach Reads
One of CrimeReads Best Psychological Thrillers of July 2023
“This energetic read works on multiple levels. Come for the whodunnit, stay for the lyrical odes to art and the inspiration for believing in yourself — whether it makes you likeable or not.” —Book and Film
“Gossipy, glamorous, and hair-raising.” —Oprah Daily
“Sexy and suspenseful with delectable prose you’ll want to savor. A Likeable Woman is a must-read for fans of domestic thrillers. May Cobb is at her best!” —Jeneva Rose, international bestselling author of The Perfect Marriage
“An evocative tale filled with sultry glamour and secrets as thick as an East Texas pine forest. I will read anything May Cobb writes.” —Eliza Jane Brazier, author of Girls and Their Horses and Good Rich People
“Beneath the suspenseful page-turner is a sharp and unflinching dissection of what it means to be a likeable woman. Readers will find it hard not to relate to the struggles of the women in Cobb's explosive book.” —Jesse Q. Sutanto, bestselling author of Dial A for Aunties
“Come for the juicy drama and hairpin twists, and stay for the emotional wallop that this firecracker of a book packs…A dynamic thriller with a huge beating heart, A Likeable Woman is perfect for book clubs, because it will make people talk.” —Laurie Elizabeth Flynn, author of The Girls Are All So Nice Here
“A Likeable Woman has all of the trademarks of Cobb's previous thrillers--brilliant plotting, pitch-perfect pacing, a hot romance to salivate over, and a little murder. It's also an emotional and thought-provoking read about what it means to be a likeable woman.” —Samantha Bailey, #1 international bestselling author of Woman on the Edge and Watch Out for Her
"A locked-room mystery with searing social commentary and prose as lush as the Piney Woods, A Likeable Woman is May Cobb's most addictive, surprising novel yet. It's also a sharp, moving exploration of dysfunctional families, the healing power of art, and the dangerous expectations of the East Texas elite--and with Cobb's signature stay-up-all-night suspense, you'll want to read it in one breathless sitting." —Katie Gutierrez, national bestselling author of More Than You'll Ever Know
"A Likeable Woman is a smart, juicy thrill ride about a young woman's desperate attempt to find her mother's killer. Full of scandal, lies and manipulation, this is one book that will capture readers' hearts with Kira's emotional journey while, at the same time, send chills up their spines. Completely unputdownable." —Mary Kubica, New York Times bestselling author of Local Woman Missing
"A Likeable Woman gave me chills. Set among her trademark rich-bitch Texan housewives, May Cobb's latest mystery delivers nail-biting suspense and Ruth Ware-worthy twists, all while asking just what makes a woman "likeable"--and whether it's worth dying for. Her best book to date, and further proof that if you're not reading May Cobb yet, you're not having nearly enough fun" —Amy Gentry, bestselling author of Bad Habits and Good as Gone
"Full of deceit, dark secrets, gossip, family drama, and murder, A Likeable Woman is pure, undiluted May Cobb goodness. This novel is Texas to the core, smart, and so much fun you don't realize there's blood around you until it's too late. Cobb is the queen of sharp, twisty, racy thrillers, and this might just be her best." —Gabino Iglesias, award-winning author of The Devil Takes You Home
MY SUMMER DARLINGS
Berkeley - May 17, 2022
A woman in the forest thinks she’s going to die.
I know he’s coming back for me.
Jen Hansen, Kittie Spears, and Cynthia Nichols have been friends since childhood. They are now approaching 40, and their lives have changed, but their insular East Texas town has not. They stay sane by drinking wine in the afternoons, dishing about other women in the neighborhood, and bonding over the heartache of their own encroaching middle age and raising ungrateful teens.
Then Will Harding comes to town, moving into one of the neighborhood’s grandest homes. Mysterious and charming, he seems like the answer to each woman’s prayers. He’s a source of fascination for Jen, Kittie, and Cynthia, but none of them are ready for the way Will disrupts their lives.
As Will grows closer with each of the women, their fascination twists into obsession, threatening their friendships and their families. When he abruptly pulls away, each woman scrambles to discover the source of his affection. But what they’ll uncover is far more sinister and deadly than any of them could have ever imagined.
PRAISE FOR MY SUMMER DARLINGS
One of Crime By the Book’s Most Anticipated Spring 2022 Crime Books
Amazon Best Book of the Month: Mystery, Thriller, & Suspense
CrimeReads “May’s Best Psychological Thrillers”
Paste Magazine “8 Must-Read New Thrillers for Summer 2022”
CrimeReads “The Most Anticipated Crime Books of 2022: Summer Reading Edition”
“May Cobb has done it again! My Summer Darlings is a sexy, sassy, scary page-turner. I couldn’t put it down.” —Robyn Harding, International bestselling author, The Perfect Family
“Nobody writes deliciously wicked and devious housewives quite like May Cobb. My Summer Darlings will tease, shock, delight, and enrage you. But most of all, it will leave you pleading for the next Cobb thriller!” —Jesse Sutanto, author of Dial A For Aunties
"Bold, sultry, and unapologetic, My Summer Darlings is destined to become your next obsession. May Cobb is the queen of complicated female characters, and the ladies of Eden Place won't be ones you'll soon forget. A simmering, sexy read best accompanied by a strong cocktail." —Laurie Elizabeth Flynn, bestselling author of The Girls Are All So Nice Here
"My Summer Darlings is addicting, twisted, and a whole lot of fun. It’s a steamy thriller that goes down with a bite, like a cold margarita on a hot day. A perfect summer read." —Simone St. James, New York Times bestselling author of The Sun Down Motel
"My Summer Darlings is an intensely suspenseful and deliciously entertaining novel. May Cobb writes as though she's been hanging around your neighborhood, listening to all the conversations and taking notes with a pen as sharp as a fish hook. This book should be required poolside summer reading." —David Bell, USA Today bestselling author of Kill All Your Darlings
“With friends like these, you won’t need enemies… This dark, devious, sexy tale of duplicity and one-up(wo)manship sizzles so much it’ll practically burn your fingers as you turn the pages. My Summer Darlings is sure to be another unputdownable hit!” —Hannah Mary McKinnon, bestselling author of You Will Remember Me
“This explosive thriller is set to become your new obsession." —Katie Gutierrez, author of More Than You’ll Ever Know
“A potent cocktail of desire and deceit. Spicy enough to make you sweat — until the suspense chills you to your core.” —Riley Sager, New York Times bestselling author of Survive The Night
"A searing suspense that gets under your skin and raises the heat level, My Summer Darlings by May Cobb sizzles with fiery intensity. The magnificently drawn characters, dark, delectable plot, and a neighborhood bubbling with sex, secrets, and lies make this sensational novel perfect for anyone who loves Jackie Collins and Liane Moriarty. An absolutely electrifying read." — Samantha M. Bailey, USA Today and #1 national bestselling author of Woman on the Edge
"Sexy, fresh, and fun, My Summer Darlings tells the story of three friends who go after what they want—even when what they want is the same man. Cobb’s sophomore novel is unputdownable and devious, a twisty thriller that threw me for loop after loop." —Stephanie Wrobel, USA Today bestselling author of Darling Rose Gold
"May Cobb delivers another firecracker of a novel complete with her signature scandalous leading ladies and steamy suspense—this is not your mother's thriller!" —Chandler Baker, New York Times bestselling author of The Husbands
"Fabulous, sexy, thrilling, and hot, My Summer Darlings is the perfect escape. May Cobb is a gorgeous writer and kept me guessing until the final pages. I loved this book!" —Amanda Eyre Ward, New York Times bestselling author of The Jetsetters
“My Summer Darlings sizzles with small-town secrets, backstabbing besties, and the year's darkest take on ‘summer romance.’ This sultry, soapy thriller just might be the perfect poolside read.” —Andrea Bartz, New York Times bestselling author of We Were Never Here (Reese's Book Club Pick)
“My Summer Darlings is sexy and suspenseful and I could not put this fast-paced romp down. Three friends are all attracted to the new, handsome stranger in town—what could go wrong? Everything of course! Twisty and fun, you need this on your summer reading list!” —Catherine McKenzie, USA Today bestselling author of I'll Never Tell and Please Join Us
“[A] breezy romantic thriller from Cobb. Suspenseful hairpin twists lead to a smashing if far-fetched finale. Those looking for a beach-ready escape will be satisfied.”
—Publishers Weekly
“[A] dark tale of psychological suspense that will keep readers involved until it ends with a final twist and a violent confrontation.”
—Booklist
THE HUNTING WIVES
Berkeley - May 18, 2021
Sophie O’Neill left behind an envy-inspiring career and the stressful, competitive life of big-city Chicago to settle down with her husband and young son in a small Texas town. It seems like the perfect life with a beautiful home in an idyllic rural community. But Sophie soon realizes that life is now too quiet, and she’s feeling bored and restless.
Then she meets Margot Banks, an alluring socialite who is part of an elite clique secretly known as the Hunting Wives. Sophie finds herself completely drawn to Margot and swept into her mysterious world of late-night target practice and dangerous partying. As Sophie’s curiosity gives way to full-blown obsession, she slips farther away from the safety of her family and deeper into this nest of vipers.
When the body of a teenage girl is discovered in the woods where the Hunting Wives meet, Sophie finds herself in the middle of a murder investigation and her life spiraling out of control.
PRAISE FOR THE HUNTING WIVES
One of She Reads’ “Most anticipated thrillers of 2021”
One of theSkimm’s “Can’t-Miss Beach Reads For Summer 2021”
“The Hunting Wives is a skillfully told, haunting, and memorable tale. From start to finish it is totally engrossing. I couldn't put it down. Highly recommended.“ — Fresh Fiction
“The Hunting Wives is full of great twists and reveals. May Cobb grounds them in believable emotions from Sophie’s point of view. You could argue that the book ends up being a morality tale, but it enjoys its immorality before it gets there.” — BookPeople
“In a clean-lined cocktail shaker, blend Big Little Lies and Lucy Foley’s The Guest List, instant classics both. Add a jigger of The Stepford Wives, a shot of Texas whiskey, shake it like you mean it, and pour to serve….May Cobb [is] one of the most original crime novelists at work today….Both intelligent and clever, both satirical and deadly serious, swift and spooky and surprising alike, The Hunting Wives is that all-too-rare thriller blessed with the X-Factor. I suspect the X-Factor is May Cobb herself.”—A.J. Finn, #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Woman in the Window
“Sultry, salacious and utterly unpredictable, The Hunting Wives is the kind of book your mother warned you about. You’ll devour it.”—Riley Sager, New York Times bestselling author of Home Before Dark
“I devoured this twisty thriller! The Hunting Wives is delicious, edgy, and unputdownable. Reading May Cobb’s novel is the perfect escape!”—Amanda Eyre Ward, New York Times bestselling author of The Jetsetters
“Big Little Lies but twice as naughty and every character has a shotgun. The Hunting Wives is the juicy, scandalous, gossipy binge-read of the summer. Pulse-pounding, sultry, and packed with perfectly plotted twists, it’s like the Real Housewives of East Texas–I couldn’t look away! A delicious, malicious delight.”—Amy Gentry, author of Last Woman Standing
“Wickedly dark, juicy, and addictive, The Hunting Wives is written as if the characters from Big Little Lies and Desperate Housewives moved into the same upscale, twisted neighborhood. A gripping, compulsive read, it’s masterful suspense filled with wealth, power, and deadly secrets that will make your jaw drop. An absolute must-read!”—Samantha M. Bailey, international bestselling author of Woman on the Edge
“The Hunting Wives is just like Texas…big, bold, and hot! This spicy novel is filled with unpredictable twists and unforgettable characters, and it’s impossible to put down.”—Samantha Downing, USA Today bestselling author of My Lovely Wife