Behind the Books

On a hot summer day in early July, I sat across from best-selling author May Cobb at Curra’s in Hyde Park to talk about all of her recent writing projects and Netflix shows. She carried the conversation with her signature Texas charm as we munched on nachos and enchiladas. 

I first met Cobb at a book launch for “My Summer Darlings” at Vintage Bookstore and Wine Bar (1101 E 11th Street) in 2022, which was well-attended and full of laughter. I’ve been a fan of hers ever since, without realizing her connections to the Mueller neighborhood. 

It turns out Cobb explored buying a house in the neighborhood back in 2010 but eventually landed in another central Austin neighborhood instead. Nevertheless, she spent a lot of time with her husband and son at The Thinkery and at Mueller Lake Park over the years. 

“We loved going to Mueller Lake Park and came here so much when my son was little,” she says. It’s just one of the many places in Mueller that Cobb still frequents. Her favorite restaurant in the neighborhood is Vera Cruz Fonda (she’s gluten-free, loves Mexican food, and they have plenty of choices), and she enjoys the walking trails and admires the strong sense of community that the Mueller neighborhood is well known for keeping. 

Something About Texas

Cobb originally comes from East Texas, where her stories take place, and moved to Austin in 1992. Other than a short stint in California during the COVID pandemic, she hasn’t left and plans to stay for the foreseeable future. There’s something about Austin that seems to keep musicians, writers, and creatives around. “I love living in Austin. It’s a creative place. I’m at my most creative when I’m here,” she gushes. 

Cobb’s latest book, “All The Little Houses” (released in January 2026), is what she fondly calls “a 1980s love letter to Little House on the Prairie set in East Texas on a wild collision course between two feuding families.” It’s soapy, it’s addictive, it’s sultry, and it’s another Texas thriller, as she is so talented at combining. Like “The Hunting Wives” (published 2021), which became a number one Netflix series in July 2025 and for which she is the executive producer, “All the Little Houses” is also on course to be adapted for television. 

It was truly dizzying to listen to everything Cobb is doing. There’s Season 2 for “The Hunting Wives” that drops in September, and Cobb already has a book sequel to “All The Little Houses,” called “All The Little Secrets” (Nov. 17, 2026). This one promises to be as enticing as her former ones. USA Today Bestselling author Hannah Morrissey describes it as “Vicious, delicious, and drenched in drama,” and warns, “prepare to be sucked into the scandal.” New York Times bestseller Mary Kubica says, “No one does wild, juicy, and wickedly entertaining thrillers like May Cobb. Prepare to be glued to the pages.” As Cobb always has signings in Austin when her books come out, be on the lookout for events in November. 

As if all of the above projects aren’t enough to keep her hopping like a toad on a hot griddle, she is currently in the middle of writing her next book, another Texas-set thriller. Cobb has written since 1996, but her debut arrived in 2018, titled “Big Woods.” Cobb received her Master’s degree in Victorian Literature from San Francisco State University and worked tirelessly for over two decades on a biography of the blind jazz multi-instrumentalist Rahsaan Roland Kirk that is still in the ethers. Her published books are very tongue-in-cheek, focusing on tawdry domestic secrets, "Heather’s"-like female relationships, and generally badly behaved adults that people can’t seem to keep from reading and watching. Cobb has a knack for tapping into the dark, secretive side of human behavior, but in a way that makes you laugh out loud while rubbernecking like a bad train wreck. 

Although her favorite place to write is at home, don’t be surprised if you spy Cobb shopping at the Texas Farmers’ Market at Mueller or taking a break from her prolific writing on one of the neighborhood walking trails. You never know; she just may be conjuring up her next great scene.

Carmen Gray has lived in Austin since 1992. She is a retired teacher, published author, and freelance writer.