In his heart-pounding second novel, Peter Cobb: A January Freeze, author Shane Rawley, a former Major League Baseball pitcher, blends together multiple worlds that include baseball, human trafficking, and eventually, international espionage. With a masterful stroke of storytelling, Rawley intricately weaves these disparate elements into a captivating narrative that keeps readers on the edge of their seats from start to finish.
It’s the end of 1980—a year to forget for Peter Cobb. He is still dealing with the loss of the love of his life, Ronnie, whose murder Cobb witnessed in Arizona. Slowly, he begins to rebuild a life without her and finds sanctuary as a bartender in Florida, surrounded by a new group of friends and colleagues.
The big question, however, is whether or not Cobb is ready for a comeback to baseball, where he was once one of the top Major League players in the mid-1970s. Torn between whether or not he is ready to jumpstart his baseball career, Cobb is still actively dealing with a PTSD diagnosis from his time in Vietnam prior to his playing days. Memories from those days are still vivid for Cobb.
A phone call from his father sets the wheels in motion for Cobb to journey back to his hometown of Racine, Wisconsin, where he has to confront the devastating news about two important people in his life. Just as he is starting to put the pieces of his life back together, Cobb’s world is turned upside down. But in Peter Cobb’s world, that is par for the course.
Peter Cobb has referred to himself as a hole, but with the help of Dr. Hall and others, he has become more comfortable with the person he is becoming. Upon returning home to Racine, Cobb will face a multitude of opportunities to “fix” some of the tragedies that have befallen his extended family. Along the way, he will be introduced to new family members and new friends.
In addition to trying to make his family (and his life) whole again, Cobb’s Vietnam experience and background have brought federal agents to Racine to make him an offer to “help” with one of the important issues in the country, the Iran hostage situation. Enlisted by the CIA, Cobb is cast as a main character in trying to “solve” a politically volatile environment.
Peter Cobb: A January Freeze, expertly by Shane Rawley, weaves in and out of locales and cultures and presents itself as not only a novel worthy of the spy thriller genre but also as a book that can delve into topics like PTSD with passion, clarity, and honesty.
Shane gives us a hero in Peter Cobb, who is not only an exceptional baseball player but also has the skills to put “bad guys” in their place—think Jack Reacher (“Reacher”) meets Roy Hobbs (“The Natural”). His vulnerabilities are what endear him to family and readers alike. It’s this multifaceted portrayal of a modern-day hero that sets Shane’s storytelling apart, drawing readers into Cobb’s world with its triumphs and tribulations, victories and defeats.
Shane Rawley’s work of fiction is available on his official website, in local bookstores, and on digital platforms such as Amazon.
Published by: Nelly Chavez
