The Splendid Splinter

Doc Skinner loved his players, his boat, and his life—now all three are in jeopardy.

When Doc Skinner retired as the longtime hitting coach for the San Diego Padres, he lived a simple life aboard his boat at the Island Marina. Taylor James, one of his former (and favorite) players was in a cabin cruiser across the way, and the daughter of his closest friend stayed in a sailboat two slips over.

When Doc and his boat suddenly disappear out of the blue, it’s all hands on deck as the cast of characters from the marina search for their missing friend—unaware of the seriousness of the situation and the danger they are in.

Did loan sharks (or real sharks) get Doc? Did it have something to do with what he gave to the waitress and her young son? Was it possible the coach just pulled up anchor and took off? It could be any of these scenarios, or none of the above.

Lee Silber is the award-winning author of 23 books, including 18 works of nonfiction, four novels, and one book of short stories. The Splendid Splinter first appeared in Summer Stories, a collection of Silber’s short stories, and some of the characters from the original story were later used in Lee’s novels. There was just something about the characters and this story that Lee couldn’t let go of—so the story was expanded. Much like the ending of this book, it feels like it’s finally finished.

Lee lives in Mission Beach, California, with his wife and two sons.

You can contact Lee at: leesilber@leesilber.com.