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Annie McIntyre #1
Pay Dirt Road
Friday Night Lights meets Mare of Easttown in this small-town mystery about an unlikely private investigator searching for a missing waitress. Pay Dirt Road is the mesmerizing debut from the 2019 Tony Hillerman Prize recipient Samantha Jayne Allen.
Annie McIntyre has a love/hate relationship with Garnett, Texas.
Recently graduated from college and home waitressing, lacking not in ambition but certainly in direction, Annie is lured into the family business — a private investigation firm — by her supposed-to-be-retired grandfather, Leroy, despite the rest of the clan’s misgivings.
When a waitress at the café goes missing, Annie and Leroy begin an investigation that leads them down rural routes and haunted byways, to noxious-smelling oil fields and to the glowing neon of local honky-tonks. As Annie works to uncover the truth she finds herself identifying with the victim in increasing, unsettling ways, and realizes she must confront her own past — failed romances, a disturbing experience she’d rather forget, and the trick mirror of nostalgia itself — if she wants to survive this homecoming.
Annie McIntyre has a love/hate relationship with Garnett, Texas.
Recently graduated from college and home waitressing, lacking not in ambition but certainly in direction, Annie is lured into the family business — a private investigation firm — by her supposed-to-be-retired grandfather, Leroy, despite the rest of the clan’s misgivings.
When a waitress at the café goes missing, Annie and Leroy begin an investigation that leads them down rural routes and haunted byways, to noxious-smelling oil fields and to the glowing neon of local honky-tonks. As Annie works to uncover the truth she finds herself identifying with the victim in increasing, unsettling ways, and realizes she must confront her own past — failed romances, a disturbing experience she’d rather forget, and the trick mirror of nostalgia itself — if she wants to survive this homecoming.
296 pages, Hardcover
First published April 19, 2022
260 people are currently reading
8533 people want to read
About the author
Samantha Jayne Allen
4 books235 followersSamantha Jayne Allen is the author of the Annie McIntyre Mysteries. Her debut novel, PAY DIRT ROAD, won the 2022 Dashiell Hammett Award for Literary Excellence in Crime Writing and the Tony Hillerman Prize for Best First Mystery Set in the Southwest. She has an MFA in fiction from Texas State University and her writing has been published in Ellery Queen’s Mystery Magazine, The Common, and Electric Literature. Raised in small towns in Texas and California, she now lives with her husband and daughter in Atlanta.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 441 reviews
February 25, 2022
3.5 stars, rounded down
I was drawn to this debut novel as its author won the 2019 Tony Hillerman award for best first mystery set in the southwest. The story follows Annie, a young woman recently returned to her small hometown in Texas after graduating from college. There’s a recession going on and she finds work as a waitress. After a bonfire party, another waitress, a work friend, goes missing. Annie, the granddaughter of a retired sheriff, now a private investigator, decides to investigate on her own. Annie was a compelling character and fully formed.
While the book kept my interest, I didn’t find it particularly engrossing. It doesn’t really cover any new ground. Allen does a good job of presenting a scene and it was easy to envision the book playing out. I thought the ending worked well and I didn’t foresee who was responsible until almost the end.
This book is set up to allow for a second in a series and I liked this enough I would read the next book.
My thanks to Netgalley and Minotaur Books for an advance copy of this book.
I was drawn to this debut novel as its author won the 2019 Tony Hillerman award for best first mystery set in the southwest. The story follows Annie, a young woman recently returned to her small hometown in Texas after graduating from college. There’s a recession going on and she finds work as a waitress. After a bonfire party, another waitress, a work friend, goes missing. Annie, the granddaughter of a retired sheriff, now a private investigator, decides to investigate on her own. Annie was a compelling character and fully formed.
While the book kept my interest, I didn’t find it particularly engrossing. It doesn’t really cover any new ground. Allen does a good job of presenting a scene and it was easy to envision the book playing out. I thought the ending worked well and I didn’t foresee who was responsible until almost the end.
This book is set up to allow for a second in a series and I liked this enough I would read the next book.
My thanks to Netgalley and Minotaur Books for an advance copy of this book.
September 30, 2021
A paint-by-numbers mystery that I will surely forget about by next month. Our lead character is a cypher to follow around, a vanilla wafer turned into a human being, although I don't mean to slander vanilla wafers.
Serious problems and societal issues are introduced to artificially lend the plot gravity. The trite, superficial handling of such issues is lazy plotting at best, actively harmful at worst.
The dialogue is stale and unrealistic. In almost every scene, a character is interrogated, and they immediately confess new information or deny everything. Either way, Annie says "OK," and walks away, evidently blessed with the poorest investigative detective skills since the child contestants on "Where in the World is Carmen Sandiego?"
Serious problems and societal issues are introduced to artificially lend the plot gravity. The trite, superficial handling of such issues is lazy plotting at best, actively harmful at worst.
The dialogue is stale and unrealistic. In almost every scene, a character is interrogated, and they immediately confess new information or deny everything. Either way, Annie says "OK," and walks away, evidently blessed with the poorest investigative detective skills since the child contestants on "Where in the World is Carmen Sandiego?"
April 19, 2022
The late Tony Hillerman was one of my treasures. His mysteries set in Navajo country revealed the beauty of the land and the culture, and were driven by unforgettable characters. His passing left a large void in my reading regimen. Samantha Jayne Allen's "Pay Dirt Road" won the 2019 Tony Hillerman Prize given for the best first mystery set in the southwest. Big shoes to fill.
I loved the location setup. The main character, Annie McIntyre, has reluctantly returned from college to her old hometown of Garnett, Texas-- where there did not seem much to do other than watch trains and "doing donuts in the Walmart parking lot". Annie is working as a waitress, just sort of drifting along, when two murders happen on the same day. One victim was a coworker of hers and she feels she could have done something to prevent this tragedy. It just so happens her crusty old grandpa used to be the town sheriff and now runs a private investigation firm-- just the contrivance to pull her into the world of crime solving.
Annie is going to have to be a lot more determined to convince us she has private eye potential. She blunders into some dangerous situations and is not especially clever in her methods. The plot is pretty simple and moves slowly at times, but it is a decent setup for a series-- provided that Annie sharpens her skills. A good debut. Thank you St. Martin's Press, Minotaur Books, and NetGalley for providing the ARC in exchange for an honest review.
I loved the location setup. The main character, Annie McIntyre, has reluctantly returned from college to her old hometown of Garnett, Texas-- where there did not seem much to do other than watch trains and "doing donuts in the Walmart parking lot". Annie is working as a waitress, just sort of drifting along, when two murders happen on the same day. One victim was a coworker of hers and she feels she could have done something to prevent this tragedy. It just so happens her crusty old grandpa used to be the town sheriff and now runs a private investigation firm-- just the contrivance to pull her into the world of crime solving.
Annie is going to have to be a lot more determined to convince us she has private eye potential. She blunders into some dangerous situations and is not especially clever in her methods. The plot is pretty simple and moves slowly at times, but it is a decent setup for a series-- provided that Annie sharpens her skills. A good debut. Thank you St. Martin's Press, Minotaur Books, and NetGalley for providing the ARC in exchange for an honest review.
April 19, 2023
If you are just starting this series, you can already move on to book #2 --released on April 18, 2023: Hard Rain.
This gritty Texas mystery introduces us to the world of Annie McIntyre. She is back in her hometown of Garnett, Texas and waitressing at the local cafe while she figures out what to do now that college is behind her. Even at her young age, there are skeletons in her closet that start to poke their way out as she tries to find out what happened the night a coworker was killed. Narrator Sandy Rustin really brings the characters of Garnett to life in this audiobook. Annie's grandfather and business partner Mary Pat run a detective agency. It's the prefect vehicle for Annie to poke around for answers. Along the way, we find ourselves looking at our own college experiences and the trajectories our families are on. I found Allen's writing giving a strong sense of place and also appreciated the character development in this first novel -- most especially that of Annie. Though the ratings on GR are on the lower side, I can see the promise in this series and the reasons the Tony Hillerman Prize was given. I'm definitely interested in seeing what happens next for Annie. If you have enjoyed Julia Heaberlin's books, you would also enjoy this one.
This gritty Texas mystery introduces us to the world of Annie McIntyre. She is back in her hometown of Garnett, Texas and waitressing at the local cafe while she figures out what to do now that college is behind her. Even at her young age, there are skeletons in her closet that start to poke their way out as she tries to find out what happened the night a coworker was killed. Narrator Sandy Rustin really brings the characters of Garnett to life in this audiobook. Annie's grandfather and business partner Mary Pat run a detective agency. It's the prefect vehicle for Annie to poke around for answers. Along the way, we find ourselves looking at our own college experiences and the trajectories our families are on. I found Allen's writing giving a strong sense of place and also appreciated the character development in this first novel -- most especially that of Annie. Though the ratings on GR are on the lower side, I can see the promise in this series and the reasons the Tony Hillerman Prize was given. I'm definitely interested in seeing what happens next for Annie. If you have enjoyed Julia Heaberlin's books, you would also enjoy this one.
October 7, 2021
Pay Dirt Road by Samantha Jayne Allen is one of the snippets from The Minotaur Sampler, Volume 4: New Books to Make Your Heart Race, that I liked well enough to get my hands on the entire novel. The story is set in a fictional oil town in Texas called Garnett, where Annie McIntyre works as a waitress. She’s a recent college graduate with plenty of gumption by not much sense of direction. When her grandpa Leroy, who is supposedly retired, entices her into the family’s private investigation business, Annie finds herself deeply enmeshed in something far beyond anything she has ever experienced.
Victoria is a waitress at the restaurant where Annie works. The last time Annie sees her is at a party; she fails to show up for work the next day, and Annie recalls seeing her, appearing quite drunk, making out with a guy at the party. She thinks maybe she went home with him or is sleeping it off. But when Victoria fails to return her texts or calls, Annie goes to her house. Not long afterward, she learns that her body has been found. This is just after a hit-and-run accident that killed a man. Things like this don’t happen in Garnett, Texas. Are the two deaths related?
Annie is supposed to just do clerical jobs, according to Mary-Pat Zimmerman, Leroy’s partner, but Leroy takes her along on his excursions to dig up information. At times, however, it is Annie who does much of the questioning, as Leroy comes across as a laid-back former sheriff just a’ lookin’ fer a howdy – and a beer. We don’t often see Leroy without a drink. Mary-Pat, on the other hand, is pretty much all business, and she is quite concerned about Annie’s safety when the going gets tough. And it does. A suspect is arrested. Annie and others who know him are in disbelief. Annie is out to find the real culprit, but will anyone give her a chance? Will they believe her?
Annie has gone through tough times before, but her family and friends don’t know it, not even her cousin Nikki, who is her best friend. The two young women live together, hang out together, and share secrets – at least some of them. But there are some things that Annie does not share. These are things that she recalls as she reflects upon the life and death of her friend Victoria. Victoria became a mother too soon and was in the process of getting a divorce. She was experiencing freedom again, and this caused small town tongues to wag. People, even those close to her, judged her. Annie, it seems, comes to feel differently.
If you are looking for a fast-paced thriller, you won’t find it in this book. This is a slow, Texas drawl. It’s about the good and the bad of family, small town living, and the oil business. There are cultural issues like alcoholism and abuse of women. There’s the glass ceiling that Mary-Pat has cracked, and perhaps Annie will too. Are there stereotypes? Yes, of course. Our society is full of them, and art reflects those. This is a commendable debut novel by Samantha Jayne Allen.
I wish to thank NetGalley, the author, and Minotaur Books for the ARC copy of Pay Dirt Road in return for my honest review. My thoughts and opinions are my own.
4 stars
Victoria is a waitress at the restaurant where Annie works. The last time Annie sees her is at a party; she fails to show up for work the next day, and Annie recalls seeing her, appearing quite drunk, making out with a guy at the party. She thinks maybe she went home with him or is sleeping it off. But when Victoria fails to return her texts or calls, Annie goes to her house. Not long afterward, she learns that her body has been found. This is just after a hit-and-run accident that killed a man. Things like this don’t happen in Garnett, Texas. Are the two deaths related?
Annie is supposed to just do clerical jobs, according to Mary-Pat Zimmerman, Leroy’s partner, but Leroy takes her along on his excursions to dig up information. At times, however, it is Annie who does much of the questioning, as Leroy comes across as a laid-back former sheriff just a’ lookin’ fer a howdy – and a beer. We don’t often see Leroy without a drink. Mary-Pat, on the other hand, is pretty much all business, and she is quite concerned about Annie’s safety when the going gets tough. And it does. A suspect is arrested. Annie and others who know him are in disbelief. Annie is out to find the real culprit, but will anyone give her a chance? Will they believe her?
Annie has gone through tough times before, but her family and friends don’t know it, not even her cousin Nikki, who is her best friend. The two young women live together, hang out together, and share secrets – at least some of them. But there are some things that Annie does not share. These are things that she recalls as she reflects upon the life and death of her friend Victoria. Victoria became a mother too soon and was in the process of getting a divorce. She was experiencing freedom again, and this caused small town tongues to wag. People, even those close to her, judged her. Annie, it seems, comes to feel differently.
If you are looking for a fast-paced thriller, you won’t find it in this book. This is a slow, Texas drawl. It’s about the good and the bad of family, small town living, and the oil business. There are cultural issues like alcoholism and abuse of women. There’s the glass ceiling that Mary-Pat has cracked, and perhaps Annie will too. Are there stereotypes? Yes, of course. Our society is full of them, and art reflects those. This is a commendable debut novel by Samantha Jayne Allen.
I wish to thank NetGalley, the author, and Minotaur Books for the ARC copy of Pay Dirt Road in return for my honest review. My thoughts and opinions are my own.
4 stars
March 1, 2022
Rating 3 🐻🐻🐻
Author: Samantha Jayne Allen
Publication Date: 4/19/2022
“Friday Night Lights meets Mare of Easttown in this small-town mystery about an unlikely private investigator searching for a missing waitress.”
This was an interesting small town mystery that I found to be good/okay. From the beginning I struggled to connect and get into the writing style. I’m not sure what it was but it definitely wasn’t my favorite. It also took me longer to read this one because nothing grabbed me. Usually with a mystery you keep thinking about it or wanting to know how it ends. Sadly, with this book I never felt that and even struggled to continue reading it. I think that has to do with the story being very basic and the mystery being very simple. From the tagline given, I was expecting a lot more than what I received. I will say, I do love how the characters were written and thought the author did a great job with them. I also enjoyed the small town setting because it added something extra to the story. Overall, this book was good and I do recommend it to others who want a quick read.
**Thank you so much @stmartinspress & @minotaur_books for the #gifted copy (#partner) in return for my honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own. **
Author: Samantha Jayne Allen
Publication Date: 4/19/2022
“Friday Night Lights meets Mare of Easttown in this small-town mystery about an unlikely private investigator searching for a missing waitress.”
This was an interesting small town mystery that I found to be good/okay. From the beginning I struggled to connect and get into the writing style. I’m not sure what it was but it definitely wasn’t my favorite. It also took me longer to read this one because nothing grabbed me. Usually with a mystery you keep thinking about it or wanting to know how it ends. Sadly, with this book I never felt that and even struggled to continue reading it. I think that has to do with the story being very basic and the mystery being very simple. From the tagline given, I was expecting a lot more than what I received. I will say, I do love how the characters were written and thought the author did a great job with them. I also enjoyed the small town setting because it added something extra to the story. Overall, this book was good and I do recommend it to others who want a quick read.
**Thank you so much @stmartinspress & @minotaur_books for the #gifted copy (#partner) in return for my honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own. **
April 13, 2022
Picked up this debut novel as it sounded intriguing. Annie has graduated college and returned to her hometown in Texas. While she's trying to figure out what she wants to do with her life, she works as a waitress. A waitress she's been working with disappears after a bonfire party, and Annie is drawn to the mystery of finding out what happened to her. Her grandfather, who is a retired sheriff, is now a private investigator. Annie teams up with her grandfather and his partner to find out what happened to the waitress.
There are some interesting twists and turns to this story and a few diversions in the investigation. I liked the book and if there is another in the series (sounds like there may be) I would like to read it. I did not guess the ending on this one, so it was a surprise. I liked Annie's character, and I really enjoyed her grandfather and his partner too.
Thanks to St. Martin's Press through Netgalley for an advance copy. This book will be published on April 19, 2022.
There are some interesting twists and turns to this story and a few diversions in the investigation. I liked the book and if there is another in the series (sounds like there may be) I would like to read it. I did not guess the ending on this one, so it was a surprise. I liked Annie's character, and I really enjoyed her grandfather and his partner too.
Thanks to St. Martin's Press through Netgalley for an advance copy. This book will be published on April 19, 2022.
March 24, 2022
Annie McIntyre has finished college with no clear direction, landing back in her small hometown of Garnett, Texas waiting tables at the local diner. Her sort-of retired lawman grandfather still dabbles in a PI firm and brings Annie into an investigation of a missing waitress. It isn’t long before the truth begins to reveal itself as Annie’s questions around town stir up shady environmental dealings and a disturbing personal experience for the unintentional new PI.
This story isn’t the gritty noir I expected but it certainly wasn’t a cozy mystery either. Pay Dirt Road is a promising debut with strong writing and I enjoyed this as a character study. That said, this story has been done time and again. As Annie’s past experience is revealed, I easily knew who the “big bad” was going to be and tie in to her investigation. The environmental issues that acted to further part of the plot felt unnecessary here and it’s been used before. The Texas oil fields and honky tonks are all tropes but here Samantha Jayne Allen managed to create an atmosphere that brought me right into the story and held my interest even as we headed toward the conclusion I’d already pieced together.
Thanks to Minotuar Books and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC in exchange for my honest review. Pay Dirt Road is scheduled for release on April 19, 2022.
For more reviews, visit www.rootsandreads.wordpress.com
This story isn’t the gritty noir I expected but it certainly wasn’t a cozy mystery either. Pay Dirt Road is a promising debut with strong writing and I enjoyed this as a character study. That said, this story has been done time and again. As Annie’s past experience is revealed, I easily knew who the “big bad” was going to be and tie in to her investigation. The environmental issues that acted to further part of the plot felt unnecessary here and it’s been used before. The Texas oil fields and honky tonks are all tropes but here Samantha Jayne Allen managed to create an atmosphere that brought me right into the story and held my interest even as we headed toward the conclusion I’d already pieced together.
Thanks to Minotuar Books and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC in exchange for my honest review. Pay Dirt Road is scheduled for release on April 19, 2022.
For more reviews, visit www.rootsandreads.wordpress.com
April 23, 2022
I was seeing Pay Dirt Road all over Bookstagram and I needed to read it. A big thank you to Recorded Books and Netgalley for my advanced audio copy to listen to. Over 2 days I was immersed in this small town murder mystery and I loved it.
Set in Texas (which is somewhere that I have always wanted to go), a young woman goes missing and is later found murdered. Annie McIntyre teams up with her grandfather who is the town's PI to find the killer. Annie worked in the local diner with the victim and wants to find justice.
This is a slow burn but one that kept me interested all the way through. I loved the characters and the secrets they were all hiding. The ending was surprising and really well done. Crime fiction and murder mystery fans will enjoy this one.
Set in Texas (which is somewhere that I have always wanted to go), a young woman goes missing and is later found murdered. Annie McIntyre teams up with her grandfather who is the town's PI to find the killer. Annie worked in the local diner with the victim and wants to find justice.
This is a slow burn but one that kept me interested all the way through. I loved the characters and the secrets they were all hiding. The ending was surprising and really well done. Crime fiction and murder mystery fans will enjoy this one.
July 5, 2022
Annie McIntyre lives in Texas; Garnett, Texas; in God’s country, and “Pay Dirt Road” is her first person narrative. Events from her past, like a blast of Texas weather that one can see coming for miles, dominate her thoughts. She knows everyone and has known them for a while, known them before. She came back to Garnett not for some sense of purpose, but rather because here she was loved and loved well. Now, working in a café, with her college degree going to waste and student loans to be repaid, she wonders how she could be related to these people.
The complex story unfolds by going back and forth in time. Readers learn what they need to know in the order in which they need to know it. The past is complicated; some see it as dark or ugly, but others want to turn over that past and take a closer look. Annie wonders if she had not gone to that place that day, had not witnessed it, would she have done something entirely different with her life. Some people never change; they carry the past with them, and eventually that past must be resolved in the present, and that task falls to Annie. She discovers that details of the story are missing or hidden, but every missing part will lead her to the answer. She could be a good detective; she wants to uncover the truth, to make things right.
“Pay Dirt Road” is filled with of sensory descriptions that pull readers into the story: the quiet except for the road sounds from the highway overpass; the smell of icing filling the room; flecks of dry grass and foxtails stuck to their pant legs; the still air horizon the horizon wavy with shimmering heat. The pace is slow and deliberate but contains enough twists and surprises to keep readers involved.
I received a review copy of “Pay Dirt Road” from Samantha Jayne Allen, St. Martin's Press, and Minotaur Books. It seems at first to be a light read, but as events unfold, the story becomes more complicated, compelling, and addictive.
“Pay Dirt Road” is now available in print, as an e-book, and on audio from independent bookstores, online booksellers, retail stores, public libraries and anywhere you get your books.
The past does not stay hidden forever.
The complex story unfolds by going back and forth in time. Readers learn what they need to know in the order in which they need to know it. The past is complicated; some see it as dark or ugly, but others want to turn over that past and take a closer look. Annie wonders if she had not gone to that place that day, had not witnessed it, would she have done something entirely different with her life. Some people never change; they carry the past with them, and eventually that past must be resolved in the present, and that task falls to Annie. She discovers that details of the story are missing or hidden, but every missing part will lead her to the answer. She could be a good detective; she wants to uncover the truth, to make things right.
“Pay Dirt Road” is filled with of sensory descriptions that pull readers into the story: the quiet except for the road sounds from the highway overpass; the smell of icing filling the room; flecks of dry grass and foxtails stuck to their pant legs; the still air horizon the horizon wavy with shimmering heat. The pace is slow and deliberate but contains enough twists and surprises to keep readers involved.
I received a review copy of “Pay Dirt Road” from Samantha Jayne Allen, St. Martin's Press, and Minotaur Books. It seems at first to be a light read, but as events unfold, the story becomes more complicated, compelling, and addictive.
“Pay Dirt Road” is now available in print, as an e-book, and on audio from independent bookstores, online booksellers, retail stores, public libraries and anywhere you get your books.
The past does not stay hidden forever.
November 13, 2023
Annie McIntyre, the main character, has recently returned to her (hometown of Garnett, Texas, after she had graduated from college. She is not quite sure what direction to next take and struggles between the pull of her past, her family, and the world beyond this small town that she knows she has only seen a small part of. She's working as a waitress while she tries to decide what direction she wants to take. That decision gets a big push toward her supposedly retired grandfather and his private investigation firm. One of her co-workers suddenly goes missing and Annie finds herself unable to let this mystery go. The characters...Annie especially, are all unique, well-drawn, very real people who are fascinating to meet and get to know. There were a couple more minor characters that, in my opinion, were not drawn out with quite the same depth that the others were, but that never took away from the intensity or the enjoyment of the story. The settings will be very familiar to anyone who knows the smell of the oil field or the sounds of a VFW Hall Honky-Tonk. The world she creates is simply tangible and real and the twist at the end is surprising and dramatic. .
April 13, 2022
Faced with no job prospects and no money for grad school, Annie returns to her hometown in hardscrabble Texas where she waits tables at the town diner. When a fellow waitress goes missing and is found dead, Annie gets caught up in an investigation.
It took a while to get into the pursuit of the mystery, but the beginning (and throughout) was a good character study of small town Texas. Extremely atmospheric, I could see the spray painted stop signs, the trash in the alleys, the weeds growing up through the concrete.
The entire book is very descriptive…the sights, the smells….while the case is slow to unfold. If you want to savor these, it is not a fast read. There really are two stories here. The primary seems to be more Annie’s family and her background history in her small town, with the murder almost secondary.
Thanks to Netgalley and St. Martin’s Press for the DRC
It took a while to get into the pursuit of the mystery, but the beginning (and throughout) was a good character study of small town Texas. Extremely atmospheric, I could see the spray painted stop signs, the trash in the alleys, the weeds growing up through the concrete.
The entire book is very descriptive…the sights, the smells….while the case is slow to unfold. If you want to savor these, it is not a fast read. There really are two stories here. The primary seems to be more Annie’s family and her background history in her small town, with the murder almost secondary.
Thanks to Netgalley and St. Martin’s Press for the DRC
April 18, 2022
PAY DIRT ROAD by Samantha Jayne Allen
Publication: 4/19/22 by St Martin’s Press / Minotaur Books
A tantalizing murder mystery debut that transitions smoothly to a nostalgic slice of life as our heroine struggles with gaining purpose and self-actualization. Annie McIntyre fought hard to leave her small town of Garnett, Texas and obtain a college education. However, after graduation she find herself returning home, to friends and family, and feeling rudderless. She’s living with her beloved cousin Nikki and waitressing at the town’s cafe, and apparently it’s main gathering place. She’s begun to form loose bonds with her workmates… including young single mother, Victoria, Fernando the cook, and the owner, Marlene. She collides with her past at the bonfire party on the Schneider’s south pasture. Everyone is there … not only Justin and Troy Scneider, but many of her high school friends, and rivals . Even the perennial home coming queen, holding court on a tailgate. It congers up many rivalries in the past with Ashley, Sabrina and Macy. As well as, attempted repressed memories of attending a college party as a seventeen-year old high school senior. Afterwards, she stopped drinking until her twenty-first birthday. She even runs into Wyatt Reed, her very first boyfriend, and wonders what might have been. He’s one year older, and already in graduate school, while she’s floundering. Her workmate, Victoria also shows up and quickly appears inebriated. She has once considered going to law school, but put it on hold.
Her family has a long line of being involved in law enforcement … her father, a cop, and her grandfather, Leroy… once a cop and for a short time the county sheriff, and now almost retired but working with his old partner, Mary-Pat Zimmerman in a private investigation firm. She was approached about working with the firm , doing part-time secretarial work, but she envisions a possible role as an apprentice to learn the business. The morning after the bonfire, she learns that last night a bad accident occurred on the highway near their party. A man leaving a nearby club was walking home instead of driving and was struck by a vehicle, which sped away. And now, Victoria is missing. Several days later, Victoria’s body is found by law enforcement in a shallow grave, on Leroy’s land, and near the same highway. Coincidence?
Two violent deaths in the same small town - a few miles apart, on the same night. Shortly after, Fernando is arrested for Victoria’s murder. His grandmother hires Mary-Pat and Leroy’s firm to
investigate and prove Fernando’s innocence. He adamantly provides an alibi with a young women at a bar …. doesn’t remember her name, but provides a description that rings bells in Annie’s memory. Suddenly Annie is actively investigating on her own … following up leads that result in actually verifying his alibi. However, the woman is an illegal alien and will not come forward, for fear of being deported. As Annie continues to dig, she becomes enraptured with her need to seek justice and search for the truth. Someone paints on her car’s back window: “ U R NEXT “ …. she knows she’s close and won’t stop.
Samantha Jayne Allen crafts a slow burn mystery, with many twists and reveals, while providing a host of possible suspects. The strength of her writing is in her almost lyrical prose and the depth of her characterization of Annie, that provides a multi-dimensional picture that sticks indelibly in the reader’s mind. Explored are the themes of self-discovery, and the challenges and hardships encountered in small town life, especially for young women.
Thanks to NetGalley and St.Martin’s Press / Minotaur Books for providing an Uncorrected Proof in exchange for an honest review.
Publication: 4/19/22 by St Martin’s Press / Minotaur Books
A tantalizing murder mystery debut that transitions smoothly to a nostalgic slice of life as our heroine struggles with gaining purpose and self-actualization. Annie McIntyre fought hard to leave her small town of Garnett, Texas and obtain a college education. However, after graduation she find herself returning home, to friends and family, and feeling rudderless. She’s living with her beloved cousin Nikki and waitressing at the town’s cafe, and apparently it’s main gathering place. She’s begun to form loose bonds with her workmates… including young single mother, Victoria, Fernando the cook, and the owner, Marlene. She collides with her past at the bonfire party on the Schneider’s south pasture. Everyone is there … not only Justin and Troy Scneider, but many of her high school friends, and rivals . Even the perennial home coming queen, holding court on a tailgate. It congers up many rivalries in the past with Ashley, Sabrina and Macy. As well as, attempted repressed memories of attending a college party as a seventeen-year old high school senior. Afterwards, she stopped drinking until her twenty-first birthday. She even runs into Wyatt Reed, her very first boyfriend, and wonders what might have been. He’s one year older, and already in graduate school, while she’s floundering. Her workmate, Victoria also shows up and quickly appears inebriated. She has once considered going to law school, but put it on hold.
Her family has a long line of being involved in law enforcement … her father, a cop, and her grandfather, Leroy… once a cop and for a short time the county sheriff, and now almost retired but working with his old partner, Mary-Pat Zimmerman in a private investigation firm. She was approached about working with the firm , doing part-time secretarial work, but she envisions a possible role as an apprentice to learn the business. The morning after the bonfire, she learns that last night a bad accident occurred on the highway near their party. A man leaving a nearby club was walking home instead of driving and was struck by a vehicle, which sped away. And now, Victoria is missing. Several days later, Victoria’s body is found by law enforcement in a shallow grave, on Leroy’s land, and near the same highway. Coincidence?
Two violent deaths in the same small town - a few miles apart, on the same night. Shortly after, Fernando is arrested for Victoria’s murder. His grandmother hires Mary-Pat and Leroy’s firm to
investigate and prove Fernando’s innocence. He adamantly provides an alibi with a young women at a bar …. doesn’t remember her name, but provides a description that rings bells in Annie’s memory. Suddenly Annie is actively investigating on her own … following up leads that result in actually verifying his alibi. However, the woman is an illegal alien and will not come forward, for fear of being deported. As Annie continues to dig, she becomes enraptured with her need to seek justice and search for the truth. Someone paints on her car’s back window: “ U R NEXT “ …. she knows she’s close and won’t stop.
Samantha Jayne Allen crafts a slow burn mystery, with many twists and reveals, while providing a host of possible suspects. The strength of her writing is in her almost lyrical prose and the depth of her characterization of Annie, that provides a multi-dimensional picture that sticks indelibly in the reader’s mind. Explored are the themes of self-discovery, and the challenges and hardships encountered in small town life, especially for young women.
Thanks to NetGalley and St.Martin’s Press / Minotaur Books for providing an Uncorrected Proof in exchange for an honest review.
May 3, 2022
This was very much like a ‘pass the time’ comfort read to me. It was a fine mystery with at least fairly likable characters.
Our main character, a young 20-something fresh out of college, isn’t sure what to do with her life just yet, and finds herself involved in the family business of solving crimes. When a coworker of hers is found murdered, Annie finds herself pushed to solve it and finding a reason to stay in her small town that she thought she escaped from with a college education.
The setting of deep Texas was utilized well to create a kind of culture around it. I think there were a little too many side characters and time jumping around that made the story a bit confusing and muddled occasionally. I guessed the culprit (go me!) but that didn’t make it less interesting in this case since it was a fairly good turn.
I did like its voice and perspective around feminism in the south and problems with rape culture in a lot of the communities around it. Patriarchy was the real villain here and I can get behind that.
Overall, it was an easy listen and a decent way to spend a few hours. It felt like cable tv.
Thanks to Netgalley and RB media for a copy of this audiobook. Narrated by Sandy Rustin who did a good job but boy was it accented, often heavily.
Our main character, a young 20-something fresh out of college, isn’t sure what to do with her life just yet, and finds herself involved in the family business of solving crimes. When a coworker of hers is found murdered, Annie finds herself pushed to solve it and finding a reason to stay in her small town that she thought she escaped from with a college education.
The setting of deep Texas was utilized well to create a kind of culture around it. I think there were a little too many side characters and time jumping around that made the story a bit confusing and muddled occasionally. I guessed the culprit (go me!) but that didn’t make it less interesting in this case since it was a fairly good turn.
I did like its voice and perspective around feminism in the south and problems with rape culture in a lot of the communities around it. Patriarchy was the real villain here and I can get behind that.
Overall, it was an easy listen and a decent way to spend a few hours. It felt like cable tv.
Thanks to Netgalley and RB media for a copy of this audiobook. Narrated by Sandy Rustin who did a good job but boy was it accented, often heavily.
April 24, 2022
Trying to figure out her life Annie returns home from college to live with her cousin and work at the local diner. When her co-worker disappears and is later found murdered the mystery begins!
And Annie becomes involved in the investigation.
Author Samantha Jayne Allen keeps the reader guessing throughout and for a debut novel it was a satisfying read.
Narrator Sandy Rustin did a fabulous job!
Thank you to NetGalley and RB Media (Recorded Books) for an arc of this novel in exchange for my honest review.
And Annie becomes involved in the investigation.
Author Samantha Jayne Allen keeps the reader guessing throughout and for a debut novel it was a satisfying read.
Narrator Sandy Rustin did a fabulous job!
Thank you to NetGalley and RB Media (Recorded Books) for an arc of this novel in exchange for my honest review.
October 25, 2021
Pay Dirt Road by Samantha Jayne Allen follows twenty-something Annie McIntyre as she pitches in to solve the murder of a woman in the small Texas town of Garnett.
McIntyre, a recent college graduate, has returned home in an attempt to decide upon what future she wants to pursue. Working at a local diner, Annie becomes involved in several mysterious incidents, one of which causes deep-seated personal issues of her own to rise to the surface. These issues then force her to deal with a past she has so long preferred to push aside both on purpose and subconsciously.
At the diner working with Annie is Victoria, a single mother with a more exuberant lifestyle than Annie and more so than the local conservative Garnett residents care for. After Victoria is reported missing, with many not too concerned and believing she will just show up, Annie, with a familial criminal investigation pedigree and an internal knack for criminal investigations, joins with her grandfather and his private investigation business to start asking questions. Questions not only about Victoria but also another local mysterious killing, leading to the creation of unease among not only those responsible but from others as well.
From there, the novel, while not purely a police procedural or a cozy mystery, moves forward further developing characters and plot lines to a worthwhile conclusion.
Upon first reading a description of this novel, the novel was thought to be a gritty, country-noirish novel, however, it is not that and that is quite all right. Pay Dirt Road is a novel where the writer deftly introduces her characters and allows them to slowly develop and breathe. It is also with needed red herrings and a satisfying ending appearing to be more in line with good storytelling rather than shock and awe results and last page resolutions.
Pay Dirt Road does not contain graphic language or depictions of extreme violence or acts of sexuality.
Pay Dirt Road is recommended to those that enjoy blossoming character development with realistic plots that don’t rely upon extreme surprises to entice readers.
Pay Dirt Road is set to be published in April of 2022.
Netgalley provided an ARC for the promise of a fair review.
This review was originally published at MysteryandSuspence.com.
McIntyre, a recent college graduate, has returned home in an attempt to decide upon what future she wants to pursue. Working at a local diner, Annie becomes involved in several mysterious incidents, one of which causes deep-seated personal issues of her own to rise to the surface. These issues then force her to deal with a past she has so long preferred to push aside both on purpose and subconsciously.
At the diner working with Annie is Victoria, a single mother with a more exuberant lifestyle than Annie and more so than the local conservative Garnett residents care for. After Victoria is reported missing, with many not too concerned and believing she will just show up, Annie, with a familial criminal investigation pedigree and an internal knack for criminal investigations, joins with her grandfather and his private investigation business to start asking questions. Questions not only about Victoria but also another local mysterious killing, leading to the creation of unease among not only those responsible but from others as well.
From there, the novel, while not purely a police procedural or a cozy mystery, moves forward further developing characters and plot lines to a worthwhile conclusion.
Upon first reading a description of this novel, the novel was thought to be a gritty, country-noirish novel, however, it is not that and that is quite all right. Pay Dirt Road is a novel where the writer deftly introduces her characters and allows them to slowly develop and breathe. It is also with needed red herrings and a satisfying ending appearing to be more in line with good storytelling rather than shock and awe results and last page resolutions.
Pay Dirt Road does not contain graphic language or depictions of extreme violence or acts of sexuality.
Pay Dirt Road is recommended to those that enjoy blossoming character development with realistic plots that don’t rely upon extreme surprises to entice readers.
Pay Dirt Road is set to be published in April of 2022.
Netgalley provided an ARC for the promise of a fair review.
This review was originally published at MysteryandSuspence.com.
September 30, 2021
This book leaves a lot to be desired. There is so many layers that the author wants you to care about, yet she doesn't tell them all.
The relationship between Annies dad an Leroy. Leroy and Mary pat, etc.
The other thing with this book was the segues were baffling.
For instance, Annie and Leroy go to a honky tonk, the prime suspects come in and Annie steps into the shadows.
THE NEXT SENTENCE is Annie and Leroy waking up in her car.
WHAT HAPPENED?!
Another time, Annie goes swimming in a river, the next minute she is back with a Wyatt? but then Wyatt is really there.
The real killers...when you find out, meh, who cares. It was over in 3 pages. You read the entire book for that?
What happened to Leroy? Was he attacked? Did he have a heart attack?
Who knows? Not the reader
This book is a meh book. Not great, not even that good, but I was in between reviews, so I read it.
Better thriller/mystery books out there.
Thanks to Netgalley and to the publisher who gave me this ARC in return for this honest review.
The relationship between Annies dad an Leroy. Leroy and Mary pat, etc.
The other thing with this book was the segues were baffling.
For instance, Annie and Leroy go to a honky tonk, the prime suspects come in and Annie steps into the shadows.
THE NEXT SENTENCE is Annie and Leroy waking up in her car.
WHAT HAPPENED?!
Another time, Annie goes swimming in a river, the next minute she is back with a Wyatt? but then Wyatt is really there.
The real killers...when you find out, meh, who cares. It was over in 3 pages. You read the entire book for that?
What happened to Leroy? Was he attacked? Did he have a heart attack?
Who knows? Not the reader
This book is a meh book. Not great, not even that good, but I was in between reviews, so I read it.
Better thriller/mystery books out there.
Thanks to Netgalley and to the publisher who gave me this ARC in return for this honest review.
June 5, 2022
This one is on the slower side, so if that is not your thing then this is probably not for you. This is set in small town Texas, which is how I grew up so I was immediately interested once I realized this. Annie and her grandfather Leroy, the town’s PI, are working to solve the case of a missing waitress, and they uncover much more than they bargained for.
This was very well done, and while I figured it out before the end, I was still very interested in how it was going to wrap up so it didn’t change how I felt at all. Many of the characters have secrets to they are hiding, and it was a joy to see Annie and Leroy’s relationship as they worked together to uncover these secrets in order to solve the case.
Thank you to Minotaur Books for the ARC to review.
This was very well done, and while I figured it out before the end, I was still very interested in how it was going to wrap up so it didn’t change how I felt at all. Many of the characters have secrets to they are hiding, and it was a joy to see Annie and Leroy’s relationship as they worked together to uncover these secrets in order to solve the case.
Thank you to Minotaur Books for the ARC to review.
May 13, 2022
3.5/5 (rounded up)
Pay Dirt Road: A Novel is Samantha Jayne Allen's debut novel, and while I haven't watched Friday Night Lights, I definitely agree with the sentiment that it has strong Mare of Easttown vibes. That was also a very slow burn as well as being more character-driven, which is exactly how I felt about this book. There is a mystery of course, but there is also a lot of focus on Annie as a character and how she interacts with the other people in this story. I really enjoyed how Allen brought small-town Texas to life, and at times, it reminded me a lot of watching the movie Erin Brockovich.
The audiobook is narrated by Sandy Rustin, and I was really impressed with her voicing for this book. She was perfect for Annie and did a great job enhancing the story for me. She really pulled me in and helped keep my attention on what was going on. Pay Dirt Road could easily be the first of a series, and I would be interested to see more of Annie as I think her character has a lot of potential for growth. I don't know if the end totally shocked me, but one part was pretty surprising, and I really enjoyed the road taken to get there. I would recommend this to fans of slower burns and character-driven mysteries.
I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
Pay Dirt Road: A Novel is Samantha Jayne Allen's debut novel, and while I haven't watched Friday Night Lights, I definitely agree with the sentiment that it has strong Mare of Easttown vibes. That was also a very slow burn as well as being more character-driven, which is exactly how I felt about this book. There is a mystery of course, but there is also a lot of focus on Annie as a character and how she interacts with the other people in this story. I really enjoyed how Allen brought small-town Texas to life, and at times, it reminded me a lot of watching the movie Erin Brockovich.
The audiobook is narrated by Sandy Rustin, and I was really impressed with her voicing for this book. She was perfect for Annie and did a great job enhancing the story for me. She really pulled me in and helped keep my attention on what was going on. Pay Dirt Road could easily be the first of a series, and I would be interested to see more of Annie as I think her character has a lot of potential for growth. I don't know if the end totally shocked me, but one part was pretty surprising, and I really enjoyed the road taken to get there. I would recommend this to fans of slower burns and character-driven mysteries.
I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
March 18, 2022
In a nutshell: Annie, a recent college graduate, moves back to her small town and takes a waitressing job while trying to figure out what she wants to do. When her friend/co-worker goes missing after a bonfire, Annie finds herself lured into the family’s private investigation firm. While trying to piece together what happened that night, Annie is forced to confront the similarities to her own past.
I really enjoyed this book. It’s a slow burn mystery with atmospheric small town vibes and characters as well as the added element of political/environmental issues when an oil company becomes involved. Along with the disappearance, you also get glimpses into parts of Annies past that she is struggling to remember and come to terms with. Keep in mind that if you’re looking for a fast paced edge of your seat read, you won’t find it here. This is a classic rural character driven mystery, with familial ties incased in a mystery. If this turns into a series I will definitely check out the next book.
3.5 ⭐️
I really enjoyed this book. It’s a slow burn mystery with atmospheric small town vibes and characters as well as the added element of political/environmental issues when an oil company becomes involved. Along with the disappearance, you also get glimpses into parts of Annies past that she is struggling to remember and come to terms with. Keep in mind that if you’re looking for a fast paced edge of your seat read, you won’t find it here. This is a classic rural character driven mystery, with familial ties incased in a mystery. If this turns into a series I will definitely check out the next book.
3.5 ⭐️
April 19, 2022
Enjoyable debut, rich in local rural Texas color and colorful complications. The main character, too, is refreshingly and realistically complicated: college-aged but adrift, living mostly on distractions and dishwater tips and dealing with men who aren't quite right for her even if she can't quite see it clearly. She doesn't make for a particularly convincing detective, but her dogged pursuit of the truth and her determination to do justice by those who have been wronged, even as she struggles to get out of her own distracted way, are not just admirable but admirably human. It's nice to see a crime-solver who's a hot mess without being a hyper-stylized, hyper-sexualized hot mess ala Stephanie Plum.
Looking forward to seeing Annie McIntyre grow in further adventures, though hopefully in stories with more plausible climactic scenes (the one in PAY DIRT ROAD will make readers sprain their eyeballs while rolling them, it’s so slapdash and implausible) and perhaps a few fewer peripheral characters.
Looking forward to seeing Annie McIntyre grow in further adventures, though hopefully in stories with more plausible climactic scenes (the one in PAY DIRT ROAD will make readers sprain their eyeballs while rolling them, it’s so slapdash and implausible) and perhaps a few fewer peripheral characters.
May 2, 2022
Pay Dirt Road by @samallenwrites has the perfect small town, middle of nowhere, scrappy lead female character whose life is a little in shambles, missing person mystery vibe that I just freaking love. It completely reminded me of the movie Wind River (which I frigging LOVE that movie) - tensions between a town and incoming oil developers. Small town folk who’ve never left. Secrets and drama and history that threatens to erupt at every turn. I devoured it, it’s a weekend reading date you’ll love.
April 27, 2022
Friday Night Lights meets Mare of Eastown? YES PLEASE.
However, I would not compare this book to either of those shows so I felt a little misled. Sure it took place in a small town and dealt with an investigation, but that's about where the similarities started and ended.
The premise of this novel is great - a young waitress goes missing and her body turns up a couple weeks later. Coinciding with the horrific murder was a hit and run that took place the same night the woman went missing. A town is rocked to its core. The local police department is in way over its head and everyone is a suspect. Meanwhile, the town is under siege by huge corporations looking to build a pipeline through the county. Is everything connected or is their little town just not so sleepy after all?
This novel reminded me quite a bit of Everything We Didn't Say with the small town murder and environmental aspects. I didn't enjoy Everything We Didn't Say though so maybe books with the environmental premise just aren't for me.
The first 25% of this book was incredibly slow. There seemed to be a lot of unnecessary character building and I wasn't very invested in the characters so even with the in depth details about them, I had a hard time keeping everyone straight. Once we got to the meat of the story, the pacing improved, but I still struggled to maintain interest.
It took me a minute to catch on to the killer but once I did, it felt glaringly obvious. There were some small twists I wasn't expecting but they were just kind of thrown in at the end in a cleanup chapter which I generally dislike.
All in all this was an okay read but not one that will likely stick with me. However, the writing was well done and the plot had a lot of potential so I will definitely read more from this author.
Thank you to Minotaur and NetGalley for a copy of this novel.
However, I would not compare this book to either of those shows so I felt a little misled. Sure it took place in a small town and dealt with an investigation, but that's about where the similarities started and ended.
The premise of this novel is great - a young waitress goes missing and her body turns up a couple weeks later. Coinciding with the horrific murder was a hit and run that took place the same night the woman went missing. A town is rocked to its core. The local police department is in way over its head and everyone is a suspect. Meanwhile, the town is under siege by huge corporations looking to build a pipeline through the county. Is everything connected or is their little town just not so sleepy after all?
This novel reminded me quite a bit of Everything We Didn't Say with the small town murder and environmental aspects. I didn't enjoy Everything We Didn't Say though so maybe books with the environmental premise just aren't for me.
The first 25% of this book was incredibly slow. There seemed to be a lot of unnecessary character building and I wasn't very invested in the characters so even with the in depth details about them, I had a hard time keeping everyone straight. Once we got to the meat of the story, the pacing improved, but I still struggled to maintain interest.
It took me a minute to catch on to the killer but once I did, it felt glaringly obvious. There were some small twists I wasn't expecting but they were just kind of thrown in at the end in a cleanup chapter which I generally dislike.
All in all this was an okay read but not one that will likely stick with me. However, the writing was well done and the plot had a lot of potential so I will definitely read more from this author.
Thank you to Minotaur and NetGalley for a copy of this novel.
April 27, 2023
well.... I actually did not like this one. it didn't cover any new grounds and it was like I was reading bits and part of other mystery books. the main character was ok and likeable but not memorable. at no point was I biting my nails of and or got worried or excited. it was just ok. not bad, not good.
May 7, 2022
Want to see more bookish things from me? Check out my Youtube channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCfer...
*I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for my honest review*
After graduating college, and not sure what to do next, Annie returns to her small town in Texas. She finds herself brought into her grandfather Leroy's private investigating firm. When a local waitress goes missing, and a hit-and-run occurs, Leroy and Annie start investigating to see if the two deaths are related, and things begin to hit a bit to close to home.
This was a very slow-paced read, and I never fully got into the story. I feel like this would make a good lifetime movie, it just gives off those vibes. I wasn't the biggest fan of Annie, just something about her rubbed me the wrong way. I just found her to be a bit uninteresting, and I didn't care about anything that happened to her. I listened to the audiobook, and do think the narrator did a good job with the voices and characters. But, overall I just found this to be a very average read, nothing special in my opinion.
*I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for my honest review*
After graduating college, and not sure what to do next, Annie returns to her small town in Texas. She finds herself brought into her grandfather Leroy's private investigating firm. When a local waitress goes missing, and a hit-and-run occurs, Leroy and Annie start investigating to see if the two deaths are related, and things begin to hit a bit to close to home.
This was a very slow-paced read, and I never fully got into the story. I feel like this would make a good lifetime movie, it just gives off those vibes. I wasn't the biggest fan of Annie, just something about her rubbed me the wrong way. I just found her to be a bit uninteresting, and I didn't care about anything that happened to her. I listened to the audiobook, and do think the narrator did a good job with the voices and characters. But, overall I just found this to be a very average read, nothing special in my opinion.
April 7, 2022
There was nothing about this book that really got me excited. The characters were uninteresting, the plot was unoriginal, and the writing just bothered me. I couldn't tell if the author was attempting to copy the style of the area (small town Texas) but it extended beyond the dialogue of the characters. I found myself several times rereading something trying to make some sense of it.
I considered putting it down more than once but something kept me going, so there's that. Bu I don't think this author is for me.
I want to thank #NetGalley and Minotaur Books for providing me with an advanced copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.
I considered putting it down more than once but something kept me going, so there's that. Bu I don't think this author is for me.
I want to thank #NetGalley and Minotaur Books for providing me with an advanced copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.
June 14, 2022
Pay Dirt Road is a contemporary small-town mystery by Samantha Jayne Allen, winner of the 2019 Tony Hillerman Prize for best first mystery set in the southwest. While Allen weaves an atmospheric, regional tale with strong writing and an intriguing who-done-it plot, the overall story left me underwhelmed, and questioning some of the character dynamics.
After college, Annie McIntyre returns to her hometown of Garnett, Texas. feeling conflicted and haunted by her past. With a recession in place and student loans to pay, she takes a job at the local cafe (owned by her aunt) and lives with her cousin, also one of her best friends. Unable to decide what to do with her life, she is drawn to her grandfather Leroy’s private investigation business and starts working for him when her co-worker, a waitress at the cafe, goes missing one night.
Annie seems to have a detective’s pursuit for justice in her blood, and her relationship with her grandfather is endearing and entertaining. As the mystery deepens and suspects emerge, there are points when her methods seem not just amateurish, which was probably the intent, but questionable and unprofessional. Her ambiguity toward her life and relationships also make the character feel a bit cliched (the confused, insecure young girl who parties a lot).
Some readers mentioned they figured out who the killer was long before it was revealed, but I have to say I did not, because it wasn’t believable to me due to weak character development. There were also many overused phrases and actions that grew tiresome (a lot of drinking, crying and things that “made the hair on the back of my neck stand up,”).
Allen does possess a great talent for painting a picture with her small-town Texas setting. I can’t give this story less than three stars because of her gift for detail, “the front porch…crowded with two humming brown fridges next to a plastic-covered recliner, echoing wind chimes, and Mamaw’s orange trumpet vine tangled on a chipped white lattice.” However the slow pacing, combined with many scenes that rang untrue or fell flat, left me wanting something with more substance and depth.
Thank you to Goodreads Giveaways and Minotaur Books for this ARC.
After college, Annie McIntyre returns to her hometown of Garnett, Texas. feeling conflicted and haunted by her past. With a recession in place and student loans to pay, she takes a job at the local cafe (owned by her aunt) and lives with her cousin, also one of her best friends. Unable to decide what to do with her life, she is drawn to her grandfather Leroy’s private investigation business and starts working for him when her co-worker, a waitress at the cafe, goes missing one night.
Annie seems to have a detective’s pursuit for justice in her blood, and her relationship with her grandfather is endearing and entertaining. As the mystery deepens and suspects emerge, there are points when her methods seem not just amateurish, which was probably the intent, but questionable and unprofessional. Her ambiguity toward her life and relationships also make the character feel a bit cliched (the confused, insecure young girl who parties a lot).
Some readers mentioned they figured out who the killer was long before it was revealed, but I have to say I did not, because it wasn’t believable to me due to weak character development. There were also many overused phrases and actions that grew tiresome (a lot of drinking, crying and things that “made the hair on the back of my neck stand up,”).
Allen does possess a great talent for painting a picture with her small-town Texas setting. I can’t give this story less than three stars because of her gift for detail, “the front porch…crowded with two humming brown fridges next to a plastic-covered recliner, echoing wind chimes, and Mamaw’s orange trumpet vine tangled on a chipped white lattice.” However the slow pacing, combined with many scenes that rang untrue or fell flat, left me wanting something with more substance and depth.
Thank you to Goodreads Giveaways and Minotaur Books for this ARC.
May 3, 2022
My husband and I listened to this audiobook on a long car ride. Unfortunately, we both felt that it was just okay. It mostly held our interest, but it felt slow and wasn’t all that engrossing. There was a fabulous sense of place, however, with the story taking taking place in a small town in Texas.
The main character, Annie, is a recent college graduate who is waitressing in her home town while she tries to figure out her next move. One of her coworkers goes missing and that forms the basis of the book’s main mystery. Her family has a tradition of law enforcement and her grandfather, a former sheriff, now has a small private investigation company with a female partner. Annie starts to work with her grandfather and partner, but she doesn’t have the experience to safely investigate and puts herself in danger over and over. One thing that I felt was realistic was how Annie felt about something that happened to her when she was in high school. (I can’t give more details without it being a spoiler.) A subtheme dealt with the effects of drilling for oil but its treatment of environmentalism was superficial at best.
If there’s a sequel, we’ll be skipping it. “Too many books, too little time.”
The audiobook was narrated beautifully by Sandy Rustin, who did a wonderful job with all the voices and accents.
Thank you to Recorded Books and NetGalley for the opportunity to listen to an advance copy of this audiobook and to Minotaur Books and NetGalley for the opportunity to read an advance reader copy of this book. All opinions are my own.
The main character, Annie, is a recent college graduate who is waitressing in her home town while she tries to figure out her next move. One of her coworkers goes missing and that forms the basis of the book’s main mystery. Her family has a tradition of law enforcement and her grandfather, a former sheriff, now has a small private investigation company with a female partner. Annie starts to work with her grandfather and partner, but she doesn’t have the experience to safely investigate and puts herself in danger over and over. One thing that I felt was realistic was how Annie felt about something that happened to her when she was in high school. (I can’t give more details without it being a spoiler.) A subtheme dealt with the effects of drilling for oil but its treatment of environmentalism was superficial at best.
If there’s a sequel, we’ll be skipping it. “Too many books, too little time.”
The audiobook was narrated beautifully by Sandy Rustin, who did a wonderful job with all the voices and accents.
Thank you to Recorded Books and NetGalley for the opportunity to listen to an advance copy of this audiobook and to Minotaur Books and NetGalley for the opportunity to read an advance reader copy of this book. All opinions are my own.
May 17, 2022
3.5 rounded up…so I guessed the murderer pretty early on, but that isn’t the author’s fault. It is my mother’s! She and I watched and read way too many true crime and murder shows for anything to surprise me now. What set this one apart from the countless murder books that I have read, are the well drawn characters. It’s intended to be a series, and I am definitely interested to see how these characters develop, so count me in!
November 23, 2022
Right in the beginning, I did't love the MC. She's a bit rough. I didn't mind getting to know the town and the ins and out of who's who's (I love one of the first guys at the bonfire is the English teacher's son. Feels very small town!)
But soon the story felt very formulaic. Like it was just going through the motions of ticking boxes off so we could get to the next stage. It just didn't pull me in and make me root for anyone. Meh, wish I'd liked it more.
But soon the story felt very formulaic. Like it was just going through the motions of ticking boxes off so we could get to the next stage. It just didn't pull me in and make me root for anyone. Meh, wish I'd liked it more.
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