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amykuc's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
I was excited to read this one, but felt like it was kind of a cookie cutter book. Rich family in a small town, college grad who doesn’t know what to do with her life. And a mystery that’s not very hard to solve. It was an ok read. I did want to finish to see what happened but don’t know if I’ll read any others.
bookmarkedbybecky's review against another edition
mysterious
slow-paced
3.5
Pay Dirt Road is billed as “Friday Nights Lights meets Mare Of Easttown - a small-town mystery about an unlikely P.I. searching for a missing waitress.”
This debut novel offers a good base for the series - detailed descriptions of the Garnett, Texas, and deep character dive into the families of this small town. Annie, our protagonist and amateur P.I., learns many life lessons while solving Victoria’s (the waitress) murder. But the mystery surrounding the murder felt a little predictable and straightforward for an avid thriller/mystery reader. I did enjoy Annie and her venture into the family business, so I look forward to discovering where Book 2 takes her and McIntyre & Associates.
I would recommend this book to anyone who:
✨Loves character-driven mysteries
✨Prefers a slow burn mystery
✨New to the mystery genre
lexi_paws_and_pages's review against another edition
emotional
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Sexual assault, Murder, and Alcohol
carolsnotebook's review
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
3.75
Annie is back home after college, waitressing at the local diner and hanging out with her cousin and people she knew in high school. Her family is well known in town. Her grandfather used to be the sheriff, but now he owns a private investigation firm, run mostly by his partner, and drinks too much. When another waitress, Victoria, goes missing and is later found murdered, Annie is pulled in, needing to find the truth, and gets her grandfather involved too.
Pay Dirt Road has a good sense of place. It’s small-town Texas where land matters, where it’s hard to keep secrets, where people without papers are afraid of the cops. It’s a place where high school football carries a town’s pride and the VFW turns into a honky tonk on Thursdays. It’s a place Annie both loves and hates.
Pay Dirt Road is a pretty standard mystery and Annie’s not a great investigator. She shouldn’t be. She’s in her early twenties and someone she knows is probably a killer. The story is told from her point of view and she reflects on events in her past as she learns more about Victoria and the crime. I liked Annie, but she annoyed me too, which is fine.
The book doesn’t move at a quick pace, it takes time to dwell and dance and smell the hot cement, but there are definitely tense moments too. The whodunnit was a bit predictable, but we do get enough suspects to make me second-guess myself. It touches on the threats young women face and the expectations others have for them, without lingering or finding a solution.
I listened to the audiobook, which was a good choice. The narrator did an excellent job with Annie’s voice, conveying her stubbornness and uncertainty. The other characters were easy to differentiate. I forgot there was a narrator if that makes sense.
Pay Dirt Road was a good solid read. I’ll be looking forward to the author’s next book.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Rape
Minor: Alcoholism
yetanothersusan's review against another edition
mysterious
medium-paced
3.0
A good mystery: a hit and run death followed shortly thereafter by a missing woman who is discovered strangled. In a small town with very little experience dealing with major crimes, the easiest suspect is arrested. Only Annie, her retired grandfather, and his partner, seem to care that little actual investigating was done. But, while the story was good, I never felt like I understood the characters. I didn't really understand why Annie was home. A trauma from earlier in her life was introduced but the connection between it and how she was behaving now was never established. It didn't make sense. So, follow the story. It is a good one with enough options and twists to keep the reader on their toes.
Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for a copy of the book. This is my own opinion.
Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for a copy of the book. This is my own opinion.
eleellis's review against another edition
3.0
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.
soobooksalot's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
3.25
Against the backdrop of grassy fields, big skies and pumpjacks is the mystery of Pay Dirt Road.
Thank you to St. Martin's Press and Minotaur Books for my gifted copy for review!
Annie is a recent college graduate and has returned to her small hometown of Garnett, TX. Unsure of what she wants to do with her life, a waitressing gig is her make-do in the meantime.
When coworker Victoria goes missing after a party, Annie is prompted to pursue her disappearance with grandfather Leroy.
He's the town's former sheriff, and current private investigator.
Author Samantha Jayne Allan lays down the words in a way befitting the rural town she's depicting - this is a slow-burn mystery at heart.
Obvious attention has been paid to establishing the town's characters, and the book seems it could be the start of a series.
The plot kept my attention for the most part, though it did wane at times. Regardless, if there were to be a continuation of the story, I would be quite willing to check it out! Recommended.
For release on April 19.
Thank you to St. Martin's Press and Minotaur Books for my gifted copy for review!
Annie is a recent college graduate and has returned to her small hometown of Garnett, TX. Unsure of what she wants to do with her life, a waitressing gig is her make-do in the meantime.
When coworker Victoria goes missing after a party, Annie is prompted to pursue her disappearance with grandfather Leroy.
He's the town's former sheriff, and current private investigator.
Author Samantha Jayne Allan lays down the words in a way befitting the rural town she's depicting - this is a slow-burn mystery at heart.
Obvious attention has been paid to establishing the town's characters, and the book seems it could be the start of a series.
The plot kept my attention for the most part, though it did wane at times. Regardless, if there were to be a continuation of the story, I would be quite willing to check it out! Recommended.
For release on April 19.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death, Grief, Car accident, and Murder
Minor: Rape
cath518's review against another edition
medium-paced
3.0
This is the story of Annie, a young woman returning to her hometown in Texas after college. She gets a job as a waitress at the local cafe, working alongside Victoria, a single mom. When Annie finds out the day after a bonfire party (which Annie attended and saw Victoria there) that Victoria is missing, she becomes worried and decides to investigate.
Annie teams up with her grandfather, a former Sheriff, and his assistant Mary-Pat to investigate. Annie does not have great investigative skills but she perseveres.
The book was interesting, but I didn't find it completely engrossing. I thought the ending was good and I didn't figure out who it was until close to the end, although some readers may figure it out early on. I could, however, see this being written as a series as Annie hones her investigative skills.
Annie teams up with her grandfather, a former Sheriff, and his assistant Mary-Pat to investigate. Annie does not have great investigative skills but she perseveres.
The book was interesting, but I didn't find it completely engrossing. I thought the ending was good and I didn't figure out who it was until close to the end, although some readers may figure it out early on. I could, however, see this being written as a series as Annie hones her investigative skills.
invisiblemonster's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
3.5
I had no idea what this was about until I started reading it and I think that’s the way to go with mysteries. It didn’t disappoint… completely. The main character is relatable and you end up rooting for her even though she isn’t all that smart when it comes to being a pseudo-detective. Maybe a course would help her. It is easy to read with a great ending that I didn’t see coming, but overall it’s kind of forgettable. However, this book is definitely worthy of the mystery genre.
theirresponsiblereader's review against another edition
challenging
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
4.0
This originally appeared at The Irresponsible Reader.
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What’s Pay Dirt Road About?
Annie just graduated from college and moves back to her hometown to decide her next move. That’s the generous way to look at it, anyway, we’ll get back to that in a bit. She’s waiting tables at a local diner—well, the local diner in Garnett, TX. It’s hard to say exactly how large Garnett is, but it’s not big. But given the nearby oil fields, there’s a lot of money as well as a lot of poverty in this smaller town.
Annie and her roommate/cousin spend a lot of their evenings drinking, frequently with others they graduated from high school with. One night they go to a bonfire at the home of one of Annie’s former classmates and unexpectedly run into a co-worker, Victoria. Victoria has overserved herself at this point and doesn’t show signs of slowing down. When Annie decides to leave, she tries to find Victoria but is told that she’s gone off with someone.
That’s the last anyone sees Victoria—the last anyone will admit to, anyway. Her body is found a few days later. Driven by guilt for abandoning her, Annie takes advantage of an offer from her grandfather—former sheriff, now a PI—to work for him and look into the case.
Annie
Annie is what many would call a deeply flawed character, but others would just say human. She’s trapped by her own insecurities as well as ego. She knows she could likely do well in law school—but it would be hard and risky. She could probably talk herself into the challenge, but failing means losing hope she could get away from Garnett, and I don’t think she’s willing to do that.
Like so many people in similar circumstances, not knowing what to do, she drinks, so she doesn’t have to think about it for a while. And drinks a lot. This wouldn’t be a big deal for me as a reader, but Annie spends a lot of time judging her grandfather for his drinking—especially when they’re supposed to be working. She doesn’t say anything to him, she just keeps it inside and lets herself indulge. It’s things like this that make her a wonderful, complex character.
The Sense of Place
I’m vague on a lot about the town of Garnett (size, demographics, etc.), but I also have some concrete visions of certain parts of it. It reminds me a lot of the TV version of Dillon, Texas—which seemed to change size, economic status, and makeup from week to week, depending on what the story called for.
As I type that, I realize that my ideas about Garnett are basically half-Samantha Jayne Allen/half-Friday Night Lights. Annie would basically fit in with the Tyra Colletes and Tim Riggins of the world, not the Jason Streets and Lyla Garritys (although we get glimpses of that part of Garnett, too). I just thought of three paragraphs I could do paralleling the worlds of these two fictional towns, so I’d better move on before this becomes a very different kind of post.
What I kept getting was a feel for the town more than anything—it’s the kind of place where the best and brightest leave after high school, and the big question is: will they come back? You get the impression that if they do, it’s not because they chose to—they either have no choice, or it’s just as a way station–like Annie intends. Some of those in the latter category end up sticking around, usually not by choice. This bleakness covers the whole of the novel—in the successes as well as the failures (and the in-between moments).
At the same time, it seems that few of these people are there by choice. It is their home. Up until two weeks before her death, Victoria had been tied to Garnett, but she had plans. Annie intends on leaving. But when it comes to the land of Garnett? Their families’ acres? There’s a reflexive, instinctive, and deep sense of possession and binding. Everyone knows that Annie’s going to leave town at some point—but when there’s a suggestion that someone is going to buy the land she’s set to eventually inherit? That sets an emotional fire in her that I think surprised even her. You see something similar with Victoria, too. People like them may not like Garnett, may not want to live there but it’s home. It’s their home, and will be.
So, what did I think about Pay Dirt Road?
I don’t know that I can say that I particularly enjoyed this book—by design, it’s not a good time. But it’s a great experience. Allen’s sense of character and sense of place ensures that the reader feels what’s going on. Particularly, but not limited to, Annie’s experiences.
Like with any good mystery—and look at character—Pay Dirt Road is as much about the investigation as it is the history of the characters—for Annie, this goes back to High School, for her family, the history we see goes back far before that. The past illumines the present, and helps the reader—and eventually, Annie and others—to see what’s going on in the present.
Last year, I finally got around to reading The Far Empty by J. Todd Scott. Garnett doesn’t have the same kind of corruption (at least that we see) going on, but it has the sense of setting, of bleakness, and dedication to place/city/home. Between these two books—not to mention Locke’s Bluebird, Bluebird and Kent’s The Dime—I’m starting to think I should focus more of my Crime reading on the Lone Star State.
This could be the beginning of a series—and if it is, I’ll be at the front of the line for the sequel. This could be a stand-alone, and if so, it leaves the characters in a good place—both in terms of closure and promise for the future. Either way, this is a book that’s going to linger in the back of my mind for a while, and I think that’ll be true for others.