3.5 stars rounded up to 4
Pay Dirt Road drops you into a small Texas town where the sun is relentless and everyone knows each other’s business. Annie McIntyre has come home after college with no real plan, which already feels like defeat. When a former coworker is murdered, she gets pulled into her grandfather’s private investigations work.
The early chapters move slow, and some of the personal conflict feels cooked up just to keep the pot bubbling. But Samantha Jayne Allen’s writing gives the setting real texture. You can feel the heat, the empty fields, the heavy quiet. Annie’s struggles with identity, belonging, and disappointment feel real, which keeps the story grounded even when the plot isn’t flashy.
The pace is measured, some might say slow, so readers looking for nonstop action may tap their fingers a bit. But the atmosphere is strong, the characters feel true, and the mystery hits with emotional weight. A promising debut with a strong sense of place. Not a book that grabs you by the collar, but still a promising debut from the winner of the Tony Hillerman Prize.
** Thanks to NetGalley and Minotaur Books for a comp. Opinions are my own.