The characters in Pay Dirt Road are well developed and the story is interesting and kept my attention. However, it feels rather formulaic and predictable. I like the setting and the descriptions of the locations - they are well-developed. It just didn't have a lot of stand-out moments for me.

3⭐️⭐️⭐️
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Thankyou #netgalley #rbmedia #minataurbooks #samanthajayneallen for the arc copy of this book for a honest review.
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It’s base in small town garnett,texas. Annie was the main character in the story to find out who is on the lose killer of her friend. It’s base in mystery/crime / romance too.
Straight to the point, I was intrigued at first it got me hook up with few chapters until when they found the body and probably after 15 chapters to find the culprit. Mostly the drama is focusing on Annie instead . It took so long to get on the main story, I guess sometimes it’s good to be patience but there is no thrill at all on the plot itself.
I almost dnf it but still continued and not a surprise it doesn’t have a wow factor on the end.
Great narration though, that deserves a 5⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
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❤️Shaye.reads

Annie is a waitress in her home town of Garnett, Texas – a small town where everyone pretty much knows everyone else. When she and her cousin go to a party, Annie runs in to her co-worker, Victoria who’s clearly drunk but refuses Annie’s attempts at taking her home. The next day, she goes missing and then a body is found right after a hit and run. The likelihood of two mysteries/murder in one small town not being connected? Very suspicious, indeed.

Annie’s grandfather, Leroy, a fairly unreliable man and the former sheriff, works with Annie to uncover some hard truths about small town life in Garnett under the guise of being PI’s. There are some classic themes at play – the outcasted alcoholic grandpa along with the dysfunctional extended family, etc … I had a pretty good idea who the bad guy was from the start but there were twists and red herrings that made this an enjoyable thriller/mystery.

I listened to Pay Dirt Road and while the story held great appeal, the narrator did not. Sadly, it was difficult to get past the cringe-worthy southern accent. Audiobooks are my jam especially with my commute and this is a first for me. It pains me to say this but I almost pulled a DNF on this ALC based solely on the narrator.

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for this DRC in exchange for an honest review.

3.5 for the story and a 2 for narration

4.35/5⭐

Pay Dirt Road is Allen's debut and winner of the Tony Hillerman Prize for Best First Mystery Set in the Southwest.
Right out of the gate, the story is told with rich, descriptive language. The author didn't waste a minute starting to develop the characters and their relationships, without being longwinded, boring, or tedious. Family (close and extended), friends, coworkers, and townsfolk are all fully created and interconnected in both expected and surprising ways. Story elements were well-conceived as well, leading to a satisfying and comprehensive ending.

The violence level wasn't exceedingly graphic or unrelenting for the genre. However, content warnings include murder; alcohol abuse, including by minors; use of date-rape drugs; sexual assault, including involving minors.

Thank you, NetGalley and RB Media, for the audio ARC of the book in exchange for an honest review. Publication is expected April 19.

Pay Dirt Road Review ✨ (Original Audio - how I hear audio over speed 1.5)

𝙿𝚞𝚋 𝙳𝚊𝚝𝚎: 𝙰𝚙𝚛𝚒𝚕 𝟷𝟾𝚝𝚑

𝐓𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡𝐭𝐬 💭:
I was excited to listen to this debut novel as it won the 2019 Tony Hillerman award for best mystery set in the southwest.

The story follows Annie, a young woman who recently has returned to her small hometown in Texas. There’s a recession going on and she finds work as a waitress. (Sounds like when I graduated college lol) After a bonfire, another waitress, goes missing. Annie, the granddaughter of a retired sheriff, who is now a private investigator, decides to investigate on her own. Annie was my favorite character and she was very well developed. I didn’t guess who the real murderer was until the end — the mystery definitely kept me on my toes.

Thank you @netgalley for my ARC audio of Pay Dirt Road!

https://www.instagram.com/reel/CcVhLPEDZM8/?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y=

Annie has returned home to her small Texas hometown after college. She’s begun waitressing to pay the bills and but feels like she’s trapped in her high school persona.
When a fellow waitress goes missing, Annie begins to investigate.
This book started out promising, but then sputtered out pretty quickly. It was a mishmash of overdone storylines and forgettable characters.

Thank you Recorded Books Media and Netgalley for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Pay Dirt Road takes place in Texas. Just like everything in Texas, it will constantly remind you that it is in Texas.And really, Texas is the most developed character in the entire story. It wasn’t bad. It just wasn’t terribly developed in any way. Most characters were post high school but enough to also be post undergrad. Yet, they act as if they are still there. The stunting of never changing your life or going right back to it for comfort. The poor murdered girl was secondary or tertiary to the social drama of small town politics. The characters could be better developed and the story would have worked better. The narrator contributed to the immaturity of the characters.

This book was a very light read. For me the pacing was too slow. Which made it hard to get really into the story. I did like the characters. The narration was good.

A total binge-worthy mystery novel!
Pay Dirt Road by Samantha Jayne Allen is a tense, taut mystery that pulls you along with it right to the last page. The narrator executed the narration and was done so well!
I loved this book. Once I picked this novel up I didn’t put it down. Read in one sitting.
Not one moment did this book slow down to allow you to catch your breath.
The twist at the ending is so cleverly written that I was left thinking about it for a long time after.
Such an addictive read!

“I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.”

RB Media,
Thank You for your generosity and gifting me a copy of this amazing eARC!
I will post my review to my platforms, blog, B&N and Waterstone closer to pub date.

Truly gripping from start to finish. As someone who was born and partially raised in Texas, I could definitely relate to the culture and see the settings perfectly.
The narrator chosen for the audiobook was a perfect match for the tone of the story and kept me hooked each hour.

I loved the main character and felt for her a lot. Yes this was a story with mystery, but it was also hugely a story about family and the tight knit community that comes from growing up and living in a small town.

I very much look forward to future work that this author will have to offer.

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.

I really liked listening to this audiobook. I liked the small town setting and the narrator had a good feel for the southern "i" sound. This was easy to listen to and the story kept me engaged for the most part. I didn't like that the pace slowed down in the middle. I really enjoyed the characters and their relationships.

Annie has recently graduated from college and heads back home to small town Texas. With no job prospects, she takes a job at the local diner. When one of her coworkers goes missing, Annie follows in her father and grandfather's footsteps and begins to investigate. While Annie did not go to college to enter the family business, a spark is lit and she begins to work with her grandfather and his partner.
Filled with complex family dynamics and interesting characters, this was a very good read. I enjoyed it!
**A huge thanks to Netgalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest review

Name of Book: Pay Dirt Road
Author: Samantha Jayne Allen
Genre: Mystery Thriller
Publisher: RB Media
Pub Date: April 19, 2022
My Rating: 3 Stars!

Our protagonist Annie McIntyre recently graduated from college and has returned to her hometown Garnett, Texas. Yep our gal has no idea what she wants to be when she grows up so is working as a waitress. (Personal note: Living in Southern California ~ this made me laugh as most of our excellent restaurants have a well-educated wait staff!)
Story starts with Annie and her friend Nikki looking for something fun to do and end up at a bonfire. At the bonfire is Victoria a friend/coworker who has already had too much to drink.
Sure enough she goes missing.

Annie is the granddaughter of a retired sheriff and now a sort of PI. Annie decides she is going to help him solve this. There are a few other things going on that kept me curious.

This is light read, one I would described as “Mystery for Beginners’ It is a small town character driven story.
I thought it was beautifully written but also at times the descriptive were too long for someone like me who loves page-turners.

I hung in there and it turned out better than expected.
This Audiobook is narrated by Sandy Rustin who did a good job in performing the characters.


Want to thank NetGalley and RB Media for this audio eGalley. This file has been made available to me before publication in an early form for an honest professional review. Publishing Release Date scheduled for April 19, 2022.

I quite enjoyed this crime investigation. I loved some backgroubd from the past and the develepoment kept my attention all the time. I like this small towns and everyone knows everything. I would love more if the police and mc would collaborate but ok. I guessed who was the killer but between that and the end I have got some other leads to taste. I loved the main character developed so well .

Thank you Netgalleey and RBMedia fir this ALC.

Annie came back to her small hometown in Texas and is working in a diner. She became friends with her co-worker and when something happens to her co-worker Annie starts questioning what really happened. Annie's grandfather Leroy owns a PI firm and Annie goes on an adventure searching for clues of the missing waitress and trouble starts coming her way.

I really enjoyed the unraveling of the secrets that are within the community. How Annie took on the case to find the answers and herself along the way.