"Following an unforgettable cast of characters and a jaded female P.I. enmeshed in a criminal conspiracy in 1980s Mississippi, The Queen City Detective Agency is a riveting, razor-sharp Southern noir that unravels the greed, corruption, and racism at the heart of the American Dream.

Meridian, Mississippi - once known as the Queen City for its status in the state - has lost much of its royal bearing by 1985. Overshadowed by more prosperous cities such as New Orleans and Atlanta, Meridian attracts less-than-legitimate businesses, including those enforced by the near-mythical Dixie Mafia. The city's powerbrokers, wealthy white Southerners clinging to their privilege, resent any attempt at change to the old order.

Real-estate developer Randall Hubbard took advantage of Meridian's economic decline by opening strip malls that catered to low-income families in Black neighborhoods - until he wound up at the business end of a .38 Special. Then a Dixie Mafia affiliate named Lewis "Turnip" Coogan, who claims Hubbard's wife hired him for the hit, dies under suspicious circumstances while in custody for the murder.

Ex-cop turned private investigator Clementine Baldwin is hired by Coogan's bereaved mother to find her son's killer. A woman struggling with her own history growing up in Mississippi, Clem braves the Queen City's corridors of crime as she digs into the case, opening wounds long forgotten. She soon finds herself in the crosshairs of powerful and dangerous people who manipulate the law for their own ends - and will kill anyone who threatens to reveal their secrets."

There's something more gritty and real about crime set in the 80s.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the advance copy. I was excited to read a book with a female PI as the main character, but this just did not deliver. The character development wasn’t great and the stakes just never felt that high. It was also glaringly obvious who the killer was as soon as he was introduced in the book, so there was virtually zero tension or mystery. This was a miss for me.

Randall Hubbard, a wealthy white real estate developer in Mississippi in the 1980s, is murdered in his home. His business mostly centered on building strip malls in low income Black neighborhoods. Hubbard’s wife is accused of hiring Turnip Coogan to set up the hit on Hubbard. Coogan, who allegedly has ties to the Dixie Mafia, dies under suspicion circumstances while in jail for the murder. Clementine Baldwin, a former cop turned private investigator, is hired to investigate Coogan’s death. Being a Black female PI in Mississippi isn’t an easy job. When Clem’s investigation keeps leading her to the Dixie Mafia, the job quickly becomes deadly.

I loved the 80’s vibe of this Southern noir mystery. Race plays a big part in this story-not only in Clem’s investigation, but also her personal life and family dynamic. Her search for answers forces her to confront painful truths and pits her against powerful and dangerous men. The setting is atmospheric filled with a myriad of characters. The pace flows at a brisk and steady pace. I liked the relationship Clem has with her investigative partner Dixon. There were plenty of twists and turns to keep me on my toes. I hope we see Clem again in the near future.

This follows a female PI in the 80s in rural Mississippi. She is hired by a grieving mother to prove her son was murdered by the Dixie Mafia.

I liked this concept especially with the character in the setting, but the writing style was not really for me. It didn't really draw me in to the mystery with the way it was structured and written.

This was pretty much your basic whodunit and why, following a Black female private investigator and her partner in 1980s Mississippi. I was initially attracted to this story because of the setting, which plays a major part in the story. I was a little concerned about whether the author would be able to pull this off without being downright offensive, but he did. I really enjoyed this story, though I’m not sure how I feel about the writing style. It was quirky but at times came across as over the top. Either way, I’m looking forward to the next installment in this series.

Historical mystery - basically detective procedural set in Meridian, Mississippi in 1984. Hired to solve the murder of a jailed man originally thought to be a suicide, Clementine soon finds herself and her partner Dixon embroiled in a finding the hitman responsible for the murder of a local property developer, and all signs point to the "Dixie Mafia." Soon into the power behind the DM's control becomes apparent, and her own safety is at risk. Well crafted and enjoyable.

I was excited to read a crime noir about a bad ass black detective in 1980s Mississippi investigating a murder that the Powers That Be didn't want her involved in, but The Queen City Detective Agency just didn't get there for me.

To start with, nobody really gets in Clem's way. Sure, there are a few half hearted assassination attempts, but those are from criminals, not The Law. Clem narrates a big game about the racist townsfolk, thinks about it on every page, but we never see much manifestation of that. Even the racist baddies are just kind of like "grr, black people, they suck." In fact, one of the villains, an active member of the KKK, is anti-racist. The stakes are too low to keep the plot really moving, so it slows down and doesn't pick up until the second to last chapter.

Queen City misses the chance to prove its point about racism and that really drags down the plot. I was hoping this would be a book I could buy several copies of and recommend, but it's just not that.

I really liked this story, and I think it would make a great series. I was drawn to it because I like the time and setting. This book did not disappoint. I really liked the characters, and the storyline. Kudos!

Such an interesting era to place a mystery.....1985 Mississippi. Tightly plotted, great characters and dialog and I learned a lot about our country during the Reagan-era.

It's Jan. 1985 and the country is waiting for Ronald Regan's second inauguration which is all over the news channels. Only the local news in Meridian Mississippi seem to care about the murder of real-estate developer Randall Hubbard. It seems his wife hired a hit man but called off the hit at the last minute; so who killed him and why? Then the go between for the hit is murdered. The mother of the go between hires The Queen City Detective Agency to find her son's killer. Clam and her partner Dixon start investigating and soon find themselves the target of someone. Is it the murderer or someone else? Can they stay alive and solve the case they have been hired to do...

Snowden Wright's 'The Queen City Detective Agency' transports readers to Meridian, Mississippi, in 1985—a city grappling with its faded glory and economic decline. Once known as the Queen City, Meridian is now overshadowed by more prosperous cities like New Orleans and Atlanta. This decline has attracted less-than-legitimate businesses, including those enforced by the near-mythical Dixie Mafia, while the city's powerbrokers, wealthy white Southerners, resist any change to the old order.

The plot kicks off with the murder of real-estate developer Randall Hubbard, who exploited the city's economic downturn by opening strip malls in low-income Black neighborhoods. His death by a .38 Special sets off a chain of events that plunges the city deeper into chaos. Things take a darker turn when Lewis 'Turnip' Coogan, a Dixie Mafia affiliate who claims Hubbard’s wife hired him for the hit, dies suspiciously while in custody.

Enter Clementine Baldwin, an ex-cop turned private investigator, hired by Coogan’s bereaved mother to find her son’s killer. Clem, wrestling with her own troubled history in Mississippi, navigates the treacherous landscape of Meridian’s criminal underworld. As she delves deeper into the case, she unearths long-buried secrets and finds herself in the crosshairs of powerful individuals willing to kill to protect their interests.

Wright masterfully weaves a tale of suspense and intrigue, painting a vivid picture of a city in decline and the complex social dynamics at play. 'The Queen City Detective Agency' is a gripping narrative that explores themes of power, corruption, and resilience, with Clementine Baldwin emerging as a compelling and tenacious heroine. As she confronts her past and the dangerous forces at work, readers are drawn into a world where the stakes are high and the quest for justice is perilous.

Thank you to NetGalley, the author, and publisher for an advanced copy to review for my honest opinion.

Clementine Baldwin who is an ex cop is hired to find out who killed a prisoner at the town jail. Clementine is biracial and struggles with this as the book is set in Mississippi in the 1980’s. Clem and a partner Dixon and these two’s personalities are totally different but it actually works for the two of them. Clementine was forced out of the police force and she has quite a bit of anger about this plus her father was a criminal. Clem may had some of these issues but she is a fiesty, small and ever so clever. Dixon, her partner is from an affluent family, is very calm and cool and he is Caucasian. These two often clash but having opposite personalities works for them.

Turnip Coogan is (was) the prisoner that was killed. Turnip was a henchman for the “Dixie Mafia”. And while Clem and Dixon work to find out who killed him it also puts them in danger.. Will Clem and Dixon be able to solve the murder before more die or one of them is injured?
This is a wonderful novel set in the south during the 1980s and is full of corruption, sexism and racism. The characters are well written and very gritty. What a great read this was.


It is a dark southern novel about corruption. It is also about racism and sexism that Clem faces. It is similar to the TV shows True Detective or

"The Queen City Detective Agency" by Snowdon Wright arrives with an intriguing title, a decent premise, and a beautifully designed dustjacket with a ringing endorsement from the esteemed Ace Atkins. If you pick up this novel expecting something Atkins-worthy, you may be disappointed.

Several locales in America claim the Queen City designation, including Cincinnati and Buffalo, N.Y. The one referred to in the book's title is Meridian, Mississippi, an under-referenced community with ties to the South's unhappy 20th-century record of institutionalized racism. (It is also the birthplace of the seminal artist Jimmie Rodgers, the "father of country music.")

Setting his tale in the Ronald Reagan era, Wright arrives with the right instincts and a facility for how to structure a modern crime novel. Unfortunately, the story never seems to find its way. When the narrator reveals a bit of authentic local lore (as in his repeated descriptions of a landmark restaurant known for its complementary assortment of crackers), he seems to make far too much of it. He steps back instantly when he arrives at an observation you'd want to hear more about (as in the single time he name-checks Rodgers, "the Singing Brakeman"). We learn the addresses of the local buildings and establishments and still can't imagine how they look, smell, or seem.

The plot is not gripping. The villains are a devilish oligarchy of fatback land developers and the toothless backwoods half-wits who serve them. We get the idea that the KKK is a factor in things, although they've reinvented themselves under a different brand. David Duke turns up briefly in a framed photo.

The protags are standard-issue gumshoes described as a "salt and pepper" PI duo of Fearless Black Female boss and Good Old Boy sidekick. Their repartee is unpersuasive. It's like watching episodes of "Get Christy Love!" with "Dukes of Hazzard" audible on an adjacent TV set. There is a standard number of crimes to be solved and an inconsequential plot twist.

The narrator's voice is a particular problem. He insists on explaining things to the reader, eschewing the "show, don't tell" writers' school instruction in a possible effort to be Falknerian. Ultimately, we experience little of 1980s America except a few mandatory name-drops. We derive an insufficient sense of the community depicted, except that it's just outside the orbit of New Orleans, and we wonder why no one at HarperCollins pulled the author aside and suggested some rewrites.

Snowden Wright has received acclaim for his previous books, and this one won't add to his reputation. I appreciate NetGalley.com making an advance reviewer copy available.

Thank you to NetGalley and William Morrow for the ARC.

Sorry, but did not like it .... can't find anything to say, except it's not my type of book.

I liked the era idea of this book but felt like it was half fulfilled and could have been leaned into a little bit more. Overall, a good read, though!

When I began this novel, I was excited by the era it takes place and a strong female lead to root for but there were times when the language or the way it’s spoken threw me off. Could be the southern thing or the geographical way they speak but I got lost at times.
I was impressed to find the author is not a person of color but I felt like the female lead was written with her heritage in mind. Scenes where she specifically acknowledges her color and her desire to have a “white man” partner to make her detective work… “work” felt authentic. In any case, I did enjoy the story but how this writer “speaks” wasn’t easy for me as the reader to decipher. Thanks NetGalley for the ARC

Ex-cop Clementine Baldwin is hired to find out who killed Turnip Coogan, a prisoner at the town jail. Clem and her partner Dixon are two completely different personalities yet it works out just right. Clem, struggles with being biracial in 1980's Mississippi. She struggles with having a criminal for a father and with being forced out of the police force. She has anger issues and self confidence issues but she is feisty, smart, and clever. Dixon on the other hand is a white male ex-veteran from an upstanding family. He is calm, cool, and collected. He is the perfect foil for her bold personality.
The plot centers around the Dixie Mafia and the illegal activities that Turnip had done. This puts both Clem and Dixon in harm's way as they try to solve who killed Turnip.
It is a dark southern novel about corruption. It is also about racism and sexism that Clem faces. It is similar to the TV shows True Detective or Mare of Easttown with it's gritty characters. It's a great read.
Thank you to NetGalley and William Morrow for the advanced copy. The opinions are my own.

I thought this was really well written and I look forward to reading more from this author in the future. I think it will find readers at our library, so we will definitely be purchasing for the collection.

Thanks Netgalley for allowing me to read this book. Clementine has a new case. A mother wants him to find out who killed her son. This will take him in various directions to solve thus case. I liked this book.

This was nothing spectacular of being spectacular. It was a ok read. Didnt wow me nor keep my attention that much.