Pay Dirt Road

Pay Dirt Road takes place in rural Garnett, Texas, where everyone knows everyone, football is king, and the oil industry employs many of the residents. Protagonist Annie McIntyre thought she had gotten out -- she was one of the few residents to leave and go to college -- but circumstances brought her back to Garnett and a job waitressing at the local diner.

When a fellow waitress goes missing and ultimately turns up dead, Annie finds herself unexpectedly looking into the circumstances of the disappearance with her grandfather Leroy, a retired private investigator, and his partner. As they get closer to the truth, anonymous threats increase in intensity and danger, and Annie must decide how far she’ll go to uncover the truth.

There are components of Pay Dirt Road that feel familiar, and there are certainly some common thriller tropes. But at the same time, there’s enough additional nuance and the execution is at a higher level that this rises above garden variety mysteries you might read. It had me turning pages as any good thriller will, but author Allen also spent enough time layering in details of Annie’s past that helped to round out her character. A solid effort for a debut novel and one where I will plan on reading Book #2.