Annie McIntyre is back in her third book after “Paydirt Road” (which won the Tony Hillerman Prize) and the sequel “Hard Rain.” Annie is now a full-fledged private investigator, mirroring her grandfather/mentor after he retired as sheriff. Her cousin Nikki is getting married to Sonny and Annie meets Sonny’s brother Clint, an aspiring country singer, at a pre-wedding event. Clint knows he was adopted and wants Annie to find his birth parents. Sometimes finding the truth behind adoptions is messy, but this actually seemed like an easy task — she quickly locates his father and mother and a couple of full siblings, but the birth family has had some hard times (including the fact that dad is in jail and had been caught by Grandad Leroy). The investigation didn’t seem like it would stir up a wasp’s nest of family secrets or connections to Annie and her grandfather, but it apparently did. Now someone is dead and the assumption that it was a suicide does not sit right with Annie.

As usual, author Allen’s novels are atmospheric and evocative —she eerily depicts small town stories where everyone seems to know everyone else’s business or has heard gossip about them. She can create a sense of claustrophobia as Annie moves from clue to clue, trying to piece together a bigger picture. It’s easy to root for Annie and be worried about whether she’s gotten into a dangerous world too deep. Annie is definitely a character worthy of a continuing series. 4 stars!

Literary Pet Peeve Checklist:
Green Eyes (only 2% of the real world, yet it seems like 90% of all fictional females): NOT THIS TIME In “Hard Rain”, Wyatt’s hazel eyes would get a glint of green; not here.
Horticultural Faux Pas (plants out of season or growing zones, like daffodils in autumn or bougainvillea in Alaska): NO Ms. Allen is a master of describing hardscrabble Texas — cacti, mesquite, gnarled live oaks, tumbleweeds, and lots of dust.

Thank you to St. Martins Press and NetGalley for a free advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review!

Good book! This book had a bit of everything! It had suspense, Action, intrigue, mystery, murder, a bit of a who done it, great plot twist, and some crazy twists and turns! The storyline was very interesting and kept me glued to my Kindle!! I definitely recommend reading this book as it was well worth reading! Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for sharing this book with me!