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Annie McIntyre #3
Next of Kin
From the Tony Hillerman Prize-winning author of Pay Dirt Road comes Samantha Jayne Allen's mesmerizing new novel set in a hardscrabble Texas town dealing with disaster.
At a gathering for her cousin’s wedding party, newly-licensed PI Annie McIntyre gets asked an age-old question, the answer to which will prove more consequential than she bargained Nature or nurture? Clint Marshall, an up-and-coming musician and an adoptee at a personal crossroads, wants to hire Annie to find his biological parents. Annie accepts his case, not knowing then that she, too, must decide if she really believes what she tells him that night—in essence, that people are in charge of their destinies. That people can change.
When Annie discovers her client's father is a bank robber who her granddad, Leroy, arrested back when he was sheriff, reverberations sound between the past and the present, igniting old flames and rivalries. When the brother of her client dies suddenly, his death ruled a suicide, Annie questions whether or not it was in fact homicide—and who in this family of outlaws would rather some secrets stay buried.
As Annie sets out to find who killed the brother—and stays out of sight lest she be next—she finds herself searching abandoned, overgrown fields, scouring pool halls and roadside motels, wondering if she will ever escape the sense that her world in Garnett, TX expands and contracts in off-kilter ways, growing smaller and yet still more confounding. Fearing that in a place where everyone knows everyone, your enemy is always closer than you think.
At a gathering for her cousin’s wedding party, newly-licensed PI Annie McIntyre gets asked an age-old question, the answer to which will prove more consequential than she bargained Nature or nurture? Clint Marshall, an up-and-coming musician and an adoptee at a personal crossroads, wants to hire Annie to find his biological parents. Annie accepts his case, not knowing then that she, too, must decide if she really believes what she tells him that night—in essence, that people are in charge of their destinies. That people can change.
When Annie discovers her client's father is a bank robber who her granddad, Leroy, arrested back when he was sheriff, reverberations sound between the past and the present, igniting old flames and rivalries. When the brother of her client dies suddenly, his death ruled a suicide, Annie questions whether or not it was in fact homicide—and who in this family of outlaws would rather some secrets stay buried.
As Annie sets out to find who killed the brother—and stays out of sight lest she be next—she finds herself searching abandoned, overgrown fields, scouring pool halls and roadside motels, wondering if she will ever escape the sense that her world in Garnett, TX expands and contracts in off-kilter ways, growing smaller and yet still more confounding. Fearing that in a place where everyone knows everyone, your enemy is always closer than you think.
328 pages, Kindle Edition
Published April 23, 2024
27 people are currently reading
5717 people want to read
About the author
Samantha Jayne Allen
4 books234 followersSamantha Jayne Allen is the author of the Annie McIntyre Mysteries. Her debut novel, PAY DIRT ROAD, won the 2022 Dashiell Hammett Award for Literary Excellence in Crime Writing and the Tony Hillerman Prize for Best First Mystery Set in the Southwest. She has an MFA in fiction from Texas State University and her writing has been published in Ellery Queen’s Mystery Magazine, The Common, and Electric Literature. Raised in small towns in Texas and California, she now lives with her husband and daughter in Atlanta.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 89 reviews
March 4, 2024
Next of Kin is the third in the Annie McIntyre series. I had appreciated the first in the series but never read the second. This works fine as a stand-alone.
Annie is a young PI, who works for her grandfather’s detective agency. He’s a former sheriff and has a huge reputation in town. They also have a strong relationship, which is a nice touch. She’s hired to help an adopted young man find his birth parents. Turns out, his birth father was a bank robber arrested by her grandfather. She also finds his brother, who shortly thereafter dies under mysterious circumstances. She takes it upon herself to investigate his death.
Allen does a good job of setting the scene. Characters are well formed. Annie keeps finding odd connections between individuals, but in small towns, is that so unusual?
I often struggle with mysteries where the one looking to get to the bottom is an amateur. Why the deep curiosity and willingness to risk one’s one life? That was part of the problem I had here. Allen never gave Annie a satisfactory reason to keep searching. The climax felt a little rushed and the ending had too much explanation (telling, not showing, as one of GR friends likes to say). But kudos, I didn’t figure out the whodonit.
The story lacked the pizzazz to give it a four star rating.
My thanks to netgalley and St. Martin’s Press for an advance copy of this book.
Annie is a young PI, who works for her grandfather’s detective agency. He’s a former sheriff and has a huge reputation in town. They also have a strong relationship, which is a nice touch. She’s hired to help an adopted young man find his birth parents. Turns out, his birth father was a bank robber arrested by her grandfather. She also finds his brother, who shortly thereafter dies under mysterious circumstances. She takes it upon herself to investigate his death.
Allen does a good job of setting the scene. Characters are well formed. Annie keeps finding odd connections between individuals, but in small towns, is that so unusual?
I often struggle with mysteries where the one looking to get to the bottom is an amateur. Why the deep curiosity and willingness to risk one’s one life? That was part of the problem I had here. Allen never gave Annie a satisfactory reason to keep searching. The climax felt a little rushed and the ending had too much explanation (telling, not showing, as one of GR friends likes to say). But kudos, I didn’t figure out the whodonit.
The story lacked the pizzazz to give it a four star rating.
My thanks to netgalley and St. Martin’s Press for an advance copy of this book.
February 23, 2024
Annie is now a full partner in the private detective business started by her former sheriff grandfather and Mary Kate, his associate and friend in her hometown of Garnett in hardscrabble Texas. While the family is preparing for her cousin’s wedding, the best man, the groom’s adoptive brother, Clint, asks her help in finding his birth parents. As she investigates, she finds that Clint’s father was a bank robber arrested by her grandfather years ago. When Clint’s biological brother is found dead, it is declared a suicide, but that doesn’t sit right with Annie. She can’t resist further inquiry, even if it puts her and her loved ones in danger.
This is the third in the Annie McIntyre series. Although I have read all of them, this would work as a standalone. Intricately plotted, and a bit of a slow burn, the writing is atmospheric and descriptive. It is a good character study of small town Texas and the author paints an illuminating picture of the sights, smells, the feel of the area.
Thanks to @netgalley and @stmartinspress @minotaur_books for the DRC.
This is the third in the Annie McIntyre series. Although I have read all of them, this would work as a standalone. Intricately plotted, and a bit of a slow burn, the writing is atmospheric and descriptive. It is a good character study of small town Texas and the author paints an illuminating picture of the sights, smells, the feel of the area.
Thanks to @netgalley and @stmartinspress @minotaur_books for the DRC.
April 26, 2024
Thank you St. Martin's Press | Minotaur Books for allowing me to read and review Next of Kin on NetGalley.
Published: 04/23/24
Stars: 2.5
Meh.
This is the third book in the series, I didn't know that when I placed the request to read. One-half to possibly a full star is the difference between debut and third.
This is a typical mainstream series with a female PI. She is finding her footing and taking on a complicated case in her own small town. Why? This was not billed nor is it a cozy mystery; however, take the profanity out (again I ask why put it in?) and stay simple. I went in with a debut mindset. I was okay that it was slow. I was concerned with the adoption angle -- poorly written that can hurt. I liked that she was hired quietly so as not to cause pain.
Things quickly deteriorated. I will jump right to the ending that was too much, too busy, and too complicated. Clues and facts needed to be written into the story.
All-in-all I was disappointed, once I saw this was the third book and looked again at the cover (I like), I was hoping for a clean mystery series that I could recommend to young readers moving into adult books and/or take to nursing home residents. Three stars is generous.
Published: 04/23/24
Stars: 2.5
Meh.
This is the third book in the series, I didn't know that when I placed the request to read. One-half to possibly a full star is the difference between debut and third.
This is a typical mainstream series with a female PI. She is finding her footing and taking on a complicated case in her own small town. Why? This was not billed nor is it a cozy mystery; however, take the profanity out (again I ask why put it in?) and stay simple. I went in with a debut mindset. I was okay that it was slow. I was concerned with the adoption angle -- poorly written that can hurt. I liked that she was hired quietly so as not to cause pain.
Things quickly deteriorated. I will jump right to the ending that was too much, too busy, and too complicated. Clues and facts needed to be written into the story.
All-in-all I was disappointed, once I saw this was the third book and looked again at the cover (I like), I was hoping for a clean mystery series that I could recommend to young readers moving into adult books and/or take to nursing home residents. Three stars is generous.
May 31, 2024
Next of Kin
⭐️⭐️⭐️.75
Author: Samantha Jayne Allen
I requested a digital advanced readers copy from NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press / Minotaur Books and providing my opinion voluntarily and unbiased.
Synopsis: At a gathering for her cousin’s wedding party, newly-licensed PI Annie McIntyre gets asked an age-old question, the answer to which will prove more consequential than she bargained Nature or nurture? Clint Marshall, an up-and-coming musician and an adoptee at a personal crossroads, wants to hire Annie to find his biological parents. Annie accepts his case, not knowing then that she, too, must decide if she really believes what she tells him that night—in essence, that people are in charge of their destinies. That people can change.
When Annie discovers her client's father is a bank robber who her granddad, Leroy, arrested back when he was sheriff, reverberations sound between the past and the present, igniting old flames and rivalries. When the brother of her client dies suddenly, his death ruled a suicide, Annie questions whether or not it was in fact homicide—and who in this family of outlaws would rather some secrets stay buried.
As Annie sets out to find who killed the brother—and stays out of sight lest she be next—she finds herself searching abandoned, overgrown fields, scouring pool halls and roadside motels, wondering if she will ever escape the sense that her world in Garnett, TX expands and contracts in off-kilter ways, growing smaller and yet still more confounding. Fearing that in a place where everyone knows everyone, your enemy is always closer than you think.
My Thoughts: This is the third book in the Annie McIntyre series, but can be read as a standalone. Annie is a young private investigator working for her grandfather’s agency. The grandfather used to be a sheriff and has a strong connection in the town. She is hired by Clint to help locate his biological parents, as he was adopted. Upon initial investigation, Annie realizes that Clint’s father was a bank robber who was arrested by her grandfather, when he was the sheriff. Then she locates his brother, whom dies under questionable circumstances. Annie takes the initiative to investigate Clint’s brother’s death. When everyone knows everyone in a small town, sometimes your enemies are closer than you think. Will Annie be able to help Clint solve the mystery without risking her own life?
The relationship between Annie and her grandfather is heartfelt and touching. In the first two books, Annie was more of an “intern” but now she is a full partner in the business. Annie has an investigator brain, even when Clint’s bother’s death was ruled a suicide, she “felt” something was array and that it should have been a homicide. The characters were developed well with depth, mystery, and were intriguing. The author’s writing style was complex, twisty, suspenseful, and engaging.
The author does a stellar job at setting an atmospheric scene in Texas with the appropriate amount of tension. She really is great with the descriptive terminology, the smells, the sights, the atmosphere, and the feel of this small town. She really nails the small town atmosphere where everyone literally knows what their neighbors are doing. The claustrophobia was present with Annie going from lead to lead. The characters were built up in a slow burn manner. The plot was developed in layers, in a dangerous cat and mouse whodunit game. The ending was good but I felt like it was done in a narrative fashion and not an action fashion, and even a bit rushed. There were some plot holes that were not resolved.
TW: Adoption. This is a debut series from this author. She is finding her footing in the mystery world and when she does, watch out because she will be a top runner in the mystery genre. Even with the plot holes and rushed ending, I thought this was a good book that I enjoyed reading. I would recommend to others.
⭐️⭐️⭐️.75
Author: Samantha Jayne Allen
I requested a digital advanced readers copy from NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press / Minotaur Books and providing my opinion voluntarily and unbiased.
Synopsis: At a gathering for her cousin’s wedding party, newly-licensed PI Annie McIntyre gets asked an age-old question, the answer to which will prove more consequential than she bargained Nature or nurture? Clint Marshall, an up-and-coming musician and an adoptee at a personal crossroads, wants to hire Annie to find his biological parents. Annie accepts his case, not knowing then that she, too, must decide if she really believes what she tells him that night—in essence, that people are in charge of their destinies. That people can change.
When Annie discovers her client's father is a bank robber who her granddad, Leroy, arrested back when he was sheriff, reverberations sound between the past and the present, igniting old flames and rivalries. When the brother of her client dies suddenly, his death ruled a suicide, Annie questions whether or not it was in fact homicide—and who in this family of outlaws would rather some secrets stay buried.
As Annie sets out to find who killed the brother—and stays out of sight lest she be next—she finds herself searching abandoned, overgrown fields, scouring pool halls and roadside motels, wondering if she will ever escape the sense that her world in Garnett, TX expands and contracts in off-kilter ways, growing smaller and yet still more confounding. Fearing that in a place where everyone knows everyone, your enemy is always closer than you think.
My Thoughts: This is the third book in the Annie McIntyre series, but can be read as a standalone. Annie is a young private investigator working for her grandfather’s agency. The grandfather used to be a sheriff and has a strong connection in the town. She is hired by Clint to help locate his biological parents, as he was adopted. Upon initial investigation, Annie realizes that Clint’s father was a bank robber who was arrested by her grandfather, when he was the sheriff. Then she locates his brother, whom dies under questionable circumstances. Annie takes the initiative to investigate Clint’s brother’s death. When everyone knows everyone in a small town, sometimes your enemies are closer than you think. Will Annie be able to help Clint solve the mystery without risking her own life?
The relationship between Annie and her grandfather is heartfelt and touching. In the first two books, Annie was more of an “intern” but now she is a full partner in the business. Annie has an investigator brain, even when Clint’s bother’s death was ruled a suicide, she “felt” something was array and that it should have been a homicide. The characters were developed well with depth, mystery, and were intriguing. The author’s writing style was complex, twisty, suspenseful, and engaging.
The author does a stellar job at setting an atmospheric scene in Texas with the appropriate amount of tension. She really is great with the descriptive terminology, the smells, the sights, the atmosphere, and the feel of this small town. She really nails the small town atmosphere where everyone literally knows what their neighbors are doing. The claustrophobia was present with Annie going from lead to lead. The characters were built up in a slow burn manner. The plot was developed in layers, in a dangerous cat and mouse whodunit game. The ending was good but I felt like it was done in a narrative fashion and not an action fashion, and even a bit rushed. There were some plot holes that were not resolved.
TW: Adoption. This is a debut series from this author. She is finding her footing in the mystery world and when she does, watch out because she will be a top runner in the mystery genre. Even with the plot holes and rushed ending, I thought this was a good book that I enjoyed reading. I would recommend to others.
March 13, 2024
This is a good thriller. Not great but good.
Annie is a PI and her new case is to find a Clint’s biological family but what she doesn’t know if that there is more to the story.
This is a good thriller. It has its fast paced moments but also slow moments that felt like they bragged on.
Annie the MC had some great connections with the side’s characters. You could definitely feel the closeness all of them have with each other.
I didn’t guess who the killer is maybe I’m just not a good detective 🤷🏼♀️ but it always leaves me mind blown 🤯.
Genre: Crime Mystery
APK: Ebook
Pages: 352
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️
Series or Standalone: Book #3 Annie McIntyre Mystery
Thank you NetGalley and Minotaur for sending me a free copy of this book for an honest review.
Annie is a PI and her new case is to find a Clint’s biological family but what she doesn’t know if that there is more to the story.
This is a good thriller. It has its fast paced moments but also slow moments that felt like they bragged on.
Annie the MC had some great connections with the side’s characters. You could definitely feel the closeness all of them have with each other.
I didn’t guess who the killer is maybe I’m just not a good detective 🤷🏼♀️ but it always leaves me mind blown 🤯.
Genre: Crime Mystery
APK: Ebook
Pages: 352
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️
Series or Standalone: Book #3 Annie McIntyre Mystery
Thank you NetGalley and Minotaur for sending me a free copy of this book for an honest review.
April 22, 2024
*Source* Publisher
*Genre* Mystery / Suspense
*Rating* 3.5
*Thoughts*
Next of Kin, by Samantha Jayne Allen, is the third installment in the author's Annie McIntyre Mysteries series. It has been a year since Annie McIntyre became part of the McIntyre Investigations as a private investigator with her senior partner Mary Pat Zimmerman with a bit of help from her grandfather Leroy McIntyre, a former Sheriff of Garnett, Texas.
*Full Review @ Gizmos Reviews*
https://gizmosreviews.blogspot.com/20...
*Genre* Mystery / Suspense
*Rating* 3.5
*Thoughts*
Next of Kin, by Samantha Jayne Allen, is the third installment in the author's Annie McIntyre Mysteries series. It has been a year since Annie McIntyre became part of the McIntyre Investigations as a private investigator with her senior partner Mary Pat Zimmerman with a bit of help from her grandfather Leroy McIntyre, a former Sheriff of Garnett, Texas.
*Full Review @ Gizmos Reviews*
https://gizmosreviews.blogspot.com/20...
Read
June 3, 2024"Life is long. Hard to see a shape or any kind of arc while you're living it." (p.2)
"One thing Id learned is that it's almost impossible for people to accept the past as static. She wanted the truth to change, though only her relationship to it might." (p.14)
"I think second chances come along plenty. More like no one wants to acknowledge something is a second chance, because then they'd be admitting they were wrong the first time." (p.254)
November 23, 2023
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!
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!
November 25, 2023
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!
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!
September 8, 2025
Another solid entry in this engaging series. This 3rd in the Annie McIntyre series continues from the promise shown in her first, Pay Dirt Road (2022). Read more about that in my review for the previous two. Annie’s CH and URN voice continues develop as does the supporting cast, especially her boyfriend Wyatt, her cousin Nikki, grandfather Leroy, and his detecting partner, Mary Pat. More information about family and the town emerge, especially details about her father’s family as they prepare for a family wedding. Feeling a little stronger about her skills, Annie accepts an assignment from the best man to locate his birth parents and this becomes one agile, tangled web of a plot as previous books’ cases also crop up and people from those cases threaten Annie. What shines in this novel for me is, once again, Allen’s portrait of the town and her use of weather and topography to flesh out and influence the Tone and plot of the novel. In this one a seedy and almost vacant motel, and some questionable sleazy bars, a beauty parlor, and an abandoned shack. Again, set in Garnett, TX with its church-going populace, gossips, and prejudices. Satisfactory Pace and ending to this adventure, promising more threats on the horizon, so I look forward from more from PI Annie and her boyfriend Wyatt. Fans of Jane Harper, Greg Buchanan and Brian Freeman may want to look into this author. You can begin with this book but for CH background begin start with the first. RED FLAGS: Violence; Drug use; vulgarity; Adoption Issues; Arson.
February 3, 2024
Annie’s next case involves searching for the birth parents a friend. She’s got a lot going on now with Nikki’s wedding and a drug dealer out to get her. The search becomes much more and may have ties to a decade old robbery. I was quickly turning the pages from the start right to the shocking end. Samantha Jayne Allen created another clever mystery with enough twists to keep me coming back for more.
*ARC provided by NetGalley for an honest review.
*ARC provided by NetGalley for an honest review.
March 27, 2024
courtesy of netgalley
June 20, 2024
not too bad but took FOREVER to get into... also what an insane twist going on at the end
April 5, 2024
The third Annie McIntyre mystery has Annie having her new private investigators license and working with her grandfather Leroy's old partner in their investigations firm. Annie is also involved in her cousin Nikki's wedding. Her next case comes to her when the best man, Sonny's adopted brother, hires Annie to track down his birth parents.
Locating Clint Marshall's mother and siblings doesn't turn out to be hard but opens a real can of worms for both Annie and Clint. It turns out Clint's birth father was a bank robber who is in prison. Annie's grandfather Leroy was instrumental in capturing him and his adoptive mother was one of the bank tellers when the bank was robbed.
Going to talk to Clint's birth mother is difficult as she blames Leroy for lots of the problems in her life. But her son Cody is more receptive to having a brother. Annie also runs afoul of the next-door neighbor whose daughter disappeared at the same time as the bank robbery. She feels that the police didn't do enough to find her missing daughter whose bones were discovered some ten years after her disappearance.
Then Cody dies in an apparent suicide which Annie really doubts and Clint disappears just before the wedding. Annie is kept busy trying to discover who killed Cody and where Clint is and finds herself digging into secrets from her family's past.
This was quite a twisty mystery with so many connections between all the characters which raised more questions for Annie than providing answers to her inquiries. I liked the setting which was described very well. I thought the characters were well-developed too.
Locating Clint Marshall's mother and siblings doesn't turn out to be hard but opens a real can of worms for both Annie and Clint. It turns out Clint's birth father was a bank robber who is in prison. Annie's grandfather Leroy was instrumental in capturing him and his adoptive mother was one of the bank tellers when the bank was robbed.
Going to talk to Clint's birth mother is difficult as she blames Leroy for lots of the problems in her life. But her son Cody is more receptive to having a brother. Annie also runs afoul of the next-door neighbor whose daughter disappeared at the same time as the bank robbery. She feels that the police didn't do enough to find her missing daughter whose bones were discovered some ten years after her disappearance.
Then Cody dies in an apparent suicide which Annie really doubts and Clint disappears just before the wedding. Annie is kept busy trying to discover who killed Cody and where Clint is and finds herself digging into secrets from her family's past.
This was quite a twisty mystery with so many connections between all the characters which raised more questions for Annie than providing answers to her inquiries. I liked the setting which was described very well. I thought the characters were well-developed too.
June 11, 2024
This was probably my favorite of the series! Everything tied together nicely from the last two books, and Annie has really grown up. Laid out very well, great suspense. The pacing in her books is a lot like a tv show—predictable where we’re going, but I like finding out how Annie is going to defend herself/get herself out of a bind. I actually started the series with this book and it made me want to go back and read the first two.
April 8, 2024
This is Samantha Allen‘s third novel of next of kin. Though I didn’t read the first two this one was great as a standalone. it keeps you interested throughout and a nice twist at the end that I really wasn’t expecting.
I will definitely find the two books in the series because the way Miss Allen writes is compelling and enjoyable to read.
I will definitely find the two books in the series because the way Miss Allen writes is compelling and enjoyable to read.
March 23, 2024
Annie's cousin Nikki is getting ready to marry Sonny so Sonny's brother Colt throws a party. Cold ask Annie, who is a PI to look into finding his birth parents as he was adopted. This inquiry opens a lot of secrets and puts a target on Annie's back as there are some who don't want the truth to come out. And it only gets worse when Colts biological brother is found dead and the police say suicide, but Annie is sure he was murdered. Secrets from thirty years past are bubbling to the surface.
(Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an advance copy)
(Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an advance copy)
November 28, 2023
Thank you to Minotaur Books and NetGalley for providing an advance copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. The book will be published on April 23rd, 2024.
Number three in Allen’s Annie McIntyre / Garrett, Texas series. Nice and complicated, full of atmosphere, and I really like the way Annie is developing. In my review of the last book, I said, “Annie suffers from occasional bouts of self-doubt which I hope she has less often in the future (I like to see characters grow!)” and guess what? She really has grown into the role, and her bouts of self-doubt have largely disappeared. Made me happy!
This deliciously convoluted plot includes long lost relative discoveries on Ancestry.com with a heavy dose of bad guy blood mixed in. Social services, group homes, drug dealing, bank robbers — they pop up in unexpected places and through it all Annie keeps her cool, pursues justice like a tenacious bulldog, and treats us to her ongoing reflections, many of a philosophical and moral nature (my cup of tea). The regular characters — her 85 year grandfather retired sheriff Leroy, his investigative partner of many years Mary Kate, Annie’s newly married cousin Nikki, and increasingly serious boyfriend Wyatt — all get better and more interesting with each book.
This is the best book so far — tighter plot, better balance of “novel” and “mystery,” and a well-developed (and continuously developing) set of characters.
A couple of quotes:
“He let information sit before speculating, enough time to regulate his own emotions, square them off, and keep them sealed.”
“Though I knew myself to be a believer in redemption, it was hard to overlook the universe’s uneven distribution of such favors.”
Number three in Allen’s Annie McIntyre / Garrett, Texas series. Nice and complicated, full of atmosphere, and I really like the way Annie is developing. In my review of the last book, I said, “Annie suffers from occasional bouts of self-doubt which I hope she has less often in the future (I like to see characters grow!)” and guess what? She really has grown into the role, and her bouts of self-doubt have largely disappeared. Made me happy!
This deliciously convoluted plot includes long lost relative discoveries on Ancestry.com with a heavy dose of bad guy blood mixed in. Social services, group homes, drug dealing, bank robbers — they pop up in unexpected places and through it all Annie keeps her cool, pursues justice like a tenacious bulldog, and treats us to her ongoing reflections, many of a philosophical and moral nature (my cup of tea). The regular characters — her 85 year grandfather retired sheriff Leroy, his investigative partner of many years Mary Kate, Annie’s newly married cousin Nikki, and increasingly serious boyfriend Wyatt — all get better and more interesting with each book.
This is the best book so far — tighter plot, better balance of “novel” and “mystery,” and a well-developed (and continuously developing) set of characters.
A couple of quotes:
“He let information sit before speculating, enough time to regulate his own emotions, square them off, and keep them sealed.”
“Though I knew myself to be a believer in redemption, it was hard to overlook the universe’s uneven distribution of such favors.”
December 28, 2023
The author has really hit her stride in this small town Texas series, it’s by far her best yet. The depth of the plot and characters just keeps getting better. Annie is the next generation coming into her own at McIntyre Investigations. She’s still learning to trust her instincts and continues to seek counsel from her grandfather, Leroy and senior partner, Mary-Pat. Mary-Pat isn’t the warm and fuzzy type but, she can occasionally impart wisdom. Annie has a new client involving an adoption case to find a young man’s birth parents. Adoptive parents don’t always want to be known or found and old wounds can be deep. Annie also stumbles on another broken and wounded family. A teen went missing years ago, her mother’s still angry, broken. No one ever believed her, nobody tried to find her or cared. There’s a lazy Sheriff who doesn’t seem to care and a DEA agent hounding Annie for assistance on a case against a local dealer. The man searching for answers about the past and his real family may wish he’d left the secrets stay in the past. The unbelievable truth could break him. It sure kept me guessing and each time I was positive I’d guessed the answers I wasn’t even close. There’s plenty of suspense and it kept me hooked with great characters and an original plot. I hope the series continues!
Many thanks to NetGalley for the digital advance reader copy of “Next Of Kin” an Annie McIntyre Mysteries Book (volume 3), by Samantha Jayne Allen, published by Minotaur Books, anticipated publication 04/23/2024. These are always my own honest personal thoughts and opinions given voluntarily without any compensation.
Many thanks to NetGalley for the digital advance reader copy of “Next Of Kin” an Annie McIntyre Mysteries Book (volume 3), by Samantha Jayne Allen, published by Minotaur Books, anticipated publication 04/23/2024. These are always my own honest personal thoughts and opinions given voluntarily without any compensation.
December 18, 2023
Her best yet! This is the third mystery featuring the young PI, Annie McIntyre, and it's the best one yet. Allen continues to capture the culture and ambience of central and west Texas in a way only a Texas native can, but the plot of this one is a tightly woven mystery filled with twists and turns that kept me guessing.
Annie is asked to locate the birth parents of adoptee, Clint, who is a budding country music star. When he disappears on the eve of his brother's wedding, Annie is caught up in a mystery that involves a bank robbery, murder, kidnapping and much more...and somehow her grandfather is also involved.
I really liked this one, and I think it hits all the "misses" from the earlier books. Annie still spends a lot of time in her head ruminating her career and life choices, but she seems to be settling in back in Garnett and spends more time doing instead of thinking. The mystery is more intricate and the connections between the characters seem to be more believable and intriguing. all-in-all a much better effort. I'll definitely look for the next book in the series.
One picky criticism -- two of the main characters are Clint and Cody. Admittedly it would not be strange for brothers to have similar names, and those names aren't uncommon in Texas, but I found it sometimes confusing to remember who was who. I wish their names were more different.
Annie is asked to locate the birth parents of adoptee, Clint, who is a budding country music star. When he disappears on the eve of his brother's wedding, Annie is caught up in a mystery that involves a bank robbery, murder, kidnapping and much more...and somehow her grandfather is also involved.
I really liked this one, and I think it hits all the "misses" from the earlier books. Annie still spends a lot of time in her head ruminating her career and life choices, but she seems to be settling in back in Garnett and spends more time doing instead of thinking. The mystery is more intricate and the connections between the characters seem to be more believable and intriguing. all-in-all a much better effort. I'll definitely look for the next book in the series.
One picky criticism -- two of the main characters are Clint and Cody. Admittedly it would not be strange for brothers to have similar names, and those names aren't uncommon in Texas, but I found it sometimes confusing to remember who was who. I wish their names were more different.
May 7, 2024
There are parts of this story that are pretty good, almost enough to give another star, but for me the characters just didn’t work. Annie is a private investigator supposedly with some experience, although she seems insecure and leans on her grandfather and his partner Pat for support. I thought the intro about all her family and all their drinking was unnecessary and slow. Things start moving as she gets involved in her case, finding Clint’s birth parents. But then she gives his name and number to a discovered relative without first notifying her client of the results and letting him decide if there should be contact? Bad move. For me it went downhill from there. The side plot with the drug dealer fizzled out to nothing. Annie is unforgiving about other people’s weaknesses and mistakes even as she acknowledges she had a better childhood than the folks she’s judging. In the end the plot was ok, but the characters didn’t work.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 28, 2025
Next Of Kin, is the third book in The Annie McIntyre series by Samantha Jane Allen but it can definitely be red as a standalone. I will not waste much time with the story I liked it and really liked Annie there were a few things I thought that bogged down the story I also felt like this isn’t one of those mysteries whose clues you collect to get to the end so I didn’t like that but not so much I’m not going to recommend it. I really liked the engaging style of writing and as I said the only negative is that it’s not a traditional mystery and has lots of Curse words in the book but if that sounds like something you would enjoy definitely give it a read. #NetGalley, #TheBlindReviewer, #MyHonestReview, #SamanthaJaneAllen, #NextOfKin, #AnnieMcIntYreMysteries,
January 31, 2024
Small towns everywhere have a different vibe than cities, and when Annie, a private detective, is hired to find the birth mother of one of the friends she grew up with there is a risk of uncovering secrets meant to be kept. This is the third in the Annie McIntyre series, but is the first one I have read. It works as stand alone, but I will probably look for the previous novels, as the writing was good and it was a good mystery. Thanks to NetGalley for introducing the series with an arc and no pressure for a positive review.
December 7, 2023
I loved it! Annie is a tough and gritty private investigator. I admire how she looks at all angles before acting and observes people's faults without judging. She can't leave anything half done and isn't afraid to ask for help. Excellent author. ARC netgalley.com
October 27, 2024
Really good book! Kept my interest. Will be seeking out the other books in this series.
May 13, 2024
If you want to be transported to a small town in Texas, read a novel from Attica Locke's Hwy 59 series or one by Samantha Jayne Allen. I could almost hear the creaking of the ceiling fan and feel my hair sticking to the nape of my neck with sweat, all with a soundtrack of outlaw country music.
One of the longest and closest relationships in Annie McIntyre's life is with her cousin Nikki. In the second sentence of Allen's debut novel, Pay Dirt Road, Annie mentions going out to the train tracks with Nikki when she was about twelve years old. At that time she's living with Nikki while trying to figure out what to do with the rest of her life after going away to get a college degree.
Fast forward several years, and their relationship is changing. One of the themes of Next of Kin is the tension between the pull of the past and familiar relationship and the need to "move on" into whatever the future holds. The cousins are no longer living together. Annie is living with her boyfriend, Wyatt, and Nikki is marrying Sonny. Sonny's best man, his adopted brother, Clint, hires Annie, who is now a licensed private investigator in the firm started by her grandfather and his partner, to find his biological family. She does, setting off a chain reaction that demonstrates how entangled lives can be in a small town. Clint disappears, and while Annie is looking for him, she finds his biological brother dead of a gunshot wound. The sheriff claims it was self-inflicted, but Annie thinks that he may have been murdered and that Clint himself may be in danger. At the same time, a dangerous person from Annie's past reappears, posing a threat to her and those close to her.
I liked this novel better than the second one, Hard Rain, but not as much as the first. Chapters seemed to end in the middle of scenes, and the next chapter might happen several days later. There seemed to be more "telling" instead of "showing" in this book. Still, the characters and the atmosphere are unforgettable.
One of the longest and closest relationships in Annie McIntyre's life is with her cousin Nikki. In the second sentence of Allen's debut novel, Pay Dirt Road, Annie mentions going out to the train tracks with Nikki when she was about twelve years old. At that time she's living with Nikki while trying to figure out what to do with the rest of her life after going away to get a college degree.
Fast forward several years, and their relationship is changing. One of the themes of Next of Kin is the tension between the pull of the past and familiar relationship and the need to "move on" into whatever the future holds. The cousins are no longer living together. Annie is living with her boyfriend, Wyatt, and Nikki is marrying Sonny. Sonny's best man, his adopted brother, Clint, hires Annie, who is now a licensed private investigator in the firm started by her grandfather and his partner, to find his biological family. She does, setting off a chain reaction that demonstrates how entangled lives can be in a small town. Clint disappears, and while Annie is looking for him, she finds his biological brother dead of a gunshot wound. The sheriff claims it was self-inflicted, but Annie thinks that he may have been murdered and that Clint himself may be in danger. At the same time, a dangerous person from Annie's past reappears, posing a threat to her and those close to her.
I liked this novel better than the second one, Hard Rain, but not as much as the first. Chapters seemed to end in the middle of scenes, and the next chapter might happen several days later. There seemed to be more "telling" instead of "showing" in this book. Still, the characters and the atmosphere are unforgettable.
April 13, 2024
Next of Kin by Samantha Jayne Allen brings back newly-licensed private investigator Annie McIntyre, 26, from Garnett, TX. In this highly recommended mystery she accepts a case helping someone find his biological parents, but it soon turns into much more.
Annie and her boyfriend, Wyatt, attend a prenuptial party for her cousin Nikki and her fiance Sonny Marshall. Annie is the maid of honor. The party is being given by Sonny's best man and adopted brother, Clint Marshall, a talented up-and-coming musician. After the party Clint comes in to hire Annie to find his biological family. He was adopted at age 4 and has some memories from his past. She quickly discovers that his father is a bank robber serving time and that he has a brother, sister and mother.
Annie meets his brother, Cody. Soon after that, Cody is found dead and Clint disappears. Annie doubts the official verdict concerning Cody's death and wonders if it was a homicide. In this small town setting everyone seems to know everyone else as Annie sets off on her own dangerous investigation with some help from former county sheriff and her grandfather, Leroy, 85, and his former deputy, Mary-Pat Zimmerman.
This is a well-written, carefully plotted PI novel. The characters were portrayed as realistic, well-developed characters. The small Texas town setting adds an interesting atmosphere to the narrative as well as plenty of connections between characters.
It does start a bit slowly, taking time to work up some speed, but once it gets moving the pages will fly by. As my first Annie McIntyre, Next of Kin worked as a standalone. The ending absolutely surprised me. Thanks to Minotaur Books for providing me with an advance reader's copy via NetGalley. My review is voluntary and expresses my honest opinion.
http://www.shetreadssoftly.com/2024/0...
Annie and her boyfriend, Wyatt, attend a prenuptial party for her cousin Nikki and her fiance Sonny Marshall. Annie is the maid of honor. The party is being given by Sonny's best man and adopted brother, Clint Marshall, a talented up-and-coming musician. After the party Clint comes in to hire Annie to find his biological family. He was adopted at age 4 and has some memories from his past. She quickly discovers that his father is a bank robber serving time and that he has a brother, sister and mother.
Annie meets his brother, Cody. Soon after that, Cody is found dead and Clint disappears. Annie doubts the official verdict concerning Cody's death and wonders if it was a homicide. In this small town setting everyone seems to know everyone else as Annie sets off on her own dangerous investigation with some help from former county sheriff and her grandfather, Leroy, 85, and his former deputy, Mary-Pat Zimmerman.
This is a well-written, carefully plotted PI novel. The characters were portrayed as realistic, well-developed characters. The small Texas town setting adds an interesting atmosphere to the narrative as well as plenty of connections between characters.
It does start a bit slowly, taking time to work up some speed, but once it gets moving the pages will fly by. As my first Annie McIntyre, Next of Kin worked as a standalone. The ending absolutely surprised me. Thanks to Minotaur Books for providing me with an advance reader's copy via NetGalley. My review is voluntary and expresses my honest opinion.
http://www.shetreadssoftly.com/2024/0...
July 5, 2024
I won a hardcover edition of Next of Kin. I liked the cover of the book. I have never read to listened to an Annie McIntyre book so I was excited to read the book.
In next of kin Annie was hired by Clint to find his Biological parents. She find his biological brother and then he is murdered. Then she tries to find out what happened to him.
I also thought the question of who was Clint's mother was interesting. I also did wonder who was in the black pickup that occasionally followed Annie. There was also the question of what happened to Faye Flores, was Clint really in Nashville, what happened at the bank robbery. where was the money from the bank robbery. There were plenty of things for Annie to find the answers to. I thought next of kin had enough interesting questions to keep me reading so I could find out the answers.
My favorite character from the book was Annie's grandfather Leroy. He was the serif of garret Texas when the bank robbery happened. And he also investigated Fays disappearance too.
I think the when Annie finds Clint's brothers killer it did make sense the reason for the murder and who the murder was. However I found that part of the book disappointing. I suppose I wanted a
better reason for the murder or maybe a different murderer.
So I thought Next of kin was a decent read. And reading it made me want to read the first 2 books in the series.
In next of kin Annie was hired by Clint to find his Biological parents. She find his biological brother and then he is murdered. Then she tries to find out what happened to him.
I also thought the question of who was Clint's mother was interesting. I also did wonder who was in the black pickup that occasionally followed Annie. There was also the question of what happened to Faye Flores, was Clint really in Nashville, what happened at the bank robbery. where was the money from the bank robbery. There were plenty of things for Annie to find the answers to. I thought next of kin had enough interesting questions to keep me reading so I could find out the answers.
My favorite character from the book was Annie's grandfather Leroy. He was the serif of garret Texas when the bank robbery happened. And he also investigated Fays disappearance too.
I think the when Annie finds Clint's brothers killer it did make sense the reason for the murder and who the murder was. However I found that part of the book disappointing. I suppose I wanted a
better reason for the murder or maybe a different murderer.
So I thought Next of kin was a decent read. And reading it made me want to read the first 2 books in the series.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 21, 2025
Thank you Minotaur Books, #partner, for the advanced copy of Next of Kin in exchange for my honest review.
This is the third book in Samantha Jayne Allen’s Annie McIntyre series and somehow, I never got around to reading this one last year when it came out. I am not sure when the next book is coming out, or if there will be more to this series, but it is one I do enjoy and am glad I finally got around to reading this one.
Once again, I love the small-town feel to this series. I think it works so well here, especially with the nature of the case that Annie finds herself involved in. And what I really appreciated in this latest installment, having read all three books so far, is that we really have seen Annie come into herself as that newly-licensed PI. She earned that role and while there is still some self-doubt, she does a whole lot more doing than thinking and I loved that!
This book kept me fully invested and the twists and turns it took kept me guessing all the way through. As I said, I'm hopeful there will be more to this series - I do enjoy it very much and would love to see more of Annie, especially now that she is fully licensed as a PI!
My reviews can also be found on my blog: Always With A Book
This is the third book in Samantha Jayne Allen’s Annie McIntyre series and somehow, I never got around to reading this one last year when it came out. I am not sure when the next book is coming out, or if there will be more to this series, but it is one I do enjoy and am glad I finally got around to reading this one.
Once again, I love the small-town feel to this series. I think it works so well here, especially with the nature of the case that Annie finds herself involved in. And what I really appreciated in this latest installment, having read all three books so far, is that we really have seen Annie come into herself as that newly-licensed PI. She earned that role and while there is still some self-doubt, she does a whole lot more doing than thinking and I loved that!
This book kept me fully invested and the twists and turns it took kept me guessing all the way through. As I said, I'm hopeful there will be more to this series - I do enjoy it very much and would love to see more of Annie, especially now that she is fully licensed as a PI!
My reviews can also be found on my blog: Always With A Book
May 28, 2024
This is Samantha Jayne Allen's third book and the third featuring Annie McIntyre. She is a young private investigator working in her grandfather's small firm. The story takes place in a gritty, small town in Texas. Allen writes the scenery very well and I felt like I was there.
The characters were also well developed as side characters and since this is my second Annie McIntyre book I have some understanding of her motivations. This is important because her motivations may feel a bit unclear as the story gets deeper and more dangerous. If I had to say, I would argue she would do almost anything for her family and friends.
The story is a slow burn that gets crazy fast and is over even more quickly (too quickly for my taste). It is a clever mystery, and I was surprised by the ending. Perhaps a few more clues would have made the story more filling and the quick ending less of a jolt.
Annie is a good character, and the series is worth reading but one hopes Samantha Jayne Allen has a little more of a story next time. Hard Rain was better, and I have not read her first novel.
The characters were also well developed as side characters and since this is my second Annie McIntyre book I have some understanding of her motivations. This is important because her motivations may feel a bit unclear as the story gets deeper and more dangerous. If I had to say, I would argue she would do almost anything for her family and friends.
The story is a slow burn that gets crazy fast and is over even more quickly (too quickly for my taste). It is a clever mystery, and I was surprised by the ending. Perhaps a few more clues would have made the story more filling and the quick ending less of a jolt.
Annie is a good character, and the series is worth reading but one hopes Samantha Jayne Allen has a little more of a story next time. Hard Rain was better, and I have not read her first novel.
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