What do you think?
Rate this book
The Queen City Detective Agency
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.
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.
270 pages, Kindle Edition
First published August 13, 2024
126 people are currently reading
6981 people want to read
About the author
Snowden Wright
5 books200 followersSnowden Wright is the author of the novel American Pop, a Wall Street Journal WSJ+ Book of the Month, selection for Barnes & Noble’s “Discover Great New Writers” program, Southern Independent Booksellers Alliance Okra Pick, and NPR Favorite Book of the Year. A graduate of Dartmouth College and Columbia University, he has written for The Atlantic, Salon, Esquire, The Millions, and the New York Daily News, among other publications, and previously worked as a fiction reader at The New Yorker, Esquire, and The Paris Review.
Wright was the Visiting Writer and Prose Faculty at the 2021 Longleaf Writers Conference, and his debut novel, Play Pretty Blues, won the 2012 Summer Literary Seminars’ Graywolf Prize. Recipient of the Marguerite and Lamar Smith Fellowship from the Carson McCullers Center, he has attended writing residencies at Yaddo, Escape to Create, the Kimmel Harding Nelson Center for the Arts, Tusen Takk, Monson Arts, and the Hambidge Center. Wright lives in Yazoo County, Mississippi. His third novel, The Queen City Detective Agency, is forthcoming from HarperCollins on August 13, 2024.
Wright was the Visiting Writer and Prose Faculty at the 2021 Longleaf Writers Conference, and his debut novel, Play Pretty Blues, won the 2012 Summer Literary Seminars’ Graywolf Prize. Recipient of the Marguerite and Lamar Smith Fellowship from the Carson McCullers Center, he has attended writing residencies at Yaddo, Escape to Create, the Kimmel Harding Nelson Center for the Arts, Tusen Takk, Monson Arts, and the Hambidge Center. Wright lives in Yazoo County, Mississippi. His third novel, The Queen City Detective Agency, is forthcoming from HarperCollins on August 13, 2024.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 141 reviews
May 13, 2025
I've never heard of Snowden Wright prior to picking this up and by the end of this novel, I'm curious if his other novels are as good as this. If they are, then Wright might just enter my list of writers to look for/buy immediately. Though the work is not without its faults, this is an almost-as-enjoyable piece of fiction that has an explosive but fantastic ending. By its final pages, the book is, for me, hard to put down.
The Queen City Detective Agency is a blend of genre fiction with the styling of literary fiction but not quite in the realm of a post modernist literature. Wright's writings are still beholden to the usual tropes that dominates the detective or mystery genre. It's just that Wright uses the usual tropes to elevate the characters and the background, putting forward a philosophical question regarding the era of Reagan's presidency and has a lose structure for how the story was told, akin to the literary fiction side of things.
At its core, Wright blend the genre of Hardboiled Detective, Southern Gothic and Historical fiction in telling the story of a biracial and somewhat alcoholic private eye named Clementine, a.k.a "Clem", who runs the titular detective agency with her white partner Dixon, in Meridian, Mississippi during the Reagan presidency. The pair are hired to investigate a possible murder of an inmate facing a trial for the murder of a real estate mogul and the (open) twist here is that the pair was soon hired by the wife of the murdered real estate mogul to investigate the murder of her husband in a more thorough way than she believes the police did. As with most hardboiled mystery novels, there are cash involved and some twists and turns. The Queen City Detective Agency is a slow burn and despite trope heavy, it's not cliche or generic. It's a character piece, first and foremost, while the story crinkle out of them slowly.
Wright has a fun voice for how he told the story. His prose are in the same manner of Stephen King, as the most closest comparison I could think of, in that the narration was almost like a story being told/conversational style, but Wright's prose are a lot less overstuffed with description/details or inner monologues that went on a tangent. The sentences are carefully forged and are just so beautiful as well as satisfyingly fun to read.
The novel being a character piece is a double edge sword in a way that it can get in the way of the novel's story and pacing where the reward lies towards the end. It's all action and hardly tell anything. There are hardly any exposition dumps here, which is good but I at times, wouldn't know why are certain things done or happened until the end of the said action was/were taken.
With The Queen City Detective Agency, Wright has crafted an excellent hardboiled detective fiction that made use of usual tropes in the hardboiled detective genre and elevates the characters through the usage of the tropes and has a memorable ending.
The Queen City Detective Agency is a blend of genre fiction with the styling of literary fiction but not quite in the realm of a post modernist literature. Wright's writings are still beholden to the usual tropes that dominates the detective or mystery genre. It's just that Wright uses the usual tropes to elevate the characters and the background, putting forward a philosophical question regarding the era of Reagan's presidency and has a lose structure for how the story was told, akin to the literary fiction side of things.
At its core, Wright blend the genre of Hardboiled Detective, Southern Gothic and Historical fiction in telling the story of a biracial and somewhat alcoholic private eye named Clementine, a.k.a "Clem", who runs the titular detective agency with her white partner Dixon, in Meridian, Mississippi during the Reagan presidency. The pair are hired to investigate a possible murder of an inmate facing a trial for the murder of a real estate mogul and the (open) twist here is that the pair was soon hired by the wife of the murdered real estate mogul to investigate the murder of her husband in a more thorough way than she believes the police did. As with most hardboiled mystery novels, there are cash involved and some twists and turns. The Queen City Detective Agency is a slow burn and despite trope heavy, it's not cliche or generic. It's a character piece, first and foremost, while the story crinkle out of them slowly.
Wright has a fun voice for how he told the story. His prose are in the same manner of Stephen King, as the most closest comparison I could think of, in that the narration was almost like a story being told/conversational style, but Wright's prose are a lot less overstuffed with description/details or inner monologues that went on a tangent. The sentences are carefully forged and are just so beautiful as well as satisfyingly fun to read.
The novel being a character piece is a double edge sword in a way that it can get in the way of the novel's story and pacing where the reward lies towards the end. It's all action and hardly tell anything. There are hardly any exposition dumps here, which is good but I at times, wouldn't know why are certain things done or happened until the end of the said action was/were taken.
With The Queen City Detective Agency, Wright has crafted an excellent hardboiled detective fiction that made use of usual tropes in the hardboiled detective genre and elevates the characters through the usage of the tropes and has a memorable ending.
July 16, 2024
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.
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.
August 4, 2024
It just felt off to read a book primarily from the perspective of a Black woman in 1984 written by a white guy in 2024, especially when that protagonist is exploring her relational Blackness in the South of Reagan's America. Throw in an egregious Bury Your Gays plot thread, and I was simply turned off too often by this.
There's some really sparkly, humorous, playful prose that's almost at odds with the heavy, sticky storyline and characters, but it wasn't enough to erase my discomfort or to elevate a rather boilerplate novel.
There's some really sparkly, humorous, playful prose that's almost at odds with the heavy, sticky storyline and characters, but it wasn't enough to erase my discomfort or to elevate a rather boilerplate novel.
August 2, 2024
I received a free copy of, The Queen City Detective Agency, from the publisher and Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. The Queen City is the nickname of Meridian Mississippi. Pi Clementine Baldwin is hired to find a killer, can she find the killer? Are they part of the Dixie Mafia? This was a good read, kept me guessing until the end.
August 7, 2024
Set in the still racially charged 1980s Mississippi, this book follows a Black private investigator and her white partner as they get embroiled in a tricky case involving murder, potential suicide, and the shadowy Dixie Mafia. It's an excellent Southern crime novel.
After Dixie Mafia member Lewis "Turnip" Coogan falls or jumps to his death from the roof of the Meridian, Mississippi courthouse, Clementine Baldwin and partner Dixon Hicks are hired by Coogan's widow, who is convinced he was murdered, to find his killer. Turnip was accused of killing prominent real estate developer Randall Hubbard. Still, as Clem and Dixon begin digging into Turnip's death, they begin to untangle a web of shady characters, all of whom could be involved with the deaths. It falls to Clem and Dixon to follow the strands of the web to uncover the truth.
This is an atmospheric book with interesting characters and a complex plot. It illuminates what it means to be Black in the South, including the subtle and not-so-subtle digs and racist attitudes. Clem is a strong character who deftly tap dances her way through the societal layers and political intrigue to solve the deaths of the two men. Written with wit and compassion, it takes a magnifying glass to the 1980s South. 4/5 stars.
Thank you, NetGalley and William Morrow, for an advance copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own. The publication date is August 13, 2024.
After Dixie Mafia member Lewis "Turnip" Coogan falls or jumps to his death from the roof of the Meridian, Mississippi courthouse, Clementine Baldwin and partner Dixon Hicks are hired by Coogan's widow, who is convinced he was murdered, to find his killer. Turnip was accused of killing prominent real estate developer Randall Hubbard. Still, as Clem and Dixon begin digging into Turnip's death, they begin to untangle a web of shady characters, all of whom could be involved with the deaths. It falls to Clem and Dixon to follow the strands of the web to uncover the truth.
This is an atmospheric book with interesting characters and a complex plot. It illuminates what it means to be Black in the South, including the subtle and not-so-subtle digs and racist attitudes. Clem is a strong character who deftly tap dances her way through the societal layers and political intrigue to solve the deaths of the two men. Written with wit and compassion, it takes a magnifying glass to the 1980s South. 4/5 stars.
Thank you, NetGalley and William Morrow, for an advance copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own. The publication date is August 13, 2024.
February 24, 2024
I loved the setting of this book—1980’s Mississippi— both because I was a child in the 80’s and because I particularly enjoy books where the setting is novel or distinct and adds to the story and atmosphere. I am also a sucker for books with strong female protagonists and PIs and Clementine does not disappoint. Her character and background is nuanced and complex. I liked her partnership with Dixon and the vehicle that provided for commentary on race, misogyny, and social economic status in the U.S. and the south in particular. Their banter and interactions were amusing and endearing. The other characters in the book are also entertaining and their circumstances were portrayed realistically.
Mystery novels typically follow one of several tropes, and this one is no exception, but it’s fresh and entertaining.
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC. I appreciate the introduction to this author.
Mystery novels typically follow one of several tropes, and this one is no exception, but it’s fresh and entertaining.
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC. I appreciate the introduction to this author.
March 15, 2024
A fun novel featuring the Private investigator Clementine Baldwin in the 1980's Clem is hired to find the killer of Lewis the Turnip Coogan. Turnip may or may not have murdered by hire the real estate developer that is opening strip malls across Meridian, Mississippi,
Clem is caustic, jaded and pessimistic but game to take on the case. She quickly finds herself in dangerous waters.
Clem is a strong character and I love that the setting lent to discussion about race and economic issues. This is a noir book, so expect the grit!
If you love noir, strong characters and witty and interesting characters this is the book for you!
#williammorrow #thequeencitydetectiveagency #snowdenwright
Clem is caustic, jaded and pessimistic but game to take on the case. She quickly finds herself in dangerous waters.
Clem is a strong character and I love that the setting lent to discussion about race and economic issues. This is a noir book, so expect the grit!
If you love noir, strong characters and witty and interesting characters this is the book for you!
#williammorrow #thequeencitydetectiveagency #snowdenwright
November 13, 2024
Meridian, Mississippi, known as the Queen City, is full of poverty, dodgy businesses, and wealthy, white Southerners who cling hard to their undeserved and unearned privilege. Amongst them, is a secretive organization, known as the Dixie Mafia, which takes care of problems troubling the delicate, kindly sensibilities of the racist, corrupt and nasty powerbrokers of the city.
When one of the wealthy, real estate developer Randall Hubbard is killed, his wife Odette and a low level criminal named Lewis "Turnip" Coogan are arrested, with Turnip falling to his death during an escape attempt from jail. The death is later found to be due to poison.
Enter biracial ex-cop and private investigator Clementine Baldwin. She's hired by Turnip's mother to prove who murdered him. Clem and her white partner and friend Dixon Hicks start digging into Hubbard's death, uncovering some pretty tangled business and personal relationships, as well as a ton of corruption and assassinations, and a surprising reveal about the Dixie Mafia.
I loved the feel of the 1980s conjured by author Snowden Wright. Meridian is a complex mix of wealth, corrupt systems, a variety of people just trying to get by, including criminals, and a complicated racial landscape, which includes Clem herself, with her ambivalent feelings about her white, criminal father and her Black relatives.
Wright treats his characters with compassion and humour, and the case itself is quite twisty. I really enjoyed this, and loved the interplay between Clem and Dixon.
When one of the wealthy, real estate developer Randall Hubbard is killed, his wife Odette and a low level criminal named Lewis "Turnip" Coogan are arrested, with Turnip falling to his death during an escape attempt from jail. The death is later found to be due to poison.
Enter biracial ex-cop and private investigator Clementine Baldwin. She's hired by Turnip's mother to prove who murdered him. Clem and her white partner and friend Dixon Hicks start digging into Hubbard's death, uncovering some pretty tangled business and personal relationships, as well as a ton of corruption and assassinations, and a surprising reveal about the Dixie Mafia.
I loved the feel of the 1980s conjured by author Snowden Wright. Meridian is a complex mix of wealth, corrupt systems, a variety of people just trying to get by, including criminals, and a complicated racial landscape, which includes Clem herself, with her ambivalent feelings about her white, criminal father and her Black relatives.
Wright treats his characters with compassion and humour, and the case itself is quite twisty. I really enjoyed this, and loved the interplay between Clem and Dixon.
July 21, 2024
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.
January 1, 2024
Thank you, NetGalley and HarperCollins Publishing, for allowing me to read this eARC. This book was a 3/5 for me. I could not get into it. I felt like there was a lot of information that wasn’t needed in the beginning, which made it boring at times. This is more of a slow-paced suspenseful book, in my opinion; it just wasn’t for me. The last 30% of the book was the most interesting. I have to say the ending was very action packed. Overall, it was a good book, just not my favorite read.
April 28, 2024
Clementine has a new case. A mother is asking for help in finding her sons killer. This case will take Clementine in many directions that were not known. I liked this book.
June 21, 2024
Sad to say I did not like the book at all. It could just be me. I felt that the dialog was very juvenile and poorly written. Thanks to William Morrow for the Uncorrected Proof of the book but I have to decline venturing any further into the story.
August 4, 2024
4.5 stars.
Taking place in 1985, The Queen City Detective Agency by Snowden Wright is an engrossing mystery set in Meridian, Mississippi.
Private Investigator Clementine “Clem” Baldwin has a complicated past and present. She and her partner, Dixon Hicks, work on variety of cases but their current one goes in very unexpected directions. Their client, Lenora Coogan, wants to know exactly what happened to her son Lewis aka Turnip. As Clem and Dixon quickly discover, nothing is as it seems as they investigate Turnip’s death.
Clem is highly intelligent with excellent instincts. Dixon is a Vietnam vet who is well suited to working for Clem. Although she sometimes takes unnecessary risks on her own, Clem tries to be more careful when Dixon is with her. Although the two are good friends, Clem is not always forthcoming with personal information.
The investigation into Turnip’s death leads back to the murder he is accused of committing. Local builder Randall Hubbard’s murder is rather complicated and Clem knows there is more to his death than meets the eye. As she attempts to figure out who murdered him, Clem and Dixon find themselves tangled up with the legendary Dixie Mafia. Despite the danger surrounding their investigation, Clem is determined to unearth the truth about what has been going on her hometown.
Despite an air of nostalgia, The Queen City Detective Agency is a timeless mystery with a complex storyline. Clem is an intriguing character with a fascinating past. Dixon is often the voice of reason throughout their investigation. The investigation takes many twists and turns that are absolutely stunning. With an eclectic cast of characters and well-drawn setting, Snowden Wright easily sweeps readers into this clever mystery that is fast-paced, entertaining, and educating.
Taking place in 1985, The Queen City Detective Agency by Snowden Wright is an engrossing mystery set in Meridian, Mississippi.
Private Investigator Clementine “Clem” Baldwin has a complicated past and present. She and her partner, Dixon Hicks, work on variety of cases but their current one goes in very unexpected directions. Their client, Lenora Coogan, wants to know exactly what happened to her son Lewis aka Turnip. As Clem and Dixon quickly discover, nothing is as it seems as they investigate Turnip’s death.
Clem is highly intelligent with excellent instincts. Dixon is a Vietnam vet who is well suited to working for Clem. Although she sometimes takes unnecessary risks on her own, Clem tries to be more careful when Dixon is with her. Although the two are good friends, Clem is not always forthcoming with personal information.
The investigation into Turnip’s death leads back to the murder he is accused of committing. Local builder Randall Hubbard’s murder is rather complicated and Clem knows there is more to his death than meets the eye. As she attempts to figure out who murdered him, Clem and Dixon find themselves tangled up with the legendary Dixie Mafia. Despite the danger surrounding their investigation, Clem is determined to unearth the truth about what has been going on her hometown.
Despite an air of nostalgia, The Queen City Detective Agency is a timeless mystery with a complex storyline. Clem is an intriguing character with a fascinating past. Dixon is often the voice of reason throughout their investigation. The investigation takes many twists and turns that are absolutely stunning. With an eclectic cast of characters and well-drawn setting, Snowden Wright easily sweeps readers into this clever mystery that is fast-paced, entertaining, and educating.
September 23, 2024
It was more fun to return to the 1980s than I thought it would be! Wright nails the big and little details about that era-- from Reagan's trickle down economics to Clem carrying the body of a phone on her hip while tucking the headset into her shoulder. This is a highly visual and atmospheric book!
The narration is very well done but you need to be a more astute reader than me to listen and retain facts as they come fast. I was a little lost and didn't figure out the whodunnit parts but I really loved every minute of the ride and can't wait for Clem and Dixon to get another case.
The narration is very well done but you need to be a more astute reader than me to listen and retain facts as they come fast. I was a little lost and didn't figure out the whodunnit parts but I really loved every minute of the ride and can't wait for Clem and Dixon to get another case.
November 27, 2024
A nice dark Southern noir story, but with a content warning for extremely graphic/violent cockfighting scenes near the end. I could've gone my whole life just accepting they were abhorrent without getting details of what happens in actual fights.
September 10, 2025
Gritty and sometimes difficult to read. Strongly developed characters both major and minor. Colorful and clear depictions of scenes. Excellent narrator. Tough book and a must read - deeply insightful of social drivers.
September 1, 2024
Didn't care much for this one. I didn't like the characters or plot and I only finished it because it was pretty short. The end was not a surprise at all either.
June 24, 2024
Disclaimer: I won this ARC in a GoodReads giveaway but that in no way influenced my review.
I have mixed feelings about this book and maybe I'm being a bit unfair in that I don't come from a background in the Southern USA (Mississippi in this case) and had trouble understanding many of the colloquialisms the author used. The author also seemed to take a page out of the Dean Koontz book in using fifty dollar words when a simple everyday 10 cent word would suffice. The author even used one of the same words I had to look up when I first saw it in a Koontz book: susurrating/susurration. Ha! I didn't have to look it up this time.
I do understand though that the author was trying to put us in the place of the characters so that we could better relate to and understand what the female black character and her white male business partner experienced in the 1980s is Meridian Mississippi. Remnants of the KKK and the Dixie Mafia are central to the story line. We have murders but not too much of a mystery as to "who done it" only a few twists in that regard-- it is more of a how do we make those who are guilty get what they deserve. How is justice obtained? The book is peppered with many references to events in other places to help those of us not from the area relate to the times...the OJ case to name one.
So on the whole I feel the book is a worthwhile read.
I have mixed feelings about this book and maybe I'm being a bit unfair in that I don't come from a background in the Southern USA (Mississippi in this case) and had trouble understanding many of the colloquialisms the author used. The author also seemed to take a page out of the Dean Koontz book in using fifty dollar words when a simple everyday 10 cent word would suffice. The author even used one of the same words I had to look up when I first saw it in a Koontz book: susurrating/susurration. Ha! I didn't have to look it up this time.
I do understand though that the author was trying to put us in the place of the characters so that we could better relate to and understand what the female black character and her white male business partner experienced in the 1980s is Meridian Mississippi. Remnants of the KKK and the Dixie Mafia are central to the story line. We have murders but not too much of a mystery as to "who done it" only a few twists in that regard-- it is more of a how do we make those who are guilty get what they deserve. How is justice obtained? The book is peppered with many references to events in other places to help those of us not from the area relate to the times...the OJ case to name one.
So on the whole I feel the book is a worthwhile read.
June 24, 2024
In 1985 Meridian Mississippi a real estate mogul is found assassinated and then the so called "hired killer" is found dead in jail. Clementine is a no nonsense former cop P.I. who has been hired to find the killer of the "hired killer". When she begins pulling at loose threads it becomes tangled in KKK and Dixie Mafia business that could mean a big ball of trouble for Clem and her partner. Clem is not a warm and fluffy character but she is effective and I loved the banter between her and her partner. Themes of racism, the old white guard and small town corruption abound. It is a gritty crime noir that will appeal to fans of Southern drama written by Greg Iles, S.A. Cosby and Attica Locke. My thanks to the publisher for the advance copy.
December 29, 2024
i had only read the sample before i had to remove it from my libby.
the queen city detective agency details a black female cop, written by a southern, white man. it's not off to the best start but i decided to give it a try. i have no idea why so many people would want to read this book, it has two main problems and both are equally hard to read through.
firstly, clem is immediately defined by two things: (i) her blackness and (ii) her femininity. even in the sample, it feels as though she is devaluing her own femininity, partaking in stereotypically masculine behaviors primarily to assert dominance.
secondly, i feel like regardless of gender, being a dickbag to someone is something i find rather irritating, especially if you have no reason to act like a dickbag. clem's opening scene involved her waking up hungover and being snappy to her coworker. it was reminiscent of old, white men detective novels like the ones jake peralta liked to read in brooklyn 99.
i tried to read it off as her just... having a more tomboyish personality, i suppose, but she's characterised by her snappiness and quick wit almost excessively. there's this hypocrisy around clem's character, where she feels entitled to saying derogatory things about her white coworker who had never really done anything bad to her and... just existed (he has a white savior complex but somehow i find him less irritating than clem idk why i just want to burn this book from my memory).
my main issue with all of this isn't how she's naturally impermeable to consequences, but moreso on how little snowden had utilised characteristics or weaknesses of clem's personality. it's like he took a white man main character and swapped the gender and replaced the race. the only thing that remotely indicates she's a black woman is when he says she's a black woman.
moving on to the pros (though i am reluctant to even say it), i find the use of profanities in the first chapter quite fitting, and i enjoy how the writer's storytelling language and tone shifts with the perspective of the character. when it's (i forgot his name, onion?) perspective, onion uses profanities almost too liberally, communicating his tempermental and hilariously dimwitted personality. in clem's perspective, the sentences are brief, words are concise and her personal opinions aren't put in as much as onion's.
saved only by the writing, the plot of queen city detective agency is ridden with characterisation failures, a 'golden child' complex and honestly, a rather slipshod attempt at gIrLpOweR, bLaCk eMpoWerMent. i think snowden probably needed ten packs of hangover pills when writing this novel (perhaps 40% vodka would work better). this novel makes me scared to kick my leg up on chairs, kudos to you 💪💪
the queen city detective agency details a black female cop, written by a southern, white man. it's not off to the best start but i decided to give it a try. i have no idea why so many people would want to read this book, it has two main problems and both are equally hard to read through.
firstly, clem is immediately defined by two things: (i) her blackness and (ii) her femininity. even in the sample, it feels as though she is devaluing her own femininity, partaking in stereotypically masculine behaviors primarily to assert dominance.
secondly, i feel like regardless of gender, being a dickbag to someone is something i find rather irritating, especially if you have no reason to act like a dickbag. clem's opening scene involved her waking up hungover and being snappy to her coworker. it was reminiscent of old, white men detective novels like the ones jake peralta liked to read in brooklyn 99.
i tried to read it off as her just... having a more tomboyish personality, i suppose, but she's characterised by her snappiness and quick wit almost excessively. there's this hypocrisy around clem's character, where she feels entitled to saying derogatory things about her white coworker who had never really done anything bad to her and... just existed (he has a white savior complex but somehow i find him less irritating than clem idk why i just want to burn this book from my memory).
my main issue with all of this isn't how she's naturally impermeable to consequences, but moreso on how little snowden had utilised characteristics or weaknesses of clem's personality. it's like he took a white man main character and swapped the gender and replaced the race. the only thing that remotely indicates she's a black woman is when he says she's a black woman.
moving on to the pros (though i am reluctant to even say it), i find the use of profanities in the first chapter quite fitting, and i enjoy how the writer's storytelling language and tone shifts with the perspective of the character. when it's (i forgot his name, onion?) perspective, onion uses profanities almost too liberally, communicating his tempermental and hilariously dimwitted personality. in clem's perspective, the sentences are brief, words are concise and her personal opinions aren't put in as much as onion's.
saved only by the writing, the plot of queen city detective agency is ridden with characterisation failures, a 'golden child' complex and honestly, a rather slipshod attempt at gIrLpOweR, bLaCk eMpoWerMent. i think snowden probably needed ten packs of hangover pills when writing this novel (perhaps 40% vodka would work better). this novel makes me scared to kick my leg up on chairs, kudos to you 💪💪
December 25, 2023
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for this eARC.
Mississippi in the 1980's would have been difficult enough for a female PI to make a living. Being an ex-cop might have helped, but being biracial in the South in the 1980's, it would have been almost impossible to make a living except perhaps in a large city. I write this as a liberal who grew up in the 80s in the Midwest. I was a female PI in Arizona in the 2000s, and the majority of work we got was from men or women wondering if their spouse was cheating.
That all said, I greatly enjoyed this story, and the characters, the female PI boss with her polite Southern male sidekick and dear friend . I hope this is the start of a new continuing series!
Mississippi in the 1980's would have been difficult enough for a female PI to make a living. Being an ex-cop might have helped, but being biracial in the South in the 1980's, it would have been almost impossible to make a living except perhaps in a large city. I write this as a liberal who grew up in the 80s in the Midwest. I was a female PI in Arizona in the 2000s, and the majority of work we got was from men or women wondering if their spouse was cheating.
That all said, I greatly enjoyed this story, and the characters, the female PI boss with her polite Southern male sidekick and dear friend . I hope this is the start of a new continuing series!
January 15, 2024
Read this book for the atmosphere as much as the case. The author has done a good job of evoking the 80s in the South, as well as how treacherous it was for women of color in that place and time , esp as a former cop, now private detective. The crime/case was a little slow and hard to get into at first. But the second part of the book the author had hit her stride and picked up the pace with the Dixie Mafia hot on Clem's trail as she, and her trusty sidekick, try to understand what happened to the victim, why, and who benefits from his death.. The last part is a race against the clock! A fun, atmospheric read with a satisfying finish. Thanks to Net Galley for this ARC opportunity!
September 7, 2024
Ugh!.. What a slog. Paper thin, meandering plot. I only cared about one of the characters. BUT, the worst thing about this book is that it's a ponderous morality play trying to pass itself off crime novel. OK, I get your point. I get it. You don't have to fill every other paragraph with your life lesson. What a beating. And this from someone who actually agrees with the point being overstated every page. Do better next time. A little nuance is better than a clumsy sledgehammer gumming up your narrative. I was glad when this one was over.
January 1, 2025
This is a gritty private eye tale set in 1980's Mississippi, complete with a sleuthing duo, Clementine Baldwin and her partner Dixon. There are two suspicious deaths, involvement of the "Dixie Mafia", and multiple power brokers that all have something to lose.
This story feels very familiar, reminding me of great tv and movies from back in the day.
If you like detective tales, this will be right up your alley!
This story feels very familiar, reminding me of great tv and movies from back in the day.
If you like detective tales, this will be right up your alley!
January 28, 2024
Currently, I've decided to set the book aside and not finish it for the time being. I found it difficult to fully engage with the story due to its slow pace, which didn't align with my expectations for a suspenseful book..
March 22, 2025
The Queen City Detective Agency: A Novel by Snowden Wright is set in early 1985 in Meridian, Mississippi. Like an onion, this book is complicated with many layers. Racism, classicism, the Dixie Mafia, and more play major roles in this novel.
Turnip Coogan had been facing twenty to life for capital murder when he decided to flee the jail. One of the trustees had left a window open, due to the brutal heat, and Turnip decided to head on out that window. He forgot that the jail was on the roof of the courthouse. Going out that window put him outside on the roof of the building on this blistering hot January day.
Trapped on the roof with nowhere to run, his plight becomes a spectacle to all, and a crowd gathers below in downtown Meridian, Mississippi. Known to all as the “Queen’s City” things are on an economic downhill slide no matter where you stand in the city. Being on the roof of the courthouse makes it just a little more apparent.
Turnip is also on a downhill slide and he knows it. He knows he has been put in this trap as he, and his well-known connections to the Dixie Mafia, have been used against him. He is a desperate man, powerless against what is happening, and pushed to the edge, literally and figuratively. It is no surprise when he goes off the roof and dies seconds later as gravity finishes the job started long ago.
It is just a few hours later when Leonora Coogan, mother of Lewis “Turnip” Coogan, reaches out to Clemetine Baldwin, bi-racial owner of the Queen City Detective Agency to get the people who killed her son.
The next day, she and her white partner, Dixon Hicks, drive to Lenora Coogan’s trailer to discuss the situation. By now, everybody for 100 miles around has seen the video of her son crashing to the sidewalk from the roof of the courthouse. She strongly believes that he did not jump to his death.
She is sure he was killed because the Dixie Mafia wanted to silence him for what he knew and might say as he faced a possible murder conviction. While she doesn’t know specifics about what her son did for them, she is sure he did some stuff and was important to them, and that they did not want him talking about any of it.
While Clem knows that the Dixie Mafia is blamed for anything and everything, she also knows that they sort of exist and are ruthless at times. Mom had no idea what her son did for them and, honestly, did not want to know as she got some good stuff out of his work. That pipeline is cutoff with her son’s death so that factors in, without a doubt, on her request for help now. But she is grieving and needs help, can pay, and despite her subtle and not so subtle racism, Clem agrees to take the case. Afterall, the racism is nothing new and Clem as decades of dealing with it as she was born and raised here and what Lenora is saying is the usual stuff.
What follows is a complicated novel where some things, like allegiance to the Confederacy, are proudly displayed, and other things, such as drug use and sexual favors in the jail, are hidden from prying eyes. A complicated crime fiction read, the case and those involved, go through a lot of twists and turns in a book that is well worth your time.
One hopes that another book in this series is coming as this one was very good and sets a strong foundation for a possible series.
My ARC reading copy came from the publisher, Harper Collins, through NetGalley, with no expectation of a review.
Kevin R. Tipple ©2025
May 26, 2025
Evoking the sultry ambiance of a Mississippi winter combined with stunning procedural detail and a building ominous Tone, this mystery novel follows an unforgettable cast of characters and a jaded female ex-cop turned P.I., Clementine Baldwin, as she tries to untangle a criminal conspiracy in 1985 Mississippi. Meridian, once known as the Queen City because of its status in the state, has lost most of its regal bearing and economic shine, attracting less-than-legitimate businesses, including those enforced by the near-mythical Dixie Mafia (descended from the KKK). Cleo who is mixed race deals with both overt and subtle prejudice, misogyny, and struggles with her own personal demons, drinks a little too much, and makes questionable romantic decisions. Her only employee is a very white Dixon Hicks, former high school football star, who has her back and provides a great deal of the comic relief as he and Cleo banter and dodge hired assassins and assorted enemies as they look into the assumed suicidal death of an inmate being held for the murder of a prominent businessman. The plotting is very layered with red herrings and twists that kept me guessing. The descriptions of worn-down trailer parks, cockfighting arenas, car stakeouts, and seedy bars contrast with the stunning country club décor, and extravagant homes of exclusive white prosperity and the setting details contribute to the Tone, the Plot, and thematic material as it emphasizes economic and social disparities based on race, searing political realities, and the prominence of greed and corruption. Wright laces his CHs dialogue and internal musings with 1980s literary and political references to Ronald Reagan, Emmett Till’s murder 30 years before, James Baldwin, and popular culture like Cheers, Bill Cosby, Litebrite and other popular toys, foods, and brands, adding authenticity to the Setting and the CHs. This is a realistic gritty Southern Noir mystery with difficult overtly violent and/or hate-ridden passages so Red Flags are Vulgar Language, Graphic Violence; Harm to Animals; Overt Racial Prejudice, and rampant Inhumanity. Wright’s portrayal of Cleo as a conflicted protagonist entwined with good detecting procedure, dashes of humor and honest human compassion and friendship gave his historical perspective depth and contributed to making this a chewy tale with a realistic conclusion that may not satisfy everyone. A nice Style choice is the mock-up of the local newspaper’s front page that opens and closes the book beginning and ending the Story Line. This is a riveting, razor-sharp Southern noir PI Mystery that I would suggest to readers who enjoy S.A. Cosby, Attica Locke, Rachel Howzell Hall, and perhaps Wiley Cash and James Sallis’s Turner novels.
February 9, 2025
It's New Year's Day 1985 and Ronald Reagan's second presidential term is about to kick off a new "Morning in America" as this book opens. Unlike most crime novels, the inciting death has already happened, and Turnip Coogan is on the roof of the county courthouse in Meridian, Mississippi, protesting his innocence in the murder of local real estate bigwig Randall Hubbard. (This scene was inspired directly by a similar real-life one that the author's father was a part of.) Turnip winds up splattered on the pavement, and his trailer-park living mother enlists the titular agency to find out who was responsible for framing her son.
The detective agency in question is Clem, a black woman who was drummed out of the local police force, and a lanky, laconic, white Vietnam Vet named Dixon. As a second case and retainer comes their way, their ebony and ivory partnership allows them to navigate the racism-riddled waters of 1980s Mississippi, from the courthouse to road houses, and everywhere in between -- including the local country club. Their poking around soon bumps up against what may or may not be the so-called "Dixie Mafia" -- itself a quasi-reincarnation of the KKK -- building to a climactic confrontation at a rooster fight out in the countryside.
Clem's complicated personal and professional history figure largely in the story, and she's a tough and clever protagonist as she navigates the daily micro and macroagressions of being a black woman. Dixon makes for a smooth counterpoint, full of smooth and subtle banter with flashes of real anger bubbling up. They make for a fun duo, and I'm curious to see if this is the start of a series -- I could imagine a trilogy that follows their partnership, with a second book set in the 1990s and a third in the 2000s, following the changes (or lack thereof) in their hometown.
Note: Amidst all the colorful characters and conspiracies and bad choices, the one moment my suspension of disbelief was most challenged was when Clem's record collection is touched upon and she's meant to have The Clash's triple-LP "Sandinista!" -- not buying it...
The detective agency in question is Clem, a black woman who was drummed out of the local police force, and a lanky, laconic, white Vietnam Vet named Dixon. As a second case and retainer comes their way, their ebony and ivory partnership allows them to navigate the racism-riddled waters of 1980s Mississippi, from the courthouse to road houses, and everywhere in between -- including the local country club. Their poking around soon bumps up against what may or may not be the so-called "Dixie Mafia" -- itself a quasi-reincarnation of the KKK -- building to a climactic confrontation at a rooster fight out in the countryside.
Clem's complicated personal and professional history figure largely in the story, and she's a tough and clever protagonist as she navigates the daily micro and macroagressions of being a black woman. Dixon makes for a smooth counterpoint, full of smooth and subtle banter with flashes of real anger bubbling up. They make for a fun duo, and I'm curious to see if this is the start of a series -- I could imagine a trilogy that follows their partnership, with a second book set in the 1990s and a third in the 2000s, following the changes (or lack thereof) in their hometown.
Note: Amidst all the colorful characters and conspiracies and bad choices, the one moment my suspension of disbelief was most challenged was when Clem's record collection is touched upon and she's meant to have The Clash's triple-LP "Sandinista!" -- not buying it...
September 14, 2024
Originally posted on my blog Nonstop Reader.
The Queen City Detective Agency is a well written gritty American PI noir novel by Snowden Wright. Released 13th Aug 2024 by HarperCollins on their William Morrow imprint, it's 272 pages and is available in hardcover, audio, and ebook formats. It's worth noting that the ebook format has a handy interactive table of contents as well as interactive links and references throughout.
This is an atmospheric and solid read featuring a gay female protagonist who is flawed, loyal, tough as nails, and dogged. It's set in the 1980s in Mississippi and the prose is evocative and rich. The author is adept at characterization and even the more minor secondary characters are three dimensional (often unlikable and quirky, but very well rendered).
There's a surprising amount of sarcastic cynical humor around a novel populated by villains, cheats, and thieves; where even the "good guys" are exhausted and wryly misanthropic. Although it's not as over the top or as full of no-holds-barred violence, it will appeal to fans of Joe R. Lansdale and James Lee Burke; not derivative at all, but definitely in the same headspace.
Four and a half stars. Atmospheric, enjoyable, *very* well written (even though it's usually more difficult to recommend a book with a protagonist written by an author who is nowhere near the same demographic (she's black and female, the author is white and male) he really nailed Clem's internal drive and motivations). It would be a great choice for public library acquisition, home use, or a good mystery book club reading selection or buddy read.
Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.
The Queen City Detective Agency is a well written gritty American PI noir novel by Snowden Wright. Released 13th Aug 2024 by HarperCollins on their William Morrow imprint, it's 272 pages and is available in hardcover, audio, and ebook formats. It's worth noting that the ebook format has a handy interactive table of contents as well as interactive links and references throughout.
This is an atmospheric and solid read featuring a gay female protagonist who is flawed, loyal, tough as nails, and dogged. It's set in the 1980s in Mississippi and the prose is evocative and rich. The author is adept at characterization and even the more minor secondary characters are three dimensional (often unlikable and quirky, but very well rendered).
There's a surprising amount of sarcastic cynical humor around a novel populated by villains, cheats, and thieves; where even the "good guys" are exhausted and wryly misanthropic. Although it's not as over the top or as full of no-holds-barred violence, it will appeal to fans of Joe R. Lansdale and James Lee Burke; not derivative at all, but definitely in the same headspace.
Four and a half stars. Atmospheric, enjoyable, *very* well written (even though it's usually more difficult to recommend a book with a protagonist written by an author who is nowhere near the same demographic (she's black and female, the author is white and male) he really nailed Clem's internal drive and motivations). It would be a great choice for public library acquisition, home use, or a good mystery book club reading selection or buddy read.
Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 141 reviews