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. “A hilarious and edgy ride into the deepest of the deep south, The Queen City Detective Agency is an absolute blast. The book is chock full of more crazies than  Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil.  But its hero, PI Clem Baldwin, proves to be a perfect guide into the cloistered and complicated world of 1980s Meridian, Mississippi.” — Ace Atkins, New York Times bestselling author of  Don't Let the Devil Ride “Snowden Wright knows Meridian, Mississippi like my grandmamma knew her garden plot. The Queen City Detective Agency crackles with southern-fried banter that'll make you laugh, gasp, and cry, all on the same page. Here is a novelist at the height of his game.” — Eli Cranor, nationally bestselling author of Ozark Dogs and Don’t Know Tough “In Snowden Wright’s latest novel, The Queen City Detective Agency, hardboiled ex-cop Clem Baldwin is drawn into a murder mystery that plunges her into the perilous underworld of Meridian, Mississippi, where organized crime and political corruption reign. Wright’s masterful prose and crackling dialogue drive this electrifying and high-octane Southern noir, making it a journey you won’t want to miss.” — Lauren Wilkinson, author of American Spy “Wright writes sentences that beg to be quoted.” — New York Times “ The Queen City Detective Agency is a picaresque saga stuffed with colorful characters, bursts of violence, droll banter and many twists.” — Wall Street Journal “[A] scalding, shocking history-inspired mystery. . . . The mix of details about the omnipresent Dixie Mafia and an action-packed plot conveys a pulverizing atmosphere where everyone, including cops and city officials, share a secret, evil bond.” — Booklist (starred review) “[ The Queen City Detective Agency ] evokes the atmosphere and tension of the 1980s American South, emphasizing the rage and emotions of a woman of color who’s faced with the political clout of ruthless white power brokers.” — Library Journal “Snowden Wright has written a rock-solid suspense-filled thriller with  The Queen City Detective Agency.  It is guaranteed to keep you glued to the pages and craving a sequel. Fans of James Lee Burke, John Grisham, Laura Lippman and Walter Mosley among others will be eager to read this and his other works.” — BookTrib “ The Queen City Detective Agency  is a remarkable work of Southern noir. . . . A disgruntled PI and a plot as wildly complicated as the history of the American South itself combine in this spectacular, darkly funny mystery.” — Shelf Awareness "Witty and insightful. . . . Wright elevates his premise with wry humor and a keen awareness of the South's racial dynamics." — Publishers Weekly “[A] deliciously convoluted crime novel. . . . The Queen City Detective Agency is dark. Its characters are rough; its language is often coarse. It is Southern noir crime fiction at its primal and witty best, and it is full of bracing surprises as Snowden Wright peels back the lid of Southern entitlement in the mid-1980’s.” — Anniston Star “If you're looking for a good crime novel, full of witty dialogue, with action, heart, and a bit of well-integrated social commentary, look no further than The Queen City Detective Agency. ” — Jackson Clarion-Ledger “If a PI tale steeped in Southern Noir and the complex persona of a Black female detective trying to stay afloat in her hometown of Meridian, Mississippi—where the locals le