Thank you for the ARC!

Trouble in Queenstown follows former police officer turned private investigator, Vandy Myrick, as she investigates a double homicide in a peaceful town in New Jersey. Secrets are uncovered and lives are turned upside down in this mystery packed read.

I really enjoyed the premise of the book. The author was able to connect the reader with the different characters and the town. Queenstown reminds me of a small town with big city feels. It is full of diversity along with bigotry and people wanting power and control as the forefront of the drama in the story.

However, this was a slow read for me. I noticed I was going to my phone a lot during the read, as I was bored with some of the scenes. I wanted more of a faster paced action and less drawn out storylines that were repetitive in a sense. Towards the end, I was skimming the read and then I was hooked on the last 15-20% of the book.

In conclusion, while I enjoyed the premise and the characters, I was just wanting more of a faster pace less repetitive storylines. Furthermore, the plot twist at the end of who done it and why, was quite the page turner.

I was excited to read this - it's not often that I come across mystery novels with a Black female protagonist. Vandy Myrick is a private investigator living in a racist area of New Jersey. She comes across as strong physically and mentally, but we get to see her inner sensitive side. This woman has integrity and is someone you'd want on your team. I loved her and loved her perseverance.

I have to say I did not see the ending coming, but it left me short. I feel that in order to surprise the reader with the ending, the author grasped at straws. I was really hoping for a finale that would blow my socks off, but I didn't get that. Regardless, looking forward to reading more from this author.

3.5 stars.

Another surprisingly good story. This was a bigger book than I initially thought but Delia Pitts takes the reader on a roller coaster ride through the underbelly of a gritty, fictional NJ town.

Vandy Myrick is hired to investigate a potential adultery and find more than she bargained for. Great writing and pacing, super fun characters and well crafted plot. While easy to guess whodunnit, the why and how doesn't really get resolved until the end - and it's quite an end!

Thanks to NetGalley for this copying exchange for an honest review.

"Trouble in Queenstown" introduces Vandy Myrick, a private investigator, in a captivating mystery that blends themes of grief, class, race, and family.

The narrative of "Trouble in Queenstown" is compelling, with the town itself vividly brought to life.

The novel showcases well-developed characters who add authenticity and depth to the story. The pacing is well-executed, ensuring readers remain engrossed from start to finish.

I recommend this book to fans of mystery novels. If you're in search of a riveting story with a compelling plot and richly drawn characters, this book is worth adding to your reading list.

Many thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press | Minotaur Books for the eARC.

I love a tough female PI! And this delivers! Vandy moves back to her hometown after the death of her daughter to become a PI. She solves a mystery and meets a wonderful cast of characters.

I received an early copy from Netgalley, but all opinions are my own.

This is a new private investigator. She is hired to follow a wife who ends up being murdered. Did she miss clues as she wrapped up her surveillance report. Things quickly get messy as she's hours to find out who murdered the victim. Small town policing and corruption complicates matters very quickly. I really. enjoyed the main character.

This was a real treat! The story took off right from the start and I was totally hooked. I was really impressed with the depth the story delivered; I love when there are real emotions interwoven in what could’ve been a standard mystery plot.

I def enjoyed and recommend!

Thank you Netgalley for the advance copy.

Note: this book is direct in its discussions of loss and grief.

Trouble in Queenstown introduces us to private investigator Evander "Vandy" Myrick. From the start, Vandy brings a no-nonsense intensity to everything she does. A potential case of infidelity quickly turns into an investigation of murder. We're pulled into the mystery through Ms. Pitts' use of having Vandy examine the case through the stories of the other characters.

This mystery pulls you in with its quick pace and believable characters. Looking forward to hopefully more mysteries starring Evander Myrick.

ex-cop, New-Jersey, private-investigators, black-African-American-thriller, fast-pace, investigation, family, divorced, hard-boiled, dementia, corruption, racism, class-consciousness, suspense****

Opens with a bang to set the stage for the personality of main character Evander “Vandy” Myrick and never slows down. Mother is dead and father is in care facility because of dementia which stole his long history of local cop and everything else from him and left his daughter with an underlay of sadness. Enter the lying client swiftly followed by the murders and a very complex investigation. Hope this will become a series!
I requested and received a free temporary e-book from St. Martin's Press/Minotaur Books via NetGalley. Thank you!
Available 6 Jul 2024

Trouble in Queenstown is classic murder mystery about Evander Myrick as a detective turned PI solving a murder in a small town. As someone who loved Nancy Drew and Veronica Mars I’m a fan! I liked the characters and thought the mystery was engaging. There were themes of race, grief, class and family as well as a diverse set of characters that added dimension to this mystery. I thoroughly enjoyed exploring Q town through “Vandy” Myricks POV as she put together the pieces of this mystery.

It was a good book and one I will definitely be putting on in my store. However, there were just a few plot points I was confused on!

Trouble in Queenstown by Delia Pitts has a gripping storyline. The setting of Queenstown was the highlight due to the author's ability to vividly describe the town and its surroundings.

I enjoyed the well-developed characters, Each character feels authentic and adds depth to the story. The book had great pacing.

I recommend it to fans of the mystery genre. If you're looking for a captivating read with a compelling plot and well-developed characters, this book might be worth adding to your reading list.

Boy, do I love a strong, female protagonist! And Vandy delivers on this like nobody else. Being a jersey girl myself, I was already rooting for her little did I know that I’d be adding a new author and series to my must read list. Really enjoyed this one. It’s cozy, but fierce.

Overall, I enjoyed the story and the premise of this book. It vaguely reminded me of Five Little Pigs by Agatha Christie. This too is a mystery, and it is set in a small fictional town in New Jersey. It starts with a double homicide of the town celebrity’s wife and what is presumed to be her lover.
Vandy (female, name after her father) is the local PI that had become deeply entwined with the entire case.

I enjoyed the premise of this mystery quite a bit but I felt some of the story was a bit redundant (harping on a twisted pen) and then some extra drama was thrown in to try to give it a shock factor.

I definitely would have liked to learn more about Vandy and her past life too.

This is the first ever ARC I’ve had and I definitely enjoyed getting a sneak peek at this upcoming novel. Will definitely read more from Pitts in the future!

3.5 star out of 5 rating for me.

It's hard enough to be a black woman and a cop, but once Vandy Myrick's world was shattered she moved back to her hometown of Queenstown, New Jersey to become a private investigator. She handles a lot of divorce cases, and Leo Hannah, the mayor's nephew, asks her to spend a week following his wife, Ivy. He provides several excuses; she might have a lover; he's thinking about a divorce; she has a stalker; no, maybe Leo is the one with the stalker. The morning Vandy is to turn in her report to Leo, she walks in on a tragedy. There's a dead man on the floor. Ivy is dying, and Leo says he killed the stalker, a Hispanic taxi driver. The police wrap up the case quickly because the mayor says it's solved. But, suddenly Vandy has two paying clients who want to know the truth behind the deaths. Vandy's loved ones are threatened, and she's beaten, but she's determined to find the answers in a murder case that reeks of racism, politics, and corruption.

I was fortunate enough to receive an advance copy from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. Vandy Myrick is a former police officer now a private investigator, she comes back to Queenstown after a tragedy occurs and to spend time with her father, who has dementia. Vandy gets hired by Leo Hannah to follow his wife. Leo claims he thinks his wife is in danger of that she might be cheating on him. Nothing looks out of the ordinary and on the day she goes to hand in her report to him Leo’s wife, Ivy, is dead by a supposed stalker Hector Ramires. As things don’t add up Vandy goes to investigate further. The book was a fun thriller but there were parts that dragged on a bit. But everything gets pieced together nicely. Recommend the read

Let's talk about Trouble in Queenstown by Delia Pitts! Warning: Once you meet characters like Evander "Vandy" Myrick and the men in her investigations and life, you WILL get attached!

When Vandy takes on client Leo Hannah, the Mayor's nephew for a simple divorce case, it turns into so much more. Two deaths, four investigations, one case. Oh yea, and one badass woman determined to uncover it all.

Mystery and thriller lovers will devour Trouble in Queenstown and be eager for more from Delia Pitts and her cast of characters.

Delia Pitts has weaved an intriguing and complex tale with private investigator Vandy who is hired for a job that appeared to be easy peasy. When the client becomes embroiled in a murder, it is Vandy who sees something is amiss and finds herself with yet another client and another one looking for the same thing…who killed Ivy and Hector.

The author did a great job with this well-written and evenly paced drama that I could not put down until all was said and done. The writing was crisp, making it easier to follow along with what the author intended. The mystery was well-defined and the more the story progressed, the more we learned about who was doing what to whom. And the big reveal … I did not see that one coming. This is an excellent read and I hope this is a series because I want to know more about Vandy and her friends.

At 3.5 stars rounded up, Trouble in Queenstown begins well enough. A former cop turned private investigator, Vandy Myrick takes on racism as she chases down adultery in her small town. Her latest case of surveillance leads to her finding her clients wife murdered and a seemingly innocent man dead and accused of the murder. Working for the victim’s father and the accused murderer’s sister, Vandy works a twisted unexpected case where privilege and corruption run wild in the town.. The first three quarters of this story was interesting and I liked Vandy and the supporting characters well enough. The ending went a little wild and felt just a tad extreme to me. The bad guy was expected but the villainy seemed forced and unnecessary and I would have just settled for an easy arrest to end a satisfying mystery. This is a first book in a series and I would try the second book in the series. My voluntary, unbiased, and non-mandatory review is based upon a free review copy from NetGalley.

I hate giving reviews like this but I want to be honest. I could not finish this book, read 40% but couldn’t read anymore. Interesting plot, but did not enjoy the writing style. Very slow moving. Just couldn’t get into the writing style, struggled to pick this book up. I’m sure many will really enjoy this book though as the plot is very intriguing