Trouble in Queenstown offers an entertaining, if somewhat formulaic, mystery set in a small town with a colorful cast of characters. The story revolves around an unexpected crime that disrupts the quiet life of Queenstown, and while the premise is intriguing, the plot follows familiar beats, making it a bit predictable for seasoned mystery readers.

The town itself is well-drawn, with a strong sense of place that adds charm to the narrative. The characters are quirky and likable, but they often feel like stock figures from similar small-town mysteries, lacking deeper development. The pacing is solid, keeping the reader engaged, though the twists are not as surprising as they could be.

For readers who enjoy cozy mysteries with a light tone and a bit of humor, Trouble in Queenstown is a pleasant enough read. However, it doesn’t offer much in the way of originality or depth, making it a fun but ultimately forgettable addition to the genre.

Thank you to the publisher for the advanced copy of this excellent book!

Vandy Myrick is a cop-turned-private eye back in her hometown. She takes on the case of the powerful Leo Hannah and thinks it's run of the mill: she's supposed to find evidence for a divorce suit. But then there's a murder connected to the Hannahs and Vandy is drawn into the investigation. She seems to be the only one willing to question the official explanation for things. New and old friends help her uncover the truth.

I really enjoyed this story! The characters feel full of life, and I love a setting that feels like a character itself. Strong pacing and a gritty feel perfect for a Jersey PI.

Private investigator Vandy Myrick has been back in Queenstown for about 8 months when she gets a visit from Leo Hannah, who asks her to shadow his wife, Ivy, who he fears has a stalker. But just before Vandy's ready to hand over her report from the week, Leo calls her to his home where Ivy and an unknown man are dead. Leo says that he killed the man who was in the process of killing Ivy, and while that's what the police department officially writes up (at the behest of Leo's aunt, who is the mayor of Queenstown), Vandy has a sneaking suspicion that there's more to the story.

A modern-day noir mystery with a troubled Black woman protagonist, this is an intriguing and fun read. I had a few quibbles with the way things wrapped up — it felt a bit unlikely and convenient — but I'll happily read more in this world, assuming this is a series starter. I hope it is.

Audiobook Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

For some reason, I was under the impression that Trouble in Queenstown was Delia Pitts' debut, but it is not! I thought she did a wonderful job of using the showing not telling method, almost to the point where sometimes I wasn't quite sure what she was getting at, but it felt electric all the same. I loved our FMC Evander “Vandy” Myrick, and she was a very relatable character between her quest for justice and the way her dad was the center of her world. Loss of a child is discussed among other things, so I would make sure to check your triggers as this book does get a little dark.

I loved Bahni Turpin as the narrator for the audiobook, and thought she made the entire storyline along with its characters come alive in an exciting way. She was on it during the action scenes as well, and I was impressed with the way she made Vandy shine. I loved how the book was broken down into Vandy's different cases though it also came along with the progression of the plot itself. I love a gritty PI novel, but I also felt like something was missing from this one to keep me from connecting with it fully. 🤷‍♀️ Couldn't tell you what but that's where I'm at. That being said, I will definitely read this author again, especially if this is in fact the start of a new series.

Trouble in Queenstown is about private investigator Vandy Myrick in this mystery that has grief, class, race and family. This was my first time reading anything by this author and the book was written well. I enjoyed the characters in it especially Vandy. This is a book I enjoyed and would recommend to any reader who loves a good mystery. Thank you to NetGalley and Minotaur Books for this mystery read in exchange of my honest review of Trouble in Queenstown by Delia Pitts.

Main character Evander “Vandy” Myrick instantly captivated me in this compelling mystery that starts as a divorce case and transforms into something more complicated, with an impact on her family and city of Queentown, New Jersey.

Forty-seven year old Vandy works as a private detective, no longer drinks for a heartbreaking reason revealed later in the plot, and makes sad visits to her dementia-suffering former police officer father, whose name graces the detective agency she runs.

Leo Hannah employs Vandy to follow his wife to determine if she’s cheating on him. Divorce-related cases are Vandy’s bread and butter, so Vandy spends a week tailing Ivy Hannah, and comes to no conclusion pointing to infidelity. When she attempts to submit her report, she comes upon a gruesome scene: Ivy battered and very near death, another man dead by her, and Leo shaken, saying the dead man was beating his wife so Leo had to kill him.

As Leo is the Queenstown mayor’s nephew, pretty soon it becomes apparent that the right questions aren’t being asked about the two deaths, particularly as it’s much easier to accept the narrative that a Latine man murdered a blonde, white woman, despite the many holes that are increasingly apparent in the case the more questions Vandy asks. She runs up against racism, lies, and an unwillingness to dig into a case that could affect the mayor’s family. Vandy soon finds very unexpected ties to the Myrick family, and also makes some new friends, two of whom began as clients. Vandy also finds herself threatened in multiple ways, but she does not give up, resulting in a terrible tragedy, but also answers for people who lost loved ones.

Vandy is a terrific character, tough as nails even while she is still reeling from personal losses. I loved the relationships she had with the couple whose legal practice she shares space with, as well as Sam and Ingrid, who contract her to determine what happened.

This was a fantastic start to what I hope are more Vandy Myrick stories. She and the community she relies on were interesting and had me wanting to spend more time with them, and though there were a few coincidences in the investigation that stretched credibility, I found this an entertaining mystery.

Thank you to Netgalley and to St. Martin’s Press for this ARC in exchange for my review.

I really enjoyed the main character of Trouble in Queenstown! Vandy Myrick is a private investigator, who had recently moved back home. When the mayors nephew comes in with a story about his wife, Vandy takes the job. Things take a very violent turn and the small town now has many issues.

I would read a whole series with Vandy as the main character, even the side characters were amazing to meet. I really enjoyed the relationship between Vandy and her dad, who has dementia.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martins Press for an advance copy in exchange for an honest review.

I didn't grow to like the main character (or any of the characters) too much. The plot didn't come together as smoothly as it could have. I will give the series another try though when the next book comes out.

This book was a little slow for me. I didn’t feel too pulled in by the characters. There were a lot of people and parts in this book but it did come together nicely in the end.

Vandy is a PI who recently moved back to her hometown. As luck would have it, she's pulled in to a complicated case that unravels her world.
Overall, I found the characters to be believable, but there were too many obvious twists.

This is my first Delia Pitts book. She does not pull punches, which I liked. The main plot is a given, in it the plot under the plot is where it's at. Thankfully the twist didn't come out of nowhere, breadcrumbs are spread throughout and even with a story mostly rooted in reality, an off the rails ending is fun. Vandy is a complex woman, haunted and hurting and very real. The only other character that was as well drawn was Ingrid. Everyone was was more plot driver than anything else but that doesn't diminish the story at all. Def felt a bit like a Lincoln Lawyer book so if you've not read Pitts but have read those I think you'll enjoy this.

Evander “Vandy” Myrick became a cop to fulfill her father’s expectations. After her world cratered, she became a private eye in her hometown of Queenstown, New Jersey. Her latest client is Leo Hannah, the Mayor’s nephew, who inquires about her services in order to track his wife’s movements. Sounds pretty normal for a private eye, right?
Everything is going smoothly until a murder is committed that is found to be connected to Vandy's current investigation...& she tries to convince the police chief that something sinister is more at play here, however he has already closed the case....
I LOVED Vandy's tough demeanor, her quick wits, and her dedication to family and friends. She is such a tough character and you can see what a hard working individual she is, not just for her company, but just in general.
This is a PHENOMENAL mystery that will keep you guessing until the very end....
I was not ready for what happened at the end as it threw me for a loop, but I enjoyed it so much.
Thank you to the publisher, author, and NetGalley for the eARC of this book!

I really enjoyed this book. It did take me a little bit to get into but the mystery very quickly took off.

I liked that there were different cases and how they all were connected.

I also really liked the main character! She was very relatable and she could kick some butt. I really hope this will be a series because I would love to experience more cases.

This was my first time reading this author and I look forward to reading more of her work. This story is filled with lies, dirty politics, obviously murder, and corruption. Racial disparity plays a significant part also. I really liked the depiction of the ups and downs of dementia. I read this book as well as listened to the audiobook. Thanks NetGalley for the eArc of this book.

Thank you NetGalley and the publishers for the opportunity to review this title. This was a fun whodunit story that also tackles hot topics such as race and classism. I enjoyed it.

PI, Vandy, finds herself way more involved in an investigation when the woman she's supposed to be tailing ends up bludgeoned by a supposed stalker.
Of course, she's able to decipher clues that law enforcement can't to solve the murder.
Not gonna lie, things got a little far-fetched towards the end. But Vandy was likable enough and the writing was amusing.
Thanks to #netgalley and #minotaurbooks for this #arc in exchange for an honest review.

I found this to be an enjoyable and entertaining listen. Vandy is a PI in her hometown. I love that this story is set in my home state. Vandy is such a strong and unique main character. She is feisty and complex. I had a good time getting to know her character.

This was a solid murder mystery that I found myself invested in up until the end. The author delivered humor throughout the story that I thought was a nice addition. The plot was well developed and I thought Vandy and the supporting characters were well flushed out.

Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the ARC. All opinions are my own.

“I was horny. After a week-long dry spell, the itch was nagging again.” Not a typical starting point for a private investigator story!

Trouble in Queenstown is a very enjoyable start to a new mystery series featuring a middle-aged Black female private investigator in Central New Jersey. “Vandy” Myrick has had more than her share of troubles; she has recently moved back to her hometown, the fictional Queenstown, to go into business as a PI. She was formerly a police officer in nearby New Brunswick and at Rutgers University. Tragedy has Vandy trying to make a new start in the town where her dad (a former police chief and for whom she’s named - her full name is Evander) is in memory care.

Vandy takes on what seems to be a fairly simple divorce-style case and agrees to follow the wife of a prominent citizen (his aunt is the town’s long-term mayor). But things take a violent turn and that’s when Vandy really has to use her smarts.

I really liked Vandy. She’s a street-smart woman who won’t take any crap from anyone anymore. She’s relationship-averse and prefers very short-term physical relationships over more meaningful ones. All of this impacts how she faces life and investigations. The town itself is sort of a character. Its past includes KKK activity and there’s plenty of remaining racism to go around, including anti-immigrant sentiment that affects the local Latino population.

Being a resident of Central NJ, I particularly loved all the local color. While the town of Queenstown itself is fictional, the general area is not, and I appreciated all the realistic references to nearby locations and roads. I just hate it when I read something that takes place in a location I’m familiar with and the author gets obvious things wrong. That does not happen here.

Another thing I really liked was her depiction of the ups and downs of dementia.

The ending leaves open the possibility of at least a second book featuring Vandy and if that happens, I will be sure to read it.

Thank you to NetGalley and Minotaur Books for the opportunity to read a review copy of this book. In addition to reading, I also listened to the audiobook and Bahni Turpin did a great job with the narration. All opinions are my own.

Trouble in Queenstown is the debut mystery by Delia Pitts featuring private investigator Vandy Myrick and is “a powerful mystery that blends grief, class, race, and family with thrilling results.” This was a page-turning, suspenseful mystery that kept me turning the pages. The storytelling is strong and intense and the characters flawed and determined. It is so well done.

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.