I thought it was an entertaining read overall and well written. I wasn't exactly blown away but it kept me intrigued enough to keep going.

Thank you to NetGalley, Minotaur Books and author Delia Pitts for the opportunity to read Trouble in Queenstown; this review reflects my honest opinion. I loved the book; in fact I delayed finishing it as I didn't want it to end. In it, the reader meets Evander Myrik, AKA as Vandy, Private Investigator and owner of Evander Myrik Investigations. She succeeds her father Evander, a retired policeman, currently suffering from dementia. Vandy is 47 years old, still recovering from the death of her beautiful 19 year old daughter Monica, single and a fierce and fiesty woman. Leo Hannah, nephew of the revered and feared Queenstown,
NJ Mayor Josephine Hannah comes to Vandy requesting her services to protect his wife Ivy. He says that Ivy claims she is being stalked, however when Ivy pushes him for specifics he then asserts that he believes he is losing Ivy to another man, and wants proof of her infidelity. She accepts Leo' case. After following Ivy for a week, she sees no signs of infidelity, only a very kind woman, a loving mother and dedicated volunteer. The day Vandy is to turn in her report to Leo he calls and asks her to deliver it to their home. Upon arrival the street is filled with police cars; Vandy walks into a scene where Hector Ramirez, a church volunteer and friend of Ivy's is dead, and Ivy is being transported to the hospital where she later dies. From there on the action never stops. Trouble in Queenstown is a thrill ride that kept me turning the pages; it's hard to put the book down. The characters are well developed and the multi-layered plot is extremely compelling and intriguing. I highly recommend it for all fans of thrillers, suspense and mysteries. 4.5 stars

I really liked this hard-boiled detective novel. Evander Myrick is a private detective working in Queenstown. I loved her character - she's tough, no nonsense, visits her dementia-plagued father daily, has a tragic past, and is also brave and smart. Ha - I guess from that long list, it is easy to see how much I like her. She is also a Black woman in a male-dominated profession, and a town that has a lot of white privilege.

The mystery was good and I really liked how everything connected. It was one of those books that I couldn't wait to get back to.

Vandy Myrick has returned to her hometown of Queenstown, NJ to work as a PI. Following the devastating loss of her daughter she needs to turn over a new leaf. When the mayors nephew, Leo Hannah, approaches Vandy about investigating his wife to see what she’s been up to Vandy doesn’t know what she’s getting herself into. The job is simple at first, but when Ivy Hannah ends up murders Vandy realizes there is so much more going on. Diving into this new case headfirst, Vandy will stop at nothing to learn what really happened to Ivy Hannah.

In theory I am a fan of thrillers and mysteries, but I definitely prefer the cozier versions without the blood and violence. This book was not on the cozier end and I knew that going in. I was hoping I could overlook that and I tried my best, but despite that I still found the gore a bit challenging and that may have impacted my experience of this book a bit. Besides all of that, I think this was a good mystery that had some twists and turns I wasn’t expecting. There were a lot of characters, which got a little confusing at times, but I think the author did a good job of establishing the main characters. With that being said, I didn’t really connect with any of the characters. I did enjoy this story and thought it was clever how everything ties together. Overall this was a good mystery read and would be good for harder core mystery and thriller fans.

DNF @ 20%. I really wanted to get into this mystery, but the first scene was unwanted sexual contact/harassment/assault, and that wasn't the opening scene I wanted. Plus, it seemed like this was a book where everyone was mediocre at best, which I don't enjoy reading.

Thank you to NetGalley and Minotaur Books for providing me with an eARC of Trouble in Queenstown in exchange for my honest review.

The moments of suspense were very much intriguing and I enjoyed this most about the book.

The authors ability to keep readers invested in Queenstown characters and its story was nothing short of amazing and I look forward to reading more from this author.

Looking for a good murder mystery? Add this one to your Summer tbr.

*thank you to the publisher for the opportunity to read and review.

Thank you St. Martin's Press -- Minotaur Books for allowing me to read and review Trouble in Queenstown, a mystery by Delia Pitts on NetGalley.

Published: 06/16/24

Stars: 2.5

Of note: I would have read this at some point in my life, sooner rather than later. Every time I see the cover it stops me and I'm compelled to look into the book. Now I can report my book world is righted.

As I look at the cover I have mixed emotions. My entire reading experience was just okay. I didn't particularly like any of the characters (The exception -- Sam.) and I tried. The storyline was okay. I didn't like the individual chapters. I didn't like multiple people employing the same PI. There are references to being black and references to current societal issues; I didn't sign up for an opinion or lecture.

The cover conveys cozy. The story is simple. There are multiple characters. There is profanity and use of the N word (My breaking point.)

Trouble in Queenstown by Delia Pitts is a different sort of private eye novel. The protagonist is a black female who is currently recovering from the loss of her college-age daughter. She is far from rich, or even doing well financially but she is stubborn as all get-out and in it to win, or at least find the truth. Leo Hannah came to the office to ask Evander Myrick, yes, she was named after her father, to follow his wife. He thought she didn’t love him any more. So Vandy followed her. It was not all that exciting as she led a rather mundane life. Errands, McDonalds with her son, her volunteer position at the church. No indication anything was off. Oh, yes, Leo was the mayor’s nephew and a little entitled. Between visits to her demented father and quick hook-ups to blur the pain, Vandy investigated. Leo called with the flu and asked her to drop the report by his house. When she followed police officers into the house, she was aghast at what she saw there: two dead bodies. Then things really started going downhill.

Vandy made any number of discoveries that she wasn’t interested in knowing. Some were about her father, who was whiling away his days in a nursing home and didn’t even know her. Was justice served? Some might say so. Vandy is an excellent character: very human, very broken. But she functioned well and did her job. She had layers. The plot was a good one, some things I didn’t see coming. It was a fun read that made me feel as if I were part of it all somehow. She had a couple of friends and plenty of acquaintances. She lived a goofed up life, but I see hope for the future. Hope this is a series. Thanks Delia for giving me a view of a different life.

I was invited to read Trouble in Queenstown by St Martin’s Press. All thoughts and opinions are mine. #Netgalley #StMartinsPress #DeliaPitts #TroubleInQueenstown

* Trouble in Queenstown by @deliapitts50 *

Published July 16 > OUT NOW!
Don’t sleep on this one, grab yourself a copy today!

Trouble in Queenstown is a powerful mystery that blends grief, class, race, and family with thrilling results. - Goodreads

The author introduces Evander “Vandy” Myrick to the reader. An ex-cop turned Private investigator, Vandy is recruited by the Mayor’s nephew Leo Hannah to tail his suspected cheating wife. What seems like any other case soon turns into a murder case with connections to the Hannah family the could turn Queenstown upside down.

Delia Pitts is a new author to me and this is my first book of hers I’ve read. I love the cover of this book, it gives off all the nostalgia vibes with the old diner and neon lights but still has an eerie vibe with the dark stormy sky.

Thank you to @netgalley and @minotaur_books for approving my E-ARC request via Netgalley. Also a second thank you to @macmillan.audio for allowing me to listen to the audiobook version of this story as well. I highly recommend the audio for this one as you really get a better feel for each character. You can hear the emotions in their voice, the different inflections based on their ethnicities and differences in vocabulary as well.

#macmillanaudio #netgalley #minotaur #advancedreaderscopy #grabyourstoday

First of all I want to thank Minotaur Books @minotaurbooks and NeetGalley @netgalley for the opportunity to read Trouble in Queenstown.
While I did not feel this was one of the best books I read, I did enjoy it.

Vandy, a previous police officer named after her father Evander, also a police officer After the loss of her daughter she has returned to her hometown of Queenstown as a private investigator, a new “gig” for her. She is a tough cookie and takes on the mayor’s nephew “simple” divorce case – but finds out there is more than meets the eye. She gets herself involved deeper which involves two murders. Basically I did like the story; but at times it seemed to move slow for me – but I was glad I did finish it and ended up liking the story.

Delia Pitts has offered one of the compelling new PIs in years with Evander “Vandy” Myrick, and TROUBLE IN QUEENSTOWN is a smart, thrilling series debut. By melding the traditional PI with a small-town murder mystery, Pitts offers up the best of both worlds, while also exploring a variety of hot-button issues such as family, class, and race. I absolutely loved Vandy Myrick: Her complications, her contradictions, and her fearlessness. She's a singularly exciting character from literally the book's first words, and I can't wait to read where Delia takes her next.

Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC of Trouble in Queenstown.

I love novels featuring female protagonists so this was right up my alley.

Evander “Vandy” Myrick is a former copy turned PI in the small town of Queenstown, NJ, her childhood home. She's still mourning the loss of her beloved daughter, Monica, and struggling to deal with her father's dementia.

When a client, the nephew of the mayor of Queenstown, comes to Vandy with a job, it seems pretty cut and dried. Until two people end up dead and Vandy discovers the case isn't quite so cut and dried.

Now, using only her wits, her training, and the help of her friends, Vandy sets out to uncover a conspiracy, but will she lose her life over it?

I liked Vandy, but I didn't love her. Honestly, she was terribly naive for a former police officer.

For example, she's shocked when the mayor threatens her friends and their livelihoods, and makes a lot of assumptions (proven wrong) about the suspects and victims in the murder case.

The twist was decent, but the ending was ridiculously hard to suspend disbelief for.

A renegade mayor goes off the rails to protect her reputation and family? Is this a small town thing?

It's hard for me to buy since I'm from the 'big city.'

I did like Vandy's loyal friends, her BFFs, Key, and Sam, but I could have done without the silly 'love triangle' brewing between Key and Sam.

Why does almost every novel regardless of genre need to have a romantic component? It doesn't.

The writing was fine, but the suspense and urgency was lacking.

The narrative became quickly repetitive with Vandy's bed hopping (her way with dealing with grief), and repeated mentions of how much her dad wanted a son (Daddy issues, anyone?)

Vandy didn't seem like a very capable PI; she lucked into the gig, asked questions, and got lucky in the end with the help of her friends.

This was an action-packed mystery filled with fascinating characters and enough twists and turns to keep you guessing. While Vandy knows who the guilty party is, she needs to figure out how to prove it and we get to come along for the ride. Vandy is a strong but vulnerable character that you can’t help but root for but want to chastise for some decisions at the same time. I enjoyed getting to know Vandy and being immersed into the small town that she lives in. Hoping we’ll get to see her again in another story.

TROUBLE IN QUEENSTOWN is a riveting noir mystery centered around a 40-something Black female PI taking on a twisty, gritty case. Along with the hard-won clues, Delia C. Pitts presents an unflinching examination of race, power, and privilege in modern-day, small-town America.

3.75⭐️


Forty-seven-year-old Evander “Vandy” Myrick returns to her hometown of Queenstown, New Jersey, after her career in law enforcement ends after a personal tragedy. Now a private investigator, she has a lot on her plate - concerned for the well-being of her ailing father, a retired police officer suffering from dementia and now in a care facility, dealing with her own trauma and trying to do the best for her clients.

Her latest client is Leo Hannah, the Mayor’s nephew, who engages her services to track his wife’s movements. What appears to be a routine surveillance assignment soon evolves into a racially charged murder case. Vandy is convinced that there is more to this case than meets the eye. Complicating matters further is the influential Hannah family’s connection to the case - powerful people with secrets they would do anything to protect. Vandy is determined to get to the truth, even if that means ruffling more than a few feathers and risking her own life in the process.

Trouble in Queenstown by Delia Pitts is a riveting murder mystery. The narrative is presented from Vandy’s first-person POV. I really liked how the novel was structured in keeping with the different threads of the plot. The depiction of small-town dynamics, socioeconomic differences, and power politics made for an intriguing setting. The mystery was complex and well-crafted, with a healthy dose of humor infused into the narrative. I thought that the author expertly wove the different subplots into a consistently paced narrative that kept me engaged until the very end. Vandy is a strong female protagonist, smart and dedicated to her profession, but also with a vulnerable side. I enjoyed getting to know her and I appreciated that at no point did the segments on Vandy’s personal struggles and her backstory distract attention from the primary murder mystery. The supporting characters were well thought out and I especially enjoyed Vandy’s dynamic with Ingrid.

There are a few moments that require suspension of disbelief, but that did not detract from my overall experience. Certain aspects of the final reveal did take me by surprise (perhaps I missed something in between?) and did feel a tad contrived, but I did enjoy the build-up and the twists and turns and thought the author did a great job of dialing up the tension as the narrative progressed.

This was my first time reading this author and I look forward to reading more of her work.

I paired my reading with the audiobook expertly narrated by Bahni Turpin, who breathed life into Vandy’s character, making for an engrossing and entertaining immersion reading experience. I would definitely recommend the audiobook!

Many thanks to St. Martin's Press/Minotaur Books for the digital review copy and Macmillan Audio for ALC via NetGalley. All opinions expressed in this review are my own.

Trouble in Queenstown: A Mystery by Delia Pitts

I was captivated by Vandy and her friends and the way they look out for each other. I love a book that lifts me out of the troubles of the world and into the company of gutsy, determined problem-solvers, people of courage and compassion standing strong against corruption. We need such heroes in the real world . . and perhaps we need to be them.
I confess that at the beginning I was a bit distracted by what seemed to me odd, “creative” descriptions and word choices, and language a bit rougher than my usual. Those problems fell away as I became immersed in the story and in caring so much for the fate of these wonderful people and their search for justice. It’s worth giving it a longer than usual “test drive.”

Evander “Vandy” Myrick come back to Queenstown, NJ after losing her daughter and becomes a private investigator. When Leo Hannah, son of the local mayor, comes to her to follow his wife Ivy, who he suspects is having an affair, Vandy takes the case. However, when Leo’s wife is murdered and Leo kills her “stalker”, Vandy soon realizes there is much more going on. To complicate matters, Sam Decker, Ivy’s father hires Vandy as well to solve her murder. Racial tensions, family secrets and a small town environment all add to the mystery.

This is my first-time reading Delia Pitts, I enjoyed her writing style, the relationships between the characters, the grittiness and the tenderness of the story. This is a well-crafted mystery, it took me a while before I realized where the plot was headed. The secondary characters add much to the story and keep the mystery moving forward. If you have not read Delia Pitts before, I suggest you pick up this book, it’s worth the read. #NetGalley #DelitaPitts

I am not going to say that I liked this book. It was horrible in my opinion. This story was just more than I bargained for. It was well written in most places but took forever in others. Had to many twists. Took too long in describing some things. It had a political part that didn't really bother me but will others.
A strong female in a small town. She starts right off wanting to pick up a man but got in a fight with one outside the bar. He was a white man who ultimately groped her. Maybe by accident or possibly not. He was very rude and got what he deserved. I liked how she handled that.

This book just didn't wow me at all. It was a slow build then a let down toward the end. I hope it's just me.

Thank you #NetGalley for this ARC. This is my own true thoughts about this book.

3 stars. Read it for yourself. Or in this case listen to it.

Thanks to NetGalley, Minotaur and the author this arc!

Welp. Dang it. This one coulda been pretty high on the star chart based on the plot & mystery & the introduction of a tough, female PI series … unfortunately, I found this book to be pretty stinkin’ divisive, politically charged & one sided with a definite agenda. Personally I do not care for this in my fiction & entertainment. I use this time for relaxing & escaping … not for being force fed beliefs & dogma on current controversial issues. I realize that this isn’t everyone’s feeling on this matter & please know I am only speaking for my own personal preferences. I can think for myself & don’t need or want arguments from any side to infiltrate my recreational reading. I’m just here for the story, lol!

Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for providing me with an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review. Trouble in Queenstown an interesting mystery and also a breath of fresh air in the genre. Evander Myrics is definitely not the average main character. She is a strong, far from perfect character, which makes the book only better. The story is far from saccharine, which is a high point for me. The storyline is strong and the mystery is well written. I was pleasantly surprised by Trouble in Queenstown, and I definitely enjoyed the ride.