The main character in Trouble in Queenstown is former cop and now PI, Vandy Myrick. She is a complex character and is the fascinating star of this book. She has lost a daughter, is dealing with her father’s dementia, and her client was found at a murder scene.

This is a complex story with a lot of details and backstory which can pull the reader in different directions and get confusing. There is also a full complement of supporting characters to keep track of throughout the book.

The ending had me scratching my head a bit, but I did like the tough no nonsense female PI who ostensibly doesn’t have to follow the same rules as the cops.

Evander “Vandy'' myrick became the daughter that her father wanted. She, Vandy become a police officer.Vandy decided that being a private patrol decided that eventually she and stayed busy became a private investigator which is what she preferred. Eventually, Vandy moved home to Queenstown, New Jersey. Town of a small population, I lived in a small community,I can easily imagine Queenstown Vandy
Black women would end up following cheating spouses.
I could easily see this story as A Netflix program
Della Pitts, Keyshawn Sayre, and NetGalley for the privilege of reading the novel.

I LOVE a PI procedural and this was a great one. The whole "woman reluctantly returns to her hometown" was done a lot starting with Gillian Flynn, but Vandy is a Black female private investigator who knows the racial and gender politics of her small central New Jersey town in and out. When she's hired for a routine cheating spouse case, she doesn't expect things to get very dark. A new author for me to enjoy!

I liked Vandy’s grit and tenacity and that she was a PI. I used to watch PI shows on tv as a kid and I always thought there was a certain glam to the job although you skulk around in the shadows and collect dirt on people.
Vandy uncovers a huge scandal in Queenstown which I wasn’t expecting.
The action is fast paced and will keep you turning the pages to see what fresh new problems and pitfalls await.
I did wish the ending was different because I would have liked to see Vandy with one particular character.

I'm not sure was I was expecting but now I know this is a sort contemporary noir-mixed-with-hard-boiled story and some humour.
Vandy grew slowly on me as I started to appreciated her brain and her attitude. I think there's a realistic depiction of a small town and the power plays which are the same all over the world.
This novel started making me think of Marlow mixed with a down-on-her-luck-women-PI and went to be an entertaining and twisty suspence.
I enjoyed it even if I found it quite slow at the beginning and I think you have to be patient because it's a lot of twists and surprises.
Goold storytelling and plot.
Recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher for this ARC, all opinions are mine

A well-written, fast paced mystery that will keep you guessing from the beginning right through to the end.

I was supposed to review this 2 days ago but would have had to rush my reading to accomplish that, and this book was too good to rush.
This book has all the things for me, a strong female lead, who happens to be black. She’s gritty, she’s tough, but she has a heart and she is definitely one tough broad. There was action from beginning to end. A couple twists thrown in to make it more interesting. And it took place in NJ, my old stomping grounds, although a bit to the north but still sounded like familiar territory. I’m very familiar with route 130. The trucking company my father worked for was on the road. And there was a diner, because you can’t have NJ without a diner.
I loved the character of Vandy, in case you haven’t figured it out yet. I’m really hoping this is the start of a series because I will be watching for a next book. The story was compelling and well written. Some parts were tough to read but that was only because I got so invested in Vandy’s wellbeing. It was hard to see her go through the conflicts she encountered.
I highly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a good story.
I did receive this as a free ARC and am leaving this review voluntarily. I definitely stumbled onto a gem this time. Thank you, NetGalley and Delia Pitts.

Queenstown is a small New Jersey town ruled over by long serving mayor Jo Hannah. She’s been mayor for so long, she has her tentacles everywhere and exerts total control over Queenstown and its citizens. Her nephew’s wife, Ivy, is apparently murdered by Hector Ramirez and the mayor orders the police to wrap the case up ASAP.
Not everyone believes it was Hector and local PI Evander Myrick soon finds herself with several new clients.
This is a murder mystery with a diverse cast of characters.
The protagonist is a complex personality battling her own demons as well as entrenched misogyny and racism. I really liked the alleged murderer’s sister, Ingrid. She’s smart and brave. I think she would make a good sidekick for Vandy in future installments of this new series. The clue that solved it all and made all the pieces fall into place was an unusual one for sure. The Robert Frost poem, “Nothing Gold can Stay,” is a nice addition to the story that I think works. With a stunning conclusion to a very readable story this is a winner for murder mystery enthusiasts. 4.25 stars

Trouble in Queenstown is the first of a new series by Delia Pitts. The series features Evander (“Vandy”) Myrick, a strong Black female PI, who returns to Q-Town after her career as a university police officer collapses.

Burdened with grief involving her father and daughter, Vandy hangs her shingle as a private investigator and is immediately hired by the mayor’s nephew, who believes that his wife Ivy is having an affair with a “dark-haired, swarthy man.” Although Vandy finds no evidence of this, shortly after her report is complete, Ivy and a Hispanic cab driver are murdered. When the why of the crimes does not match the evidence, Vandy is hired by Ivy’s father and the sister of the cab driver to find out the truth.

This is no typical hard-boiled detective story. Delia Pitts can write! The plot is very sophisticated and the characters are well drawn. The novel also takes up socially relevant issues involving race and sexual discrimination, as well as issues of class and family. I’m sold on this series and can hardly wait for the follow-up. 4.5 rounded up to 5.0 stars. Highly recommended.

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for providing me with a complimentary copy of this book.

Unfortunately I DNF this one around the 30% mark. I found the main character to be so funny and loved her but I felt the story was very slow loving and I was bored. This one wasn’t for me

After a rough year, Evander 'Vandy' Myrick, is back in her small hometown of Queenstown. Now as the town's 'best PI', Vandy's newest client, the mayor's nephew Leo Hannah, wants her to follow his wife and find enough evidence for a divorce. What seems like a routine job, quickly becomes a murder case that might just unearth decades of old secrets.

I want to like this story, and I did enjoy parts of it. I love Vandy's tough demeanor, her quick wits, and her dedication to family and friends. I just felt that her character was much younger than she actually was, making it hard to believe a few of the story aspects. I know Pitts is introducing us to Vandy as a long-term PI, but I felt a bit overwhelmed with all the information we learn about her, which doesn't leave room for a ton of character growth for additional books in the series.

Based on the synopsis, I was stoked to read this book and while the narrator on the audiobook was good, the story itself wasn't great. I liked the way Bahni Turpin voiced Vandy, but other character narrations left me wanting more. The pacing of the story was long, and I felt that the plot was being pulled in too many directions.

The ending did surprise me, but it was totally out of left field, and I definitely took a star away for such a farfetched ending. I didn't like it and it felt so forced.

It wasn't a bad read but the overall story could have used some additional editing and there were quite a few things that could have been either saved for a second book or taken out completely with little consequences to this book.


Trouble in Queenstown is out now. Thank you to Minotaur Books for my advanced copy in exchange for my review. If you liked this review, please let me know either by commenting below or by visiting Instagram @speakingof.books.
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I enjoyed this easy to read mystery. I appreciated that this felt like a modernized PI story because instead of the racism and sexism being "just how it is" in the older school PI stories, it is better highlighted and dealt with in this story.

I think Vandy is a great character and well developed. The book has good atmosphere. I was surprised it was a debut.

I love a good mystery and thriller. And I really enjoy and appreciate when it is deeply layered - involving questions of class and race in addition to figuring out whodunit.

Delia Pitts did just that! I LOVED the multiple perspectives/cases format - thinking about one crime from a variety of experiences. It felt like such a unique storytelling device, and one that got me quite invested.

Delia Pitts introduces her razor-sharp new mystery series starring the lively, witty, intelligent, challenging, and sassy PI Vandy Myrick with TROUBLE IN QUEENSTOWN!

The novel explores grief, class, race, and family within a murder mystery—from small-town suspense, lies, dirty politics, family secrets, and corruption infused with humor and a kick-ass black female PI.

About...

Set in fictional Queenstown, New Jersey, Vandy Myrick, a former Philadelphia cop, has returned to her hometown to be near her father, Evander, a former cop as well. He is in a nursing home (Glendale Memory Care Center) suffering from dementia. (He has secrets.) She has always been a daddy's girl and influenced by him. She plays chess and bridge with him and takes him snacks when she is coherent enough on good days to know who she is.

Growing up in Q-Town was challenging, where she daily pinballed between boredom and exhilaration, with racism and indifference at every turn. After high school, she escaped to Temple University in Philly, and seven months earlier, she returned in pain.

Vandy, divorced, suffered a significant loss when her only daughter (19) died of an overdose at a college party. She has opened a detective agency with the help of her friend, above the pharmacy in this small town where everyone knows everyone's business.

It starts out as a simple case of a man hiring her to follow his wife; however, Myrick has yet to learn how multi-layered, complex, and dangerous this case will become and how it will be connected to her family and its dark history.

Leo Hannah, the nephew of Queenstown's mayor (Josephine Hannah) and deputy head of research at ArcDev Pharmaceuticals, starts out saying he wants to hire her to protect his wife. He is entitled, angry, powerful, manipulative, and resentful. He is truthful?

However, when Vandy wants to speak to the wife, Leo quickly says this is confidential and thinks she is having an affair.

The wife's name is Ivy Mae Hannah. She is 37 and beautiful. The couple has been married for 14 years. They have a three-year-old son, Tomas, whom they adopted from an orphanage in El Salvador two years earlier. Ivy works in the church, is a caring woman, and oversees all the volunteers. However, she does have secrets.

Vandy takes the case and follows the woman daily, but she sees nothing wrong as she goes about her weekly activities. Then Leo calls, and when she arrives at the home to deliver her report, she finds a brutal crime scene. Ivy is dead, and Hector Ramírez is arrested. A break-in gone wrong? Or a setup? Will she believe Leo, and what is he hiding?

When Hector is arrested as the prime suspect in the murder, Vandy is not so sure Leo is innocent. She winds up investigating and is later hired by Ivy's father, Professor Samuel Decker from Florida, the loving grandfather. Things become dangerous, and Vandy decides she will work for Ivy to make sure she gets justice.

However, there is corruption and coverups, and she does not know how deep the politics go up the ladder and is not sure whom to trust. Someone wants her to go away and stop investigating. Then, her father is kidnapped, leading to an explosive, high-adrenaline, nail-biting conclusion at the water tower.

My thoughts...

I loved TROUBLE IN QUEENSTOWN! Gritty and edgy, I enjoyed PI Vandy Myrick's character. She is flawed, sarcastic, resilient, fearless, tough, intuitive, smart, and funny and reminds me of some of Author Terry McMillan's (love) strong female characters.

She is likable, relatable, and one you will root for. When her family and friends were targeted, she was a fearless mother bear! She takes no crap from anyone. I also like her friends, Elissa (boss), a tough lawyer who hired her to work as the PI in the office, and her other friend, Mavis, the bar owner who looks out for her.

Her relationship with her father reminds me of the Detective Rebecca Ellis series (Robin Mahle) and her grief like Detective Jess Lambert (Christina McDonald).

The investigation is complex and suspenseful—and a web of deceit. I enjoyed the action and twists, as you are not sure whom to trust or how all the puzzle pieces fit together. Your jaw will be dropping when the past collides with the present and how this case hits close to home for Vandy. It involves dirty politics, corruption, class, rank, power, prejudice, racial issues, and more.

I also enjoyed her relationship with Ivy's dad, as he respected her. Vandy is also having a little fun with Bobby (from high school), now a cop in the town, but nothing serious, and I adored the supporting characters in the small town. Get this gem on your TBR list this summer.

The author cleverly sets up a fascinating new series, and I look forward to the long haul! I cannot wait for the next one in the series and adventures to see what is in store for PI Vandy Myrick next!

Audiobook...

I had the pleasure of reading the e-book and listening to the audiobook, which was outstanding! I love Bahni Turpin, the narrator, and she delivered a stellar performance, making the characters come alive-a perfect voice for the novel. I highly recommend the audiobook!

Recs...

TROUBLE IN QUEENSTOWN is not just a cozy mystery. PI Vandy Myrick is immersed in a compelling well-written who-and-why-dunit crime thriller with heart. It is for fans of strong female leads, brilliant cop procedurals, and a blending of family dynamics and humor.

The novel is for fans of authors Terry McMillan, Aime Austin (Casey Cort & Nicole Long legal crime series) social justice thrillers, Sounds Like a Plan, a new PI series by Pamela Samuels Young, and Dwayne Alexander Smith (a favorite), as well as smart detective mysteries. Those who enjoy humorous series like Janet Evanovich's Stephanie Plum series and Elle Cosimano's Finlay Donovan Series will also delight.

This was my first book by the author, and I cannot wait to read her backlist and more of this riveting new series!

Next in the Q-town series...

According to an author interview, the next title will be Death of an Ex, the second in the series featuring Vandy, taking place a year later. This one is personal and a scandal surrounding a boarding school, with the themes of race, class, status, money, and a family, out next year.

Special thanks to Minotaur Books and Macmillan Audio for a digital review copy and listening copy via NetGalley in exchange for an honest opinion.

blog review posted @
JudithDCollins.com
@JudithDCollins | #JDCMustReadBooks
My Rating: 5 Stars
Pub Date: July 16, 2024
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Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for this ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

This book follows Evander “Vandy” Myrick as she tries to piece her life together after a tragedy strikes too close to home. A former police officer turned private investigator, she returns to her hometown and joins her best friend's firm, where she works on the mundane divorce cases around town. When she encounters a new client looking to complete some surveillance work, things take an exciting turn, which turns deadly. From there, the readers encounter a storyline filled with mystery, racism, violence, and corruption in a small town.

I don’t know what I expected when I requested this book. The brief description was engaging, unlike anything I've ever read, so I thought it would be interesting. It was exciting to get a book about a female private detective who was badass and didn’t take anyone’s shit. The description piqued my interest, but I did not enjoy this book. Vandy was a good character, and I loved that she wanted to protect the people around her, but I did not like her either. I felt like there was too much going on and too many plot twists/directions the author was trying to point us to. There were too many times in the book when the story moved slowly. Some of the characters that were introduced weren’t necessary. Even the sexual tension between her father’s caregiver and the victim’s father was unnecessary. The reveal was outrageous, too! I didn’t stand it one bit.

I will say my opinion is only my own, and someone else could read this book and come up with a different opinion. So, if you are open-minded and interested in reading more about a badass female detective who resolves to solve a small-town murder mystery and thriller about a corrupt elected official, then I would recommend this book.

Evander "Vandy" Myrick only ever wanted to be a police officer just like her father. Now that her world has basically fallen apart, she decides to return to her hometown of Queenstown and open up a private investigation business. Divorce cases are her bread and butter and will pay the bills, but they can get a little nasty at times. However, you have to do what you have to do. When the mayor's nephew hires Vandy to follow his wife, she does not realize she is about to get more than she bargained for. This is about much more than a possible adulterous relationship.

This mystery is a little different than I thought it would be, but I enjoyed the story. I really do not know what I expected. Vandy is super smart, observant and fearless. She is a strong character with plenty of opinions that she does not mind voicing. She has gained strength over her life battling for her place. She is definitely someone that you would want in your corner in a fight (literally or figuratively).

Thank you to St. Martins Press and NetGalley for this ARC. I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Trouble in Queenstown by Delia Pitts was an engaging mystery.
Here we have Vandy Myrick who is a private investigator in the New Jersey town of Queenstown.
An amazing small town cozy mystery with phenomenal characters.
The characters were vivid, realistic, unique and very compelling.
The plot is well developed and brilliantly wrote.
I had the best time reading this one!

Thank You NetGalley and Minotaur Books for your generosity and gifting me a copy of this amazing eARC!

Trouble in Queenstown is a mystery novel with Vandy Myrick, a private investigator, as the lead character. This novel explores racial issues, grief, and family issues although none of them are done in depth. Vandy is hired to investigate Ivy Hannah by her husband. But nothing is as it seems. The story goes off in different directions after that with Vandy being hired by numerous people all seeking the answer to the same question. At times, the story got a little boring and seemed to go in circles and Vandy’s lifestyle is a little questionable. It all comes together at the end but took awhile to get there.

Vandy Myrick is a private investigator in the New Jersey town of Queenstown. This is the story of a murder in a small town with secrets and corruption. Can Vandy solve the murder without becoming a victim? Many in this town have things to hide.

When this book start I doubted that I would like it, however, it surprised me. Vandy is hired by the families of the victims to solve the case. There are two families suffering. This story gives the reader a glimpse into each family and why they think the police are blaming the wrong person. I found myself getting involved in the story and wanting to know what really happened. For readers who like small town mysteries this book will make a wonderful read. This small town in New Jersey will have you wondering if small town life is all that safe.

Thank you to #NetGalley, #DeliaPitts, and #MinotaurBooks for a copy of this book.
#TroubleinQueenstown

This was a quick cozy mystery read about Vandy, a New Jersey PI who w de up investigating a murder when it crosses with her own investigation. This has a super twisty turny storyline that did not end the way I thought it would! I really enjoyed trying to figure it out and the OMG moment when the killer was revealed!