Thanks to St. Martin's Press/Minotaur Books and NetGalley for an advanced copy of this ebook to review. All opinions are my own.

Small town corruption has nothing on a badass PI.

Originally called upon to find out who's stalking the wife of the Mayor's nephew, Vandy learns quite quickly that not all is as it appears in Queenstown.

From the shocking (to me!) opening line, to the quite literal downfall at the end, this book kept me engaged throughout.

4 stars.

(enclosed link will go live on publishing day.)

Vandy Myrick is a black private eye who is approached by Leo Hannah, nephew of the towns mayor, to tail his wife Ivy who he claims is being stalked. What appears to be a simple case turns deadly when a racially charged murder has connections to the Hannah family. Really enjoyed this exciting fast-paced mystery as Vandy discovers family & Q-towns secrets as well as corruption that exists in this small NJ town. This my first by Delia Potts, but it won’t be my last.

I really enjoyed this book. It's far from a cozy but not quite what I would consider hardboiled; more of a tough, medium-boiled mystery. A compelling story with some good plot twists and interesting characters. Great potential for a continuing series (I have no idea if that's the plan but if it is then I'm definitely in for book #2).

The main character, Evander “Vandy” Myrick (she's named after her father), is a Black, middle-aged woman with law enforcement experience who is still fairly new to the private detective business. The kind of unique yet familiar character that draws you in to the story almost immediately. As she investigates various clues into the murder at the center of the story and struggles with personal demons from the past it seems as though Vandy may be in over her head but she refuses to give in or give up.

Overall it's a fun, entertaining read. There are some minor plot holes and there's an occasional touch of Hallmark movie-ish sentimentality but once you connect with the characters, particularly Vandy, you won't really notice. Trouble in Queenstown would make a great summer read, it has substance but not too heavy... You can put it down (once it gets going you may not want to) and pick it up without getting lost.

As an old-school, hardboiled detective kind of guy I mean this as the best kind of compliment - it transcends the "woman detective" genre and is just good story telling. Kind of puts me in mind of the Eve Ronin Mystery series by Lee Goldberg in that they both feature strong female characters who deal with real world issues without being either idiots or superheroes.

Very well written. Great read!

The twist at the end made a lot of sense and furthered the plot so A+ in my book. I enjoyed this a lot and will be checking out more Delia Pitts books in the future.

Vandy is a private investigator working in Queenstown, New Jersey. She is hired by a man to follow his wife because he fears she is being stalked. Unfortunately, the wife and her alleged stalker are found dead. Vandy works the case to discover if the stalker is the killer or is it someone else.

I found this mystery ok. It was a fairly quick read and had interesting characters. I thought the storyline was a bit predictable and would have liked a bit more action in the story. I thought Vandy was a fun and spunky main character who doesn’t take anybody’s baloney. It has a diverse cast of characters and there is talk on racism, grief, and loss of a child.

Thank you St. Martin's Press | Minotaur Books for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I couldn’t get into the story just as I thought. Not disappointed but need more depth, I think. I can't remember when was the last time when I read a book in which the whole plot was 100% equal to what was written in the blurb and nothing more. There was no surprise there, no resolution to any of the plot threads and the whole story was blatantly predictable and painfully dull.

While I loved the cover and found the blurb of "Trouble In Queenstown" to be a really intriguing concept for a Thriller, the writing style and overall pacing of the story wasn't a great fit for me.

Thank you Delia Pitts , Net Galley and St. Martin's Press - Minotaur Books for providing me with an ARC of this book.

Realizing that her investigative skills were WAY off Vandy Myrick works to make it right. She owes it to her client and her family. Vandy’s stubbornness and disbelief at getting it all wrong in the first place pushes her to find the truth. The story moves at a good pace. The author is clear on what drives Vandy, why she makes the choices she makes. It is a diverse cast of characters. Vandy surrounds herself with really good people who are always looking out for her even when Vandy is bent on leaning into self-destruction. I was left wanting more and I hope we get it in a sequel.

Evander “Vandy” Myrick is underestimated. A former cop who comes back to her hometown in Jersey after quitting the force and putting up her P.I. shingle, she agrees to take on a case for the the mayor's nephew. Right away it's unclear to Vandy what the case is actually about; first posed as watching for his wife's stalker, the client then says he thinks she's having an affair.

Soon there is a dead body and Vandy ends up in the middle of an investigation, unwittingly giving a reason for the death. She is unwilling to accept the police line and starts digging on her own which sets up a conflict with very powerful people. She won't give up and along the way this at first, very lonely woman, makes friends and opens herself up to relationships with others. I really enjoyed Vandy, she is strong and determined and also has a lot of pain she is dealing with. I could definitely see this character leading more books.

Racial disparity, politics, privilege, dementia, and parentage all play a role in this crime novel. Fasten your seat belts and enjoy the ride!

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC.

A terrific noir mystery.. no pun intended… with a black private eye that can become an ongoing series with her the feature. The dialogue is spot on, clever, and believable. I loved her choice of words and her take on body language. I blew through it and so will other readers. Enjoy the ride. Hoping to see Vandy again in the sequel.

What an interesting character Evander “Vandy” Myrick is! The daughter of a police officer, she is now back in her hometown as a PI — and a spunky, hard-nosed one at that. Soon after the mayor’s nephew becomes her client in what is supposed to be a rather simple divorce case, all changes quickly so that Vandy becomes involved in so much more, including two murders and new clients (the father of one of the murder victims and the sister of the other). The plot moves quickly and is an engaging one. I did find that some of the characters needed more development, however, and that some of the events surrounding the mysteries seemed a bit too far-fetched. Nonetheless, this was an enjoyable read, and I look forward to Vandy’s next adventure.

Vandy Myrick has returned home to Queenstown, NJ to restart her life as a newly licensed private investigator. One of her first clients wants her to follow his wife to prove she’s having an affair. The job is routine, even boring, but her client is the nephew of the town’s powerful mayor and her business depends on referrals. It doesn’t take Vandy long to realize that nothing is as it seems.

Delia Pitts has written an outstanding mystery with characters who are either likable or delightfully despicable. Vandy Myrick is complex, broken, and trying to heal. Readers will find Vandy sympathetic even when she’s venting her anger.

By the end of the book, readers will be hoping this is the first in a series and looking forward to spending time with Vandy again. If you love well-written books with a feisty main character, this is the book for you. If you dislike books written in the first person, set that dislike aside in order to enjoy reading this book with its complex storyline and well-drawn characters.

My thanks to Minotaur and Edelweiss for an eARC.

♡𝐀𝐮𝐝𝐢𝐨𝐛𝐨𝐨𝐤 𝐑𝐞𝐯𝐢𝐞𝐰♡
4.5🌟
-
𝐓𝐫𝐨𝐩𝐞𝐬 :
•small town mystery
•murder mystery
𝐓𝐫𝐢𝐠𝐠𝐞𝐫 𝐖𝐚𝐫𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐬 :
•racism (a lot)
-
I did feel like the beginning was a little slow pace, but once we got to the murder part, it picked up paced. Some parts did drag a little, but the storyline was pretty good. Once you start to understand what is happening and start to put the pieces together. Mind blowing 🤯! Definitely have some good twists and turns. This is my first book by this author and will totally not be my last. I enjoyed this book a lot. Will be re-listening again at a later time.
𝐑𝐞𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐞 July.16
-
Thank you, Netgalley, and St.Martin Press for the (eArc)-eBook for my honest review.

Trouble in Queenstown by Delia Pitts is an excellent debut mystery series with detective Vandy Myrick, a gritty African-American female detective facing her history along with racism and other issues in a gritty small city in Pennsylvania. I was quickly charmed by Vandy’s hard but loving style. Side characters such as Ingrid Ramirez was also really engaging, and I hope she continues to be part of this series. There were twists and turns that I didn’t expect and enough action to keep me on the edge of my seat without being gratuitous. Thanks to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for the eARC. Recommended.

great mystery introducing Vandy Myrick as she navigates her life post-police force and establishes a private investigation practice, sharing an office with her best friend a lawyer. Soon, it appears the politically-connected man who hired her to shadow his wife may have had her working at cross purposes when that wife is murdered by an intruder. She sets out to set the record straight, while trying to not step on politicians toes in the hometown to which she never meant to return.

⭐️⭐️⭐️ (3.5/5, almost a 4) Trouble In Queenstown by Delia Pitts.
Releasing July 16, 2024, thank you @netgalley @minotaur_books and @stmartinspress for the ARC.
I really liked the beginning of the book. Characters were developed well, story was interesting and fast paced. However the ending was a little flat for me. Don’t get me wrong, it was interesting, but something about it felt like it was wrapped up too quickly, like there was a better way to wrap up what happened. It just kind of felt like there was a bomb dropped at the end to make it have more shock factor. I did like the interwoven relationships, the discussion of important topics regarding race/class, etc. But this book truly left me wanting the ending to be different.

Vandy Myrick has returned to her hometown of Queenstown, New Jersey, and hung out her shingle as a private investigator. Most of her cases are divorce cases, bland but lucrative.. until the day the mayor’s nephew walks in and asks her to learn who is stalking his wife. Before the initial consultation is over, though, he changes his tune – now he admits that he thinks she’s having an affair and needs confirmation. Thinking of the high profile family involved, she reluctantly accepts the job. But when dead bodies are found, additional clients appear and Vandy is pressured to stop her investigation, she does exactly the opposite, determined to find out what is really going on.

According to Goodreads, this is Ms. Pitts’ first novel, but at the beginning of the book, there are six other novels listed under her name. Either way, this is the first book I’ve read by this author, so I wasn’t sure what to expect. It didn’t take long for the story to establish the tone for the rest of the book – think of a coarser, grittier VI Warshawki, Sharon McCone or Kinsey Milhone and you’d have a good representation of Vandy Myrick.

After the first several chapters, I was tempted to DNF the book – I didn’t like Vandy and didn’t care much about what happened. Because I really hate to do that, I stuck with the book, and it eventually drew me in, although I still wasn’t completely invested in the story. There were a *lot of characters and interwoven relationships that seemed more than a bit too coincidental. It was pretty obvious to me who was responsible for the deaths, although the motive escaped me. I was shocked at what this character did to hide their connection to everything, but it only goes to show what someone in that position is capable of doing.

The last chapter of this book made it sound like there will be at least one more book coming featuring Vandy, and I will probably read it at some point, but I’m not sure if I’ll look for an advance copy or just wait until I can get one elsewhere.

BIPOC Mystery that features a private investigator who's newest case following the mayor’s nephew's wife to uncover evidence for a divorce suit gets complicated by a murder.

1/5 stars: This is Pitts' Mystery stand-alone that features a former cop turned private investigator who's newest case for the the mayor’s nephew to tail his wife to uncover evidence of an affair gets complicated when a racially charged murder connects to the mayor and her family. Pitts' writing and character work are nicely done. Pitts tackles some heavy subjects, so take care and check the CWs. Unfortunately, this just wasn't a book for me; leading me to DNF it at 8%.

I received this eARC thanks to St. Martin's Press, Minotaur Books in exchange for an honest review. Publishing dates are subject to change.

Vandy Myrick has come back to her hometown of Queenstown to open a business as a private investigator. She is home so that she can spend time with her father who is in a home and suffers from dementia. She is working with two friends, one of whom is a lawyer.

Most of Vandy's cases are simple and straightforward. When an influential local named Leo Hannah hires her to follow his wife, Vandy thinks it will be just another case but will give her entry into another group of potential clients. Vandy follows Ivy Hannah on her rounds for a week and is preparing a report for Leo when she gets a phone call.

Someone has broken into the Myrick home and Leo shot and killed him. He claims that the home invader assaulted his wife who died on the operating table. Since Leo's aunt is the mayor, the investigation is quickly completed, and it lays all the blame on home invader Hector Ramirez and clears Leo of any culpability.

But Vandy isn't so sure. Her years as a police officer show her another more likely scenario. And Ivy's father who wants custody of Ivy's 3-year-old son and Hector's teenage sister doesn't believe that her brother could have killed Ivy.

Vandy begins her own investigation and finds herself the target of an assault herself and finds her father and friends also targeted. Someone doesn't want the truth to come out and is willing to go to all lengths to get Vandy to abandon her investigation.

This was an engaging story. Vandy is an intriguing character who is dealing with her own grief after the death of her teenage daughter at a frat party. She has given up drinking and refuses to carry a gun, but she hasn't given up her reckless habit of one-night stands which is her substitution for intimacy.

I enjoyed the story of this black woman who works in a town that was once a visible haven for the KKK. The racism is still pervasive though not quite as visible.

I recommend this story for its great characters and fast-paced plot.

St. Martin's Press and Minotaur Books provided an early galley for review.

I was drawn to this novel the moment I saw the cover. It has an appealing visual and colors that I found inviting.

For me, the story started off slow but picked up about the quarter mark when Vandy gets a new ally in the investigation. Even still, a tighter pacing all the way would have kept me more focused.

The clues all are revealed by the end. There are strong themes too relating to race and class and priviledge. It is a story that definitely has something to say