I enjoyed this book, lots of twists and turns and dirty politics makes for interesting reading! I loved the main character, she was feisty, and sad and has a backstory I would like to know more about. I would definitely recommend this book as well as reading additional books about this character in the future!

⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

In a classic ode to the detective and film noir stories of the past, this is a story of a black New Jersey detective who is hired by different parties to investigate what happened that caused the deaths of two people. It’s dark, mysterious, edgy, and in all a pretty good story.

#netgalley
@netgalley
#readmorebooks
#readmorebooksbywomen
#readersofinstagram
#bookstagram
#bookstagrammer
#bookish
#mybookishlife
#wearebookish
#lovereading
#alwaysreading
#readinggoals
#2024reads
#goodreads
#audiobook

Evander "Vandy" Myrick moves back to her hometown in New Jersey to be closer to her ailing father and picks up work as a private investigator. When she takes on a new case for the mayor's nephew, who's seeking a divorce, she gets more than she bargained for when she walks in on a double murder.

Vandy is a great main character with a lot of sass and grit. I thought some aspects of her career and investigation skills were a bit far fetched, and I would have liked to see at least a dual perspective instead of just Vandy's side of the story. But all in all, this was an enjoyable read that shows just how much of a small world a small town can be. The theme of race is strong in this book and made the story more interesting to follow.

The audiobook narrator did a wonderful job of bringing Vandy and the other characters to life.

I’ll keep this short and sweet.

I didn’t like the characters, including Vandy, our MC. I found her unnecessarily brash, and I didn’t enjoy spending time with her.

The content felt too preachy with the social commentary. Even when I agree, I don’t need an issue shoved at me throughout a book I’m reading for entertainment.

The writing is fine, though again, I didn’t connect well.

I had an ebook copy and probably wouldn’t have finished it. I wound up solely listening to the audiobook. The narrator does a great job.

*I received a free eARC from Minotaur Books via NetGalley, and a free audiobook download from Macmillan Audio.*

This was a murder mystery like no other, from the first paragraph I was in and it just got better. The smart mouth wit of our main character to the no holding back in the words that were used through out. It made the story feel so real like we were reading a true story because most authors wouldn’t be that brave. The story and twist was so good I really didn’t see it all coming and loved it.

Vandy Myrick is a private investigator in Queenstown, New Jersey. She is hired by the mayor’s nephew, Leo Hannah, to investigate his wife. As the story becomes more complicated, Leo’s wife is murdered. Vandy immediately that something is not adding up and becomes suspicious as the murder case is closed very quickly. Vandy follows her instincts to keep investigating even though some residents of Queenstown try to stop her.

I really enjoyed the narration of this audiobook and Vandy’s character. Vandy had a tough exterior, was strong-willed and determined, and had a heartbreaking backstory. The story was enjoyable, but I would have liked more twists and turns as well as a more detailed look at the relationship of Vandy and her daughter.

Thank you to @macmillan.audio @netgalley and @minotaur_books for the ALC of this title.

While the book was enjoyable, I was a little turned off on how bland the book seemed. The story was great but it just took to long for the climax to come

Vandy Myrick is a private investigator in her hometown of Queenstown. Vandy is spiraling down a rabbit hole due to all of the tragedies in her life. Her daughter passed away, she quit the police force after an incident that was brought on by her grief, her father has Alzheimer's, her mother passed not long before her daughter, and she has given up on finding any real connection with people, especially men. Then she is hired by the mayor's nephew to investigate his wife when her wife is murdered, then pretty much everyone either hires Vandy or tries to kill Vandy over the investigation of this murder. During this time Vandy discovers more than she bargains for.
I wanted to like this book more because honestly, the narration is so amazing that it kept me engaged when I wanted to walk away. Turpin does such a great job in bringing the emotion to her voicework that you feel everything that the characters are, you feel the heartbreak, the anger, or resentment, this is what kept me listening. Turpin is just top-notch at her job. The story itself was, ok. It dragged on and on and there were no really likeable characters. Vandy goes out of her way to be unlikeable, but it is really hard to feel a connection to the MC, and that makes it hard to stay engaged. The story setting also feels like a small southern town instead of a town in New Jersey. Granted, I've never been to Jersey, but the dynamics between the racial divides, class divides, and general divides really feel like it set in the South. Everyone is so hateful, everyone, even if they aren't trying there is so much animosity and sniping. With that being said, a lot is going on and this book deals with a lot of hard topics including grief, class, race, and some crazy families. Though the characters may not be likable you find yourself mesmerized by the trainwreck that is the investigation and the tenacity of our MC who refuses to give up even when the forces around her try to make her quit. Overall the book is ok. Very slow going, with lots of hard topics and beautiful narration, with an over-the-top and unbelievable ending.

Trouble in Queenstown is a small town mystery that, at its core is about family.
Evander (Vandy) Myrick is back in her hometown where everyone is in everyone's business. You know the term, where everyone knows your name? That's Q-town.
She's there to watch over her father who has dementia and is soon hired for a Pl gig. But when that Pl gig turns into a murder mystery, that is where we begin to see how many threads connect all the people of Queenstown.
I love seeing a strong female character in a predominantly male field and Vandy was pretty darn badass. She's had a tragic past with her father as well as daughter, but she still wants to prove others wrong and that she is strong enough to do her job well. The beginning was a little slow to build, but it was the background characterization we needed to understand Vandy and where she came from. But once the murder took place, it was mystery goodness.
Listening to the audio narrated by Bahni Turpin brought Evander's story to life. You could easily understand where she came from with her past, but also got a sense of her strength and wanting to find answers. I liked how the story was divided up by each of Vandy's clients and how she worked in order for them to get the answers to not only the murder, but also finding out how unexpectedly interconnected all the characters were. It brought light to this small town that was filled with secrets that all came to a head.

This was a fantastic mystery! I'd never read this author before and was very pleasantly surprised by how good this was. There were so many twists and turns and reveals that I never saw coming.

Trouble in Queenstown has a moody nostalgic feel. Featuring Vandy a PI with past trauma starting her life over back in her hometown. This book deals with such factors as racism, socioeconomic diversity, and family secrets amid a backdrop of a corrupt small town.

I enjoyed this one very much and hope it ends up becoming a series. The audiobook was narrated by Bahni Turpin, who brings a lot of emotion to this story.

Thank you, Netgalley and Macmillan Audio, for this ALC.

I had the chance to read an advanced copy of "Trouble in Queenstown: A Mystery" by Delia Pitts, courtesy of NetGalley. The novel follows "Vandy" Myrick, a former cop who took on private detective work to live up to her own ambitions rather than her father’s. Her latest case, centered around a complex divorce, promises intrigue with its twists and turns.

I genuinely wanted to enjoy this book, but unfortunately, I found the story lacked compelling elements and the characters were not as well developed as I hoped. Despite my efforts to engage with the narrative, it was a challenge to connect with the main character. Vandy's mysterious nature, intended to add depth, instead made her feel distant and hard to relate to. This was a book I struggled to finish, as it didn't fully draw me into its world.

Thank you NetGalley and publisher for this book.

Oh wow!!! I did not see that plot twist coming!!! This was a first for me by this author but will not be my last! Such a good story!

Vandy Myrick is a former cop turned PI. She has returned home to Q-Town and is attempting to make ends meet by taking what cases she can. When the nephew of the town's mayor comes to her with what seems like a routine surveillance job she jumps at the opportunity. The case quickly spins out of control when the woman she is hired to follow ends up dead.

This was an incredibly good mystery book. I highly suggest seeking out a list of trigger warnings due to some very sensitive topics. Vandy is a tough but flawed main character that you will absolutely root for. There were so many twists and turns in the story. If this ends up being a series I highly look forward to the next installment.

Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillian Audio for the ALC in exchange for an honest review.

I will not be providing a review for this book because I was not able to finish it. The narrator was not compatible with my ears. I tried multiple times and just could not handle their form of narration.

This was a very fast-paced thriller with lots of characters to keep up with. I felt like a lot of it was fluff and unnecessary side storylines. There was a good bit of more graphic aspects such as the death in the beginning and normally that is not up my alley. I liked Vandy as the main lead and I wanted her to be successful. The beginning kept me interested and once I got to the middle and end I was just kinda over it.

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.

Great story! I listened to the audiobook, and I really liked it but what truly made it for me was the narrator! Made me feel like I was right there in Queenstown!

This one kept my interest until the end when all the secrets were revealed. A young woman returns to her hometown to open a private investigator's office and soon finds herself in the middle of a case where she is investigating the wife to see if she is cheating on her husband. In a twist, the wife is found dead and someone else is accused of her murder. This story twists and turns and handles murder, lies, infidelity and so many thing that make it a great book. Thank you #NetGalley for the ARC of the audiobook. Great narrator.

Trouble in Queenstown picked up momentum quickly from the beginning, but slowly tapered off until the end. I felt like it could have been a little shorter without someone of the filler in the middle. Overall it was an okay read. Nice little twist at the end with all the connections made.

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.

Narration was fantastic!