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.

With Trouble in Queenstown, Delia Pitts introduces private investigator Vandy Myrick in a powerful mystery that blends grief, class, race, and family with thrilling results.

Evander “Vandy” Myrick became a cop to fulfill her father’s expectations. After her world cratered, she became a private eye to satisfy her own. Now she's back in Queenstown, New Jersey, her childhood home, in search of solace and recovery. It's a small community of nine thousand souls crammed into twelve square miles, fenced by cornfields, warehouses, pharma labs, and tract housing. As a Black woman, privacy is hard to come by in "Q-Town," and worth guarding.

A detective who dunnit also conquering complicated topics of race, grief and classism. This story flowed easily and was hard to put down because I wanted to know how everything connected. I really enjoyed this book. I’m ready for a detective series with Vandy Myrick, PI!

Bahni Turpin narrated this mystery and honestly I think she could read the back of a cereal box to me and I would be entranced. If I see a book with her as the narrator I’m reading it!

Thank you MacMillian Audio and Minotaur books for this audio.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for gifting me this audiobook for free in exchange for my review! All opinions are my own.

This was a decent cozy mystery. I liked the beginning of the book, but for whatever reason, I wasn't able to stay interested in the audiobook. I did finish the audiobook, but I wasn't as excited in the middle or end of the book as I was interested when the book began. Still, I think Bahni Turpin has a wonderful voice and I would definitely listen to more books by her. I would also be willing to check out more books by Delia Pitts in the future!


If you are interested in seeing more of my reviews and other content feel free to connect with me here <3:

https://linktr.ee/bookreviewsbyjules (links to my Instagram, Goodreads, TikTok, Storygraph, My blog and Substack newsletter, etc)

If you are a publisher or author who has questions about my reviews (as well as questions about my stats, reach or engagement), please free to email me. I am also open to requests for book reviews from authors or publishers. Thank you again for taking time to read my review, and I hope you have a wonderful day!

I am not going to say that I liked this book. It was horrible in my opinion. I did enjoy the narrator though. I believe she did a fantastic job. But 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.

“Trust is like sponge cake… sweet but squishy. You craving that sugar, but the foundation goes soft when you step.”

✨ Genre: Contemporary Fiction/Mystery
❤️ Steamy rating: Mild
⚡️ Profanity: Moderate

After tragedy, Vandy moves back to Queenstown, New Jersey, her hometown as a private investigator. The mayor’s nephew hires her to track Ivy, his wife, who he feels no longer loves him. Soon after Vandy finishes her investigation, Ivy is murdered. Now she must look into what really happened to Ivy.

This one was a nice mystery that kept my attention. I liked Vandy’s character, but felt like the book was a little predictable.

Triggers: Murder, assault, racism, infidelity, Alzheimer’s, death of a child, alcohol poisoning

Thank you @macmillan.audio and @netgalley for the copy.

#macaudio2024

Trouble in Queenstown by Delia Pitts follows Vandy Myrick, a private investigator who has returned to Q-Town, NJ after suffering a great loss. She is now looking for comfort and solace with no ties. Vandy has worked through plenty of divorce cases as a PI, and expects much the same as Leo Hannah, relative of the powerful mayor Jo Hannah, comes into her office asking for Vandy to look into his wife, Ivy. As Vandy investigates further, she discovers that this case has a lot more mystery to it than she had originally thought. Although some aspects of this story you can predict, the overall case was compelling and there were a couple of surprises that I didn’t see coming. I really enjoyed reading through Vandy’s POV and understanding her thought processes and how she experiences the world. She was a great main character that had me rooting for her from start to finish.

Overall, 3.5 stars rounded up to 4!

Thank you to Macmillan Audio and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review an ARC of Trouble in Queenstown by Delia Pitts. My comments are an independent, honest review.

Queen Bahni Turpin again with a first-rate narration of a great mystery!

This book kept me guessing the whole time, and I LOVED Vandy, her story, and her commitment to finding the truth. Her other gal pals who support her were great side characters, her dad (who has dementia) was not only a sweet character but served the plot, and I LOVE when a sassy teenager gets in the mix, too!!

This was an excellent domestic-type thriller, though from the perspective of a private investigator. I appreciated the integrity of Vandy, and of Sam (the victim’s father) as they worked together to uncover multiple truths.

The mystery was a different sort of title for me to listen to. Thought the book wasn't what I had anticipated I did enjoy the narration and I know plenty of people at my library that will enjoying this story.

"Trouble in Queenstown" by Delia Pitts is a compelling introduction to private investigator Evander “Vandy” Myrick, blending elements of grief, class, race, and family into an engaging mystery. Set in the small, tightly-knit community of Queenstown, New Jersey, the story dives deep into the challenges and complexities of being a Black female PI in a world where privacy is a luxury and societal expectations are rigid.

Vandy Myrick is a fascinating character, driven by the need to meet her father's expectations and later, by her own quest for solace and recovery. Returning to her childhood home, she takes on divorce cases, which are both lucrative and a bit unwholesome, to keep her business afloat. Her latest client, the mayor’s nephew Leo Hannah, pulls her into what initially seems like a routine surveillance job but quickly spirals into a deeper, more dangerous investigation involving a racially charged murder.

The narrative is rich with tension as Vandy navigates the complexities of her cases and her personal struggles. The story keeps you hooked as layers of mystery unfold, revealing the dark underbelly of the seemingly bland town of Queenstown.

However, there were a few aspects that didn’t sit well with me. Vandy’s casual approach to intimacy with strangers felt like it was sending a misleading message of empowerment, especially to younger readers. It seemed to undermine the depth and strength of her character.

Additionally, often creates a divide by showing racial biases. I'm not sure if this is a reflection of the author or just the character, but it was off-putting and isolating.

Overall, "Trouble in Queenstown" is a gripping mystery with a strong, albeit flawed, protagonist. It offers a raw look at societal issues through the lens of a determined PI. Despite some problematic elements, Delia Pitts’ storytelling keeps you engaged and eager to follow Vandy Myrick on her journey.

Vandy is a PI in Q-town, a tiny suburb in New Jersey. She’s an ex-cop turned PI, overcoming a major loss in her life. Mostly she takes on divorce cases to pay the bills. So when Leo Hannah, the mayor’s nephew, asks her to tail his wife, she accepts. But then his wife is killed and another death follows and Vandy is no longer looking into just another divorce case. She uncovers all sorts of lies and secrets that threaten the security of several folks in this small town. As Vandy gets closer to the truth, she also gets closer to danger.

This was a fun mystery. Themes addressing race, class, grief and loss are seamlessly woven into the overall plot of this kickass black female PI. And I didn’t quite see the big twist coming so that was a plus. The narration by @bahni_turpin on audio was superb! I loved the way she captured Vandy's fiesty spirit. The narration helped to bump this to 3.5 stars for me.

Thank you to @macmillan.audio @netgalley for this gifted audiobook.

I love hard boiled detective radio shows, so I get excited when I can find a modern hard boiled detective book. Vandy is a PI in the vein of a Sam Spade or Phillip Marlowe. She is obviously a black woman, so she has more layers than the above mentioned PIs. Then you add in her backstory and you have a complicated character trying to solve a mystery, bring justice and just maybe deal with her own issues.
The gritty beginning lets us know exactly what we are getting into right away. So no one should be surprised that this is a hard boiled detective instead of a cozy mystery. As a cozy mystery reader also, I appreciate Pitts letting us know what we are in for right away.
I am hoping for some more books with Vandy to see how she develops as a character. Great ‘start’ to a hard boiled detective series.

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.
Tiktok @speakingof.books
Website: SPEAKINGOF.ORG

This debut features a Black, female, hard-boiled detective. It's a role quite different than those I've previously experienced from Bahni Turpin. Nonetheless, she narrated wonderfully, as usual.

Vandy's return to Queenstown isn't a simple or happy one. She shares history with some of the players in the story, including her father, who suffers from dementia and lives in a nursing facility, and Bobby, a former flame who is now on the local police force. While Vandy's official client is Leo, she ends up approaching the mystery from the standpoint of several other paid and unpaid clients. As Vandy digs through the evidence and clues, some chapter titles note whose case is being investigated within.

There is at least one fun twist, and a somewhat happy ending for several characters.

With a debut this strong, I will definitely be watching for the author's next novel.

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
July 2024 Must-Read Books
July Newsletter

I enjoyed this one a lot! Vandy is an ex-cop now private detective whose cases are mostly boring until the murder of a young woman and Vandy has the case of a lifetime. There is a lot going on in this book from family problems to racism.

I hope there will be more books with Vandy I enjoyed her and the side characters.

Bahni Turpin narrates this and as always does a fantastic job of bringing the story to life!


Highly recommend this one!!

4 stars

I received this audiobook form the publisher Macmillan Audio and NetGalley for a fair and honest review.

So, not sure what I was expecting with this one, but it was not my favorite.

We meet Evander, (Vandy) a former cop turned P. I. who handles mostly divorce cases. She is asked to meet with a high profile man regarding his wife…but right from the start, the lies and deceit kick in…

We are taken down a road that I did not see coming, but, didn’t really care for in the end…

It was good, and I did like some of the characters. But on the other hand, I really did not like many of them…

That being said, 3 ⭐️⭐️⭐️ for me.

Thanks to #NetGalley and #MacmillanAudio for an ARC of the audiobook which releases tomorrow, 7/16/24.

Trouble in Queenstown by Delia Pitts.

Feel free to like, follow and friend me on: Goodreads,
IG @ #BookReviews_with_emsr or
My Facebook Book Club: Book Reviews With Elaine.

Thanks so much for reading! And if you ‘liked’ my review, please share with your friends!! 📚⭐️

I was excited to listen to this book. Mystery thriller books are one of my top favorite books!

In the book, we meet Vandy who is a former cop and who had a father who was a well-known cop in their town. Vandy recently moved back to her hometown to be closer to her dad who is in a caregiving facility and after a tragic accident that took her daughter from her. Vandy is now a private investigator who was hired to follow around the mayor’s nephew's wife who is convinced she was in trouble and had someone following her. Then a couple of days go by and a murder happens inside the house. Now Vandy is convinced there was more to the story than what the husband had said and she was going to get to the bottom of it.

I enjoyed this book. It had a great storyline, and plot and was well developed. I enjoyed the journey we went through to figure out what had happened. I thought the development of the story was strong and well-needed to understand the whole story.

Thank you, NetGalley, for allowing me to read this book and give my honest review. Thank you, Delia Pitts, for writing this well-developed book! Thank you, Bahni Turpin, for narrating this book! Your tone of voice and delivery of the book helped make the book even more engaging!

First, I want to be honest, I picked up this audiobook 99% due to the narrator, Bahni Turpin. She is always amazing, and this story was no exception. Also as a white woman who always appreciates more exposure to POC stories, I really enjoyed that the main character's experience as a black PI was woven seamlessly into the story. She is dealing with a white family and all their secrets, and also sees anti-Hispanic sentiments along the way. The reality is that this is still happening and we can't just try to act like we all can just cheer BLM and then go back to unconscious racism. It was really beautifully done.

As far as the murder mystery, I also really enjoyed how that unfolded. It kept you guessing and when the pieces came together you could see how the hints were all there from the start.

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC audiobook!

Lots of twist and turns. Will defn suggest a good read. Well written and very Riley Sager ish. Had to think the ending through a for a few days after for it to solidify in my head. Enjoyed it

I loved this book! I was drawn to it because of the narrator, Bahni Turpin. She gave such life to Vandy Myrick. I enjoyed the author’s writing style and look forward to more. It seems this may be the first book in a series and if Bahni Turpin continues to be the voice of Vandy i can’t wait for more.

4 ⭐️
Thank you to NetGalley for the copy.