I thoroughly enjoyed this book! It was filled with lies, deceit, scandals and much more. I did not expect the family twist towards the end but I love how it all tied together. Growing up in a small town very similar to Queenstown (Blountstown) it was nice being familiar with some of the surrounding towns mentioned in the book (Quincy/Tallahassee).
This story embodies how treacherous some people in a position of power can be. This was my first time reading anything by this author but it most definitely won’t be my last.
Thank you to the author, publisher and NetGalley for the arc! 💜

I DNF’d this book around 25% and unfortunately will not be providing feedback due to this. Thank you.

This was a rough listen. Slow...emotional. It felt like there were multiple story lines in one book, so the book was going in several directions. The story didn't keep me interested and I skipped around a lot. I do love the narrator- that's probably why I stayed through the end.

Vandy is now a private investigator after her police job blew up in her face. Now she is back in her home town of Queenstown doing divorce cases. She hates divorce cases but they pay good money. She takes on a new case, the mayor’s nephew. He wants her to follow his wife but where this leads is not what she expected. Murder was not in the forecast!

This would make a great television series. Vandy is such a fabulous character. She tries to stay in the background and stay out of trouble. But trouble just seems to find her. And this one might even have a lot to do with her family!

I enjoyed how this tale ended. There is definitely going to be a sequel and I am here for it!

This is wonderfully narrated by Bahni Turpin!

Need a good murder mystery….THIS IS IT! Grab your copy today!

I received this novel from the publisher for a honest review.

I love a good mystery especially a crime. The author kept me guessing for the entire story. I liked the main character. I felt invested. However, I felt like she was yelling at me a lot, particularly in the beginning of the book. She was very loud.

Started out slow but soon picked up. Some good twists and turns. Reminds me of a true story in the news some years back.

One of my favorite narrators! 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.

After reading this I went to look up other stuff by the author and this is a debut??? It didn’t read like a debut imo.

It read like an older PI mystery but instead of the sexism and racism being ignored it’s highlighted and discussed. Which is exactly what I was wanting from a PI mystery. I really liked it.

Vandie went into private investigating after she left being campus security when her daughter died. She gets a new client Leo it seems like a simple get proof of a cheating spouse case when it soon spirals into a double homicide. The police are quick to end the investigation maybe too quick.

It had complex characters that I really enjoyed-kinda messy. Some of the mystery is more in finding how and motive more than whodunnit but it does have turns and kept me very engaged.

Thanks to netgalley and Macmillan audio for an alc

Audiobook Title: Trouble in Queenstown
Author: Madeline Claire Franklin
Genre: Mystery/Thriller
Format: 🎧
Narrator: Bahni Turpin
Publisher: Macmillan Audio
Pub Date was: July 11, 2024
Star Rating: 3 Stars
Pages: 320

Story features PI Evander 'Vandy' Myrick (named after her police chief father, who always wanted a son). “Vandy” became a police office to fulfill her father’s expectations.

She is back in Queenstown, New Jersey, the community where she grew up, to restart her career as a PI after the terrible loss of her daughter Monica.

Her first client is Leo Hannah, nephew of the powerful Queenstown mayor, Josephine Hannah. Leo tells Vandy that his wife, Ivy, has received some threats, and he wants Vandy to tail her. When Vandy asks to interview Ivy about the threats, Leo waffles and admits he believes Ivy is having an affair.
Vandy follows Ivy for a week, finds no evidence of an affair; she has prepares a report for Leo but when she arrives at his home to present it, there police there investigating a double homicide. Ivy is still alive but later dies. Hector Ramirez lies dead on the floor. Leo states he shot Hector when he found him assaulting Ivy.

This book has been on and off of my “want to read’ list. It seemed like a somewhat ordinary plot.
I finally decided to give it a try as two things got my attention. Bahbi Turpin who is an audiobook narrator I like. The other is I liked the idea of the Queenstown diner as it brought back memories of my first job. No I didn’t work in a diner but the downtown area where I worked had several diners that were great places for lunch.
Now looking for a book featuring a soda shop which will be a fun throwback to high school – I can still picture those little jukeboxes at every table.

Want to thank NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for granting me this early audio.
Publishing Release Date Scheduled for July 11, 2024.

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.

I listened to the audio version of this book and the narrator did a great job with all of the different voices, although the tempo was incredibly slow and I found it necessary to increase the playback speed to 2x. I will add Bahni Turpin to my list of 'acceptable' narrators.

I found this book difficult to stay engaged with; I often felt lost and overwhelmed. I think there were too many characters to keep track of comfortably. This was my first time reading her work, and while I'm not ruling out another book from her, I'm open to giving her another chance.

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. Excellent narration by Bahni Turpin. Thanks to Macmillan Audio and NetGalley for the audio ARC. Recommended.

Trouble in Queenstown is a mediocre murder mystery, filled with the usual expected twists and turns that peters out before the end. While the novel brings up issues dealing with Black culture and the racial hatred of white supremecists, none are explored in much depth. Private detective Vandy Myrick is hired to find the killer of Leo Hannah’s wife Ivy. Suffice it to say that this is not an easy task. Vandy’s character aspires to be a snarky V.I. Warsawski-like model but falls short in many ways. While Bahni Turpin’s narration is easy on the ears most of the time, some misprounounciations are jarring and her depiction of snarkiness is pretty far from the way I would have expressed it. Trouble in Queenstown would have benefited from more time for rewriting, revisions, and more vigorous editing. I hope Pitts and her team are more productive in the future.

Trouble in Queenstown is the story of Vandy, a private investigator in Queenstown, New Jersey. It deals with family secrets, racial tension, and grief on an extremely personal level.

I was really excited to read this one; the description of the book and the cover both drew me in. Unfortunately, I just couldn't get into the story. I found Vandy pretty unlikeable, and as a seasoned PI she seemed to make decisions more with her heart than her head. I think there is a lot to like about this book, including the full cast of characters besides Vandy, but the overall plot was pretty convoluted. I also think my experience was affected by listening to the audio; I didn't love the narrator so it made it difficult to get through. If you're interested in this book, I recommend reading the physical or e-book rather than the audio!

Thank you to NetGalley for this early copy!

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for the Advanced Reader Copy!

Vandy Myrek is a private detection in Queenstown. Her father is in a memory care facility, so between keeping an eye on her dad and solving cases, she stays busy. Trouble in Queenstown details the ongoing racial disparities that are still occurring in 2024, as well as adultery, thievery, and kidnapping. I will have to say this book definitely kept my attention.

I did feel some of the stories flipped back and forth rather quickly. There were also some inaccuracies noted. For future reference Delia Pitts, male pattern baldness is inherited from your mother's father.

I loved the narrator. Bahni Turpin has a great reading voice. I've heard her read other books, so I was excited to see she was narrating this one as well.

Overall, 4/5 stars. I'd definitely read a sequel about Vandy, Key, Bobby, and Vander,

I do enjoy reading books by Black authors. I have many favorites. I can totally get into a book that talks about the suppression of Black people and how they have to enter into situations differently then White people. I am at 40% and I'm at the part that we now hit on sanctuary cities. And the father who lost his daughter says how its WHITE people who are against them. Sorry I tap out at this. It is not a black/white issue. Look what is happening in NYC! And the mayor who is a HUGE dem is looking to revoke being a sanctuary city. You are pushing a liberal agenda with the book. This is 100% not for me. I was fully invested and wanted to hear the end. But I just can't anymore.

♡𝐀𝐮𝐝𝐢𝐨𝐛𝐨𝐨𝐤 𝐑𝐞𝐯𝐢𝐞𝐰♡
4.5🌟
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𝐓𝐫𝐨𝐩𝐞𝐬 :
•small town mystery
•murder mystery
𝐓𝐫𝐢𝐠𝐠𝐞𝐫 𝐖𝐚𝐫𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐬 :
•racism (a lot)
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The audiobook, I highly recommend. The narrator, Bahni Turpin, did a good job bringing this story alive. It is very easy to listen to and also understand.
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
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Thank you, Netgalley, and MacmillanAudio for the (ALC)-audiobook for my honest review.

I really wanted to give this a higher rating because I love the character's personality and sense of community but the story itself like to me, like we lost the plot.

it's kind of like that random riverdale episode where they have powers and then the next season everyone was back to normal.

so do i understand how we got where we are? no... did we get there? yes.

3,75 stars

This is an engaging mystery featuring a complex main character and - for those who are able to access the audio version - a compelling narrator.

Vandy, the m.c., followed her father's professional path in police work and now is a private investigator. As any layperson might expect, this kind of work puts Vandy in some challenging situations with extremely difficult people. Her challenges are amplified by her intersectional identities which, especially in Queenstown, really make her stand out as a target for dirtbags. While Vandy is an intriguing character on her own, two of her relationships shape her into an even more gripping study: her connection to her ailing father and her tie to her recently deceased daughter. While Vandy seems to search for connection personally and professionally, she often finds herself isolated based on unmet longing, buried secrets, and - again - facets of who she is.

The best mysteries are those that are compelling enough on their own AND that feature a complicated protagonist who grows in some way throughout the narrative. While I found the latter element more powerful in this novel, I still enjoyed the mystery, too.

I'll be back for more from this author.