Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this eARC.

“Trouble in Queenstown: A Mystery” by Delia Pitts is a riveting addition to the detective fiction genre, introducing readers to the tenacious private investigator Vandy Myrick. Set against the backdrop of Queenstown, New Jersey, Pitts crafts a narrative that is as much about the intricacies of a small town as it is about the complexities of a murder investigation.

The story begins when Vandy is hired to follow the wife of Leo Hannah, the deputy head of research at ArcDev Pharmaceuticals. What seems like a straightforward case of infidelity quickly spirals into a web of deceit involving a racially charged murder with deep ties to the town’s most influential family. As Vandy delves deeper, she finds herself entangled in a case that challenges her skills and threatens to expose long-buried secrets.

Pitts’ writing is sharp and immersive, creating a darkly atmospheric world where every character is shrouded in shades of grey. The narrative is tightly woven, with each twist and turn drawing the reader further into the mystery. Vandy Myrick is a compelling protagonist—her determination and grit make her a standout character in a genre filled with memorable detectives.

The novel’s exploration of grief, class, race, and family dynamics adds layers to the mystery, making it not just a quest for the truth but also a profound commentary on the society it portrays. The setting of Queenstown is almost a character in itself, with its cornfields, warehouses, pharma labs, and tract housing painting a vivid picture of the town’s socioeconomic landscape.

“Trouble in Queenstown” is a testament to Pitts’ ability to balance a thrilling plot with meaningful social commentary. It’s a book that will not only keep readers guessing until the very end but also leave them pondering the themes long after they’ve turned the last page. With this debut, Delia Pitts has established herself as a mystery writer to watch, and Vandy Myrick as a detective to root for. Readers eager for a mystery that offers both sizzle and heart will find “Trouble in Queenstown” a satisfying and thought-provoking read.

Trouble in Queenstown, by Delia Pitts, introduces badass private investigator Evander Myrick (named after her police chief father, who always wanted a son). “Vandy” has recently returned to Queenstown, New Jersey, the community where she grew up, to restart her career after the heartbreaking loss of her daughter. In the opening chapter, Vandy bests a thug in a bar fight and then picks up a sexy mimbo for a one-night stand.
As the story unfolds, we see a softer side of Vandy as she processes her grief over her daughter’s death. Her father is the only relative she has left, but he’s in a memory care home and doesn’t even recognize her, despite her frequent visits and attempted chats.
By the end of the first chapter, Vandy gets her first client: 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, and prepares a report for Leo. When she arrives at his home to present it, the cops are investigating a double homicide. Ivy is clinging to life and later dies. A man named Hector Ramirez lies dead on the floor. Leo claims he shot Hector when he found him assaulting Ivy.
The police wrap up the case quickly, not questioning Leo’s story. After providing her witness testimony, Vandy’s work is done.
But then she gets a new client: Samuel Decker, Ivy’s father. He doesn’t believe the story the mayor and her nephew fed the cops. He thinks Leo is the one who killed his daughter, and he wants Vandy to prove it.
Vandy and Sam investigate the crime and also commiserate over membership in a club no one should ever have to join: losing a child. Although they make progress, they are unable to prove Leo is Ivy’s killer. Then Vandy is approached by Ingrid Ramirez, Hector’s sister, who wants to hire Vandy to prove that Hector didn’t hurt anyone and thus clear her brother's name.
As Vandy gets closer to the truth, she is harassed, kidnapped, and beaten with a stern warning to back off. But rather than quit, she doubles down, determined she’s on the right track.
This well-written novel is told in first person and touches on many current social issues: racial inequality, corruption in local politics, divisive topics, and family ties. The mystery was engaging, but the ending disappointed me. Although justice was served, the killer’s motive seemed a bit weak.
Vandy is a strong female protagonist who could easily sustain a series. She’s tenacious, spunky, and caring. I’d like to see where some of her relationships go as she settles back into the Queenstown community and solves more cases.

Thank you NetGalley for the arc of this book in exchange for an honest review. I enjoyed this book a lot! The plot was interesting and kept me engaged the whole time. I like how fast-paced it was. The part of the story about Vandy's love life is probably my only qualm with this book. It seemed messy and unfinished/ unnecessary. Overall though, the main story was good and exciting.

"Trouble in Queenstown" is a total rollercoaster of a mystery, packed with small-town drama, a PI with attitude, and a juicy double murder. While the plot might seem like a tangled mess (but hey, isn't that part of the fun?), I couldn't help but get hooked on the twists and turns. Our main character's "I couldn't care less" vibe added some serious entertainment value, and sure, there were moments where reality took a backseat, but who cares when you're along for such a wild ride? Bottom line: this book kept me on my toes and left me hungry for more.

Delia Pitts brings us an unexpected PI in small town America. Vandy is rough around the edges, but you’ll be rooting for her the whole time. This novel brings family secrets, social injustice, and murder. It was a slow read but overall a good story.

If you're looking for a fun detective story that keeps you guessing, give Trouble in Queenstown a go. It had me hooked beginning to end. I'm not one for spoilers, so I won't say anything else, other than I look forward to reading more from Delia Pitts!

I’m a lover and huge fan of books written about a town with secrets! This one did not disappoint. Pulled me in from the very beginning and kept me guessing and trying to solve the mystery. Highly recommend!

Trouble in Queenstown is a really fun detective read. The main character Vandy is spunky and I love that she's written as an independent sex-positive character. She's not afraid to be herself and pursue the leads that may unravel the entire town.

I did find the pacing to be on the slower side and it took me a while to really get into the story. Which is mainly why I am giving it 3 stars. The best way to describe it is rather than using chapters to move forward along the timeline the next chapter would pick up directly where the previous chapter left off. It made it seem that the chapter breaks were arbitrary.

I definitely suggest Trouble in Queenstown for anyone who likes a strong protagonist and the unraveling of a town's secrets.

Evander "Vandy" Myrick, private investigator, is hired by Leo Hannah, the nephew of the mayor to discover whether or not his wife is cheating. Nothing is uncovered. The wife is killed by a man who entered the Hannah home and the man is then killed by Leo. Case closed? Not so fast - the father of the murdered woman is convinced that Leo is the real murderer and hires Vandy to uncover the truth. She is also approached by the sister of the presumed killer to prove his innocence. As Vandy investigates, long held secrets will be revealed.
#TroubleinQueenstown #Minotaur #NetGalley

This crime novel focuses on small town, political corruption and family secrets. Thrown in are also racial and social injustices that exist in small town America.

There were several things that I liked about the book. First and foremost was probably the strong female lead of Vandy Myrick, the private investigator who is the book's main character. Pitts portrays Myrick as a rough and tough, kick a** character but also reveals some of her soft spots as her past is uncovered.

I also liked the the double murder as being the event that kick started the plot. It then makes a smooth transition in introducing us to multiple suspects throughout the following chapters. The book read smoothly by it being sectioned into clients and then suspects (or clients who became suspects).

I felt that multiple red herrings were placed into the story, so those did make the reader want to read on and find the true culprit. The one thing that I was not crazy about was I felt that the main clue that uncovered the "why" of the murders didn't seem completely plausible to me. Why the murders were committed did seem plausible, but how the wife found out the evidence (and pieced everything together) that she was going to use to blackmail her husband's family did not. I also felt that the ending got a little wild.

Nevertheless, I did enjoy Delia Pitts' plot, her development of characters, and the inter relationships (or perhaps intra would be a better prefix to use here) of certain characters. I would recommend this novel to crime enthusiasts. Thank you, NetGalley and Minotaur Books, for the opportunity to read this exciting, action packed crime story. I would rate it 3.5 stars.

Trouble in Queenstown is a jam packed mystery involving a small town built on legacy, relatively unlikeable PI, and a double murder. I do like the underdog vs the powers that be in a small town trope but I felt this was extremely convoluted, which I guess that would when you set up quite the house of cards built on lies, convoluted storylines would be required.

I really enjoyed this story. It was quite the ride. Although there were some far fetched moments that really built the "luxury" of PI life being able to follow what ever evidence trails they wish, despite burden of proof. I enjoyed the main character and her "I don't give a crap" attitude. It was entertaining. I am not sure I would recommend to hardcore crime lovers but if you're looking for a good mindbender that has a plethora characters and intrigue then give a go. 3.5 stars.

I absolutely love a book that keeps me on the edge of my seat! And love a good female led book.
Having a former cop become a private investigator in her hometown.
This was the first time I've read a book by this author and I have to say that she definitely connects with the readers! I did not see the ending come, but I typically don't with a lot of great mysteries. I love a book where I don't guess what has happened already.

Thank you for the ARC!

Trouble in Queenstown follows former police officer turned private investigator, Vandy Myrick, as she investigates a double homicide in a peaceful town in New Jersey. Secrets are uncovered and lives are turned upside down in this mystery packed read.

I really enjoyed the premise of the book. The author was able to connect the reader with the different characters and the town. Queenstown reminds me of a small town with big city feels. It is full of diversity along with bigotry and people wanting power and control as the forefront of the drama in the story.

However, this was a slow read for me. I noticed I was going to my phone a lot during the read, as I was bored with some of the scenes. I wanted more of a faster paced action and less drawn out storylines that were repetitive in a sense. Towards the end, I was skimming the read and then I was hooked on the last 15-20% of the book.

In conclusion, while I enjoyed the premise and the characters, I was just wanting more of a faster pace less repetitive storylines. Furthermore, the plot twist at the end of who done it and why, was quite the page turner.

I was excited to read this - it's not often that I come across mystery novels with a Black female protagonist. Vandy Myrick is a private investigator living in a racist area of New Jersey. She comes across as strong physically and mentally, but we get to see her inner sensitive side. This woman has integrity and is someone you'd want on your team. I loved her and loved her perseverance.

I have to say I did not see the ending coming, but it left me short. I feel that in order to surprise the reader with the ending, the author grasped at straws. I was really hoping for a finale that would blow my socks off, but I didn't get that. Regardless, looking forward to reading more from this author.

3.5 stars.

Another surprisingly good story. This was a bigger book than I initially thought but Delia Pitts takes the reader on a roller coaster ride through the underbelly of a gritty, fictional NJ town.

Vandy Myrick is hired to investigate a potential adultery and find more than she bargained for. Great writing and pacing, super fun characters and well crafted plot. While easy to guess whodunnit, the why and how doesn't really get resolved until the end - and it's quite an end!

Thanks to NetGalley for this copying exchange for an honest review.

"Trouble in Queenstown" introduces Vandy Myrick, a private investigator, in a captivating mystery that blends themes of grief, class, race, and family.

The narrative of "Trouble in Queenstown" is compelling, with the town itself vividly brought to life.

The novel showcases well-developed characters who add authenticity and depth to the story. The pacing is well-executed, ensuring readers remain engrossed from start to finish.

I recommend this book to fans of mystery novels. If you're in search of a riveting story with a compelling plot and richly drawn characters, this book is worth adding to your reading list.

Many thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press | Minotaur Books for the eARC.

I love a tough female PI! And this delivers! Vandy moves back to her hometown after the death of her daughter to become a PI. She solves a mystery and meets a wonderful cast of characters.

I received an early copy from Netgalley, but all opinions are my own.

This is a new private investigator. She is hired to follow a wife who ends up being murdered. Did she miss clues as she wrapped up her surveillance report. Things quickly get messy as she's hours to find out who murdered the victim. Small town policing and corruption complicates matters very quickly. I really. enjoyed the main character.

Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC of Trouble in Queenstown.

I love novels featuring female protagonists so this was right up my alley.

Evander “Vandy” Myrick is a former copy turned PI in the small town of Queenstown, NJ, her childhood home. She's still mourning the loss of her beloved daughter, Monica, and struggling to deal with her father's dementia.

When a client, the nephew of the mayor of Queenstown, comes to Vandy with a job, it seems pretty cut and dried. Until two people end upp dead and Vandy discovers the case isn't quite so cut and dried.

Now, using only her wits, her training, and the help of her friends, Vandy sets out to uncover a conspiracy, but will she lose her life over it?

I liked Vandy, but I didn't love her. Honestly, I felt she was terribly naive for a former police officer.

For example, she's shocked when the mayor threatens her friends and their livelihoods, and makes a lot of assumptions (proven wrong) about the suspects and victims in the murder case.

The twist was decent, but the ending was ridiculously hard to suspend disbelief for.

A renegade mayor goes off the rails to protect her reputation and family? Is this a small town thing?

It's hard for me to buy since I'm from the 'big city.'

I did like Vandy's loyal friends, her BFFs, Key, and Sam, but I could have done without the silly 'love triangle' brewing between Key and Sam.

Why does almost every novel regardless of genre need to have a romantic component? It doesn't.

The writing was fine, but the suspense and urgency was lacking.

The narrative became quickly repetitive with Vandy's bed hopping (her way with dealing with grief), and repeated mentions of how much her dad wanted a son (Daddy issues, anyone?).

Vandy didn't seem like a very capable PI; she lucked into the gig, asked questions, and got lucky in the end with the help of her friends.

This was a real treat! The story took off right from the start and I was totally hooked. I was really impressed with the depth the story delivered; I love when there are real emotions interwoven in what could’ve been a standard mystery plot.

I def enjoyed and recommend!