"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!

Thank you Netgalley for the advance copy.

Note: this book is direct in its discussions of loss and grief.

Trouble in Queenstown introduces us to private investigator Evander "Vandy" Myrick. From the start, Vandy brings a no-nonsense intensity to everything she does. A potential case of infidelity quickly turns into an investigation of murder. We're pulled into the mystery through Ms. Pitts' use of having Vandy examine the case through the stories of the other characters.

This mystery pulls you in with its quick pace and believable characters. Looking forward to hopefully more mysteries starring Evander Myrick.

Delia Pitts does a great job in writing this type of book, it had everything that I was hoping for from the mystery genre. It had me on the edge of my seat and thought it worked well overall. I enjoyed getting to know the characters in this book and how they interacted with the book. It left me wanting to read more in this universe and glad I got to read this.

ex-cop, New-Jersey, private-investigators, black-African-American-thriller, fast-pace, investigation, family, divorced, hard-boiled, dementia, corruption, racism, class-consciousness, suspense****

Opens with a bang to set the stage for the personality of main character Evander “Vandy” Myrick and never slows down. Mother is dead and father is in care facility because of dementia which stole his long history of local cop and everything else from him and left his daughter with an underlay of sadness. Enter the lying client swiftly followed by the murders and a very complex investigation. Hope this will become a series!
I requested and received a free temporary e-book from St. Martin's Press/Minotaur Books via NetGalley. Thank you!
Available 6 Jul 2024