3.5 stars rounding up, I liked this quite a bit!

Vandy's character really made this story so enjoyable. She is a complete bada$$ PI and takes NO sh!t from men, or anyone! Her friends were all great characters too!

I thought this mystery was good, it gets a little convoluted at the end but it all gets explained and when those puzzle pieces fell into place.... wow!

Would recommend if you love:
-cozy-ish mystery
-PI as the detective
-family dynamics
-small town politics

OMG I love Vandy! I wasn't sure getting into the novel but the more I read the more I liked! Good pace, loved the chapters introducing her new clients, and overall a page turner. It is on the gritty side which in my opinion is perfect.

Thanks to the publisher and NetGallery for the advanced copy in return for an honest review. I honestly want more.

This was so fun. I really enjoyed reading it and didn’t want to put it down. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this ARC!

It is easy to recommend this debut mystery and series starter. The investigator is a Black woman who has returned to her New Jersey community and childhood home. There are many unsettling things going on beneath the surface of her hometown. When Vandy becomes involved in an investigation, murder and more will happen and much will be exposed.

There are twists, a good plot and a look at some important issues in these pages. Murder in Queenstown is definitely worth adding to a reading list.

Many thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for this title. All opinions are my own.

A young mother and a friend are killed in Queenstown. Vandy is hired to find out why. In a town with decades old rampant racism, it’s hard for a black woman to get answers. Well developed mystery with a shocking twist. Great series starter. Worth the read!

*ARC provided by NetGalley for an honest review.

3.5 stars
Bad Ass PI novel. Engaging and Interesting. Thanks to the publisher and Net Galley for a copy of this book.

Trouble in Queenstown by Delia Pitts is an interesting mystery. Vandy Myrick is a black, female Private Investigator. The book is broken up into 5 parts or cases. The first is Leo's Case. The second is Sam's Case. The third is Ingrid's Case. The fourth is Ivy's Case and the last part is a wrap up 10 weeks later. Vandy is 47, has an adult daughter, is single and hooks up on occasion. It is a fast paced mystery. #TroubleInQueenstown

Vandy Myrick is a black private eye who is approached by Leo Hannah, nephew of the towns mayor, to tail his wife Ivy who he claims is being stalked. What appears to be a simple case turns deadly when a racially charged murder has connections to the Hannah family. Really enjoyed this exciting fast-paced mystery as Vandy discovers family & Q-towns secrets as well as corruption that exists in this small NJ town. This my first by Delia Potts, but it won’t be my last.

I really enjoyed this book. It's far from a cozy but not quite what I would consider hardboiled; more of a tough, medium-boiled mystery. A compelling story with some good plot twists and interesting characters. Great potential for a continuing series (I have no idea if that's the plan but if it is then I'm definitely in for book #2).

The main character, Evander “Vandy” Myrick (she's named after her father), is a Black, middle-aged woman with law enforcement experience who is still fairly new to the private detective business. The kind of unique yet familiar character that draws you in to the story almost immediately. As she investigates various clues into the murder at the center of the story and struggles with personal demons from the past it seems as though Vandy may be in over her head but she refuses to give in or give up.

Overall it's a fun, entertaining read. There are some minor plot holes and there's an occasional touch of Hallmark movie-ish sentimentality but once you connect with the characters, particularly Vandy, you won't really notice. Trouble in Queenstown would make a great summer read, it has substance but not too heavy... You can put it down (once it gets going you may not want to) and pick it up without getting lost.

As an old-school, hardboiled detective kind of guy I mean this as the best kind of compliment - it transcends the "woman detective" genre and is just good story telling. Kind of puts me in mind of the Eve Ronin Mystery series by Lee Goldberg in that they both feature strong female characters who deal with real world issues without being either idiots or superheroes.

Very well written. Great read!

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.

Vandy is a private investigator working in Queenstown, New Jersey. She is hired by a man to follow his wife because he fears she is being stalked. Unfortunately, the wife and her alleged stalker are found dead. Vandy works the case to discover if the stalker is the killer or is it someone else.

I found this mystery ok. It was a fairly quick read and had interesting characters. I thought the storyline was a bit predictable and would have liked a bit more action in the story. I thought Vandy was a fun and spunky main character who doesn’t take anybody’s baloney. It has a diverse cast of characters and there is talk on racism, grief, and loss of a child.

Thank you St. Martin's Press | Minotaur Books for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I couldn’t get into the story just as I thought. Not disappointed but need more depth, I think. I can't remember when was the last time when I read a book in which the whole plot was 100% equal to what was written in the blurb and nothing more. There was no surprise there, no resolution to any of the plot threads and the whole story was blatantly predictable and painfully dull.

While I loved the cover and found the blurb of "Trouble In Queenstown" to be a really intriguing concept for a Thriller, the writing style and overall pacing of the story wasn't a great fit for me.

Thank you Delia Pitts , Net Galley and St. Martin's Press - Minotaur Books for providing me with an ARC of this book.

Realizing that her investigative skills were WAY off Vandy Myrick works to make it right. She owes it to her client and her family. Vandy’s stubbornness and disbelief at getting it all wrong in the first place pushes her to find the truth. The story moves at a good pace. The author is clear on what drives Vandy, why she makes the choices she makes. It is a diverse cast of characters. Vandy surrounds herself with really good people who are always looking out for her even when Vandy is bent on leaning into self-destruction. I was left wanting more and I hope we get it in a sequel.

Evander “Vandy” Myrick is underestimated. A former cop who comes back to her hometown in Jersey after quitting the force and putting up her P.I. shingle, she agrees to take on a case for the the mayor's nephew. Right away it's unclear to Vandy what the case is actually about; first posed as watching for his wife's stalker, the client then says he thinks she's having an affair.

Soon there is a dead body and Vandy ends up in the middle of an investigation, unwittingly giving a reason for the death. She is unwilling to accept the police line and starts digging on her own which sets up a conflict with very powerful people. She won't give up and along the way this at first, very lonely woman, makes friends and opens herself up to relationships with others. I really enjoyed Vandy, she is strong and determined and also has a lot of pain she is dealing with. I could definitely see this character leading more books.

Racial disparity, politics, privilege, dementia, and parentage all play a role in this crime novel. Fasten your seat belts and enjoy the ride!

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC.

A terrific noir mystery.. no pun intended… with a black private eye that can become an ongoing series with her the feature. The dialogue is spot on, clever, and believable. I loved her choice of words and her take on body language. I blew through it and so will other readers. Enjoy the ride. Hoping to see Vandy again in the sequel.

What an interesting character Evander “Vandy” Myrick is! The daughter of a police officer, she is now back in her hometown as a PI — and a spunky, hard-nosed one at that. Soon after the mayor’s nephew becomes her client in what is supposed to be a rather simple divorce case, all changes quickly so that Vandy becomes involved in so much more, including two murders and new clients (the father of one of the murder victims and the sister of the other). The plot moves quickly and is an engaging one. I did find that some of the characters needed more development, however, and that some of the events surrounding the mysteries seemed a bit too far-fetched. Nonetheless, this was an enjoyable read, and I look forward to Vandy’s next adventure.

Vandy Myrick has returned home to Queenstown, NJ to restart her life as a newly licensed private investigator. One of her first clients wants her to follow his wife to prove she’s having an affair. The job is routine, even boring, but her client is the nephew of the town’s powerful mayor and her business depends on referrals. It doesn’t take Vandy long to realize that nothing is as it seems.

Delia Pitts has written an outstanding mystery with characters who are either likable or delightfully despicable. Vandy Myrick is complex, broken, and trying to heal. Readers will find Vandy sympathetic even when she’s venting her anger.

By the end of the book, readers will be hoping this is the first in a series and looking forward to spending time with Vandy again. If you love well-written books with a feisty main character, this is the book for you. If you dislike books written in the first person, set that dislike aside in order to enjoy reading this book with its complex storyline and well-drawn characters.

My thanks to Minotaur and Edelweiss for an eARC.

♡𝐀𝐮𝐝𝐢𝐨𝐛𝐨𝐨𝐤 𝐑𝐞𝐯𝐢𝐞𝐰♡
4.5🌟
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𝐓𝐫𝐨𝐩𝐞𝐬 :
•small town mystery
•murder mystery
𝐓𝐫𝐢𝐠𝐠𝐞𝐫 𝐖𝐚𝐫𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐬 :
•racism (a lot)
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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 St.Martin Press for the (eArc)-eBook for my honest review.

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. Thanks to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for the eARC. Recommended.