Started off a little slow but it draws you in. The characters are complex. The mystery is full.of twists. There were a few times it got predictable and then wham, it turned completely around. I'd read this author again.

I really enjoyed the story. It was different than what I expected. I enjoyed the main character and I loved her disposition and general attitude , I also loved her backstory and the growth of her character throughout the novel. Overall I thought the story was a bit lackluster and the whodunnit storyline was predictable but I loved the ending and the twist I didn’t see coming. 3.5 stars , rounding up to 4 for this review.

I really liked this book. It follows a mystery and it has a Private investigator in it. It was an easy & quick read. Very enjoyable and I read it in one sitting. It has twists and turns that hold your attention and wanting more.

This book is SO good. Truly wow, I was blown away by the reveals and the storytelling. I had no idea where it was going and loved how the story weaved itself (with gorgeous gritty writing). I always enjoy PI stories because they seem to have drama in their past that comes out in how doggedly they pursue a case and this was a great example of this. Vandy has such a good instinct and is a fascinating MC to follow. There are a few different storylines to follow and I love how it came to a fast paced and chilling ending. Family, socioeconomic and racial factors, and politics all play a crucial role in this emotional small-town mystery and this is a story that's many facets will stay with me for a long time.

I really really hope this becomes a series because I am not done with Vandy!

Thank you NetGalley, the publisher, and the author for this ARC in exchange for an honest review!

When I saw the cover, I was intrigued and wanted to read this book. The blurb also sounded interesting so I was excited to start this book. Unfortunately, the book was just alright. There were several parts that I thought were unnecessary and added nothing to the story based adding pages. The twists were kind of predictable which ruined a bit of my enjoyment.

Even though this book was just okay for me, I would still be interested in checking out this author's other books in the future.

If you want a drama-filled crime novel that is going to keep your head on a swivel, this is one for you. Every part of this book just kept getting juicier and JUICIER. Who knew one small town and one powerful family could have so much drama?! (That's said with sarcasm, those are always the ones with major drama).

Vandy Myrick is back in her hometown, taking on assignments as a private eye. Leo Hannah approaches her with a task - follow his wife Ivy, because he fears he has a stalker and fears for her safety. When Vandy gets a call that a man was murdered in the Hannah household, Leo claims self defense - the man was attacking Ivy with a hammer! And when Ivy doesn't make it through the attack, it becomes a full-fledged homicide investigation, with all fingers pointing to the dead man.

But Ivy's father knows there's more to the story, and the alleged killer's sister does too. Vandy has to shift gears, now looking to prove that Leo may actually be the one to have murdered his wife. But his family is extremely powerful, and will take any measure to make sure their name stays out of the investigation, even if it means using force and blackmail to accomplish their goals.

Like I said, this one is just dripping with drama. Just when I thought things couldn't get crazier, they did. It was truly shocking. I did knock a point off because I felt like the ending was a bit rushed, but this was such a page turner that I can't be *that* bothered.

And you all know by now that investigative mysteries are a genre that I am typically tough on, so my enjoyment of this really says a lot!

Thank you to NetGalley and Minotaur books for the ARC copy of this read!

Trouble in Queenstown is my first book by Delia Pitts, but won't be my last! I thoroughly enjoyed this book and loved the characters in it. The main character is Private Investigator Vandy Myrick who has recently returned to her hometown of Queenstown. Vandy has suffered through a terrible tragedy and needs something new in her life. She used to be a cop, like her father, but can no longer do that job after she loses someone precious to her. She turns to private investigating and has done very well. Vandy is one of very few black women in Queenstown and gets looks everywhere she goes.

The mayor's nephew, Leo Hannah, comes to Vandy's office, wanting to hire her. Leo is convinced that his wife may be having an affair and wants Vandy to follow her. The job seems simple enough, but it turns out to be far from simple. As things escalate and a murder takes place who should Vandy believe? Everyone is pointing one way, but Vandy believes something else, much more sinister, happened. As Vandy investigates and speaks to people that knew the victims she gets a different story than what the police and mayor want everyone to believe. Can Vandy convince her old friend, the police chief, that what she's found needs to be taken seriously? He's already closed the case.

This is a very good mystery that will keep you guessing to the motive and person that did the killing. I rate Trouble in Queenstown 4 stars with a high recommendation. This book will be the first in a new series I'm hearing and I am so happy to hear that! Trouble in Queenstown is now available and should be in your TBR pile. I'd like to thank NetGalley and Minotaur Books for an advanced copy of Trouble in Queenstown in exchange for a fair review. #TroubleInQueenstown

I thought it was an entertaining read overall and well written. I wasn't exactly blown away but it kept me intrigued enough to keep going.

Thank you to NetGalley, Minotaur Books and author Delia Pitts for the opportunity to read Trouble in Queenstown; this review reflects my honest opinion. I loved the book; in fact I delayed finishing it as I didn't want it to end. In it, the reader meets Evander Myrik, AKA as Vandy, Private Investigator and owner of Evander Myrik Investigations. She succeeds her father Evander, a retired policeman, currently suffering from dementia. Vandy is 47 years old, still recovering from the death of her beautiful 19 year old daughter Monica, single and a fierce and fiesty woman. Leo Hannah, nephew of the revered and feared Queenstown,
NJ Mayor Josephine Hannah comes to Vandy requesting her services to protect his wife Ivy. He says that Ivy claims she is being stalked, however when Ivy pushes him for specifics he then asserts that he believes he is losing Ivy to another man, and wants proof of her infidelity. She accepts Leo' case. After following Ivy for a week, she sees no signs of infidelity, only a very kind woman, a loving mother and dedicated volunteer. The day Vandy is to turn in her report to Leo he calls and asks her to deliver it to their home. Upon arrival the street is filled with police cars; Vandy walks into a scene where Hector Ramirez, a church volunteer and friend of Ivy's is dead, and Ivy is being transported to the hospital where she later dies. From there on the action never stops. Trouble in Queenstown is a thrill ride that kept me turning the pages; it's hard to put the book down. The characters are well developed and the multi-layered plot is extremely compelling and intriguing. I highly recommend it for all fans of thrillers, suspense and mysteries. 4.5 stars

I really liked this hard-boiled detective novel. Evander Myrick is a private detective working in Queenstown. I loved her character - she's tough, no nonsense, visits her dementia-plagued father daily, has a tragic past, and is also brave and smart. Ha - I guess from that long list, it is easy to see how much I like her. She is also a Black woman in a male-dominated profession, and a town that has a lot of white privilege.

The mystery was good and I really liked how everything connected. It was one of those books that I couldn't wait to get back to.

Vandy Myrick has returned to her hometown of Queenstown, NJ to work as a PI. Following the devastating loss of her daughter she needs to turn over a new leaf. When the mayors nephew, Leo Hannah, approaches Vandy about investigating his wife to see what she’s been up to Vandy doesn’t know what she’s getting herself into. The job is simple at first, but when Ivy Hannah ends up murders Vandy realizes there is so much more going on. Diving into this new case headfirst, Vandy will stop at nothing to learn what really happened to Ivy Hannah.

In theory I am a fan of thrillers and mysteries, but I definitely prefer the cozier versions without the blood and violence. This book was not on the cozier end and I knew that going in. I was hoping I could overlook that and I tried my best, but despite that I still found the gore a bit challenging and that may have impacted my experience of this book a bit. Besides all of that, I think this was a good mystery that had some twists and turns I wasn’t expecting. There were a lot of characters, which got a little confusing at times, but I think the author did a good job of establishing the main characters. With that being said, I didn’t really connect with any of the characters. I did enjoy this story and thought it was clever how everything ties together. Overall this was a good mystery read and would be good for harder core mystery and thriller fans.

DNF @ 20%. I really wanted to get into this mystery, but the first scene was unwanted sexual contact/harassment/assault, and that wasn't the opening scene I wanted. Plus, it seemed like this was a book where everyone was mediocre at best, which I don't enjoy reading.

Thank you to NetGalley and Minotaur Books for providing me with an eARC of Trouble in Queenstown in exchange for my honest review.

The moments of suspense were very much intriguing and I enjoyed this most about the book.

The authors ability to keep readers invested in Queenstown characters and its story was nothing short of amazing and I look forward to reading more from this author.

Looking for a good murder mystery? Add this one to your Summer tbr.

*thank you to the publisher for the opportunity to read and review.

Thank you St. Martin's Press -- Minotaur Books for allowing me to read and review Trouble in Queenstown, a mystery by Delia Pitts on NetGalley.

Published: 06/16/24

Stars: 2.5

Of note: I would have read this at some point in my life, sooner rather than later. Every time I see the cover it stops me and I'm compelled to look into the book. Now I can report my book world is righted.

As I look at the cover I have mixed emotions. My entire reading experience was just okay. I didn't particularly like any of the characters (The exception -- Sam.) and I tried. The storyline was okay. I didn't like the individual chapters. I didn't like multiple people employing the same PI. There are references to being black and references to current societal issues; I didn't sign up for an opinion or lecture.

The cover conveys cozy. The story is simple. There are multiple characters. There is profanity and use of the N word (My breaking point.)

Trouble in Queenstown by Delia Pitts is a different sort of private eye novel. The protagonist is a black female who is currently recovering from the loss of her college-age daughter. She is far from rich, or even doing well financially but she is stubborn as all get-out and in it to win, or at least find the truth. Leo Hannah came to the office to ask Evander Myrick, yes, she was named after her father, to follow his wife. He thought she didn’t love him any more. So Vandy followed her. It was not all that exciting as she led a rather mundane life. Errands, McDonalds with her son, her volunteer position at the church. No indication anything was off. Oh, yes, Leo was the mayor’s nephew and a little entitled. Between visits to her demented father and quick hook-ups to blur the pain, Vandy investigated. Leo called with the flu and asked her to drop the report by his house. When she followed police officers into the house, she was aghast at what she saw there: two dead bodies. Then things really started going downhill.

Vandy made any number of discoveries that she wasn’t interested in knowing. Some were about her father, who was whiling away his days in a nursing home and didn’t even know her. Was justice served? Some might say so. Vandy is an excellent character: very human, very broken. But she functioned well and did her job. She had layers. The plot was a good one, some things I didn’t see coming. It was a fun read that made me feel as if I were part of it all somehow. She had a couple of friends and plenty of acquaintances. She lived a goofed up life, but I see hope for the future. Hope this is a series. Thanks Delia for giving me a view of a different life.

I was invited to read Trouble in Queenstown by St Martin’s Press. All thoughts and opinions are mine. #Netgalley #StMartinsPress #DeliaPitts #TroubleInQueenstown

* Trouble in Queenstown by @deliapitts50 *

Published July 16 > OUT NOW!
Don’t sleep on this one, grab yourself a copy today!

Trouble in Queenstown is a powerful mystery that blends grief, class, race, and family with thrilling results. - Goodreads

The author introduces Evander “Vandy” Myrick to the reader. An ex-cop turned Private investigator, Vandy is recruited by the Mayor’s nephew Leo Hannah to tail his suspected cheating wife. What seems like any other case soon turns into a murder case with connections to the Hannah family the could turn Queenstown upside down.

Delia Pitts is a new author to me and this is my first book of hers I’ve read. I love the cover of this book, it gives off all the nostalgia vibes with the old diner and neon lights but still has an eerie vibe with the dark stormy sky.

Thank you to @netgalley and @minotaur_books for approving my E-ARC request via Netgalley. Also a second thank you to @macmillan.audio for allowing me to listen to the audiobook version of this story as well. I highly recommend the audio for this one as you really get a better feel for each character. You can hear the emotions in their voice, the different inflections based on their ethnicities and differences in vocabulary as well.

#macmillanaudio #netgalley #minotaur #advancedreaderscopy #grabyourstoday

First of all I want to thank Minotaur Books @minotaurbooks and NeetGalley @netgalley for the opportunity to read Trouble in Queenstown.
While I did not feel this was one of the best books I read, I did enjoy it.

Vandy, a previous police officer named after her father Evander, also a police officer After the loss of her daughter she has returned to her hometown of Queenstown as a private investigator, a new “gig” for her. She is a tough cookie and takes on the mayor’s nephew “simple” divorce case – but finds out there is more than meets the eye. She gets herself involved deeper which involves two murders. Basically I did like the story; but at times it seemed to move slow for me – but I was glad I did finish it and ended up liking the story.

Delia Pitts has offered one of the compelling new PIs in years with Evander “Vandy” Myrick, and TROUBLE IN QUEENSTOWN is a smart, thrilling series debut. By melding the traditional PI with a small-town murder mystery, Pitts offers up the best of both worlds, while also exploring a variety of hot-button issues such as family, class, and race. I absolutely loved Vandy Myrick: Her complications, her contradictions, and her fearlessness. She's a singularly exciting character from literally the book's first words, and I can't wait to read where Delia takes her next.

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 up 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, 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 an action-packed mystery filled with fascinating characters and enough twists and turns to keep you guessing. While Vandy knows who the guilty party is, she needs to figure out how to prove it and we get to come along for the ride. Vandy is a strong but vulnerable character that you can’t help but root for but want to chastise for some decisions at the same time. I enjoyed getting to know Vandy and being immersed into the small town that she lives in. Hoping we’ll get to see her again in another story.