Big cities have nothing on small towns in terms of lies, secrets and crime. In Death of an Ex, Vandy, a former cop turned PI investigates, her ex-husband’s death and in so doing digs up all sorts of dirt on the fine citizens of Queenstown, New Jersey.

Vandy Myrick, the main character and narrator, is a private investigator and former police officer who is still mourning the death of her daughter. When Her Philandering Ex-husband, Phil Bolden, is found murdered she feels compelled to find the perpetrator.

The narration tone is chatty and casual, providing detailed descriptions of meals, clothing, feelings and local flavor. Author Delia Pitts seems to use slang, colloquialisms to portray differences in race and class.

What seems like it will be a straightforward cozy mystery becomes more complicated as the number of characters directly and tangently involved with Phil Bolden increase. These characters add some spice to the story, and some are perfectly placed red herrings. Author Pitts also makes the story more intriguing by bifurcating the story arc into a couple of story lines, with surprising developments as the story reaches its zenith.

The narrator has a melodic, easy to listen to voice, and her cadence was leisurely. Death of an Ex is a fun, quick read with a satisfying ending for the murder mystery a hopefully future for Vandy.

I was looking forward to the second book in the Vandy Myrick series. This was a slower burn than the first book.

This book navigated Vandy continuing to grapple with the grief of losing her mother and daughter 3 years apart. Outside of Vandy’s own grief she is dealing with an ex she cannot get over (her daughter’s father).

Vandy gets caught up in the case of murder and the deeper she dives the more tangled the webs become. However, Vandy is a top notch PI and always gets to the truth.

This book had all the drama at a prep school, which brought in topics of racism and socioeconomic status.

I was hoping to enjoy this one a little more but a solid there’s cozy thriller for me. I was happy to see Vandy again.

Bahni Turpin narrated this mystery and I love her narrations! She truly brings the story to life.

Thank you MacMillian Audio for this ALC.

I rated last year's series opener, Trouble in Queenstown, highly. Death of an Ex was even more impressive to me. I'll gladly continue to read this series, if it continues.

This installment includes many connections that unfold gradually, but with big impact. Vandy is certainly flawed. Ultimately, her positive qualities—family ties, friendships, loyalty, sense of justice, curiosity, and determination—power her and make her an appealing character. Despite the content warnings—infidelity; extreme violence, including multiple murders; blackmail; and various other crimes—there is a positive conclusion, of sorts.

The author's background is fascinating—she was a journalist, U.S. diplomat, and a university administrator before leaving academia to begin writing fiction.

Bahni Turpin again narrates the audiobook. Her work is consistently extraordinary.

4.33⭐

Just the right level of twisty! And the narrators voice for whatever reason was weirdly soothing for being about death and corruption 🤣 I really enjoyed this listen.

Thank you NetGalley and Macmillan Audio as always for another ARC I loved!

🎧 Book Review 🎧 While I have no formal training as a private investigator, raising four kids sure has me feeling like one sometimes and sometimes the best way to figure out what is going on is to situate yourself right in the midst of the situation. Somehow (as always 🤣), I missed that this was the second book in the series, but Delia Pitts writes this books beautifully and situates us just like her main character, into the action without skipping a beat. While Vandy’s reunion with her ex-husband and the father of her deceased daughter is short lived, his murder propels their families, and the entire town into a frenzy to find the killer. Pitts harmoniously blends psychological thrills with layered familial drama and grief to create a multidimensional novel that translates perfectly to an audiobook thanks to the skilled narration of Bahni Turpin.

*Thanks to NetGalley and MacMillan audio for early copy for review*

Listened to the audiobook for thisnand I felt like the narrator captured character and yhe small-town feel. This being said I did not really like this character and the story wasn't for me. I don't read much detective stories and though I would prefer it from a black woman lead, but I don't think I like the tropes that go along with it.

This is the second book in the series but can be read as a standalone.
I love this series. Vandy is tough, gritty, vulnerable, and as real as a fictional character can get. She makes mistakes and owns them. She’s still hurting over the loss of her daughter. And in this book, her ex and father of her child is back. Vandy gets involved in solving his murder. Along the way she learns some of his secrets. His murder isn’t the only crime uncovered.
The story was well written and I was easily able to keep track of characters and the various storylines.
I did read this as an audiobook and thought the narrator did an excellent job.
I received this book as a free ARC and am leaving this review voluntarily.

I listen to two or three audiobooks each week, and I've discovered that it can be challenging to transition to a new audiobook after being immersed in the captivating world of a great story. Because of this, I’m always eager to give a new audiobook a fair chance before deciding it’s not for me.

I've realized that while a narrator can be truly exceptional, sometimes the story they’re conveying simply doesn’t resonate with the listener. Unfortunately, that was the case with this particular audiobook.

Thank you opportunity to listen to this audiobook

I absolutely devoured this book.
It was a good cozy mystery!
I enjoyed the voice of the audio reader!
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

This book! I love Vandy SO much. She is hurting, she is broken, she is flawed, but she is SO strong and still cares for others so much that it shines off the page. She is only human and she is trying her best, even when the world seems to continuously beat her down. She goes through more struggled and heartbreak in this book, but somehow keeps her face straight and risks everything to find justice for someone who might not seem like they deserve it. I was captivated by this book and the vibrant characters; so many twists and turns and I loveddd the storytelling the author does to slowly reveal the secrets and all the connections. Shocks pile up and Vandy keeps going until the bitter end. I feel for her so much, I want to give her a huge squeeze. I love this writing and the way the author writes flawed characters that you can't quite decide if you trust. I already cannot wait for more.

Note: I listened to the audiobook and it was perfect. The sass and drive in her voice, almost simultaneous with undertones of hurt and breaking was masterfully done to truly bring Vandy to life.

Death of an Ex is a strong, emotionally layered follow-up to Trouble in Queenstown, and it further solidifies Vandy Myrick as a compelling, complex protagonist. This time, the mystery hits close to home as Vandy investigates the murder of her ex-husband—a man whose return stirred up old wounds and unfinished business. The dynamic between Vandy and Phil is rich with history, tension, and unresolved grief, making the stakes feel deeply personal.

Delia Pitts does a fantastic job weaving themes of family, race, class, and loss into a thoughtful, suspenseful story. Queenstown remains an evocative setting—intimate and watchful—and the supporting characters add texture and intrigue. Bahni Turpin’s narration is, as always, top-notch—bringing depth and nuance to Vandy’s voice and emotional journey. A satisfying installment in a promising series, Death of an Ex left me eager to see where Vandy’s story goes next.

The second book in the Vandy Myrick Mystery series did not disappoint. Delia Pitts comes in hot with the follow up to Trouble in Queenstown. Vandy Myrick is a Private Investigator who finds herself in the middle of murder cases in her hometown of 'Q-town'. In Death of an Ex, Vandy is still (and forever) grieving the tragic loss of her daughter. Vandy reconnects with her ex and the father of her daughter, Phil. During this reunion, Vandy learns that not everything in her life may have been exactly what it had seemed. She knew Phil had left, but never knew all that he had done for her and her daughter over the years-it was all hidden from her by her father who is now suffering from dementia. Now Phil is murdered, and Vandy must figure out who did it and why. Nothing is exactly as it seems, and there are lots of twists and turns along the way.

Delia Pitts writes so poignantly on matters of race, class, and complicated family. I find these mysteries so fascinating-they are gritty and real.


Thanks to NetGalley and McMillan Audio for the advance copy in exchange for my honest review.

Death of an Ex is the second book in the Vandy Myrick series. I absolutely loved the first one so was excited when I was invited to read this. I did enjoy it as much as the first one, I am glad I read it and plan to read the next in the series. I love that you get to learn a bit more about Vandy and her past. I enjoyed the mystery and twists.
I just loved the narrator Bahni Turpin.
Thanks to NetGalley and Dreamscape audio for the opportunity to read an advance copy in exchange for a honest review

Death of an Ex by Delia Pitts follows a compelling mystery plot with intriguing twists and a promising concept. The story centers around a complex web of secrets, relationships, and a murder investigation that keeps readers guessing.

While I appreciated the idea behind the plot—it had strong potential and a solid foundation—I found it a bit difficult to stay fully engaged. There were quite a few characters introduced throughout the book, which made it challenging at times to keep track of who was who. This unfortunately affected my connection to the story and slowed down my reading experience.

That said, the audiobook narration by Bahni Turpin was a definite highlight. Her pacing was spot on, and she brought a great energy to the story that helped carry the book forward.

Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for the advanced listening copy in exchange for my honest review.

This was such a fantastic follow-up to the first book. I love how Vandy's character arc is progressing -- she feels like such a real character. Her style of investigation sets her apart from many other modern fictional detectives. The way she switches perspectives to understand the case is phenomenal.

This was such a joy to listen to. This is the second book of the Vandy Myrick series and I’ve enjoyed it just as much as I did Queenstown. Vandy is a former officer turned private investigator. She’s employed by a fabulous attorney and her partner. The story line flows smoothly and the narrator is top notch!! I also enjoyed the side characters. Sometimes, side characters play just as big a part in telling a story as the main characters. This was absolutely fantastic.

I enjoyed this audiobook. Great story wonderful narration I can’t wait for this book to come out. Thank you for this advanced copy. I look forward to giving it a more detailed review soon.

Loved the cover and it sounded fun and cozy, but it was mostly dull.

It was dull for the first several chapters … eventually there was a little bit of a mystery to unfold and I thought it might get good. However, it remained dull.

Not for me.

Based on this read, would I explore this author further? Probably not.

2.5 stars.

Audio:
Great audio production!

#NetGalley

Death of an Ex by Delia Pitts
Narrator, Bahni Turpin
I’m sorry to say this but I had to DNF this book. It was kind of depressing and it just wasn’t what I hoped it would be. The FMC had a daughter who died and a father with Alzheimer’s and she getting involved with her ex husband who is married to someone else. I listened for few. hours and did not even get to the murder yet.
Bahni Turpin is an excellent narrator but even she could not keep my interest.

Ａｕｄｉｏｂｏｏｋ Ｒｅｖｉｅｗ
🌟🌟🌟🌟.2
"The Death of an Ex" by Delia Pitts is book two in the Vandy Myrick Mysteries and can be read as a standalone. I actually enjoyed this murder mystery and liked how we got more information about Vandy! This book was good! I mean, your ex-estranged husband from many years ago ends up missing, and you were the last person he was with. That intrigued me.

The audiobook is narrated by Bahni Turpin, and she did a good job telling the story and bringing it to life. She did a good job. She was easy to understand and listen to. I listened at 2x speed.

Thank you, NetGalley, and Macmillan Audio for the audiobook in exchange for my honest review.