Trouble in Queenstown

A Mystery

By: Delia Pitts

Narrated by: Bahni Turpin

With Trouble in Queenstown, Delia Pitts introduces private investigator Vandy Myrick in a powerful mystery that blends grief, class, race, and family with thrilling results.

"Turpin masterfully distinguishes among characters of different genders, ages, and ethnic backgrounds, ensuring that each voice is distinct and authentic."—AudioFile

Evander “Vandy” Myrick became a cop to fulfill her father’s expectations. After her world cratered, she became a private eye to satisfy her own. Now she's back in Queenstown, New Jersey, her childhood home, in search of solace and recovery. It's a small community of nine thousand souls crammed into twelve square miles, fenced by cornfields, warehouses, pharma labs, and tract housing. As a Black woman, privacy is hard to come by in "Q-Town," and worth guarding.

For Vandy, that means working plenty of divorce cases. They’re nasty, lucrative, and fun in an unwholesome way. To keep the cash flowing and expand her local contacts, Vandy agrees to take on a new client, the mayor’s nephew, Leo Hannah. Leo wants Vandy to tail his wife to uncover evidence for a divorce suit.

At first the surveillance job seems routine, but Vandy soon realizes there’s trouble beneath the bland surface of the case when a racially charged murder with connections to the Hannah family rocks Q-Town. Fingers point. Clients appear. Opposition to the inquiry hardens. And Vandy’s sight lines begin to blur as her determination to uncover the truth deepens. She’s a minor league PI with few friends and no resources. Logic pegs her chances of solving the case between slim and hell no. But logic isn’t her strong suit. Vandy won’t back off.

A Macmillan Audio production from Minotaur Books.

©2024 Delia Pitts (P)2024 Macmillan Audio

Critic reviews

"A [S]tandout series launch . . . With an indelible lead and a richly rendered setting, Pitts sets this series up for success. Readers will be eager for the next installment."–Publishers Weekly (starred review)

"A darkly atmospheric debut whose heroine just might want to reconsider her decision not to carry a gun next time."–Kirkus Reviews

"Vandy is a realistic, tough woman who refuses to quit, and her inner thoughts are fun to read. Although this is a mystery novel, it also deals with grief, race, classism, and family."–Booklist

Painful to listen to

Absurdly overly descriptive writing. Like a high school kid writing their first short story. I couldn’t even finish it

Lots of twists and turns!

Great read! Had me guessing until the end! Loved the characters! Can’t wait for the sequel!