by Sharon Marchisello

Details at the end of this post on how to enter to win a copy of the book and a link to purchase the book from Amazon.

Trouble in Queenstown by Delia Pitts introduces badass private investigator Evander Myrick (named after her police chief father, who always wanted a son). “Vandy” has recently returned to Queenstown, New Jersey, the community where she grew up, to restart her career after the heartbreaking loss of her daughter. In the opening chapter, Vandy bests a thug in a bar fight and then picks up a sexy mimbo for a one-night stand.

As the story unfolds, we see a softer side of Vandy as she processes her grief over her daughter’s death. Her father is the only relative she has left, but he’s in a memory care home and doesn’t even recognize her, despite her frequent visits and attempted chats.

By the end of the first chapter, Vandy gets her first client: Leo Hannah, nephew of the powerful Queenstown mayor, Josephine Hannah. Leo tells Vandy that his wife, Ivy, has received some threats, and he wants Vandy to tail her. When Vandy asks to interview Ivy about the threats, Leo waffles and admits he believes Ivy is having an affair.

Vandy follows Ivy for a week, finds no evidence of an affair, and prepares a report for Leo. When she arrives at his home to present it, the cops are investigating a double homicide. Ivy is clinging to life and later dies. A man named Hector Ramirez lies dead on the floor. Leo claims he shot Hector when he found him assaulting Ivy.The police wrap up the case quickly, not questioning Leo’s story. After providing her witness testimony, Vandy’s work is done.

But then she gets a new client: Samuel Decker, Ivy’s father. He doesn’t believe the story the mayor and her nephew fed the cops. Sam thinks Leo is the one who killed his daughter, and he wants Vandy to prove it.

Vandy and Sam investigate the crime and also commiserate over membership in a club no one should ever have to join: losing a child. Although they make progress, they are unable to prove Leo is Ivy’s killer. Then Vandy is approached by Ingrid Ramirez, Hector’s sister, who wants to hire Vandy to prove that Hector didn’t hurt anyone and thus clear her brother’s name. As Vandy gets closer to the truth, she is harassed, kidnapped, and beaten—with a stern warning to back off. But rather than quit, she doubles down, determined she’s on the right track.

This well-written novel is told in first person and touches on many current social issues: racial inequality, corruption in local politics, divisive topics, and family ties. Vandy is a strong female protagonist who could easily sustain a series. She’s tenacious, spunky, and caring. I’d like to see where some of her relationships go as she settles back into the Queenstown community and solves more cases.

You can click here to purchase this book from Amazon.

To enter to win a copy of Trouble in Queenstown, simply email KRL at krlcontests@gmail[dot]com by replacing the [dot] with a period, and with the subject line “queenstown” or comment on this article. A winner will be chosen August 31, 2024. U.S. residents only, and you must be 18 or older to enter. If entering via email please include your mailing address in case you win, it will be deleted after the contest. You can read our privacy statement here if you like.

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Sharon Marchisello recently signed a three-book contract with Level Best Books for a cozy mystery series involving a woman who does animal rescue. The first in the series, Trap, Neuter, Die, will be released in September 2024. Her first two mysteries were published by Sunbury Press: Going Home (which will be featured soon on Mysteryrat’s Maze Podcast) (2014) and Secrets of the Galapagos (2019). She has also written a nonfiction book (Live Well, Grow Wealth), travel articles, and short stories. She earned a Master’s in Professional Writing from the University of Southern California and is active in Sisters in Crime. Sharon lives in Peachtree City, GA, where she does volunteer work for the Fayette Humane Society and the Fayette County Master Gardeners.

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