Death of an Ex - (Vandy Myrick Mysteries) by Delia Pitts

Book Synopsis

Delia Pitts expertly writes about family, race, class, and grief in her mysteries. Vandy Myrick captured readers' and critics' hearts in Trouble in Queenstown. She returns in Death of an Ex, where Vandy tries to piece together what brought her ex-husband's life to an end.

Queenstown, New Jersey, feels big when you need help and tiny when you want privacy. For Vandy Myrick, that's both a blessing and a curse. Now that Vandy's back in "Q-Town," her services as her hometown's only Black woman private investigator have earned her more celebrity--or notoriety--than she figured.

Keeping busy with work helps Vandy deal with the grief of losing her daughter, stitching the seams, cementing the gaps. The memories will always remain, and they come crashing back to the surface when her ex-husband, Phil Bolden, walks back into her life. Promising everything, returning home, restoring family. Until she answers her door to the news that Phil has been murdered. And Vandy decides Phil is now her client.

It's hard to separate the Phil that Vandy knew from the one Queenstown did. She sees him--and their daughter--in Phil's son, who attends a prestigious local high school. She sees the layers of a complicated marriage with his wife. She sees all of Phil's various roles: parent, husband, businessman, philanthropist. But which role got him killed?

Review Quotes

Advance Praise for Death of an Ex

"A literary, absorbing whodunit encompassing murder, human compassion, and grief." -Library Journal (starred review)

"[Vandy Myrick] is an uncommonly well-shaded mystery heroine. Throw in Pitts's knack for scene setting and her sharp observations about race and class, and this series seems poised for a long run." -Publishers Weekly

"Pitts works so assiduously to knit Vandy's detective work together with her self-imposed mandate to heal the most vulnerable members of her community that the healing work continues even after Phil's murderer is identified." -Kirkus Reviews

"A twisting mystery." -Booklist

"Pitts has written a novel rich in the many layers of community while delving deeply into the character of Vandy; the balance between the two is perfect. A great choice for a reading group." -First Clue

Praise for Trouble in Queenstown

"Trouble in Queenstown starts at a simmer, but when Vandy's investigation gets going, it reaches a full boil." -The New York Times Book Review

"[Vandy Myrick] is a perfect fit for her new career as a private eye." -The Washington Post

"The story flies. Pitts's prose strikes a sophisticated balance between elegance and energy, with a description of Queenstown as a blend of "American Revolutionary severity and antebellum frippery" coming only pages after a cracking bar brawl." -Minneapolis Star-Tribune

"Danger, thrills, and intrigue meld in this tale." -Woman's World

"[A] promising start of a series." -Shelf Awareness

"A standout 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

"Intriguing." -Library Journal

About the Author

DELIA PITTS worked as a journalist before earning a Ph.D. in history from the University of Chicago. After careers as a U.S. diplomat and university administrator, she left academia to begin writing fiction. Delia is the author of the Vandy Myrick mysteries, featuring a Black private investigator in New Jersey. She is also the author of the Ross Agency Mysteries, about a Harlem detective firm, and several short stories. She's a member of Sisters in Crime, Mystery Writers of America, and Crime Writers of Color.