Evander "Vandy" Myrick, the only Black private investigator in Queenstown, N.J., grapples with never-ending grief and her past, but doesn't allow complicated emotions to overwhelm her in the sharply plotted Death of an Ex, Delia Pitts's sequel to her 2024 novel, Trouble in Queenstown.
Vandy's visit to her daughter Monica's grave churns up longings for her late mother and her father, who no longer recognizes her because he has Alzheimer's disease. The past rears its head again later that night, when Vandy accompanies teenager Ingrid Ramírez to an awards ceremony at the homecoming gala of Queenstown's elite Rome School, where Ingrid is being recognized for academic excellence. The guest of honor is Rome's top donor, Philip Bolden--Vandy's ex-husband; they separated when she was pregnant with Monica. At the event, Philip drunkenly alienates Rome's headmaster and embarrasses his wife and son, Tariq, a star athlete and Ingrid's boyfriend. Still, Vandy remains attracted to Philip. Then his body is found near her office after they spend the night together. Now, Vandy declares, Philip is her client, and his murder becomes her new case.
Vandy effectively uses her grief as a tool in her investigation of Philip's murder, which leads her to examine his complicated home life, an academic scheme, and a Black church's fundraising methods. Pitts succinctly illustrates how small-town culture can fuel racism and forges a poignant plot that skillfully combines Vandy's personal turmoil and Queenstown roots with her professionalism and devotion to justice, shaped by her time as a police officer. --Oline H. Cogdill, freelance reviewer