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3.71 AVERAGE
3.71 AVERAGE
Historical segregated south house main murder mystery. Not interested in reading about my own ancestral oppression.
adventurous
funny
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I think I am going to enjoy this series. Blanche is a smart and engaging protagonist and this book is well-written and engaging. Looking forward to the next in the series
I really wanted to love this, close as it is to my own upbringing.
There's a lot to like here. Blanche is a great character in the classic unwilling detective mold. The descriptions of her meals alone make the book worthwhile.
It's a little slow overall, though. No one dies until halfway through the book!
That said, I didn't see the ending coming, and the supporting cast was colorful enough to carry the book even when little else was happening. With only four books, I'm definitely in for the series.
There's a lot to like here. Blanche is a great character in the classic unwilling detective mold. The descriptions of her meals alone make the book worthwhile.
It's a little slow overall, though. No one dies until halfway through the book!
That said, I didn't see the ending coming, and the supporting cast was colorful enough to carry the book even when little else was happening. With only four books, I'm definitely in for the series.
This is a book not to be read for the mystery which is pretty standard cozy mystery fare, but for the perspective of an African-American woman working as a "domestic" and the sharp observations of race and gender in the South. What she notes happening to Blanche White (warning: don't joke about her name or you'll get smacked down!) seems contemporary in discussions in social media today.
I saw some people say later books in the series improve in plot so I'm eager to read more.
I saw some people say later books in the series improve in plot so I'm eager to read more.
adventurous
dark
funny
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
medium-paced
Pretty fun and entertaining read. The audiobook narrator did a phenomenal job!
Rarely do I read a fiction book that can captivate and intrigue me for its entire length. This book did just that, and much more. Barbara Neely's writing was fantastic on many different levels. The book reads as though you have an all-access pass to Blanche's thoughts and opinions on all her moments, simple and complex. Every character had a depth that was revealed slowly and in such a way that I wanted to savor every moment of it. The story itself was fascinating, but even more captivating was the feeling that I was looking through a window into some else's life. Someone very different and yet very similar to myself. This feeling made me think about various issues without even realizing it because I was enjoying listening to it so much! Additionally, the Narrator for the Audiobook was a fantastic fit for this story.