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3.71 AVERAGE
3.71 AVERAGE
Lisa Reneé Pitts - the reader of the audiobook is very good. She brought the book alive.
I read this series (at least the first three) in the 90’s and enjoyed them. Barbara Neely died in March, 2020, and news articles about her reminded me of this series. This isn’t so much a murder mystery as it is a look at one Black woman’s struggle to keep her family clothed and fed all while maintaining a shred of dignity while working as a domestic in the home of a rich white family.
funny
reflective
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
3 stars = Good and worthwhile.
“A family couldn’t have domestic help and secrets.”
This was a fun contemporary mystery with cozy vibes that features an intelligent, bold and sassy MC. It touches on race and class relations, providing both thoughtful content and laughter. I saw the ending coming from very early on, but enjoyed every page of the story regardless.
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First Sentence: “Have you anything to say for yourself?” The judge gave Blanche a look that made her raise her handbag to her chest like a shield.
Favorite Quote: This is how we’ve survived in this country all this time, by knowing when to act like we believe what we’ve been told and when to act like we know what we know.
“A family couldn’t have domestic help and secrets.”
This was a fun contemporary mystery with cozy vibes that features an intelligent, bold and sassy MC. It touches on race and class relations, providing both thoughtful content and laughter. I saw the ending coming from very early on, but enjoyed every page of the story regardless.
---------------------
First Sentence: “Have you anything to say for yourself?” The judge gave Blanche a look that made her raise her handbag to her chest like a shield.
Favorite Quote: This is how we’ve survived in this country all this time, by knowing when to act like we believe what we’ve been told and when to act like we know what we know.
adventurous
informative
mysterious
fast-paced
I read this because Sisters in Crime will have a Reading Like a Writer discussion on it soon and I wanted to take advantage of that. I had never heard of this book! I’m so glad SinC brought it to my attention though, because I loved it! Blanche is so sassy and really stood out from a lot of mystery sleuths I’ve read lately. It’s written in the 1990s but sadly the racism and sexism aspects are so relevant these days that it could be a modern book. I can’t wait to read the rest of the Blanche series.
adventurous
funny
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
This mystery kept me interested and guessing throughout. I enjoyed seeing the pieces come together.
hopeful
lighthearted
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Highly recommend this book to every human. I went in thinking this would be a fairly lighthearted mystery read, but Barbara Neely was a human rights and social justice activist in addition to being an author. She weaves race, class, gender, and more into the story in a compelling way that adds so many layers of depth beyond the basic mystery. Plus, Neely is widely credited as the first Black woman to write a Black woman as the lead sleuth in the mystery genre.
Read more about Barbara Neely:
https://www.npr.org/2020/03/11/814603243/remembering-barbara-neely-a-pioneer-in-crime-fiction
Read more about Barbara Neely:
https://www.npr.org/2020/03/11/814603243/remembering-barbara-neely-a-pioneer-in-crime-fiction
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Reading this novel I realized how long it had been since I read just a straightforward mystery- and I'm glad I picked one up. It's hard not to become jaded by the true crime wave of media which is in exact opposition to this novel which not only provides a page turning situation with interesting characters but also race and class commentary is interwoven throughout. This novel was executed perfectly, Blanche was a lovable heroine and her knowledge of her surroundings was equal parts believable and nuanced. It was remarkable how uninterested she was in the affairs of those around her while being simultaneously propelled by her curiosity. This novel packs a punch and is much larger than the hokey marketing of its time cracks it up to be.
I looooove a gripping fictional amateur detective story any day of the week and Blanch on the Lam is the genre at it's best.
Tense, funny and full of searing takedowns on the harm and idiocracy of white supremacy - this book, written in 1992, could have be written today.
I am hooked on the series. HIGHLY RECOMMEND.
Tense, funny and full of searing takedowns on the harm and idiocracy of white supremacy - this book, written in 1992, could have be written today.
I am hooked on the series. HIGHLY RECOMMEND.