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agemme10's review against another edition
emotional
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
blairlynn's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
xsleepyshadows's review against another edition
3.0
Barbara is an activist so her writing is very issue oriented. She takes on racism, sexism, and classism all in this writing through our witty and wise character Blanche.
This was a good mystery, it has a nice build and you really get into Blanche's character. She's great and I hear the series only gets better from here!
Great read, it's been on my radar for a while and it was worth it!
This was a good mystery, it has a nice build and you really get into Blanche's character. She's great and I hear the series only gets better from here!
Great read, it's been on my radar for a while and it was worth it!
efrance's review against another edition
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
Slow-burn murder mystery where the detective is a smart, savvy 40-year-old black domestic worker. Story deals with the realities of class and racism, but main antagonist also gets a satisfying comeuppance. Writing could inspire you to clean your house and cook a delicious meal.
paperbacksandpines's review against another edition
3.0
If you're looking for a cozy mystery, I'm not sure whether this book will meet your requirements. However, if you're looking for a book that lets you peer into the psyche of a Black domestic servant working in the thick of the Civil Rights movement South, this may fit the bill.
The time period in which this book is set is never explicitly mentioned but it does mention the 1960s in the past tense. This initially threw me for a loop because Blanche was treated as if she were a slave and not paid for her household help. [b:Blanche on the Lam|23269388|Blanche on the Lam (Blanche White, #1)|Barbara Neely|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1411610473l/23269388._SY75_.jpg|579693] made me think of [b:The Help|4667024|The Help|Kathryn Stockett|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1572940430l/4667024._SY75_.jpg|4717423] if [b:The Help|4667024|The Help|Kathryn Stockett|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1572940430l/4667024._SY75_.jpg|4717423] were written from a Black perspective. Having not grown up in the South nor experienced the Civil Rights movement, it surprised me how Black domestic servants were treated in the not so distant past. It shouldn't have surprised me but it did.
As the book's protagonist, Blanche was no shrinking violet and she definitely had her reasons for not trusting whites, employer or otherwise. While I questioned some of her choices, the biggest thing this book has going for it was allowing me to see the world from a different perspective. I wouldn't say that the mystery in this book was top rate. The character study in this book is the most interesting part of it.
The time period in which this book is set is never explicitly mentioned but it does mention the 1960s in the past tense. This initially threw me for a loop because Blanche was treated as if she were a slave and not paid for her household help. [b:Blanche on the Lam|23269388|Blanche on the Lam (Blanche White, #1)|Barbara Neely|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1411610473l/23269388._SY75_.jpg|579693] made me think of [b:The Help|4667024|The Help|Kathryn Stockett|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1572940430l/4667024._SY75_.jpg|4717423] if [b:The Help|4667024|The Help|Kathryn Stockett|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1572940430l/4667024._SY75_.jpg|4717423] were written from a Black perspective. Having not grown up in the South nor experienced the Civil Rights movement, it surprised me how Black domestic servants were treated in the not so distant past. It shouldn't have surprised me but it did.
As the book's protagonist, Blanche was no shrinking violet and she definitely had her reasons for not trusting whites, employer or otherwise. While I questioned some of her choices, the biggest thing this book has going for it was allowing me to see the world from a different perspective. I wouldn't say that the mystery in this book was top rate. The character study in this book is the most interesting part of it.
books4biana's review against another edition
Not sure what sparked my interest in this title, but I'm glad it did.
The narration of the events are told by Blanche, who is hiding out from the police. She takes up as domestic help to a wealthy southern family going to the country estate. Seems like a great place to hide, no one was expecting her and no one pays attention to the help.
Blanche herself is full of insight and humor and compassion. A completely likable character. And the family that she works for? Wooo Eeee, what a disaster.
The narration of the events are told by Blanche, who is hiding out from the police. She takes up as domestic help to a wealthy southern family going to the country estate. Seems like a great place to hide, no one was expecting her and no one pays attention to the help.
Blanche herself is full of insight and humor and compassion. A completely likable character. And the family that she works for? Wooo Eeee, what a disaster.
reemeyer's review against another edition
4.0
Fantastic mystery. A little slow to start (I was about 50% in before the mystery really kicked in and I was fully engaged), but I loved Blanche and was surprised at what was really going on with the family who employed her.
This book also confirmed to me that I want to mostly read #ownvoices books. Not that authors should limit themselves to only writing characters of their own race, but because Blanche represents a viewpoint of “the help” that was entirely missing from The Help as written by a white author. This book widened my perspective and entertained me, highly recommend!
This book also confirmed to me that I want to mostly read #ownvoices books. Not that authors should limit themselves to only writing characters of their own race, but because Blanche represents a viewpoint of “the help” that was entirely missing from The Help as written by a white author. This book widened my perspective and entertained me, highly recommend!
quequel's review against another edition
4.0
Um policial focado na história dos personagens, nas suas personalidades, nos seus desejos e escolhas, o tipo de narrativa policial que eu gosto de ler.
jakewritesbooks's review against another edition
4.0
There's a sort of condescension glommed onto the (mostly white) marketers of Black creatives which holds that some sort of fictional media by them with themes of racial prejudice blocking the hero's path makes it the next Get Out. Get Out's a great movie that deserves its laudations but Black writers have been using genres to address the racism they feel for a long time.
Barbara Neely does that here. Strip it of its context and it's a cozy mystery: a maid solving a small town crime within the confines of the home she works in. But Neely is telling the bigger story of racism in the south. Misogynoir, labor, even ableism all get addressed in this packed book that, while overwritten and a bit too expository, is still quite an engaging read.
I would be annoyed otherwise with the fact that Blanche unraveled most of the mystery while quietly leaning into closed doors and listening. This has been in the mystery writers bag of tricks for generations and is usually an ill-conceived shortcut. However, it goes to exactly the story Neely wants to tell: Black women are usually invisible, especially when they are The Help. They are seen when food needs to be delivered, laundry washed, medicine administered, and they are otherwise not felt or heard. Blanche uses this to her advantage and its clever.
I was hoping the story would be more streamlined but I appreciated what Barbara Neely was doing. I'd like to read more to see how her writing evolves in this series.
Barbara Neely does that here. Strip it of its context and it's a cozy mystery: a maid solving a small town crime within the confines of the home she works in. But Neely is telling the bigger story of racism in the south. Misogynoir, labor, even ableism all get addressed in this packed book that, while overwritten and a bit too expository, is still quite an engaging read.
I would be annoyed otherwise with the fact that Blanche unraveled most of the mystery while quietly leaning into closed doors and listening. This has been in the mystery writers bag of tricks for generations and is usually an ill-conceived shortcut. However, it goes to exactly the story Neely wants to tell: Black women are usually invisible, especially when they are The Help. They are seen when food needs to be delivered, laundry washed, medicine administered, and they are otherwise not felt or heard. Blanche uses this to her advantage and its clever.
I was hoping the story would be more streamlined but I appreciated what Barbara Neely was doing. I'd like to read more to see how her writing evolves in this series.
readingwithstardust's review against another edition
5.0
I love her, I love Mumsfield, I loved getting a contemporaneous view of race and class in the early '90s from the perspective of a Black woman working in domestic care in the South. I can't wait to read the rest of this series.