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A review by beanpod
Blanche on the Lam by Barbara Neely
4.0
A fun, fast read. I heard about it through the New York Times, or maybe through the list of best the best mystery books of all time. Now I can’t believe I hadn’t ever heard of Neely, and her amazing heroine Blanche, before!
I read more about Neely. An activist who didn’t write her first Blanche mystery until she was in her 50’s, there is so much in that slim book that I loved. Blanche’s examination of the tilted dynamics between black employees and their white employers, who feign interest and caring, yet display otherwise so subtly. The careful way Blanch slides along doing the work to find out what really is going on, all the while understanding how much people underestimate her. I loved her internal dialog - Blanche is not a hero, she’s complex and flawed.
I loved it so much I’m going right to book #2
I read more about Neely. An activist who didn’t write her first Blanche mystery until she was in her 50’s, there is so much in that slim book that I loved. Blanche’s examination of the tilted dynamics between black employees and their white employers, who feign interest and caring, yet display otherwise so subtly. The careful way Blanch slides along doing the work to find out what really is going on, all the while understanding how much people underestimate her. I loved her internal dialog - Blanche is not a hero, she’s complex and flawed.
I loved it so much I’m going right to book #2