Blanche on the Lam Audiobook By Barbara Neely cover art

Blanche on the Lam

Blanche White Series, Book 1

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Blanche on the Lam

By: Barbara Neely
Narrated by: Lisa Reneé Pitts
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Blanche White is a plump, feisty, middle-aged African-American housekeeper working for the genteel rich in North Carolina. But when an employer stiffs her, and her checks bounce, she goes on the lam, hiding out as a maid for a wealthy family at their summer home.

That plan goes awry when there's a murder and Blanche becomes the prime suspect. So she's forced to use her savvy, her sharp wit, and her old-girl network of domestic workers to discover the truth and save her own skin.

Along the way, she lays bare the quirks of southern society with humor, irony, and a biting commentary that makes her one of the most memorable and original characters ever to appear in mystery fiction.

©1992 Barbara Neely (P)2017 Tantor African American Detective Fiction Mystery Suspense Thriller & Suspense Women Sleuths Women's Fiction Witty Feel-Good African American Fiction Mystery

Critic reviews

"Neely's deftly written first novel pays tribute to the community and culture of a working-class African-American woman who becomes both a sleuth and a fugitive from the law." ( Publishers Weekly)

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Well-written Story • Engaging Storyline • Authentic Voice • Compelling Protagonist • Unexpected Twists • Natural Voices
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i loved this book. Barbara Neely is a smart mystery novelist and i like her cheeky style.

mystery novel of note

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Great amateur sleuth story with some interesting twist. I'm interested to see what happens next in this series.

It was an interested mystery, performed well

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First of all, this story has the most excellent narration ever!
I was hooked from start to finish! I cannot wait for the second installment!

Exquisite

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I really liked the whole storyline. At the beginning of the story, I was trying to imagine where Blanche would be and how her character would develop. It was riveting all the way through. Can’t wait to start the next one!

Not at all what I thought.

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i could listen to Blanch and her mom on the phone for hours. there is nothing like an entertaining raking over the coals when you are a fly on the wall.

oh the bad checks to pay utilities...brings me back to when my kids were little.

great narration

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I read this series back in the 9os and was sorely disappointed that Ms. Neely didn't add more stories to the series. For years I would conduct searches hoping that I would find another story by her. I know that Ms. Neely had other ventures to tend to and finally accepted that there would be no more stories about this beautifully developed character. I'm so pleased to invest in the audios of Enemy's work because the add another dimension to her work.

Blanche - Great Woman

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So in love with Mums-field, the autistic genius. Never expected this ending. Ready to listen to the next story by this brilliant writer!

Wonderful storytelling

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I listened to this and was hooked from the beginning. The writing is superb and I thought the reader did an outstanding job. She really brought the book alive. I realize the book makes some hard comments about race and stereotypes, and maybe these are not as prevalent as they were when the book was written, but I would propose that all these ways of thinking still exist, whether we want to acknowledge it or not. I admit it was strong in that regard, and as a white woman I don't think I have the experience to argue otherwise. As someone whose family is from the region discussed, I think there is a great deal of truth in the writer's words, and maybe we could all benefit from recognizing there is still a lot more progress we can make in exposing and eradicating racism. I just loved the writing most of all, and I would recommend this to others who enjoy a well written story and can stay open-minded to the relevance of Blanche's experience.

Beautifully read, and probably provocative to some

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The author is a good storyteller. The main character was well developed and beliveable. The storyteller and performance made the mundane day-to-day life seem interesting. The ending was unexpected.

enjoyBle

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The story and narration were great. This book is a pleasant escape from the crazy of every day life. A quick, easy, fun story.

A Delightful Listen

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