Blanche on the Lam : Book Review



 

Book Review

 

Title: Blanche on the Lam

Author: Barbara Neely

Genre: Crime Fiction

 

Blanche on the Lam is the first book in the series by Barbara Neely. It tells the story of a street smart African-American domestic worker named Blanche who works for the rich in North Carolina. When her checks bounce, she escapes custody and is on the run.  She manages to hide in a wealthy family’s summer home in the country side. This Southern mansion comprises of a dysfunctional family who are battling their own idiosyncrasies. Her plan goes awry with the occurrence of a couple of murders which makes Blanche the prime suspect. Using the gossip grapevine of her domestic workers’ network, Blanche manages to discover the truth and gets to the bottom of the mystery. 

 

The writing seamlessly flows throughout the book and is interjected with a certain amount of quirkiness. The characterization is one of the stronger points in the novel. The detailed descriptions of the house, rooms and the food make them all seem like silent characters in the story. Besides this, we are also introduced to numerous other characters like the frail wife of the owner, the alcoholic aunt, the talkative gardener, the racist Sheriff and the cousin with down syndrome. The story is narrated in omniscient voice and takes the readers along Blanche’s journey, her observations and delves into her interiority. It manages to pick up pace mostly in the second half post the first murder. 

 

The author touches upon the themes of racism, poverty and class differences. Another interesting aspect covered in the book is the Darkies disease which is seen in a few instances. There are times when you see the class divide being bridged which exhibits the complexity of the characters, who aren’t what they appear to be. The endearing aspect of the entire novel is the relationship between Mumsfield and Blanche that has a certain tenderness to this otherwise dark novel. 

 

Blanche on the Lam is candid, straightforward and sort of reminds you of Miss Marple series of Agatha Christie. 

 

 

 

 

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