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Blanche White #2
Blanche Among the Talented Tenth
The heroine of the top-selling mystery Blanche on the Lam--black domestic worker extraordinaire, accidental sleuth Blanche White--is enlisted to use her considerable wiles to discover the link between a suicide and a murder, and uncovers a web of secrets that someone may be willing to kill for.
232 pages, Paperback
First published September 1, 1994
222 people are currently reading
924 people want to read
About the author
Barbara Neely
6 books293 followersBarbara Neely was a novelist, short story writer, and author of the popular Blanche White mystery novels. The first book in this series, BLANCHE ON THE LAM, won the Agatha, the Macavity, and the Anthony -- three of the four major mystery awards for best first novel -- as well as the Go On Girl! Book Club award for a debut novel. The subsequent books in the series, BLANCHE AMONG THE TALENTED TENTH, BLANCHE CLEANS UP and BLANCHE PASSES GO have also received critical acclaim from both fans and literary critics. Books in the Blanche White series have been taught in courses at universities as varied as Howard University, Northwestern, Bryn Mawr, Old Dominion, Boston College, Appalachian State University, Washington State University and Guttenberg University in Mainz, Germany. Books in the series have been translated into French, German and Japanese.
Neely’s short stories have appeared in anthologies, magazines, university texts, and journals including: Things that divide us, Speaking for Ourselves, Constellations, Literature: Reading and Writing the Human Experience, Breaking Ice, Essence, and Obsidian II.
Ms. Neely has also had an extensive public sector career. She designed and directed the first community-based corrections facility for women in Pennsylvania, directed a branch of the YWCA, and headed a consultant firm for non-profits. She was part of an evaluative research team at the Institute for Social Research, the Executive Director of Women for Economic Justice, and a radio producer for Africa News Service. For her activism Neely has received the Community Works Social Action Award for Leadership and Activism for Women's Rights and Economic Justice, and the Fighting for Women's Voices Award from the Coalition for Basic Human Needs.
Series:
* Blanche White
Neely’s short stories have appeared in anthologies, magazines, university texts, and journals including: Things that divide us, Speaking for Ourselves, Constellations, Literature: Reading and Writing the Human Experience, Breaking Ice, Essence, and Obsidian II.
Ms. Neely has also had an extensive public sector career. She designed and directed the first community-based corrections facility for women in Pennsylvania, directed a branch of the YWCA, and headed a consultant firm for non-profits. She was part of an evaluative research team at the Institute for Social Research, the Executive Director of Women for Economic Justice, and a radio producer for Africa News Service. For her activism Neely has received the Community Works Social Action Award for Leadership and Activism for Women's Rights and Economic Justice, and the Fighting for Women's Voices Award from the Coalition for Basic Human Needs.
Series:
* Blanche White
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 248 reviews
March 12, 2019
Blanche Among the Talented Tenth is the second book in the Blanche White series. I remember how taken I was with the first book in the series Blanche on the Lam, but this second book is just brilliant. Where has Barbara Neely been all my life and why aren't more people reading and raving about her Blanche White series? This series has everything most mystery/crime novels don't have: a main character that you can't help but love that is portrayed as real as can be, a storyline that keeps you hooked from beginning to end, some of the best writing (one liners), and most of all social commentary that remains sadly relevant today. I could definitely see this being made into a successful tv series or maybe 4 movies. So yes I highly recommend it!
July 8, 2015
Having dealt with the retrograde condition of interracial relations in the debut novel of this series, author Barbara Neely turns her gimlet eye to the state of relations with the African-American community in Blanche and the Talented Tenth.
The title refers to W.E.B. Dubois’ prediction that one-tenth of the Negro race would rise, through education and good character, to be the leaders who would buoy up the rest of the race. The term became conflated with light-skinned blacks, those with straight hair and skin no darker than a paper bag, as if intelligence, industry, or leadership were something based on having traces of Caucasian blood!
At the heart of Blanche and the Talented Tenth are the light-skinned, well-bred, and well-connected African Americans who regularly summer at Amber Cove, Maine, a stand-in for wealthy African-American resort villages like Oak Bluff on Martha’s Vineyard or the Azurest section of Sag Harbor, N.Y. Doctors, lawyers, authors, well-known professors — the crème of the African-American crème — litter the landscape at Amber Cove in Maine. And when Blanche White — a maid who wants to appear more at ease with her dark skin, natural hair, and job position than perhaps she really feels — comes to Amber Cove, she finds the old prejudice of so-called “high yellow” blacks against their darker brothers and sisters alive and well, a prejudice as strong as that of any racist white.
Blanche will be spending a few days at Amber Cove with her sister’s children as the guest of two well-heeled African-American doctors, Drs. David and Christine Crowley. (Blanche’s niece and nephew, Taifa and Malik, attend school with the Crowley children.) Just before her arrival, a particularly unpleasant regular died under very suspicious circumstances. And Blanche intuitively realizes that lots of unsavory goings-on amongst the Talented Tenth of Amber Cove, despite their money, Ivy League educations, and privilege.
Neely weaves a most intriguing mystery. But what really made this book special was the penetrating look it took at the black ruling class and at the self-deceptions that help the privileged of any race able to keep looking at themselves in the mirror.
The title refers to W.E.B. Dubois’ prediction that one-tenth of the Negro race would rise, through education and good character, to be the leaders who would buoy up the rest of the race. The term became conflated with light-skinned blacks, those with straight hair and skin no darker than a paper bag, as if intelligence, industry, or leadership were something based on having traces of Caucasian blood!
At the heart of Blanche and the Talented Tenth are the light-skinned, well-bred, and well-connected African Americans who regularly summer at Amber Cove, Maine, a stand-in for wealthy African-American resort villages like Oak Bluff on Martha’s Vineyard or the Azurest section of Sag Harbor, N.Y. Doctors, lawyers, authors, well-known professors — the crème of the African-American crème — litter the landscape at Amber Cove in Maine. And when Blanche White — a maid who wants to appear more at ease with her dark skin, natural hair, and job position than perhaps she really feels — comes to Amber Cove, she finds the old prejudice of so-called “high yellow” blacks against their darker brothers and sisters alive and well, a prejudice as strong as that of any racist white.
Blanche will be spending a few days at Amber Cove with her sister’s children as the guest of two well-heeled African-American doctors, Drs. David and Christine Crowley. (Blanche’s niece and nephew, Taifa and Malik, attend school with the Crowley children.) Just before her arrival, a particularly unpleasant regular died under very suspicious circumstances. And Blanche intuitively realizes that lots of unsavory goings-on amongst the Talented Tenth of Amber Cove, despite their money, Ivy League educations, and privilege.
Neely weaves a most intriguing mystery. But what really made this book special was the penetrating look it took at the black ruling class and at the self-deceptions that help the privileged of any race able to keep looking at themselves in the mirror.
April 7, 2023
Book 2 of 4
2nd Read
The first time I read this book which was on my kindle I was totally disappointed.
Since I accidentally re-read book 1, I decided to deliberately re-read book 2 and I am so glad I did.
Some books are best listened to on audio and this book is one of them. The audio gave the book life. The characters are amazing and the story itself was so revelant, enlightening and enriched with so much black culture.
This book went from a 1 star to a 5 star rating.
I am on to the next book and of course it will be on audio🎧
2nd Read
The first time I read this book which was on my kindle I was totally disappointed.
Since I accidentally re-read book 1, I decided to deliberately re-read book 2 and I am so glad I did.
Some books are best listened to on audio and this book is one of them. The audio gave the book life. The characters are amazing and the story itself was so revelant, enlightening and enriched with so much black culture.
This book went from a 1 star to a 5 star rating.
I am on to the next book and of course it will be on audio🎧
June 21, 2020
I truly loved this! It's a really good look at the interplay in the Black Community USA between colorism and classism as well as the undeniable link between the two.
Black firsts are sometimes so light skinned I'm not entirely sure they're black. Wealth and status have been tied to skin color since the first 'Angolan' officially arrived in this country.
Black firsts are sometimes so light skinned I'm not entirely sure they're black. Wealth and status have been tied to skin color since the first 'Angolan' officially arrived in this country.
March 24, 2017
The second book of the Blanche White series has Blanche carefully preparing for a Maine beach holiday in the fictional resort of Amber Cove. The "talented tenth" of the title are the "light bright" set: fair-skinned, wealthy, black Americans. Blanche, a working class housekeeper, is atypically nervous about her trip:
"Blanche assumed there must be some black-black rich women in the country, but she'd never seen one; so she wasn't expecting to see her eggplant-black self mirrored at Amber Cove. But color wasn't the only way she'd be different. She doubted anyone in Amber Cove had, like her, worked four parties to spend two nights at the Inn."
The truly talented Barbara Neely effortlessly combines social issues such as racism in the black community and class hatred with the personal struggles of Blanche to raise her stroppy teenagers and to find true love. The detective element is stronger than in the first book, Blanche on the Lam, but is still the least interesting aspect.
There is a rage that brings this book a certain darkness. I felt quite drained after finishing it. Anger against male entitlement, the cruelty of snobbery, and female betrayal runs deep within the book. But the cracking pace, the frequent humour, and the loveable, relatable Blanche make this a top-notch read.
I was left with the feeling that Barbara Neely is more than capable of writing "serious" fiction in the style of Toni Morrison or Zadie Smith, but chose to write genre fiction instead.
On to the third book now, and excited to see where she will take this character.
"Blanche assumed there must be some black-black rich women in the country, but she'd never seen one; so she wasn't expecting to see her eggplant-black self mirrored at Amber Cove. But color wasn't the only way she'd be different. She doubted anyone in Amber Cove had, like her, worked four parties to spend two nights at the Inn."
The truly talented Barbara Neely effortlessly combines social issues such as racism in the black community and class hatred with the personal struggles of Blanche to raise her stroppy teenagers and to find true love. The detective element is stronger than in the first book, Blanche on the Lam, but is still the least interesting aspect.
There is a rage that brings this book a certain darkness. I felt quite drained after finishing it. Anger against male entitlement, the cruelty of snobbery, and female betrayal runs deep within the book. But the cracking pace, the frequent humour, and the loveable, relatable Blanche make this a top-notch read.
I was left with the feeling that Barbara Neely is more than capable of writing "serious" fiction in the style of Toni Morrison or Zadie Smith, but chose to write genre fiction instead.
On to the third book now, and excited to see where she will take this character.
October 9, 2024
This was even better than the first book. Such good character work (especially with Blanche), really nuanced conversations about classism and colorism, and an interesting mystery that was really well structured and fun to read. Y'all are still sleeping on this series.
[4.5 stars]
[4.5 stars]
February 14, 2014
I thought in skipping the first Blance mystery Blanche on the Lam I would miss out on getting to know the main character, but that was not the case. Blanche turned out to be more interesting than the mystery itself which I thought was a little lackluster. The central theme here is the mistreatment (i.e. looking down on)of dark-skinned black people by thier light-skinned counterparts, which Blanche, being dark, experienced all of her life. The mystery read more like gossip and only seemed to create the setting and introduce characters to carry on the main theme. Though not completely predictable, this was not a strongly mysterious or surprising read.
July 27, 2015
“Everybody in the country got color on the brain…white folks trying to brown themselves up and looking down on everything that ain’t white at the same time; black folks puttin’ each other down for being too black; brown folks trying to make sure nobody mistakes them for black; yellow folks trying to convince themselves they’re white.”
Timely? Why yes! So isn’t it interesting that this book was initially published in 1994?
My many thanks go to Net Galley and Brash Books for a fascinating DRC.
The Blanche White series is a mystery series, but Neely uses this approachable medium as a forum to discuss race, primarily the unspoken caste system that has developed about and among people of color in the United States.
In our story, Blanche is invited to visit a black resort on the coast of Maine. Her sister is dead, and Blanche is now a parent to her two children. This book is the second in the series, and we are told that during the first, Blanche had come away from a bad situation with a bundle of money that she dedicated to the excellent education of her two elementary-aged children. Now Taifa, her daughter, is anxious that she use a hair “relaxer” to straighten her ‘fro. It’s bad enough that Mama Blanche is eggplant-dark. Bad enough that she is not part of the black petit bourgeoisie, but a working class woman…a maid, no less! And so Taifa’s loyalty is divided; she wants to fit in with these pale, wealthy folk, but she also loves her Mama Blanche. Blanche in turn is torn. She doesn’t fry her hair, but she does have a conversation about it with the children.
Meanwhile we learn that a woman named Faith is dead, and it may not have been accidental. Like Agatha Christie’s Murder On the Orient Express, it seems just about everyone here has a reason to want Faith dead. That isn’t Blanche’s business, of course…until it is.
I do love a good mystery, and will cheerfully sit down to a tower of Blanche books if I can find them.
The cover is what drew me initially; I looked at the wide hips and thought this was surely my kind of woman.
But race is more than academically interesting for me; my own family is blended and my Caucasian children grown and gone, which has left me the only white person in the house. Most days I don’t think about it, but for years, planning the family vacation was both eye-opening and interesting. One child at home is Caucasian and Japanese; the other (was) African-American. We enjoyed Yellowstone, but heartily regret having been forced to stop for gas in the Idaho panhandle, an experience we will avoid in the future. Now my African-American son is grown and out of the house, but I will never look at the world the same way. It’s been a real education.
Surely anyone who looks at this book’s title understands that s/he is in for more than just a mystery story. The depth of analysis kept me flagging pages and rereading passages. I love the feminist spirit our hero embodies.
I did find it interesting that although skin, hair, and attitude were discussed freely, African immigrants never even made it into the discussion, let alone into the exclusive resort.
The social message somewhat dominates the plot, but the mystery is also a fun read. Highly recommended for those willing to confront today’s issues.
As for me, I loved the blend of story and message. Because really, until the United States deals with the escalating issue of racial inequality, particularly regarding African-Americans… I can’t breathe.
Timely? Why yes! So isn’t it interesting that this book was initially published in 1994?
My many thanks go to Net Galley and Brash Books for a fascinating DRC.
The Blanche White series is a mystery series, but Neely uses this approachable medium as a forum to discuss race, primarily the unspoken caste system that has developed about and among people of color in the United States.
In our story, Blanche is invited to visit a black resort on the coast of Maine. Her sister is dead, and Blanche is now a parent to her two children. This book is the second in the series, and we are told that during the first, Blanche had come away from a bad situation with a bundle of money that she dedicated to the excellent education of her two elementary-aged children. Now Taifa, her daughter, is anxious that she use a hair “relaxer” to straighten her ‘fro. It’s bad enough that Mama Blanche is eggplant-dark. Bad enough that she is not part of the black petit bourgeoisie, but a working class woman…a maid, no less! And so Taifa’s loyalty is divided; she wants to fit in with these pale, wealthy folk, but she also loves her Mama Blanche. Blanche in turn is torn. She doesn’t fry her hair, but she does have a conversation about it with the children.
Meanwhile we learn that a woman named Faith is dead, and it may not have been accidental. Like Agatha Christie’s Murder On the Orient Express, it seems just about everyone here has a reason to want Faith dead. That isn’t Blanche’s business, of course…until it is.
I do love a good mystery, and will cheerfully sit down to a tower of Blanche books if I can find them.
The cover is what drew me initially; I looked at the wide hips and thought this was surely my kind of woman.
But race is more than academically interesting for me; my own family is blended and my Caucasian children grown and gone, which has left me the only white person in the house. Most days I don’t think about it, but for years, planning the family vacation was both eye-opening and interesting. One child at home is Caucasian and Japanese; the other (was) African-American. We enjoyed Yellowstone, but heartily regret having been forced to stop for gas in the Idaho panhandle, an experience we will avoid in the future. Now my African-American son is grown and out of the house, but I will never look at the world the same way. It’s been a real education.
Surely anyone who looks at this book’s title understands that s/he is in for more than just a mystery story. The depth of analysis kept me flagging pages and rereading passages. I love the feminist spirit our hero embodies.
I did find it interesting that although skin, hair, and attitude were discussed freely, African immigrants never even made it into the discussion, let alone into the exclusive resort.
The social message somewhat dominates the plot, but the mystery is also a fun read. Highly recommended for those willing to confront today’s issues.
As for me, I loved the blend of story and message. Because really, until the United States deals with the escalating issue of racial inequality, particularly regarding African-Americans… I can’t breathe.
November 22, 2011
I loved Blanche Among the Talented Tenth even more than the first book in the series, Blanche on the Lam. I wasn't quite expecting that, because the setting of the first book (rural North Carolina) is much more familiar to me than the setting of the second (an expensive black resort on the coast of Maine). But in this book we get deeper into Blanche's life and personality. The setting allows her to make more friends, spend time with the niece and nephew she's raising, and contemplate romance.
As with the first book, this one didn't appeal to me as a mystery novel nearly as much as it did as a story about an awesome woman having an adventure. However, this time I was in suspense nearly the whole time about the solution.
Blanche's greatest strength as a sleuth is her interpersonal relationship skills. She's excellent at making friends with people, getting them to trust her and talk to her, and figuring out what's going on among a group of people she's just met. I love reading about this because I don't have those skills, and Neely describes them in such a way that I feel like I'm learning something.
Besides, at the same time Blanche is gathering clues, she's building genuine relationships with the people she finds worthy, and that's where this book is loveliest.
My favorite passage comes when she's having a tête-à-tête with Tina, a young woman she's just met who wants Blanche's advice about her fiancé.
I loved this book. I would have given it five stars, not four, except for one short exchange that I wish weren't there. Blanche and her friend Ardell are talking about how it's best to pay attention when Blanche senses that there's a "catch" to a man who's apparently perfect for someone -- Blanche had had this feeling about someone Ardell had once dated, who turned out to be a cross-dresser. "Ardell had told Blanche that while she wished to be big enough to handle it, she wasn't." Sure, it's okay for Ardell not to be attracted to someone, but I really wish Neely had thought of a different example of a "catch."
As with the first book, this one didn't appeal to me as a mystery novel nearly as much as it did as a story about an awesome woman having an adventure. However, this time I was in suspense nearly the whole time about the solution.
Blanche's greatest strength as a sleuth is her interpersonal relationship skills. She's excellent at making friends with people, getting them to trust her and talk to her, and figuring out what's going on among a group of people she's just met. I love reading about this because I don't have those skills, and Neely describes them in such a way that I feel like I'm learning something.
Besides, at the same time Blanche is gathering clues, she's building genuine relationships with the people she finds worthy, and that's where this book is loveliest.
My favorite passage comes when she's having a tête-à-tête with Tina, a young woman she's just met who wants Blanche's advice about her fiancé.
Blanche could almost smell Tina's longing to talk, and she was pretty sure who Tina wanted to talk about. But Blanche wanted to know who she was talking to first.Later comes a scene in which Blanche and Tina are preparing dinner in Blanche's kitchen, and they shift their conversation to talk about how they decided to wear their hair naturally. This is something they want to talk about with each other, but they also know that Blanche's preteen niece, Taifa, is troubled because she's been around people who privilege straightened hair and light skin; and they know that Taifa can overhear their conversation. I'm not describing it well but this episode was exactly the sort of thing I (not a parent) like to read about parenting.
"Where you from, Tina?"
...
She nudged Tina with gentle questions until they were casting pieces of their past into the night like lights strung together to illuminate them for each other...
Heart talk, Blanche thought. Her term for the way women gave each other bits of lives and history as a way of declaring their good intentions toward each other.
I loved this book. I would have given it five stars, not four, except for one short exchange that I wish weren't there. Blanche and her friend Ardell are talking about how it's best to pay attention when Blanche senses that there's a "catch" to a man who's apparently perfect for someone -- Blanche had had this feeling about someone Ardell had once dated, who turned out to be a cross-dresser. "Ardell had told Blanche that while she wished to be big enough to handle it, she wasn't." Sure, it's okay for Ardell not to be attracted to someone, but I really wish Neely had thought of a different example of a "catch."
October 2, 2019
I enjoyed this installment much more than book one. Neely shows more of who Blanche is in this one, how she handles the need to provide a better life for the children in her care while trying to make sure that they stay not only connected to their own history but to continue to grow into kind and empathetic people. This isn't a huge thriller and doesn't have a complicated mystery that's difficult to figure out. It's a quick read and an entertaining story that was just what I was looking for.
Where you can find me:
•(♥).•*Monlatable Book Reviews*•.(♥)•
Twitter: @monicaisreading
Instagram: @readermonica
Goodreads Group: The Black Bookcase
Where you can find me:
•(♥).•*Monlatable Book Reviews*•.(♥)•
Twitter: @monicaisreading
Instagram: @readermonica
Goodreads Group: The Black Bookcase
March 2, 2020
Tackling another thorny issue, but this time within - or is it outside - the community, as well as issues only a woman would chuckle and sigh over, this page turning mystery is a winner.
February 12, 2015
Barbara Neely has pulled off a rather challenging feat: she has managed to introduce the serious issues of color, class and race to readers who would not wittingly pick up a book on those subjects. And, she certainly managed to seriously engage me in the subjects.
The reader who wants a complex and heady mystery story may be disappointed in this novel because that aspect of the book is clearly secondary to Neely's interest in raising the subject of how we judge and perceive each other.
This is my second introduction to Blanche White and I was not disappointed. I really loved Blanche on the Lam and this book was equally engaging for me, but in a totally different way. I spent many years in Detroit so I have been exposed to Black culture from the outside looking in. Blanche turned that around for me and opened my eyes in many ways.
I was fascinated by her careful preparations for vacationing in a fancy Black resort and interested in every step along the way as she met and mingled with the residents and transient visitors. The relationships she formed---or didn't form, felt very real and I loved understanding a bit more about the "light bright" culture she was encountering.
The first half of the book was riveting to me and I felt the story lost some of its steam as the author tried to fold in the mystery with the message. There is no doubt that the book "has an attitude," but don't we all? I am a fan of Barbara Neely's and was thoroughly intrigued by Blanche's adventure.
The reader who wants a complex and heady mystery story may be disappointed in this novel because that aspect of the book is clearly secondary to Neely's interest in raising the subject of how we judge and perceive each other.
This is my second introduction to Blanche White and I was not disappointed. I really loved Blanche on the Lam and this book was equally engaging for me, but in a totally different way. I spent many years in Detroit so I have been exposed to Black culture from the outside looking in. Blanche turned that around for me and opened my eyes in many ways.
I was fascinated by her careful preparations for vacationing in a fancy Black resort and interested in every step along the way as she met and mingled with the residents and transient visitors. The relationships she formed---or didn't form, felt very real and I loved understanding a bit more about the "light bright" culture she was encountering.
The first half of the book was riveting to me and I felt the story lost some of its steam as the author tried to fold in the mystery with the message. There is no doubt that the book "has an attitude," but don't we all? I am a fan of Barbara Neely's and was thoroughly intrigued by Blanche's adventure.
September 3, 2020
When Blanche white is invited to spend the summer with an elitist bunch of people at Amber Cove, she decides to take up on it and see the kind of crowd her kids (her niece and nephew she is raising) are rubbing shoulders with at the private school she has them attending. She is expecting to meet the rich and the who's who of the African American community so that she can understand the changes in her kids. What she doesn't expect is to put on her detective hat. But that is what happens when a body turns up and everyone at the resort has a reason to want to see the victim dead. And, Blanche is left to work out the motives and the opportunity of the people she is supposed to be vacationing with.
I quite enjoyed this book mostly because of the protagonist. Blanche White is a loveable character. She is expert at befriending people and putting them at ease - a characteristic that came in handy in this book. People feel comfortable talking to her as they would to their best friend or to an agony aunt. Her ability to gather information, and sizing up people complements her natural ability to befriend people. She is smart and sassy too. She is open and frank in her discussions with the kids. What else do you need when you have a protagonist like this working out the details of the case?
Read the full review on Bookish Indulgences with b00k r3vi3ws
I quite enjoyed this book mostly because of the protagonist. Blanche White is a loveable character. She is expert at befriending people and putting them at ease - a characteristic that came in handy in this book. People feel comfortable talking to her as they would to their best friend or to an agony aunt. Her ability to gather information, and sizing up people complements her natural ability to befriend people. She is smart and sassy too. She is open and frank in her discussions with the kids. What else do you need when you have a protagonist like this working out the details of the case?
Read the full review on Bookish Indulgences with b00k r3vi3ws
June 17, 2015
I was amused, intrigued and educated by Blanche, a housekeeper who tells her story. She's a fine strong Southern lady but due to sending her adopted kids to a good school, she finds herself on a snobbish summer holiday resort outside Boston.
This resort was started by a black man who was not welcome at other resorts, and a good deal of the story is taken up by chatter, memories and thoughts about discrimination and distinctions among the African-American resort visitors. For the smart, attractive, self-supporting Blanche is too dark to suit many of these snobs. Who needs friends like these? Not Blanche, who'd rather enjoy the ocean. That's when she finds an apparent suicide and a note confessing to a murder.
I found some aspects of the tale a little slow - for a murder mystery. However if it's women's fiction you want, it's all here, with cultural clashes, civil rights issues and returning to roots. I did get the impression that the author had woven in the murder as a way of bringing these issues to light among her heroine's adventures but that the story would have been full and admirable without the crime. The book is however marketed as a crime story and it's a little weak in that regard. But Blanche is well worth reading to see another side of America.
This resort was started by a black man who was not welcome at other resorts, and a good deal of the story is taken up by chatter, memories and thoughts about discrimination and distinctions among the African-American resort visitors. For the smart, attractive, self-supporting Blanche is too dark to suit many of these snobs. Who needs friends like these? Not Blanche, who'd rather enjoy the ocean. That's when she finds an apparent suicide and a note confessing to a murder.
I found some aspects of the tale a little slow - for a murder mystery. However if it's women's fiction you want, it's all here, with cultural clashes, civil rights issues and returning to roots. I did get the impression that the author had woven in the murder as a way of bringing these issues to light among her heroine's adventures but that the story would have been full and admirable without the crime. The book is however marketed as a crime story and it's a little weak in that regard. But Blanche is well worth reading to see another side of America.
August 21, 2020
The weakest part of this book is the mystery, which is probably not a good sign for a cozy mystery, but the rest was so good and engaging that I didn't care. While the first book dealt with the issues of a black woman working in the service industry for a affluent white family, this book focuses on the experiences of a dark skinned black woman in the world of fair skinned black folks. Colorism is the phrase we use now, but most of the time the book calls it "Color Struck" which I'm going to go ahead and assume is a reference to the play by Zora Neal Hurston. That is the other thing I love about this book, all the unexpected but delightful references to black excellence. The more I think about this book, the more I find to love. You just got to experience it for yourself.
April 14, 2022
Blanche was at it again! I am so happy I discovered this series. Ms. Neely unflinchingly addresses social issues both in general and within the black community. In this book, in addition to solving a murder/or was it an accident/ or suicide? she addresses issues of wealthy black patrons and colorism within the black community. That is an issue that exits even to this day and to see it being perpetuated within the pages of the book so realistically, drives home what many have to go through within their own homes, schools, communities, and families. The mystery was well thought out, and interwoven into the social issues Blanche found herself addressing within herself, her children and those she took under her wing. 4.5 stars.
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April 6, 2022I chose not to finish this book even though Blanche was an interesting character. I appreciated the focus on the prejudices of color among Black people and the way it influences social standing, economic success, and romantic liaisons. The problem for me was that by the time I was about 1/3 of the way through the book not much else had been introduced and I just got tired of reading that single theme presented over and over again with very little variation or subtlety.
March 15, 2019
This book was delightful, engaging, intriguing, and still sadly so relevant regarding intraracial relations between Black folks. I’m so happy to have found this series; Blanche is a hoot. I especially enjoyed her spiritualism and spot on politics about men (surprise surprise, they suck). Looking forward to finding and devouring the rest of Blanche White’s mysteries!
May 25, 2020
I am in love with Blanche White, an amateur sleuth that keeps finding herself wrapped up in complicated dramas and murder. Blanche is full of strength and wisdom, and is quick with sharp and witty dialogue. In addition to trying to figure out the who and the why of the mystery, Neely explores colorism, classism, and a ton about women's roles. These mysteries are great if you want a fun, fast read and also great if you like a book that makes you think and encourages discussion. I'm surprised that this series didn't get more publicity.
May 2, 2022
I loved this book and I’m doubling down on Blanche!! I love her!! I really like this author Barbara Neely. She tells the truth like only someone who knows it can. I love the way she delves into the nuances and diversity of Black life! I would approach these books like Blanche adventures rather than crime novels or mysteries. I think if you consider it as a realistic fiction it reads much better that way. Anyways I can’t wait to start the third book!!
May 13, 2025
Very interesting view on culture.
December 3, 2016
This is nominally a mystery, I guess, but is mostly a character study of the protagonist, Blanche White, who makes her living cleaning houses. The narrative really focuses on her thoughts and attitudes about race relations as she lives through a few days away from home in an unfamiliar environment. The entire story unfolds at a rather old exclusive resort with cottages originally created and now owned by upper-crust black families who've held them for a couple of generations or so. There are two deaths in the book, one more mysterious than the other, but rather than being center stage, they're almost a backdrop to a long, detailed, and nuanced rumination about racial attitudes. Black/white relations are involved, of course, but more particularly, the book is concerned with black as contrasted with what Blanche calls the "light bright" folks; and a whole range of nuanced attitudes and prejudices. Also of particular interest to me were Blanche's religious thoughts and attitudes, as well as her relationships with various women she meets, and her friend Ardell whom she talks with by phone a lot.
If I were setting out to teach a high school course in modern American literature, I think I might put this book on the curriculum. (Oh, wait, Blanche talks about packing her vibrator and sex-relations between unmarried folks, so I guess I wouldn't be teaching that course in Ruralopolis.) The writing is quite fine, very clear, and lucid.
If I were setting out to teach a high school course in modern American literature, I think I might put this book on the curriculum. (Oh, wait, Blanche talks about packing her vibrator and sex-relations between unmarried folks, so I guess I wouldn't be teaching that course in Ruralopolis.) The writing is quite fine, very clear, and lucid.
June 6, 2019
I enjoyed the first book in the Blanche White series, but this one, not as much. Blanche has moved north with her sister's two children, who she is raising. They are attending an elite private school and due to connections there, they have all been invited to Amber Cove, an exclusive resort in Maine for wealthy blacks. Once they arrive, Blanche is smacked with the prejudicial looks of lighter skin blacks. You see, there is even issues about skin colour amongst those who have darker skin. The story begins very slowly as we deal with the issues that occur while they are settling in. Shortly after arriving, one man commits suicide and a woman is electrocuted in her bathtub. It appears there are a lot of secrets among the residents and Blanche works to unravel them. There are some twists, some reveals, and a few suspects. The think I did not like was that once the mystery is solved by Blanche, that is it, there is no police involvement, no arrests, nothing. I might try one more in this series, before I give up on it.
January 24, 2015
This is the second in a series, and the second in ebook format, and once again our protagonist finds herself distinctly different from those around her. Blanche is an African-American domestic worker whose children attend a private school and have made connections to spend vacation time at an exclusive upperclass African-American retreat in Maine, including Blanche for a 2 week visit. Once there Blanche is exposed to prejudice and elitism from within the African American community. How she handles herself, her children’s changing beliefs and the barbs and arrows of the other guests makes for fascinating reading. And, of course, there is a mystery to solve amidst all of the tumult. Once again, this book is a fascinating twist on a cozy mystery; with history, characters and details that combine to make this a unique and wonderful book. Barbara Neely is a gifted author and her characters and stories come alive in ways you will long remember. I received this from NetGalley.
April 16, 2017
Blanche is a richly and wonderfully complex and yet simple character. Yes, this book was another page-turner and I was TOTALLY shocked at the end. But I have to admit that I enjoyed reading about the struggles of color-struck Black folks more than I did the murder story. I connected with a lot of it having been on the receiving end of color prejudice growing up, and even now only four years ago dealing with the cruel comments from people when I decided to go all natural with my hair.
Such a deep rich story and so many twists and turns. In true Barbara Neely style, the book starts off with all these things that seem like they are unrelated loose threads. But as she continues to write, you realize that all those loose threads are woven together in a most captivating way!
On to the third in the Blanche series!!!
Such a deep rich story and so many twists and turns. In true Barbara Neely style, the book starts off with all these things that seem like they are unrelated loose threads. But as she continues to write, you realize that all those loose threads are woven together in a most captivating way!
On to the third in the Blanche series!!!
April 28, 2019
Not read much at all during the holiday which is very unusual for me, but I slept so much. Nearly 9 hours each night. Amazing. But I finished this. I really like Blanche and I find myself learning a lot about the experience of black women in America and find that far more compelling than the mysteries.
June 16, 2020
Blanche White is an interesting character and I'm enjoying getting to know her. The murder is secondary as issues of race in society are explored from a fresh and vibrant perspective.
October 26, 2020
I listened to a liitle over half of this mystery. The complaints about racism, class and sexism were unrelieved by the weak plot. Lacks any of the humor of her first book.
December 10, 2024
I love Blanche. She’s one of my favorite amateur sleuths ever, for her frank outspokenness, her honesty with herself, and her insights into others. Her unique personal spirituality appealed to me, also. She is one of those characters I want to spend more time with.
In this second book in the series, Blanche visits an elite, expensive, highly educated, and sometimes snobbish African American community on the coast of Maine, in established by a man who made his fortune selling, I believe, hair straightening products. Blanche encounters colorism at high intensity.
The mystery is in some ways created by some of the characters out of a crime that didn't happen, and yet there were other misdeeds they didn't know about that had happened. And this layering of their making something out of nothing into finding out that there was something— that there were secrets—was the central mystery. The character arc is stronger. The characters Blanche encounters in Amber Cove are well drawn, and most of them not terribly likable. One is a famous Black feminist and artist, a writer who turns out not to be quite what she seems to be.
The essential importance of women’s friendships, whether betrayed or grounded, is a key part of this book, as well as the tensions between men and women. I highly recommend this story. It's old and yet not dated. I plan to continue with this series.
In this second book in the series, Blanche visits an elite, expensive, highly educated, and sometimes snobbish African American community on the coast of Maine, in established by a man who made his fortune selling, I believe, hair straightening products. Blanche encounters colorism at high intensity.
The mystery is in some ways created by some of the characters out of a crime that didn't happen, and yet there were other misdeeds they didn't know about that had happened. And this layering of their making something out of nothing into finding out that there was something— that there were secrets—was the central mystery. The character arc is stronger. The characters Blanche encounters in Amber Cove are well drawn, and most of them not terribly likable. One is a famous Black feminist and artist, a writer who turns out not to be quite what she seems to be.
The essential importance of women’s friendships, whether betrayed or grounded, is a key part of this book, as well as the tensions between men and women. I highly recommend this story. It's old and yet not dated. I plan to continue with this series.
September 15, 2021
Still a very good book, this one deals with the complexities of internalised racism (colorism) and different shades of black within families as well as communities. So far so good. The plot itself is less tight thant he last one and Blanche this time is more tired and less snarky (she can still hold her own when she needs to though). She discusses class and gender as well as race and embodies all of what she thinks about. Blanche's spirituality is strongly present here too as is a relationship with food which is both healthy and nurturing of others.
I was less enamoured of some of the gender (sex) essentialism. The ending fell flat with me, especially the epilogue. There was little mystery in this one. I liked it enough to read the next one soon, I still think it is good to assert that there is no shame in working in domestic service (and much shame in looking down on people when you are rich and very dependent on them)
I was less enamoured of some of the gender (sex) essentialism. The ending fell flat with me, especially the epilogue. There was little mystery in this one. I liked it enough to read the next one soon, I still think it is good to assert that there is no shame in working in domestic service (and much shame in looking down on people when you are rich and very dependent on them)
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