Wednesday, January 29, 2025

Blanche Passes Go by Barbara Neely

Blanche Passes Go by Barbara Neely

I think this might be my favorite Blanche book of the series, though I loved them all for different reasons. (Major shout-out to Sisters in Crime for bringing these books - and this author! - to my attention.)

This one felt like a solid ending for the series, though I would happily read four more of whatever antics Blanche got into. I think the racial and justice issues in this book probably hit home the most for me, because the issues are so major and are becoming more and more relevant by the day.

I loved seeing Blanche’s friendship with Ardell in the flesh instead of over the phone as it had been in the previous books. I also enjoyed seeing a man treat Blanche right… most of the time, and how she kept her head about him.

Some quotes I especially loved:
"She'd never been big in the trust department and saw no reason for that to change - not until there was intelligent life on earth."

"Blanche thought it a special shame that so many poor white people had been suckered into believing black people were their enemy, instead of seeing how both grroups were being screwed by the same pale rich guy."

"[She's] just a woman like any other - making mistakes, being scared, moving on anyway. Just like the rest of us."

And my current favorite... 

"Maybe the only way to end this mess was for every woman to stand up for every other woman, even if she couldn't stand up for herself." 


This is a series I’ll re-read in time, and can’t recommend it enough to people who love mysteries, social commentary, and humor.

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