2/4/1992 Blanche on the Lam

February 4, 1992.  On this date BarbaraNeely's first novel was published.  Blanche on the Lam introduces an African-American domestic worker coping in a difficult world.  She escapes a 30-day jail sentence for writing bad checks by going to work for a true Southern Gothic family of conniving relatives.

The book won the Agatha, Anthony, and Macavity Awards for best first mystery.  Neely has followed with three more books about Blanche.