Barbara Neely: R.I.P.

Well, this is very sad news, indeed. Mystery author Barbara Neely passed away earlier this week.  i only met her a few times, but she was always positive and fun. I loved her books. Barbara was a Brash Books author, and Publisher Lee Goldberg, posted this on his Facebook page.

She was recently named the 2020 Grandmaster by the Mystery Writers of America and is best known as author of the Blanche White mystery series, which we are honored to publish. The following obituary was supplied by her family:

"Early in her life Barbara demonstrated a vivid imagination, by making up stories from her daily experiences, developing into a young griot. Barbara was observant, a good listener and she knew how to ask probing questions. Sometimes her information gathering would result in her developing a storyline for one of her many short stories. She used these talents not only as a writer, but when she produced and hosted several radio programs.

In addition to her writing, Barbara was also a Social Justice Warrior who dedicated her time and talents to causes such as Economic and Criminal Justice, Women’s Rights and Equality. Her Socially Conscious work was acknowledged by receiving several awards.

She incorporated her dedication to social change with her love of writing. The fruit of that labor was a wonderful series of four mystery books featuring Blanche White, an African American women employed as a domestic. Blanche is a proud independent woman, with a curious mind and keen observational skills. Not only does she solve crimes she also shines a light on many social, cultural and economic issues. The Blanche series was so well received it has been translated into several languages including French, Czech, German and Japanese. Barbara has also won several distinguished awards for her writing.

Barbara died after a brief illness. She leaves a loving family and millions of adoring fans to celebrate a life well lived."

Indeed!