Blanche on the Lam by Barbara Neely

The first installment of Neely’s stellar series starring Blanche, an African-American “domestic” for a dysfunctional family in the post-emancipation era. She is on the run and, of course, also something of a detective herself. The novel won the Agatha Award and the Anthony Award for Best First Novel, and the Macavity Award for Best First Mystery upon its publication in 1992. Library catalog link.