"A children's book author (Egg Drop Blues, 1995, is the third in a series about twin African American middle-school boys) tries her hand at adult fiction in this mystery debut. Ruby Gordon is a college-educated cleaning woman in Petite, Tenn. Ruby, a woman of substance (who also has a distinctive, appealing voice) is proud of her independence and her own home, which she shares with her sister Emerald. Upon learning that her best friend, Jan Channey, is being stalked and harassed, she borrows money from her employer and immediately flies to Oakland, Calif. to help. Afraid of nothing but bridges, Ruby confronts a local gang leader in his home and ends up cleaning his house in exchange for his protection of Jan's family. She takes on the Channey family's next-door neighbor and develops a plan to stop the stalker. Possessed of a quirky good humor delightfully expressed, Ruby herself is the main attraction."

Publishers Weekly Review

"In Barely Maid, Ruby Gordon thinks she's going to spend the next week quietly house-sitting with her best friend, but instead finds herself in the middle of some unusual goings-on, including the murder of a stranger who's come looking for her boss. Ruby's combination of ingenuousness and savvy makes for a humorous mystery full of unpretentious commentary on race and gender relations, and on small-town culture."