This book being set in Nigeria is more than just a background setting: author Oyinkan Braithwaite is Nigerian and the characters’ names, speech and social norms are all distinctly tied to the culture they live in. It gives the setting far more than any amount of descriptions of the landscape could.
Protagonist Korede is a well-rounded and believable character, her motivations and opinions make perfect sense as you read them. Through her perspective we feel like we know her sister Ayoola and friend Tade, but wonder how accurate that view of them is. Her viewpoint slowly widens throughout the story as she learns more about them, and about herself.
Starting after the third murder, we get flashbacks to Ayoola’s boyfriends and the sisters’ abusive childhood at the hands of their father. This bit by bit reveal of more context reframes things as worse and as better: Braithewaite weaves a complex web of complex characters, questioning everyone’s motivations for everything at every turn. Is Ayoola a cold blooded murderer, a victim of serial domestic abuse, or neither? Are the hospital staff disgusting and lazy or just people who could never live up to Korede’s standards? Is Tade the caring and honest angel that Korede sees or the shallow everyman that Ayoola claims?
The investigation into Ayoola’s murdered ex-boyfriend Femi’s disappearance and the relationship between Ayoola and Tade ramps up not only the tension but Korede’s anxiety. Will they be discovered? Where does Korede’s loyalty truly lie? As time goes by, the pressure for Korede to choose between turning her sister in or potentially letting her kill again builds. The tension for the reader builds too, as we wonder if Tade is truly in danger and whether the secret will come out. Femi’s body lies in the river waiting to be discovered. Korede pours out the secrets to a comatose patient despite the potential to be overheard. Ayoola’s boyfriends lives are at constant risk.
A beautiful piece of writing, especially for what is apparently Braithwaite’s first full length novel. Don’t just take my word for it: My Sister, the Serial Killer won the LA Times’ Book Prize for best mystery/thriller, the Amazon Publishing Reader’s Award for best first novel, and the British Book Award for best crime and thriller book of the year. Oyinkan Braithwaite is a name to watch.
Aeron Gray 