‘My Sister, the Serial Killer’ by Oyinkan Braithwaite

What a weird little crime novel this is, oddly compelling, but I wouldn’t highly recommend it. It’s set in Lagos, Nigeria and is actually less of a thriller than an essay on sibling rivalry and loyalty. It’s meant to be a darkly funny satire, but to me it didn’t quite achieve that and felt too lighthearted and even flippant, given the gruesome and violent subject matter. It’s in a completely different league from another Nigerian author Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie–hers are great literary achievements. But I must say, Braithwaite’s book was a fun little read.

Korede, the narrator of the story, is a highly efficient and responsible nurse who is falling in love with one of her doctor colleagues. Unfortunately, her little sister Ayoola has the inconvenient habit of killing off her boyfriends and calling her older sister to help her out of the mess. And to make matters worse, she has just met the doctor who Korede has a crush on! Braithwaite is a graduate of Creative Writing and Law from Kingston University. She lives in Lagos, Nigeria.

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