Novel set in Lagos, Nigeria (sibling loyalty)

12th March 2020

My Sister, the Serial Killer  by Oyinkan Braithwaite, novel set in Lagos, Nigeria.

What a delight this debut novel from Oyinkan Braithwaite is, especially when you hear that she dashed it off as an antidote to writer’s block, and admits to being ‘a bit mad during that period‘.

My Sister, the Serial Killer is a darkly comic story, set in Nigeria’s Lagos, the author’s home territory.

Nurse Korede is forever in the shadow of her beautiful younger sister Ayoola. One languid stretch of those sinuous limbs and every man bends to Ayoola’s will. Until she stabs them. Or poisons them. And Korede is at the end of the phone, ready to clean up after her sister, like a Mafia soldier completely in thrall to the Don.

‘Some of the blood has seeped into the lining of the boot. Ayoola offers to clean it, out of guilt, but I take my homemade mixture of one spoon of ammonia to two cups of water from her and pour it over the stain. I don’t know whether or not they have the tech for a thorough crime scene investigation in Lagos, but Ayoola could never clean up as efficiently as I can.’

Blood is thicker than water, after all, right? And some of the reasons why Korede might be a little more understanding than most siblings are disclosed as the short, razor-sharp chapters unfold. Their father might be dead, but he has certainly left his mark.

Even Korede’s loyalty is tested though when young doctor Tade, with whom Korede is in love, falls under Ayoola’s spell. And naturally he misconstrues her attempts to steer him away from the deadly siren’s rocks…

‘You’re better off without her, you know,’ I tell him softly.

I feel him stiffen.

‘What?’ His voice is soft, but there is something beneath it that wasn’t there before. Irritation? ‘Why would you say that about your sister?’

My Sister, the Serial Killer is a captivating short novel. And whatever led Oyinkan to dash it off, I can’t wait to see which characters she conjures up next…

Andrew for the TripFiction team

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