Though it’s a thriller at heart, this is one of those books that seems to somewhat defy categorization. This seems to be upheld by its recent selection for the Women’s Prize for Fiction longlist, a list that, in the few years I’ve been following it, hasn’t favoured the thriller genre. Before seeing it on the list, I wasn’t really sure if it could transcend genre fiction. If I’m honest, I’m still not sure. But I certainly wanted to try it for myself, and so it was the first of the books on the longlist that I decided to pick up. (It also helped that it’s short and not at all intimidating.)
When I say I’m still not sure how to define this book, I really mean it. It’s written in a simple style, so that doesn’t make it feel overly literary. But it’s also not quite written in the way thrillers are normally written. This is owing in large part to the structure – it jumps around more and is less linear than most thrillers I’ve read. It also occasionally jumps to sections where the main character, Korede, seems to be musing esoterically on moments in her past that don’t appear to have any connection to the meat of the story. And yet…
The premise of this book, in case you haven’t heard of it, is that Korede’s younger sister is a serial killer. Ayoola is beautiful, entitled and vain. She also, owing to a difficult relationship with her father, seems to view men as expendable, literally. The book opens with Korede helping Ayoola clean up after murdering her most recent paramour, and we soon learn that this is not the first time this has happened. Always Ayoola has called Korede in a panic, telling her that a boyfriend attacked her, that it was self defense, that she needs help. But these stories are beginning to show holes, and Korede is feeling increasingly conflicted about her sister’s victim role.
Her misgivings are brought to the fore when Ayoola meets and begins dating Tade, a doctor at the hospital where Korede works as a nurse, and who Korede is in love with. Knowing Ayoola as she does, Korede fears for her unrequited love interest, and finds herself forced to choose between protecting two people she loves.
Through flashbacks and Korede’s musings, we learn about her family, her sister’s relationships, and begin to understand not only why Korede protects her sister so fiercely, but why Ayoola behaves as she does. We are led to question where the limits of loyalty and love are drawn, and how far we would go to protect those we love the most. What would we be willing to sacrifice to keep them safe? Or, more to the point, who?
Though we learn about each character in turn, none of them are particularly sympathetic. Each has flaws, some of them terrible, and each is unlikable. Which makes deciding who to root for an even more difficult task. No one is blameless, each has blind spots and irritating personality traits. Which I found to be one of the strengths of the novel. Had it been easier to sympathize with one or two of the characters, the complexity and intrigue would have been lost. I also loved the setting – Lagos, Nigeria. I’ve never been there, but through Braithwaite’s words, I could feel it. I loved the cultural tidbits that are scattered throughout the book, and the added element of fear that accompanies interacting with a corrupt police force when you are an accessory to murder.
I don’t know if this book will make the shortlist for the Women’s Prize – and I’m not really sure if I think it should. Compared to the other two books on the list that I’ve read, I don’t feel that it is quite as strong, if for no other reason than that it is much shorter and therefore has less space for development. But I do see many layers to the novel and can see why it was selected to be on the longlist, in spite of being a thriller.
I’d say it’s definitely one that I’d recommend trying – particularly if you like unconventional thrillers that are not simply plot-driven. It’s not a huge commitment, and it feels like a very fresh twist on a genre that can sometimes feel a bit stale. Well worth the read!
As smart and murderous as Killing Eve, My Sister, the Serial Killer is a blackly comic novel about how blood is thicker – and more difficult to get out of the carpet – than water…
When Korede’s dinner is interrupted one night by a distress call from her sister, Ayoola, she knows what’s expected of her: bleach, rubber gloves, nerves of steel and a strong stomach. This’ll be the third boyfriend Ayoola’s dispatched in, quote, self-defence and the third mess that her lethal little sibling has left Korede to clear away. She should probably go to the police for the good of the menfolk of Nigeria, but she loves her sister and, as they say, family always comes first. Until, that is, Ayoola starts dating the doctor where Korede works as a nurse. Korede’s long been in love with him, and isn’t prepared to see him wind up with a knife in his back: but to save one would mean sacrificing the other… – Goodreads
Book Title: My Sister the Serial Killer
Author: Oyinkan Braithwaite
Series: No
Edition: Hardback
Published By: Doubleday
Released: November 20, 2018
Genre: Fiction, Thriller, Family
Pages: 226
Date Read: March 5-9, 2019
Rating: 7/10
Average Goodreads Rating: 3.83/5 (17,486 ratings)