So folks, ask yourself, when was the last time you read about a lady serial killer? Or, a non-white serial killer? (Making some assumptions about my readership here, but I have the data from WordPress and I know 95% of you are my friends and live in Canada/USA). Well wait no longer. Oyinkan Braithwaite’s My Sister, the Serial Killer is here to remedy both.
What appears at first to be a tightly woven, compact gem of a novel is, on closer inspection, just that. We follow Korede as she (literally and figuratively) cleans up after her serial killer sister. That plot summary makes it sound like this will be a silly novel, and I want to emphasize that it is not. While there are intentional moments of dark humour, the entire work is layered genius exploring trauma, loyalty, love and inheritance.
It’s also a super fast read, making it an ideal pick for an afternoon at the beach (plus the requirement to read thrillers on the beach according to all magazines in 2019). Oh, and super well written. Take that Girl on the Train!
So enjoy!
Literary Vice 