My Sister, The Serial Killer is a Fresh Title Among a Wealth of Same-Old Crime-Thrillers

My Sister, The Serial Killer by Oyinkan Braithewaite.

My Sister, The Serial Killer is a dark comedy about two Nigerian sisters. One of the two, Korede, is a plain, hardworking but antisocial nurse, the other, Ayoola, is the complete opposite; she is a vivacious, beautiful, self-absorbed narcissist . . . and a serial killer.

Ayoola find her victims – sorry “dates” – among the men of Nigeria, all of whom are easy targets for this vibrant, striking young woman. However, each relationship swiftly turns sour, and man after man winds up dead. Ayoola is quick to claim self-defense, despite the fact that they were all stabbed in the back with her father’s knife and she never shows a shred of remorse. After the third time Korede covers up her sister’s tracks, she begins to question her sister’s claims of self-defense, suspecting there may be something darker and more sinister lurking behind her beautiful, innocent face.

One day, Ayoola comes to visit her sister at the hospital and is quickly noticed by the handsome, young doctor, Tade. Flaunting her figure and batting her eyes, it isn’t long before the two are dating. Of course, both the reader and Korede can see where this is going. But this time, there is an even bigger problem: Korede is head-over-heels in love with Tade.

My Sister, The Serial Killer is a book questioning the lengths we will go to for love – whether that’s the love of a sister or a boyfriend. It asks the question, is blood really thicker than water? Throughout the book, Korede is constantly at Ayoola’s beck and call, flying in as her saviour – bucket, gloves and bleach at the ready – to quite literally clean up her sister’s mess, and it begs the question . . . is Korede an enabler?

Through Korede and Ayoola, the author exposes the complex relationships we have with family. On one hand, Korede loves her sister deeply and would do almost anything to protect her (she has helped her cover up several murders after all) and on the other, she is deeply jealous of her. This is what adds to the suspense of the story, who will Korede choose? And how far is she willing to go to save either one?

While this wasn’t the most disturbing or scariest serial killer book I’ve ever read (by far), I did find myself feeling an overwhelming sense of dread throughout the book. What was Ayoola truly capable of? And out of a wealth of dark thriller books in bookshops today, this one had a distinctly unique plot and the dark humour certainly added to its originality.

If you’re looking for a book that is going to scare the bejeesus out of you, then you’re in the wrong place. But if you’re bored of the same-old crime-thriller and you need something lighter, fresher and just different, you should definitely add My Sister, The Serial Killer to your TBR pile.

- Ellie