Scottish author Foday Mannah, was born in London but spent his early years in Sierra Leone. His debut novel The Search of Othella Savage is based around the expatriate Sierra Leone community in Scotland but also takes readers to Sierra Leone. It is a crime novel but one in which the crime and its investigation are deeply infused with the culture and history of Sierra Leone.
The protagonist of The Search for Othella Savage is Hawa Barrie, who is living and studying in Scotland but also as the overseas member of the family, buying dresses and other supplies for her sister’s wedding. While working as a cleaner at a local hotel, Barrie meets and befriends an African American singer, Anaka, who becomes a bit of a reader surrogate in learning about the Sierra Leone community. Hawa introduces Anaka to her friend Othella Savage and when Othella goes missing in mysterious circumstances following the death of another young woman from their community, the two start to investigate. The disappearance seems to be connected to the local chapter of the Lion Mountain church run by the charismatic Father Ranka and his English wife.
The Disappearance of Othella Savage takes readers deep into the Sierra Leone community, including a trip to the country for Hawa’s sister’s wedding. And Mannah does explore the influence of the Church, issues of corruption and exploitation of women as ambassadors for the church’s fundraising efforts. But this is in no way simple or simplistic – Mannah ensures that readers understand the complexity of the relationships and the situations that the characters find themselves in. The story is also written in a very matter-of-fact style in which twists and surprises are not telegraphed and land as just the way life happens.
The Search of Othella Savage does what all good crime fiction does – Mannah uses the tropes of the genre to go deeply into a milieu that will be unfamiliar to many readers and make it come alive. With an appealing central investigative duo, and a deep respect and nuanced understanding of the community that he is portraying, Mannah delivers a delightful (if sometimes dark) crime fiction debut.
The Search for Othella Savage by Foday Mannah
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