There have been quite a few interesting crime novels recently coming out of or set in Nigeria. This includes Femi Kayode’s Lightseekers and Oyikan Braithwaite’s Booker-shortlisted My Sister, the Serial Killer. Giving another view of Nigeria through crime fiction is London-based Nigerian author Amen Alonge’s new novel A Killing in Lagos. This book focusses on the Nigerian ultra-wealthy, only occasionally venturing away from the gated island in Lagos on which they have their compounds.
A Killing in Lagos opens with the discovery of a body in a rubbish dump. Readers soon learn that the body is Kike Bankole, sister of Remi who has built a successful life in London. Remi returns home but is told by his father not to let on about his sister’s death until they can tell his mother who is out of contact at a religious retreat. Remi starts to investigate, finding that there are a number of very powerful people who may have wanted Keki dead.
Remi comes from a very wealthy and powerful family. His father, Kunle, is a kingmaker but prefers to wield his influence from the shadows. On Remi’s return he is assigned a security guard and personal staff. But, unlike many of his ilk, Remi tries to treat all of those around him with respect and humanity. Alonge makes a point of this behaviour and of its indication of Remi’s growth, as he reconnects with those he grew up and went to school with, who stayed in Nigeria and who have retained a high sense of entitlement. Fortunately Remi is also a blue belt in Tai Kwon Do and so is able to look after himself in a fight. Because his investigations start to draw attention to him and some of that with violent intent.
A Killing in Lagos uses crime genre conventions to shine a light on the highest of social classes on Nigeria. It explores a web of power, nepotism, corruption and hedonism. It highlights the lack of consequences even when some of those issues are brought to light due to the wat in which the perpetrators are protected. The surprised reaction of surprise of Remi’s staff to his displays of humanity imply a much harder life for all of those people in the background. But even in among the darkness Alonge also takes to time to appreciate and celebrate Nigerian food and culture, of the joy people have in locally made music (a Spotify playlist would have been great) and just friends having a good time together.
A Killing in Lagos gives readers a view into the rarified world of Nigeria’s ultra-wealthy but through the eyes of a character who eschews some of the trappings of that lifestyle. It does so through a tense, well-paced story with plenty of action that continues the trend of fascinating crime fiction coming out of Nigeria.
A Killing in Lagos by Amen Alonge
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