Darkly funny, but also disturbing.

This deliciously dark-humoured story is about two sisters. Ayoola, the younger, is beautiful, spoiled, over-indulged and used to getting her own way – from early childhood she has expected her less attractive sister to sort out any problems which look likely to threaten this golden life. Korode, a nurse, is conscientious, hardworking and plain and appears to accept her designated role without question, probably because their mother has always held her responsible for her sister’s actions. So, when Korode’s dinner is interrupted one evening by a panic-stricken phone call from her younger sister, she knows to equip herself with “bleach, rubber gloves, nerves of steel and a strong stomach” before setting off to the rescue. Why? Because Ayoola has killed yet another boyfriend – the third she has murdered “in self-defence” and, as always, she expects Korode to clear up the mess and dispose of the body.
Does Korode demur? No, because although she knows that she really should go to the police (if only to protect future boyfriends from her sociopathic sibling!), she loves her sister and believes that family loyalties should always take priority. However, her certainty does begin to waver, and sibling rivalry raises its ugly head, when Ayoola sets her sights on Tade, the doctor with whom Korode works at the local hospital and is secretly in love with. Can she really run the risk of him ending up with a knife in his back? Smitten by Ayoola’s beauty, will he listen to Korode or will he dismiss her warnings as the spite of a jealous sister? The only person Korode can share her worries and dilemmas with is a patient who is in a coma – after all, he isn’t in any position to reveal Ayoola’s crimes, or Korode’s cover-ups!
A combination of very short chapters and a deceptively light-hearted tone meant that I was able to read this story in one sitting. The story-telling is compelling, and the characters leap off the page – even the minor ones. They all have a vibrancy which makes them feel three-dimensionally credible, despite the rather incredible situations they find themselves in! Although I did try to keep reminding myself that murder is no joking matter, that people should be held accountable for their actions, I found myself enjoyably immersed in the farce-like developments of this engaging story. However, beneath all the black humour there is a huge sadness; the gradual revelation of family violence is shocking, exposing memories which Korode cannot remove with “bleach and wipes”. So, whenever I found myself becoming frustrated and irritated by all the ways in which she indulged and supported her sister, I couldn’t help but see the emotionally ensnaring dilemmas she faced. Just as I could see that Ayoola’s childhood experiences went some way towards explaining (but not excusing!) her lack of any morality or empathy.
I loved the various ways in which the author convincingly explored the dynamics of sibling relationships. Underlying an apparently loyal and loving bond there are often some powerfully ambivalent feelings which, if exposed, create hard-to-resolve feelings of conflict and guilt. I thought that she also captured, acutely and authentically, the back-stabbing politics of the work environment – I certainly found some of Korode’s colleagues immediately recognisable! I found that her portrayal of Lagos, with its corrupt business and political practices, and a police force not averse to taking bribes for turning a blind eye, however accurate or otherwise, did contribute to enabling me to suspend my disbelief in the central premise of the plotting!
At one point in the story one of Ayoola’s boyfriends challenges Korode by saying “There’s something wrong with her, but you? What’s your excuse?” This one sentence feels like sufficient justification to recommend this as a good choice for reading groups but, for all its apparent lightness, this story provides many themes which would make for some stimulating discussions.
Both funny and disturbing, this is an impressive debut novel.