Book review: Lightseekers by Femi Kayode

Light Seekers by Femi Kayode

Lightseekers – Femi Kayode (Bloomsbury, $32.99)

Reviewed by Louise Ward, Wardini Books

So many crime novels, so much same same … then along came Lightseekers. Set in Nigeria, the story follows an investigative psychologist as he's drawn in to the tragic and violent mob violence that ends in the torture and death of three university students.

Philip Taiwo has been out of Nigeria for a while, teaching in the United States. As a result, he and his lawyer wife have forgotten how parts of their country operate. Even in Lagos where they live and work, they are sheltered from corruption, "jungle justice" and the poverty that boils over into protest. When Philip's father asks him to investigate the death of the son of a friend he finds he is intrigued, and flies to Port Harcourt, then on to the town of Okriki, into a new world of police checkpoints, bribes and obfuscation.

Philip is assigned a driver and it soon becomes evident there is much more to Chika than his vehicular skills. Philip suspects many layers are bubbling beneath the surface of his investigation and his observations and realisations make the story all the more fascinating.

There are many facets to this story. Philip's marriage has taken a knock, the police chief in Okriki is hostile, the stories of the students at the university are conflicting. As they delve further into the mob's motivations we are treated to the developing relationship between Philip and Chika, their meeting of minds as they make connections and, increasingly, get into some deeply risky situations.

Lightseekers is a novel that evokes dusty roads and heart-pounding encounters with the everyday dangers experienced by some Nigerians. It's nicely plotted, one clue leading to the next, the psychology fascinating. This is a great tale for a reader who loves their crime and is in need of something fresh.