Korede is always cleaning up after her sister, Ayoola. Literally. This book opens with Korede bleaching the floors of a man’s apartment after Ayoola has killed him. She’s got the cleanup down to a science, now that this is the 3rd boyfriend Ayoola has killed. This is not a mystery or even a thriller; you know from the title who commits the crime. And, in fact, the crime is almost incidental. It’s more about sisterly bonds and why they are fiercely loyal to each other. Anyone who is an older sibling – or even the less pretty one in a set of best friends – will sense Korede’s eye rolls through the pages. And they’ll feel her anxiety as Ayoola sets her sights on Tade, a doctor at the hospital where Korede works. You’d think it would be impending police investigation that stresses her out, but instead Korede is worried because she’s secretly in love with Tade and knows she won’t stand a chance once he sees her beautiful sister.
This book is a satirical dark comedy. Think of it like the book version of [the Netflix show] Santa Clarita Diet. It’s an insanely quick read that I could have easily finished in one sitting but decided to savor. What a debut from Oyinkan Braithwaite! I can’t wait to see what this author does next.
4.75 out of 5 stars.
Pair with: Sparkling rosé
Peaches to Apples 