My Sister, the Serial Killer

A Novel

By: Oyinkan Braithwaite

Narrated by: Adepero Oduye

“Pulpy, peppery and sinister, served up in a comic deadpan…This scorpion-tailed little thriller leaves a response, and a sting, you will remember.” –NEW YORK TIMES

“The wittiest and most fun murder party you’ve ever been invited to.” –MARIE CLAIRE

WINNER OF THE LA TIMES BOOK PRIZE FOR MYSTERY/THRILLER
FINALIST FOR THE 2019 WOMEN’S PRIZE

A short, darkly funny, hand grenade of a novel about a Nigerian woman whose younger sister has a very inconvenient habit of killing her boyfriends

“Femi makes three, you know. Three and they label you a serial killer.”

Korede is bitter. How could she not be? Her sister, Ayoola, is many things: the favorite child, the beautiful one, possibly sociopathic. And now Ayoola’s third boyfriend in a row is dead.

Korede’s practicality is the sisters’ saving grace. She knows the best solutions for cleaning blood, the trunk of her car is big enough for a body, and she keeps Ayoola from posting pictures of her dinner to Instagram when she should be mourning her “missing” boyfriend. Not that she gets any credit.

Korede has long been in love with a kind, handsome doctor at the hospital where she works. She dreams of the day when he will realize that she’s exactly what he needs. But when he asks Korede for Ayoola’s phone number, she must reckon with what her sister has become and how far she’s willing to go to protect her.

Sharp as nails and full of deadpan wit, Oyinkan Braithwaite’s deliciously deadly debut is as fun as it is frightening.

©2018 Oyinkan Braithwaite (P)2018 Random House Audio

Critic reviews

"Braithwaite's debut is written in quick, economical chapters that brilliantly render the setting.... A darkly, darkly funny novel.... It strips away the romanticism of the complicated sisterly relationship but perfectly illustrates its complicated contradictions." (Booklist)

"Who is more dangerous? A femme fatale murderess or the quiet, plain woman who cleans up her messes? In My Sister, the Serial Killer, Oyinkan Braithwaite answers that question with an original and compelling debut. I never knew what was going to happen, but found myself pulling for both sisters, as I relished the creepiness and humor of this modern noir." (Helen Ellis, New York Times best-selling author of American Housewife)

"Disturbing, sly and delicious, Braithwaite's novel compels us to consider the limits of loyalty and the insidious weight of silence." (Ayobami Adebayo, author of Stay with Me)

Great, Quick Read

This was a good relaxing read about how one sister’s love protects another while jealousy is still present in their relationship.

Interesting Story

A great read. As an eldest child, I connected with the main characters sense of duty. I wish it was longer.

Sisters are complicated

My brother-in-law recommended this book to me, which made me wonder if he suspects that my little sister is a sociopath. Anyway, I found the family and workplace relationships much more interesting than the murders.The narrator could probably have made any story interesting since she is so self-aware and observant; most of the other characters -- except for one -- seemed one-dimensional in comparison. And it had been a while since I read a novel that was set in an African country, so I enjoyed that too. There were a couple of twists that I might have seen coming had I read the book instead of listening to it but like many others have commented, the ending was a letdown. It was just an ending, not a resolution. I do hope that Brathwaite picks up some of the loose threads in her next novel, or retells it from the other sister's point of view.

Sisterly Love

Very entertaining. I will definitely be looking for more from this author! The narrator was really excellent too. I love her voice.

Fast and engrossing

I loved the fast pace of this book. Finished in 1 day!! I loved the complexity of Ayoola and Korede's relationship. It makes you think, how far would you go for your siblings?

Interesting and fun! Highly recommend!

Interesting and easy to follow tale of two sisters! It is rich with Nigerian cultural references and truly feels like a “West African” story.

I highly recommend to everyone, especially anyone feeling nostalgic for West Africa or African literature or just likes a succinct, yet interesting drama/satire with thriller elements!

Great Book, but the way it ends...

The book is intriguing, unless there is a second book the ending is not fulfilling.

Interesting plot!

Once I started I couldn’t put the book book! I hated Ayola for her narcissism and felt pity for her sister.

Great book! Fun read

This book went fast, and I was glad I had it on audiobook. The narrator had a wonderful voice and presentation and I felt it gave an extra dimension to the story to hear the words and names pronounced in a native tongue.

As far as the story, I loved it. I thought the premise, characters, and development were all interesting. The relationship between the sisters was beautifully written. Complex enough that it is worth a discussion but easy enough for a beach read. My favorite kind of book! Great book club read, too. I highly recommend it!!

slow.....and not even a great ending

boring, listened to whole thing and it never really built up. did not find much humor in it. not recommended