So I have had this book to read for so long and for some reason I just kept putting it off, when I finally got around to reading it I actually really loved it, such an easy story to get lost in, the plot just flows and even though it is not a nice subject, killing, it is actually quite light hearted and tounge in cheek fun. I would definitely recommend this book.

This is a book that I have wanted to read probably since it came out as there was so much hype surrounding it. I ended up listening on audio and I am very glad I did because the narrator, Weruche Opia, really helped set the tone.

The story follows two Nigerian sisters, Korede and Ayoola and opens with Ayoola calling her sister for help. She has killed her boyfriend. We soon learn that this is the third time she has done this and called on Korede for help.

Korede is a nurse at the local hospital and has a crush on Tade, a doctor who works there. After Ayoola visits Korede at work, Ayoola and Tade strike up a relationship. Naturally, Korede is worried that Tade's fate will be the same as Ayoola's previous boyfriends.

For a short novella-type story, I love the depth of this book. The sisterly relationship between Korede and Ayoola and their culture is wonderful. Of course we are made to think that Korede is crazy for bailing her sister out so many times but the big sister always looks after the younger sister. That's how it always will be.

The humour, sarcasm and dry wit throughout the book, especially in Korede's character is brilliant. It is an engaging novel and I loved the ending too.

I enjoyed the shorter chapters and really liked the characters. It was a very (to me) unique plot that I thought was executed really well, and I loved the added humour that went along with it. The combination of a serial killer with funny bits was brilliant.

An amusing, dark-witted little thriller, this offers some suspense amongst the strange family dynamics that Oyinkan Braithwaite explores. While not as earthshattering as I had expected considering how much hype there was around it, I thoroughly enjoyed this.

Is there going to be another one? Funny, dark and clever, this is a truly fabulous read. I am sorry that it took me so long to get to it but it was totally worth it once I started reading it.

The fact that the narrator's sister is a serial killer is related in a very matter of fact way.
The story grips by its natural assumption that this is so. We see the title character is a monster but also a disturbed, pathetic victim of a bullying father. So it is only nstuy that her big sister looks out for her.
The outcome of this state of affairs is disturbing but yet u understandable - meanwhile the bodies continue to mount

Its short and quick paced but ultimately it frustrated me more more than it should have. I am not sure why this was ever nominated for the Booker, I guess the judges saw more in it than I did. A tale of two sisters, one of which is a beautiful psychopathic serial killer and the other is older and has always been told she is responsible for her younger sibling. She has a case of OCD and works as a nurse in a private hospital.
This left me with more questions than answers, but not in a good way. Are the Nigerian police really that inept? Can beautiful women really get away with murder and what was that damp squib of an ending all about?

A very enjoyable quick read. We know right from the beginning that the main character's sister is a killer, so there isn't really any mystery tension but rather the question of will she do this again and who will it be next. It gives the main character an interesting moral dilemma as she is very devoted to her sister and wants to believe that she has only killed in self defence. I found it very easy to read but also engaging and page-turning. The ending didn't quite satisfy me, but it wasn't bad (sometimes a bad ending to an otherwise book completely ruins it for me, but this was not the case here). I would recommend it to someone looking for an entertaining mini-thriller.

A title like that is a definite attention-grabber and perhaps this is why this book that has been literary-Marmite over the past few years. Every review I read either praises it to the skies or shrieks in disbelief that it was shortlisted for a major prize. I came to the novel with an open mind and was immediately carried away by its arresting opening line; 'Ayoola summons me with these words - Korede, I killed him. I had hoped I would never hear those words again'. It's the third time one of Ayoola's boyfriends have met their ends in 'self-defence'. It's starting to really stress Korede out. More satire than slasher, My Sister, The Serial Killer is a story with a song at its heart.

We meet Korede as she tries to clean up Ayoola's latest mess. The hardest part is getting at the blood that has seeped in between the shower and the caulking. It is, she explains, 'an easy part to forget'. It's lucky that she has had so much practice. They take the body to 'where we took the last - over the bridge and into the water. At least he won't be lonely'. Korede manages everything from cleaning up to instructing Ayoola on how long to maintain a respectful social media presence to keep up the pretence of the grieving girlfriend. Ayoola pouts, 'How long am I meant to post boring, sad stuff?' When told to do so for a year, she huffs 'You must be kidding me'. Once again, Ayoola has no visible injuries and displays no signs of guilt. All the same, Korede tries to give her the benefit of the doubt. All that changes though when Ayoola catches the eye of a doctor in the hospital where Korede works as a nurse. Not just any doctor either, but Tade, who Korede has long had a crush on.

Braithwaite puts a good deal more emphasis on the love triangle here rather than the unsolved murders. To be fair though, it isn't much of a love triangle, more Korede gazing after Tade who looks straight past her to Ayoola. It was round here that the book started to lose me. Korede grieves as she sees Tade buy Ayoola expensive jewellery and notes when either of them wear designer clothing. I can see that these are signals to the reader that they too are supposed to be envious. The problem is that I have never really connected with that degree of consumerism. I don't buy designer gear and when my partner proposed to me, I had requested in advance that there be no ring involved. So it was hard to empathise with Korede's anguish over all the fancy stuff that she wasn't being given.

Despite the strong opening, the novel felt like it could have done with a redraft. The pressure point is the relationship between the sisters, as Korede is forced to decide whether she can stand by and allow her sister to potentially kill again. The problem is that Korede never becomes a strong enough character to make the conflict compelling. It is clear that nobody else in the novel particularly likes her and given how much time she spends complaining, this is no surprise. More should probably have been made of her friendship with the coma patient, who Korede had been using as a confessor before his inconvenient awakening. An opportunity to see Korede as more than a misery-guts harridan might have made her a more appealing protagonist. It didn't help that the prose descended quite so often into cliche.

More than anything though, My Sister, The Serial Killer felt like a case of butterfingers. It comes very close to being something exceptional. This is a rare piece of representation for Nigerian culture in mainstream fiction. Although I have never actually visited that country, I have a soft spot for it since I taught a class of predominantly Nigerian children many years ago. The clash between older traditions and western social mores did make things interesting and indeed it is that collision which is at the core of the novel. Korede and Ayoola's late father tried to exert his authority in a traditional way but his daughters refused to submit. Yet Braithwaite's novel has more going on than a simple rebellion against patriarchal society. Korede asks Tade why he loves Ayoola and is disgusted when all he can come up with are references to Ayoola's appearance. Nothing about her personality or humour or passions. The message is that although he may appear to be perfect, Tade is just as bad as the rest of them. He is still objectifying women. In that case, is Ayoola a crusader rather than a killer?

If Braithwaite had been able to strip back to this central question, this could have been a far more successful satire on the battle of the sexes. The finale is ridiculously rushed and the whole book feels quite unfinished. All the same, I suspect that the core issue with My Sister, The Serial Killer is a simple case of over-hype. By landing up on the Booker longlist and the shortlist for the Women's Prize, reviewers arrived with high expectations. They expected something self-consciously literary with greater psychological depth. Instead they got two sisters having an extended squabble. And because of that, a large chunk of reviews missed the deadpan wit with which Braithwaite captures the sibling sniping. When Korede notices a missed call from Ayoola, she remarks to the reader, 'Maybe she is reaching out because she has sent another man to his grave prematurely [...] Or maybe she wants to know if I can buy eggs on the way home. Either way, I’m not picking up.' Despite its faults, this is a darkly comic and irreverent novel told with real verve - a great choice for lockdown light reading.

Although I read via my physical copy, I also had an e-copy via Netgalley, so thank you to the publishers etc. As always, all opinions remain my own.

I have put this on so many of my tbr's this year and have finally taken the time to get to it. I must admit, after seeing quite a lot of very mixed reviews, it sort of got to me and probably contributed to the cause of this delayed reading.

Nevertheless, I'm glad I read it now, because I really enjoyed it. It was quick to get through, with its shorter sentence structure (for the most part) and shorter chapters (loved the choppy pacing) and the story interested me.

The sisters, Korede and Ayoola, were fascinating to read about, and was probably my favourite part of the story especially seeing the lengths the elder will go to protect her sister. I think a lot of the less favourable reviews I happened to read were because reviewers were expecting a straight up pacey thriller, and this is more of a character study of the two's relationship and the younger siblings tumultuous relationship with men, so maybe going in knowing that, I was prepared to have different expectations. If that's the case then I am glad.

I am definitely left unsatisfied with the ending. I never really enjoy much open endessness, and I just really wanted certain characters to really get their comeuppance.

Despite that, I will be curious to look out for anything else Braithwaité writes in the future.

This book is very dark and different, and I liked the huge contract between the two sisters. I found the narrator frustrating in some ways - she is such a pushover! - but this did help to make the book what it was.

Recommended if you want something a bit different with some interesting characters.

What a brilliant book this was. It gripped me from the first sentence and I remained enthralled to the very last word.

Korede has always been her sister, Ayoola's protector. They grew up with a cruel and violent father and only had each other to provide a refuge from the punishments and fear.

But when Ayoola kills the men who date her, Korede's loyalty is tested to its limit. Particularly when Ayoola begins dating Tade, a man who Korede is in love with. Despite her warning, he is bewitched by the beautiful Ayoola, but he is to pay a heavy price. Because despite everything, when it comes to choosing a side, Korede will always choose Ayoola.

Brilliantly written, engaging and smart, this is a darkly enjoyable read.

This quick , funny (dark one), also you cannot stop reading . I finished this book in two days and that is record for me . I picked up because of the title and the cover picture which is beautiful . I read couple of stories that happened in africa but mainly most are Historic fiction but this wonderful contemporary book. The chapters are very small and the story flow and you understand without the need for a lot of words. I am surprised that this the writer first book .
It is about the relationship between two sisters and of course the murders.
The language was the one that made it special , the writer has great way of writing .

I loved this book, I loved the premise, I loved the writing style with short, snappy chapters, I loved the glimpse into a culture far from my own, I loved the delving into family and sisterhood, I loved that it didn’t end the way I thought it might.

And I loved, loved, loved that it surprised me, not many books do these days, so absolute kudos to you Ms Braithwaite, bring on the next surprise.

Highly recommended, thanks to Netgalley for providing an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

WoW............What a brilliant book My Sister, the Serial Killer by Oyinkan Braithwaite was. I loved it and was hooked within the first few pages and then had to finish reading it. I love to find a new author and especially as this book was so good.

A cracking read throughout and I would read more from this author. Highly recommend Oyinkan Braithwaite future books. Best wishes.

Big Thank you to Netgalley, The publisher Atlantic Books and especially Oyinkan Braithwaite the author for a ARC.

This book was a great read. Creepy, funny, flippant. I love anything crime related so this was right up my street! I would recommend this book to a friend.

Oyinkan Braithwaite’s novel, takes us inside a wealthy Nigerian family and looks at the relationship between two sisters. There is Korede, big sister and our narrator, and the more beautiful Ayoola, who keeps killing her boyfriends. Korede, efficient and loyal, knows her role is to look after her little sister, even if that means moving the bodies. All is so much macabre business as usual until the object of Korede’s affection sets his eyes on the lovely (at least to look at), Ayoola. Underlying the darkly humorous and fast paced present is the past family life, with an abusive patriarch. By the time the story begins, dad is dead and his violent legacy looms large in the home. Braithwaite blends these two strands (the past and present), seamlessly, to create a surprising and highly original novel.

A really enjoyable read - darkly comic and at times, quite a romp, which also touches on serious issues around abuse and power.

I tend to find the writing style of a lot of the popular stories set in Africa to be a little folksy for me. So many people seem to love folk tales. I do not.
But this relatively short book is told in a straightforward narrative from the rather severe point of view of Korade, the older sister, and interrupted by flashbacks to when their father was alive.

Korade shows little patience or affection for her mostly frivolous co-workers but is kind and conscientious towards her patients. She does have a soft spot for one of the doctors but he is oblivious to her feelings for him and her interpretation of his behaviour seems more a projection of her wishful thinking rather than a true assessment of his personality.
She seems to place a barrier between her feelings and the world outside and the only person with whom she ‘shares’ her concerns and confidences is a coma patient under her care.

The people Korade cares about most is her family. Even as they irritate, annoy and selfishly take her for granted she will protect them whatever the cost.

The story starts with a bang in the middle of one of the incidents described by the title. Despite certain niggling doubts and her fear of getting caught Korade feels compelled to help her sister even while she is exasperated that Ayoola seems almost completely unperturbed by the seriousness of the situation.

The flashbacks to her father’s abuse, the family’s hypocritical interactions with her father’s sister and Korade’s attitude to her co-workers displays how the concealment of their father’s abuse has distanced the family from the society around them, but the story ends without any attempt to explain or analyse the behavior of either Korade or Ayoola and no solution is offered.

This is both interesting but also a little depressing and the deceptively simple story style left me thinking for a long time after I had finished reading.

I hesitated before requesting a review copy of My Sister, the Serial Killer because with a title like that it could go one of two ways. Fortunately for me it was brilliant.

Let me explain, I read more than my fair share of crime and thriller books, but I wouldn’t say it is my favourite genre. Fortunately, the author’s writing style lent itself to excellent read.

When Korede receives a late-night phone call from her younger sister Ayoola, she knows she is needed to clean up her mess yet again. This will be the third boyfriend she has killed in ‘self-defence’ and Korede is well aware that three makes her sister a serial killer.

Korede has always looked after Ayoola and even now she still instinctively wants to protect her. That is until her sister sets her sights on the handsome doctor Korede has a crush on.

My Sister, the Serial Killer had a lot of hype surrounding it and generally I find that can be a negative thing as the expectation of how good it is means I am disappointed but this lived up to the hype. It was so gripping that I started and finished it in the same day.

I knew I would like it from the first paragraph:

“Ayoola summons me with these words – Korede, I killed him.

I had hoped I would never hear those words again.”

One of my favourite things about this book was the accurate portrayal of the relationship between the two sisters. The sibling rivalry felt real but also the bond they had.

One thing I often struggle with in novels is the ability to engage if I dislike the character but this time I disliked both sisters and loved the book. Ayoola was vain and selfish as well as being a serial killer but Korede was also massively flawed in her own way not least in her ability to have doubts about her sister but not acting on them.

“On their one-month anniversary, she stabbed him in the bathroom of his apartment. She didn’t mean to, of course. He was angry, screaming at her, his onion-stained breath against her face.

(But why was she carrying the knife?)

The knife was for her protection. You never knew with men, they wanted what they wanted when they wanted it. She didn’t mean to kill him. She wanted to warn him off.”

My only criticism, if it could be called that, is that I didn’t want the book to end.