Author Obinna Udenwe has been making waves in the short story realm since 2012 having been shortlisted for several Nigerian and African literary awards. He released his crime fiction novel Satans and Shaitans in 2014.
I must declare at this point that the crime/horror genres are not my favourite, but I wanted to give it a go to support Udenwe taking Nigerian literature down unconventional paths.
The novel starts with the disappearance of Adeline the daughter of the most powerful Christian leader in Nigeria, with the rest of the book detailing her tracks and the movements of those around her prior to her disappearance. Set in present day Nigeria, Adeline’s disappearance is a lot more than meets the eye, as Udenwe infuses politics, corruption, an illuminati-type secret order and terrorism into the mix.
Much like the fiasco in current British politics, the plot twists in this book are wild. I was convinced I knew exactly where Udenwe was going, before he sharply turned 90 degrees and went the other way, and these turns happened every single chapter, so you will definitely be kept on your toes.
I did at times think that the twists were a bit too much, inducing slight whiplash, however, I commend Udenwe’s bold and gripping storytelling, as I was hooked from the very first page to the last.