by Daniel Mason
First published 1994
Inspector Adebayo walks the crowded streets of Lagos, his uniform marking him as both protector and target in a city where law enforcement means survival. The Nigerian police force operates in a world where bribes flow more freely than justice, and Adebayo must choose between feeding his family and maintaining his integrity. When a high-profile murder case lands on his desk, he discovers that the victim's connections reach into the highest levels of government. His investigation pulls him deeper into a web of political corruption that threatens not only his career but his life. As pressure mounts from his superiors to close the case quietly, Adebayo faces an impossible decision. He can protect the powerful and preserve his position, or he can pursue the truth and risk everything he has worked to build. The stakes rise when his own family becomes a target, forcing him to confront what it truly means to serve and protect in a system designed to fail.
Genres: african-literature, mystery, crime, political-thriller
Vibes: suspenseful, thought-provoking
Tropes: enemies-to-lovers, moral-dilemma
Setting: Lagos, Nigeria
Period: contemporary
174 pages · Unknown Binding · Malthouse Press
Content warnings: violence