Lightseekers

This month, my reading challenge is to read books set in Africa. The first one I finished is Lightseekers by Femi Kayode. It’s a mystery set in Nigeria, and while I’ve read several books set in this country before, this is my first Nigerian thriller.

Summary

Dr. Philip Taiwo is an investigative psychologist who has spent years building up his research career in the United States. But now he’s back home in Nigeria to uncover why three university students in Port Harcourt were publicly tortured and murdered. Investigating the Okriki Three proves to be an uphill battle, not only because Philip is not actually a detective, but also because no one around wants to reveal the truth of what they know. Philip has the help of his driver, Chika, as he slowly parses together why—and how—this crime happened.

Review

Lightseekers is such an interesting novel, and I loved getting a new taste of Nigeria. I’ve read contemporary and historical fiction set in Nigeria before, but this is my first time reading a mystery/thriller, and it offers a different atmosphere. A horrific crime was committed in Port Harcourt, on the southern coast Nigeria, and family of the so-called Okriki Three still want answers.

Another unique aspect of Lightseekers is Philip’s perspective in investigating the crime. He’s a psychologist, first and foremost. He’s interested in why something happened, not how. So he’s not exactly a detective, and this case that he’s been roped into is a little outside of his comfort zone. Thus, the way the mystery unfolds is unlike other crime novels I’ve read. Philip’s distinct approach leads us down a different path, which makes this mystery fresh and extra engrossing. I loved the psychological angle throughout the book.

Philip is Nigerian, but he’s spent many years in the U.S., so in some ways he feels like a stranger in his own country. He’s also not from Port Harcourt, specifically, and he comes across as an outsider in this city. I liked getting this kind of in-between view on Nigeria: as someone from there, but also removed from it.

Unraveling the mystery here was circular; Philip must talk to the same people repeatedly to get anywhere. At first it felt frustrating, but as clues finally started emerging, it made for some thrilling reveals later on. This isn’t quite as fast-paced as I prefer, but with some patience, the twists are rewarding.

Audiobook:

Cary Hite narrates Lightseekers, and he made the listen gripping from start to finish. I liked hearing the Nigerian accents, which helped create a more immersive sense of setting. He also captured Philip’s character really well. This was engaging and a great way to read the book.

Final Thoughts

Lightseekers is a must-read for anyone interested in thrillers set in Nigeria, or Africa overall. I found the whole book to be intriguing, and I loved trying to puzzle through things with Philip. It gets into local tensions and politics, and it offers a fresh take on solving mysteries for its psychological focus. This is the first in the Philip Taiwo series, and I’m excited to see what case he investigates next!

Get the Book

You can buy Lightseekers here – it’s available as a hardcover, ebook, and audiobook.

Lightseekers by Femi Kayode
Series	Philip Taiwo (#1)
Audiobook Narrator	Cary Hite
Audience	Adult
Genre	Mystery; Thriller
Setting	Nigeria
Number of Pages	432
Format I Read	Audiobook
Original Publication Date	March 2, 2021

Official Summary

A Nigerian psychologist travels to a remote southern border town to uncover the truth about the murder of three university students in this “original and fast-paced thriller” (Lauren Wilkinson, author of American Spy).
 
When Dr. Philip Taiwo is called on by a powerful Nigerian politician to investigate the public torture and murder of three university students in remote Port Harcourt, he has no idea that he’s about to be enveloped by a perilous case that is far from cold.
 
Philip is not a detective. He’s an investigative psychologist, an academic more interested in figuring out the why of a crime than actually solving it. But when he steps off the plane and into the dizzying frenzy of the provincial airport, he soon realizes that the murder of the Okriki Three isn’t as straightforward as he thought. With the help of his loyal and streetwise personal driver, Chika, Philip must work against those actively conspiring against him to parse together the truth of what happened to these students.
 
A thrilling and atmospheric mystery, and an unforgettable portrait of the contemporary Nigerian sociopolitical landscape, Lightseekers is a wrenching novel tackling the porousness between the first and third worlds, the enduring strength of tribalism and homeland identity, and the human need for connection in the face of isolation.