Lightseekers

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What to expect

Bloomsbury presents Lightseekers by Femi Kayode, read by Cary Hite.

Waterstones Thriller of the Month
LONGLISTED FOR THE CWA GOLD DAGGER

'A standout thriller... A stunning murder mystery... The suspense is expertly handled' Independent

'Tense and disturbing' Observer

Selected as a Best Crime Novel of the Month by The Times, Sunday Times, Independent, Guardian, Observer, Financial Times and Irish Times.

They already know who killed the men. What they don't know is why.

When three young students are brutally murdered in a Nigerian university town, their killings – and their killers – are caught on social media. The world knows who murdered them; what no one knows is why.

As the legal trial begins, investigative psychologist Philip Taiwo is contacted by the father of one of the boys, desperate for some answers to his son's murder. But Philip is an expert in crowd behaviour and violence, not a detective, and after travelling to the sleepy university town that bore witness to the killings, he soon realises that someone really doesn't want him there and will do anything to prevent him learning the truth.

Will he uncover what really happened to the Okiri Three?

Winner of the 2019 UEA Crime Writing Prize, Lightseekers is the start of a major new crime series introducing investigative psychologist Dr Philip Taiwo.

'Lightseekers is ripe with all the twists and turns you could hope for... A fast-paced thriller that offers insight into the ever present tensions in a poverty stricken community. An action-packed and spirited debut' Oyinkan Braithwaite, author of My Sister, the Serial Killer

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**Philip Taiwo will return in Gaslight in November 2023 – AVAILABLE TO PREORDER NOW**

Critics Review

A superb novel – so inventive and so well done. It’s just brilliant
Harriet Tyce
Gripping, beautifully written and unlike anything else you'll read
William Ryan
Kayode uses this space to highlight aspects of his country, from the pervasive potency of religion to college fraternities that have morphed into criminal gangs. All are filtered through the sceptical, baffled perspective of his likeable sleuth
Sunday Times
What a sensational debut. Confident, beautifully-paced writing. Dr Philip Taiwo is a protagonist I want to meet again, and the setting is so well-drawn. Intelligent, suspenseful and utterly engrossing
Will Dean
Thrillingly good. Femi Kayode takes crime fiction – very literally – to new places ... Told from the perspective of a returning expatriate, Lightseekers takes us deep into the rich complexities of contemporary Nigeria
William Shaw
An original and fast-paced thriller that masterfully explores the smoldering historical tensions underpinning modern-day Nigeria, the role of social media, and the complexities of family, friendship and belonging
Lauren Wilkinson
Tense and disturbing ... An impressive debut
Observer
An important story masterfully told
Leye Adenle
With its twisty plot, engaging characters and brilliantly realised setting, Lightseekers will keep you eagerly turning the pages
Daily Record
An absolutely cracking debut – fresh, unique and beautifully written, a sure-fire candidate for next year's big prizes. In a time when travel is nigh-on impossible, it's wonderful to be transported to another world in such a vivid and memorable fashion
Trevor Wood
[An] exciting debut ... Gripping, with an appealing protagonist and a strong sense of place
Guardian
[A] page-turner
Cosmopolitan
Lightseekers is ripe with all the twists and turns you could hope for... A fast-paced thriller that offers insight into the ever present tensions in a poverty stricken community. An action-packed and spirited debut
Oyinkan Braithwaite, author of 'My Sister, the Serial Killer'
The gripping tale of the mystery of three young students who are brutally murdered in a Nigerian university town
Independent
This ambitious debut combines the story of a fish out of water with a gung-ho thriller ... Femi Kayode is an atmospheric writer
The Times
These brand new releases for 2021 will certainly keep you on your toes, promising spine-chilling twists and turns in their pages … the first in a major new crime series
Metro
This debut has an intriguing setting – the Nigerian countryside; an engaging fish-out-of-water hero in Dr Philip Taiwo, recently returned after living in the US for years; and a smart plot centring on a covered-up murder
iNews
Transporting us to Nigeria, this is an atmospheric, vivid and beautifully written mystery that oozes with intrigue, and a brilliant first novel from the winner of the 2019 UEA Crime Writing Prize
Dead Good Books
The standout thriller of the month ... A stunning murder mystery ... The suspense is expertly handled
Independent
A powerful and fast-paced thriller that will stay with you long after you have closed its pages
Herald
A distinctive, absorbing first novel … Taiwo is a likable, engaging presence and the interplay between him and his tough guy sidekick, Chika Makuochi, propels the action to a series of incendiary climaxes, all the while casting light on the fascinating historical and social tensions underpinning contemporary Nigeria
Irish Times
Kayode’s expertise brings an extra layer to an already absorbing narrative ... Nigeria is vividly drawn
Financial Times
Femi Kayode offers a frightening picture of a society divided between rich and poor, educated and not, in which corruption and cruelty are practised at all levels and noble intentions are often subverted
Literary Review
A carefully crafted, subtly powerful piece of psychological crime. The first in the Philip Taiwo series of books, Lightseekers has a style and central character with the potential to run and run
Living Magazine
A brilliantly drawn thriller set against the backdrop of Nigerian culture and politics
Heat
Page by page [Kayode] racks up the tension
Saga
It's difficult to believe this clever, complex and nuanced novel is Femi Kayode's first book. Lightseekers is a carefully plotted and compelling story that explores some of the darker aspects of Nigerian life ... A fantastic debut and I look forward to seeing what's next in store for Dr Philip Taiwo
CrimeSquad

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