7 Crime Novels That Will Show You How Chaotic Your Life Can Get

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For a few years while growing up, I was obsessed with crime novels. I read every John Grisham and Sidney Sheldon book I could lay my hands on. Lee Child’s Jack Reacher series was a notable favourite, but I also deeply loved Karin Slaughter’s Will Trent series and Patricia Cornwell’s Kay Scarpetta books. Though African crime novels have been available since the 1970s, I had not discovered them.

I was intrigued by how these crime novels depicted the unbelievable twists an otherwise ordinary life could take. Through their detailed accounts of terrible crimes and the relentless pursuit of justice, they revealed just how chaotic life could become. Now, with an ever-growing list of crime novels and authors from Africa, the message feels even closer to home.

In our latest book recommendation, we have compiled a list of seven African crime novels that will show you how chaotic your life can get. The books on this list span several African countries—from Nigeria to Kenya to Zimbabwe—and belong on every crime fiction enthusiast’s bookshelf.

Read our recommendations below.