Review: Easy Motion Tourist by Leye Adenle

Synopsis: Easy Motion Tourist is a compelling crime novel set in contemporary Lagos. It features Guy Collins, a British hack who stumbles by chance into the murky underworld of the city. A woman's mutilated body is discarded by the side of a club near one of the main hotels in Victoria Island. Collins, a bystander, is picked up by the police as a potential suspect. After experiencing the unpleasant realities of a Nigerian police cell, he is rescued by Amaka, a Pam Grier-esque Blaxploitation heroine with a saintly streak. As Collins discovers more of the darker aspects of what makes Lagos tick - including the clandestine trade in organs - he also falls slowly for Amaka. Little do they realise how the body parts business is wrapped up in the power and politics of the city. The novel features a motley cast of supporting characters, including a memorable duo of low-level Lagos gangsters, Knockout and Go-Slow. Easy Motion Tourist pulsates with the rhythms of Lagos, reeks of its open drains, and entertains from beginning to end. A modern thriller featuring a strong female protagonist, prepared to take on the Nigerian criminal world on her own.

This is Nigerian noir fiction in all its gory glory.

On his first night in Lagos, a British journalist ostensibly in the country to report on the forthcoming presidential elections finds himself in the midst of a crime scene - the brutal murder and mutilation of a young woman. Swept up by the local police, Guy Collins laments as he finds himself in a car with me who hadn't identified themselves as police nor read him his rights; he in turn had not asked for ID; and he was being driven who knows where and no-one knew he had been taken.

Enter one tough and determined woman, Amaka.  Who she actually is and what her role is we the reader are never quite sure of - suffice to say this is elaborated upon as we delve further into the murky Lagos underbelly where everyone is packing heat; sex and drugs are currency; corruption is rife and accepted; life is brutal and cheap; and its all about image and the perception of power - from gang members, to police to politicians.

This will certainly not be to everyone's liking but if you are interested in differing views of the crime genre then this would be a good starting point.  Looking forward to the next book - When Trouble Sleeps.