ARC Review: City of Saints and Thieves

Title: City of Saints and Thieves
Author: Natalie C. Anderson
Pages: 432
Published by: Rock the Boat
Release date: 6th July
Synopsis:

Street-thief Tina breaks in to the luxurious house where her mother was killed to steal from Mr. Greyhill and nail him for her mother’s murder. She is caught red-handed.

Saved by Mr. Greyhill’s gorgeous son, Michael, the pair set in motion a cascade of dangerous events that lead them deeper into the mystery, and reveal dark and shocking secrets from Tina’s past.

Tina and her mother fled the Congo years ago as refugees, trading the uncertain danger of their besieged village for a new, safer life in the bustling Kenyan metropolis. The corruption and politics of the Congo, and the gangster world of Sangui City, are behind Tina’s mother’s downfall. Is Tina tough enough to find the truth and bring the killer to justice?

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Firstly, thank you to Rock the Boat for sending me a copy of City of Saints and Thieves to review!

Review:

City of Saints and Thieves is a book packed full of suspense and fantastic characters that left me thinking about it for days after finishing it.

The depth of character in City of Saints and Thieves was a big part in why I enjoyed it so much. Tina is a fierce and determined character, loyal to her family. She struggles to make a living after her mother was murdered, and she is left with a determination to keep her younger sister safe, and to use her position with the Goondas, a notorious gang, to find and get revenge against her mother’s murderer.

Working with her is Boyboy, a talented hacker — he was my favourite character, fun and unapologetically himself. We’re also introduced to Michael, a character who I progressively liked more and more as I read and the may layers of the character were revealed.

The book, set in Kenya, shows the reality of life for many refugees, and talks about the violence (and treatment of women) that they’re escaping from, or are still trapped in, while also highlighting  differences in privilege through characters like Mr Greyhill.

The writing style kept me hooked, and it’s been a long while since I last read a mystery, so the fact that this book was murder mystery was a very welcome change. The various twists and turns of the story kept me on the edge of my seat, wanting to keep reading and reasoning that I’ll read “just one more chapter,” which of course inevitably turned into two (or three, or four).

Rating: ★★★★☆