Children of the Quicksands

When Simi is sent to a remote village to spend the summer with a grandma she didn’t know existed, it feels like going into exile. No cars, no phones, no electricity and no running water.

The contrast with the bustle and chaos of Lagos disorientates Simi, so when she is lured away by a golden bird, and falls through quicksand to another world, she thinks she must have dreamed it.

But as Simi settles into the rhythm of village life and begins to enjoy herself and makes friends, she can’t quite shake off the uneasy feeling that something isn’t right. And children are disappearing.

Stunning storytelling blends the richness of Nigerian culture in a nail-biting mystery thriller that invokes Yoruba myths and legends against a 21st century backdrop.

Full of joy and dread in equal measure, much of the threat in Simi’s story is implied rather than overt, but it’s hard to ignore the sense of something sinister hovering just beyond your line of sight – and there are several episodes of almost unbearable tension.

This is a great read for anyone who likes their stories to be thrumming with energy and tinged with a touch of the supernatural.