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The Lagos Wife
This lush and suspenseful Good Morning America Book Club pick “will have you glued to every page� ( HuffPost ) as it follows a woman to Nigeria to uncover what happened to her missing estranged niece…no matter the cost.
P reviously published as The Nigerwife .
Nicole Oruwari has the perfect a handsome husband, a palatial house in the heart of Lagos, and a glamorous group of friends. She left gloomy London and a troubled family past behind for sunny Lagos, becoming part of the Nigerwives—a community of foreign women married to Nigerian men.
But when Nicole disappears without a trace after a boat trip, the cracks in her alleged perfect life start to show. As the investigation turns up nothing but dead ends, her auntie Claudine decides to take matters into her own hands. Armed with only a cell phone and a plane ticket to Nigeria, she digs into her niece’s life and uncovers a hidden side filled with dark secrets, isolation, and even violence. But the more she discovers about Nicole, the more Claudine’s own buried history threatens to come to light.
Offering a razor-sharp look at the bonds of family, the echoing consequences of secrets, and whether we can ever truly outrun our past, The Lagos Wife “is a gripping work of suspense, a psychological puzzle, a mystery, and a critique of marriage and high society� ( Shelf Awareness ).
P reviously published as The Nigerwife .
Nicole Oruwari has the perfect a handsome husband, a palatial house in the heart of Lagos, and a glamorous group of friends. She left gloomy London and a troubled family past behind for sunny Lagos, becoming part of the Nigerwives—a community of foreign women married to Nigerian men.
But when Nicole disappears without a trace after a boat trip, the cracks in her alleged perfect life start to show. As the investigation turns up nothing but dead ends, her auntie Claudine decides to take matters into her own hands. Armed with only a cell phone and a plane ticket to Nigeria, she digs into her niece’s life and uncovers a hidden side filled with dark secrets, isolation, and even violence. But the more she discovers about Nicole, the more Claudine’s own buried history threatens to come to light.
Offering a razor-sharp look at the bonds of family, the echoing consequences of secrets, and whether we can ever truly outrun our past, The Lagos Wife “is a gripping work of suspense, a psychological puzzle, a mystery, and a critique of marriage and high society� ( Shelf Awareness ).
320 pages, Paperback
First published May 2, 2023
711 people are currently reading
22.4k people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 871 reviews
October 21, 2024
it wouldn't be summer if i didn't try to enjoy a thriller...
but i probably should've seen this disappointment coming.
i'm far from the best reviewer to critiquethe representation here, but i will say the image of nigeria really rubbed me the wrong way. it's portrayed as a cold, unfeeling, corrupt nation, unsafe and crime-ridden, with just about all of the nigerian characters fitting that description. our two british protagonists are continually disgusted by the culture, and respond to it by treating staff like they're subhuman. it's pretty disturbing to read, to the extent that i was wondering if it was a purposeful narrativechoice, but that never added up. learning after i finished that the author is british(and spent seven years as a "nigerwife," a foreign woman married to a nigerian man living in nigeria) was unsurprising.
beyond that, this was not a satisfactory mystery to me. character motivations didn't track, with peoplethrowing their lives away over things that only come up once or not at all, or abandoning loved ones without a real reason.
like many other readers, i found this to be more of a plodding, overly detailed family drama than a thriller.
except even though i prefer family dramas, i still didn't like this.
bottom line: this is why i shouldn't push myself.
(thanks to the publisher for the copy)
but i probably should've seen this disappointment coming.
i'm far from the best reviewer to critiquethe representation here, but i will say the image of nigeria really rubbed me the wrong way. it's portrayed as a cold, unfeeling, corrupt nation, unsafe and crime-ridden, with just about all of the nigerian characters fitting that description. our two british protagonists are continually disgusted by the culture, and respond to it by treating staff like they're subhuman. it's pretty disturbing to read, to the extent that i was wondering if it was a purposeful narrativechoice, but that never added up. learning after i finished that the author is british(and spent seven years as a "nigerwife," a foreign woman married to a nigerian man living in nigeria) was unsurprising.
beyond that, this was not a satisfactory mystery to me. character motivations didn't track, with peoplethrowing their lives away over things that only come up once or not at all, or abandoning loved ones without a real reason.
like many other readers, i found this to be more of a plodding, overly detailed family drama than a thriller.
except even though i prefer family dramas, i still didn't like this.
bottom line: this is why i shouldn't push myself.
(thanks to the publisher for the copy)
April 24, 2023
I just need to know who okayed the title of this book. Like come on.
EDIT 4/24/23-Many thanks to the publisher for sending me an ARC to review! This book was definitely unexpected but also I wouldn't categorize it as a "thriller" per se, so if that's what you're expecting going in I would adjust those expectations, I still don't *love* the title even knowing that it's a common term. It feels like a term that shouldn't be for everyone? Idk, that's my own personal beef, definitely recommend you pick this one up if you've been thinking about it! Also, Simon & Schuster I am ALWAYS down for an arc (thriller me please!) so just let me know if you need more people on the list! ;)
EDIT 4/24/23-Many thanks to the publisher for sending me an ARC to review! This book was definitely unexpected but also I wouldn't categorize it as a "thriller" per se, so if that's what you're expecting going in I would adjust those expectations, I still don't *love* the title even knowing that it's a common term. It feels like a term that shouldn't be for everyone? Idk, that's my own personal beef, definitely recommend you pick this one up if you've been thinking about it! Also, Simon & Schuster I am ALWAYS down for an arc (thriller me please!) so just let me know if you need more people on the list! ;)
July 22, 2023
What I liked:
1) Dual POV.
2) Set in Africa
3) The overall potential of the plot itself.
What I didn't like:
1) Pace. - Way too slow and doesn't pick up until almost 60% in.
2) Writing. - Boring, inconsistent engagement and at times, the dialogue felt hollow.
3) Past timeline. - Could've been cut down in the first half.
4) The actual execution of the plot.
5) Characters. - Lacked depth and connection.
6) The ending. - Rushed and quite frankly, a hot mess.
7) This isn't a thriller but more a family drama.
A sidenote:
In the blurb, it states "...perfect for fans ofMy Sister, the Serial KillerandThe Last Thing He Told Me."
I disagree with the mention of My Sister, the Serial Killer. It's insinuating that The Nigerwife is also interesting. 🤷🏾♀�
On the other hand, just like The Last Thing He Told Me, The Nigerwife has the dual timelines leading up to the disappearance in the presence, family drama and secrets,listed as a thriller when it's not, boring plot and characters, slow pace, etc... They're both unfulfilling stories.
Thanks to NetGalley and Atria Books for providing a copy for an honest review.
May 2, 2024
What really happened to Nicole?
The Prologue opens with: “Nicole often wondered what happened to the body. A few months after she arrived in Lagos, a body appeared in the lagoon close to the compound, bobbing along on a blanket of trash, a bloated starfish face down in the river.�
So at least in that moment, we know, it is not her.
Yet, the heart of the story is her disappearance.
She is a London woman married to a successful Nigerian man from a wealthy family. She has two delightful boys and she lives in luxury at her parents—in-law’s house in a wealthy Lagos suburb.
The book is told from two perspectives. Her own story � up until she disappears, and that of her estranged aunt Claudine, who brought Nicole from Jamaica to London many years before. When Claudine finds that Nicole can’t be found, she decides to come to Nigeria and play detective herself to find her � under some very unreliable advice - “All I’ll say is people in Lagos are not what you think. Everyone is hiding behind a façade that matters more than the truth. We play our roles too well. . . . But we have a phrase: ‘Shine your eyes.� Nothing here is what it seems.�
Between Nicole’s story and Claudine’s story, there is some mystery to unravel. The question becomes for us as readers - do we care to get to the ending (which can be considered plausible), when some parts of this book are long and somewhat boring and predictable, and the characters, not always likable?
This is a Good Morning America May Book Club Pick � and our Little Free Library Shed is one of 150 recipients from across the United States to win this debut author’s book.
Even so, this win did not influence my review.
The Prologue opens with: “Nicole often wondered what happened to the body. A few months after she arrived in Lagos, a body appeared in the lagoon close to the compound, bobbing along on a blanket of trash, a bloated starfish face down in the river.�
So at least in that moment, we know, it is not her.
Yet, the heart of the story is her disappearance.
She is a London woman married to a successful Nigerian man from a wealthy family. She has two delightful boys and she lives in luxury at her parents—in-law’s house in a wealthy Lagos suburb.
The book is told from two perspectives. Her own story � up until she disappears, and that of her estranged aunt Claudine, who brought Nicole from Jamaica to London many years before. When Claudine finds that Nicole can’t be found, she decides to come to Nigeria and play detective herself to find her � under some very unreliable advice - “All I’ll say is people in Lagos are not what you think. Everyone is hiding behind a façade that matters more than the truth. We play our roles too well. . . . But we have a phrase: ‘Shine your eyes.� Nothing here is what it seems.�
Between Nicole’s story and Claudine’s story, there is some mystery to unravel. The question becomes for us as readers - do we care to get to the ending (which can be considered plausible), when some parts of this book are long and somewhat boring and predictable, and the characters, not always likable?
This is a Good Morning America May Book Club Pick � and our Little Free Library Shed is one of 150 recipients from across the United States to win this debut author’s book.
Even so, this win did not influence my review.
May 13, 2023
A bad marriage, estranged families, immigrant wives of well to do Nigerians (like real housewives of Lagos). This is nothing like the blurb. Electrifying certainly doesn’t describe this book. I didn’t really care what happened to Nicole, but I skimmed to the end just in case there was a surprise there. This wasn’t for me. I received a free copy of this book from the publisher.
May 20, 2023
I was drawn into this novel right away. There's a guilty pleasure in peering inside the world of the mega-rich. Like Crazy Rich Asians, the rich Nigerians in The Nigerwife have serious relationship problems. Beautiful UK-born Nicole marries Tonye and returns to his native Lagos where she hopes to live a fairy-tale life. Years and two children later, she feels bored and unfulfilled. Then, she goes missing. The Nigerwife is part-mystery, part-culture critique, and I couldn't put it down. Loved the ambiguous ending too.
April 27, 2023
I don't usually gravitate towards the mystery & thriller genre in books, but was lured in by this beautiful book cover and its intriguing premise. A young London resident meets her future husband at college, they marry and decide to move to his native origins- Lagos, Nigeria. Nicole's husband Tonye comes from a wealthy family of status, and so they live in opulent luxury with a staff to wait on them, along with their two young sons. Nicole is just one of many ex-pat wives from other countries that chose to migrate to their husband's land for a "better" life. They have a supportive group called "The Nigerwives" where they take on charity causes, but also to come together with any concerns they wish to share as they navigate the unchartered waters of living in another culture. For all their elite trappings, there is an unspoken, sinister underbelly of corruption as the price to pay.
The main focus of the story is the growing unhappiness of Nicole, her missing status, and the mission of her Aunt Claudine traveling from London to Lagos in search of the truth. The narrative goes back and forth in time to unravel the story of Nicole, narrated from both Nicole and Claudine's perspectives. This was a slow build lacking excitement, but illustrative of the haves and have nots in Lagos, Nigeria. I enjoyed reading about the gorgeous home with the tiled floors, domed cherub-adorned ceiling, and favorite balcony Nicole loved to sit on while she gazed dreamily down to the water. I was also interested in the family environment/construct where Tonye and Nicole lived in an attached area to his parents' mansion where they played an important legacy role with their two sons. I wasn't as interested in passages about nature or the questionable advice from her vapid friend Kemi. The book felt like it dragged on too long, without an engaging enough story to support it. Still, I found the concept interesting on a cultural level, and even more so that the author herself lived in Lagos, Nigeria and belonged to a Nigerwife group.
Thank you to the publisher Atria Books / Simon and Schuster for providing an advance reader copy via Edelweiss.
The main focus of the story is the growing unhappiness of Nicole, her missing status, and the mission of her Aunt Claudine traveling from London to Lagos in search of the truth. The narrative goes back and forth in time to unravel the story of Nicole, narrated from both Nicole and Claudine's perspectives. This was a slow build lacking excitement, but illustrative of the haves and have nots in Lagos, Nigeria. I enjoyed reading about the gorgeous home with the tiled floors, domed cherub-adorned ceiling, and favorite balcony Nicole loved to sit on while she gazed dreamily down to the water. I was also interested in the family environment/construct where Tonye and Nicole lived in an attached area to his parents' mansion where they played an important legacy role with their two sons. I wasn't as interested in passages about nature or the questionable advice from her vapid friend Kemi. The book felt like it dragged on too long, without an engaging enough story to support it. Still, I found the concept interesting on a cultural level, and even more so that the author herself lived in Lagos, Nigeria and belonged to a Nigerwife group.
Thank you to the publisher Atria Books / Simon and Schuster for providing an advance reader copy via Edelweiss.
July 25, 2023
I have to admit that I was slightly inspired and intrigued to read this thriller set in Nigeria because of Usman from 90 Day Fiancé. 🤣 It is no secret that Nigerian men have a reputation of meeting women online and scamming them for money; I thought this would make for a delicious read. This novel is actually the reverse: a group of foreign women marry wealthy Nigerian men with the promise that all of their hopes and dreams will be fulfilled. Not all that glitters is gold, and one woman, Nicole, begins to question her choices. She suddenly disappears and her auntie will stop at nothing to find her.
The front of the book promised it would be “thrillingly suspenseful.� When I reached the halfway mark, I questioned what exactly the blurb was referring to. Unfortunately the majority of The Nigerwife describes Nicole’s unhappiness and her marital affair. It was disjointed and rambling, and I could have cared less what happened to her. There were many recollections of the past that did not add to the story. I found that I kept asking myself, “Wait. What timeline are we in?� Until this novel, I honestly did not think it possible for a book to have TOO much detail. 😴 I did enjoy learning about the Nigerwives Nigeria community and the real life dangers of the Lagos Lagoon. Next, please!
The front of the book promised it would be “thrillingly suspenseful.� When I reached the halfway mark, I questioned what exactly the blurb was referring to. Unfortunately the majority of The Nigerwife describes Nicole’s unhappiness and her marital affair. It was disjointed and rambling, and I could have cared less what happened to her. There were many recollections of the past that did not add to the story. I found that I kept asking myself, “Wait. What timeline are we in?� Until this novel, I honestly did not think it possible for a book to have TOO much detail. 😴 I did enjoy learning about the Nigerwives Nigeria community and the real life dangers of the Lagos Lagoon. Next, please!
December 14, 2022
Recommended! This book is pitched as a thriller, but I greatly enjoyed learning about this small subset of Nigerian life. Nicole Oruwari hails from Britain but lives in Nigeria in the megacity of Lagos with her Nigerian born husband. As a foreign born woman, she become part of the Nigerwifes, and eclectic group similar to all groups of ultra wealthy women. When she disappears however, no one seems to be leading a concentrated investigation. It takes her estranged aunt Claudine to travel to Nigeria to begin to overturn stones. Claudine provides the background to Nicole's life and through flashbacks we learn more about her life in Lagos. It was truly mesmerizing and the ending was as twisty as any great domestic thriller.
This book was optioned for a show on HBO so I highly recommend you read it now! If you like to learn about other countries and cultures, love to read about the lives of the rich and ultra wealthy or just want enjoy a new domestic thriller, The Nigerwife is for you!l #Atria #TheNigerWife #HBO #VanessaWalters
#atriabooks
This book was optioned for a show on HBO so I highly recommend you read it now! If you like to learn about other countries and cultures, love to read about the lives of the rich and ultra wealthy or just want enjoy a new domestic thriller, The Nigerwife is for you!l #Atria #TheNigerWife #HBO #VanessaWalters
#atriabooks
September 22, 2024
The expat story we almost never read about�.
Why would a Jamaican living in England, marry a Nigerian and years later decides to pick up everything and move to Lagos? For love of course, also Nicole was told they wouldn’t be there for to long. In The Lagos Wife we meet Nicole Oruwari, her mother died and she was raised in London by her Aunt Claudine. They estranged, which is part of the reason Nicole decided to go to Lagos with her husband with her two children.
Nicole did know her husband was well off, but nothing could prepare her for the luxury she would witness living and making a life in Lagos. Nicole and her children lives at her husband family home. They depend a lot on his family. She tries to make a life outside of the family, getting a job, having friends and being a part of the Nigerwife group- a group for expat women living in Lagos. One day Nicole goes in a boat trip and does not return, no one knows where she could be, so her Aunt Claudine flies to Nigeria to get some answers- nothing could prepare her what she will find out.
I loved the premise of this book. I feel like we don’t read a lot about what life is for an expat living in an African country and I appreciate how realistic this one was. I enjoyed hearing from Nicole and Aunt Claudine, seeing Lagos through their eyes was very interesting. I was kept guessing until the very end.
While I did enjoy the book, I did feel like reading this book was looking through a foggy mirror, sometimes it felt like I was squinting to make sense of the characters and their motives. I didn’t feel like I really knew any of the characters, their backstories weren’t fleshed out as strongly, there were a lot of characters introduced that did nothing for the plot and some that just read like stereotypes. I think I just wanted a stronger edit. Overall, I did enjoy it.
Why would a Jamaican living in England, marry a Nigerian and years later decides to pick up everything and move to Lagos? For love of course, also Nicole was told they wouldn’t be there for to long. In The Lagos Wife we meet Nicole Oruwari, her mother died and she was raised in London by her Aunt Claudine. They estranged, which is part of the reason Nicole decided to go to Lagos with her husband with her two children.
Nicole did know her husband was well off, but nothing could prepare her for the luxury she would witness living and making a life in Lagos. Nicole and her children lives at her husband family home. They depend a lot on his family. She tries to make a life outside of the family, getting a job, having friends and being a part of the Nigerwife group- a group for expat women living in Lagos. One day Nicole goes in a boat trip and does not return, no one knows where she could be, so her Aunt Claudine flies to Nigeria to get some answers- nothing could prepare her what she will find out.
I loved the premise of this book. I feel like we don’t read a lot about what life is for an expat living in an African country and I appreciate how realistic this one was. I enjoyed hearing from Nicole and Aunt Claudine, seeing Lagos through their eyes was very interesting. I was kept guessing until the very end.
While I did enjoy the book, I did feel like reading this book was looking through a foggy mirror, sometimes it felt like I was squinting to make sense of the characters and their motives. I didn’t feel like I really knew any of the characters, their backstories weren’t fleshed out as strongly, there were a lot of characters introduced that did nothing for the plot and some that just read like stereotypes. I think I just wanted a stronger edit. Overall, I did enjoy it.
January 1, 2025
4.5 Stars Rounded Up
This was dark and troubling but interesting and extremely satisfying at the same time.
This is, first and foremost, a domestic thriller. It has many twists and reveals all well handled and shocking.
This also is a family drama dealing with cross-cultural marriages, parental expectations, generational differences, the legacy of slavery amongst the Diaspora, and within modern-day Nigeria.
I love novels set in modern day West Africa written by Black folks. I prefer those written by Nigerians whether living abroad or not.
It has set in me a longing to visit Nigeria.
I've known and even dated a Nigerian here. Beautiful culture with some fucked up colonial views of Black folks across the Diaspora.
White Supremacy has fucked us all up, lateral oppression everywhere amongst Black folks, on the continent and across the Diaspora.
This was dark and troubling but interesting and extremely satisfying at the same time.
This is, first and foremost, a domestic thriller. It has many twists and reveals all well handled and shocking.
This also is a family drama dealing with cross-cultural marriages, parental expectations, generational differences, the legacy of slavery amongst the Diaspora, and within modern-day Nigeria.
I love novels set in modern day West Africa written by Black folks. I prefer those written by Nigerians whether living abroad or not.
It has set in me a longing to visit Nigeria.
I've known and even dated a Nigerian here. Beautiful culture with some fucked up colonial views of Black folks across the Diaspora.
White Supremacy has fucked us all up, lateral oppression everywhere amongst Black folks, on the continent and across the Diaspora.
March 7, 2023
gonna land right in the middle on this one, as i feel it’s a bit misleading to call it a thriller - more of a domestic drama with a missing-person mystery element. it was a bit predictable for my taste but what makes this book special is the atmospheric setting of Nigeria, and learning about the group of women who call themselves the Nigerwives (which is a real thing and based on Walters’s own experience!) I also enjoyed following Claudine more than Nicole’s storyline.
however the biggest distraction for me was that I felt like it got unnecessarily wordy at times (SO many descriptions of what people are wearing, for example) to the point I was skimming long paragraphs that didn’t really add to the story. I see that it’s already in development for TV, and i feel like I would enjoy this story more in a visual platform.
however the biggest distraction for me was that I felt like it got unnecessarily wordy at times (SO many descriptions of what people are wearing, for example) to the point I was skimming long paragraphs that didn’t really add to the story. I see that it’s already in development for TV, and i feel like I would enjoy this story more in a visual platform.
May 30, 2023
So boring... so dragged out. I swear I was about to throw the book out the window just so something exciting could happen.
February 26, 2025
This book took me a long time to read, but only because I have had distractions over the last week or so, but each time I went back to it, I fell into it seamlessly.
Claudine, Jamaican by birth, brought her motherless young niece, Nicole, to the UK, and effectively became her mother. They have, however, been estranged for some time now.
Nicole married Nigerian Tonye, and they had relocated to Lagos with their two young sons, where they enjoy a luxurious life - Tonye's family is very wealthy.
The story begins with Claudine travelling to Lagos after discovering that Nicole is missing. She is horrified by Tonye's blasé attitude to Nicole's disappearance, and is determined to find out what has happened to her.
Four stars for keeping my interest throughout!
Claudine, Jamaican by birth, brought her motherless young niece, Nicole, to the UK, and effectively became her mother. They have, however, been estranged for some time now.
Nicole married Nigerian Tonye, and they had relocated to Lagos with their two young sons, where they enjoy a luxurious life - Tonye's family is very wealthy.
The story begins with Claudine travelling to Lagos after discovering that Nicole is missing. She is horrified by Tonye's blasé attitude to Nicole's disappearance, and is determined to find out what has happened to her.
Four stars for keeping my interest throughout!
May 9, 2023
I truly don’t understand why this was picked for the GMA Book Club. I do not see what they saw as valuable enough to get everyone reading it. I won two copies from GMA for my Little Free Library and figured I would give it a shot before I put it out there. It’s not “electrifying� or all that “twisty� as the marketing would have you believe. The setting is well-done and I thought the idea of the Nigerwives was fascinating. But oh man, the writing and characterization are just bad. Simplistic, flat, predictable…and don’t get me started on the Aunt-As-Private-Investigator doing utterly stupid things to solve the mystery of her missing niece. Let’s not even talk about the ending. What in the world. It’s a mess.
February 13, 2023
A very readable thriller about the British-Jamaican wife of a rich Nigerian man, and what happens when she goes missing. This book’s strongest element is its sense of place—its descriptions of Lagos, the people within it, and the ever-shifting fabric of the city.
The ending made me a little mad, and the dialogue was not always the strongest, but I still respect this book a lot for its exploration of generational trauma and cultural isolation.
Thank you to Atria Books for providing an ARC for review!
The ending made me a little mad, and the dialogue was not always the strongest, but I still respect this book a lot for its exploration of generational trauma and cultural isolation.
Thank you to Atria Books for providing an ARC for review!
September 6, 2023
I should have DNF this like I said I would but I thought maybe, just maybe it would improve. I was wrong.
I was so bored with this story. Also, I think it was marketed incorrectly. There’s no way this was a thriller. I’d categorize it as women’s fiction with a heavy focus on family drama.
Nothing happened at all in this book.
I need to listen to my gut when I say I want to DNF something�
I was so bored with this story. Also, I think it was marketed incorrectly. There’s no way this was a thriller. I’d categorize it as women’s fiction with a heavy focus on family drama.
Nothing happened at all in this book.
I need to listen to my gut when I say I want to DNF something�
May 17, 2024
I am in awe of the story, writing, appeal, culture, courage of this author and this book. I had no idea there was such a group called "The Nigerwives". Foreign women who marry Nigerian men and opted to live in Nigeria. They live more wealthier than most Africans. But the isolation and constant judgement will drive a person insane.
This is Nicole's story as a Nigerwife. She is from Jamaican descendent and was raised in the UK. She is light skin amongst dark skin people which is an advantage in this country. Her life with her husband Tonye was a happy one at first. Until, the family demands of a patriarchal family gets between their marriage and it becomes unmanageable. She has a brief affair and afterwards comes up missing. Claudine her aunt who raised her in the UK comes to Lagos, Nigeria to look for Nicole and what she finds shocks her. Excellent read.
Quotes:
Being happy for someone was too much to ask in their family, so they had to peck it apart at every opportunity, going on about Nigeria as if Jamaica didn't have any poverty or corruption.
You have to get on with things, or things will get on without you.
"WHERE'VE YOU been these past three days, Claud?" Penny demanded. "I thought Boko Haram had gotten you too. I've been watching the news thinking any minute now, they'll show your face. Claudine Roberts from Lewisham, kidnapped in Nigeria! Mummy said she's not paying your ransom, by the way."
"You haven't lied to anyone?' asked Yohanna. "Are you delusional?"
This is Nicole's story as a Nigerwife. She is from Jamaican descendent and was raised in the UK. She is light skin amongst dark skin people which is an advantage in this country. Her life with her husband Tonye was a happy one at first. Until, the family demands of a patriarchal family gets between their marriage and it becomes unmanageable. She has a brief affair and afterwards comes up missing. Claudine her aunt who raised her in the UK comes to Lagos, Nigeria to look for Nicole and what she finds shocks her. Excellent read.
Quotes:
Being happy for someone was too much to ask in their family, so they had to peck it apart at every opportunity, going on about Nigeria as if Jamaica didn't have any poverty or corruption.
You have to get on with things, or things will get on without you.
"WHERE'VE YOU been these past three days, Claud?" Penny demanded. "I thought Boko Haram had gotten you too. I've been watching the news thinking any minute now, they'll show your face. Claudine Roberts from Lewisham, kidnapped in Nigeria! Mummy said she's not paying your ransom, by the way."
"You haven't lied to anyone?' asked Yohanna. "Are you delusional?"
December 29, 2023
i guess i wanted more drama...
I went into The Nigerwife by Vanessa Walters expecting it to be the kind of thriller that makes for an entertaining beach read. Something in the realms of authors like Liane Moriarty. We have the dual timelines/povs, the sine qua non of domestic thrillers, that switch between the present day, where we follow Auntie Claudine as she travels to Nigeria to look for her estranged niece, whose disappearance does not seem to be of much concern to either Nicole’s husband or her in-laws, and the ‘past�, where we get an insight into Nicole’s married life. The ‘missing woman� plot makes for a rather tired premise, however, given the story’s setting and the focus on an aunt-niece dynamic (while usually in these type of thrillers, it’s about sisters, mother-daughters, current wife-former wife), I did hope that The Nigerwife could make for a gripping read. Sadly, the novel feels bogged down by scenes that reveal very little about the characters. Much is made about Nicole’s powerful in-laws but those family dynamics are barely hinted at. The novel lacks suspense, and atmosphere, which is a pity. The characters are surface-level, and the story relies on the usual cliches of the genre. The twists and reveals at the end were predictable and lazy.
As per usual, the opinions expressed above are entirely subjective so if you are interested in this book you should definitely check it out.
I went into The Nigerwife by Vanessa Walters expecting it to be the kind of thriller that makes for an entertaining beach read. Something in the realms of authors like Liane Moriarty. We have the dual timelines/povs, the sine qua non of domestic thrillers, that switch between the present day, where we follow Auntie Claudine as she travels to Nigeria to look for her estranged niece, whose disappearance does not seem to be of much concern to either Nicole’s husband or her in-laws, and the ‘past�, where we get an insight into Nicole’s married life. The ‘missing woman� plot makes for a rather tired premise, however, given the story’s setting and the focus on an aunt-niece dynamic (while usually in these type of thrillers, it’s about sisters, mother-daughters, current wife-former wife), I did hope that The Nigerwife could make for a gripping read. Sadly, the novel feels bogged down by scenes that reveal very little about the characters. Much is made about Nicole’s powerful in-laws but those family dynamics are barely hinted at. The novel lacks suspense, and atmosphere, which is a pity. The characters are surface-level, and the story relies on the usual cliches of the genre. The twists and reveals at the end were predictable and lazy.
As per usual, the opinions expressed above are entirely subjective so if you are interested in this book you should definitely check it out.
March 30, 2023
Nicole meets the man of her dreams and after a few years they move from London back to his family home in Lagos, Nigeria. Nicole has everything at her disposal - a nanny for their two boys, a lavish home and plenty of money for shopping and socializing with her group of expat wives called the Nigerwives. Still she doesn't like how her husband feels distant and his family all cater to the alpha male, her father-in-law and his "my way or the highway" attitude. Suddenly, Nicole disappears after going on a day trip with friends. Did she run off or did someone kill her? Nicole's aunt arrives to get some answers and seems to be the only one concerned. With no body how will they know for sure and it seems the police don't want to rock the boat with this important family. Clever debut that speaks to the loneliness some feel when trying to fit into another country's culture and the frustration for those who seek answers and get caught up in politics instead. Sometimes living a life of privilege is not all it is cracked up to be. My thanks to the publisher for the advance copy.
November 5, 2023
I'm afraid I feel like I read a completely different book from the blurb writers as I found this quite flat and a bit superficial. Big and emotive things happen but they're passed over in a blink and aren't given narrative importance. It's also a bit hard to get a firm handle on characters.
What I enjoyed most was the details of everyday Nigerian life: weddings, children's parties, the relationships in and out of marriage. The dramatic plot with the requisite twist at the end didn't work for me - sorry.
What I enjoyed most was the details of everyday Nigerian life: weddings, children's parties, the relationships in and out of marriage. The dramatic plot with the requisite twist at the end didn't work for me - sorry.
May 30, 2023
This is a book about rich people and rich people problems in Nigeria. Disappointed.
August 26, 2023
As a black woman myself, I’ve been looking for more black female authors to read from and support. I love reading black literature and hearing the thoughts of different black people from all around the world. But in all honesty, I honestly hated this book so much. And that disappoints me because I wanted to like this book so bad.
This is the first book I’ve read this year that I’ve given one star. This book is completely marketed wrong. Not a thriller by any means. More of just a family/rich people drama. (And even with that being said, it’s still a whole lot of nothing.) The author includes way way WAYYY too many details of random, pointless things throughout the book instead of writing actual story. And this is clearly done, in my opinion, just to fill the pages up. I’m assuming she does this to pace the story and not give too much away too soon. But, it’s done so poorly. I would start reading a chapter that would begin with a small crumb of story and then the author would just divulge into a TON of pointless details that didn’t matter in the end and would go on for so long, I literally forgot what the beginning of the chapter was even about.
This book claimed that it was going to be about the aunt searching for Nicole and eventually find out her “darkest secrets� and that she was involved in something so dark and mysterious ooooh!!! But really, there were no dark secrets and nothing mysterious about this book. The twists were bland and no where near thrilling. (Again, just revealing a bunch of family drama and reasons why the family had beef and using those things as a “twist�, when really and the story does this over and over again as if we didn’t see it coming a mile away.)
The ending was extremely rushed and, as another reviewer here on GoodReads put it, “a hot mess�. And I couldn’t put it better myself. I hate it when a random plot twist (that barely makes any sense) is written into the story just to add a bit of that “shocking� twistiness that the reader has been waiting for for a whole 298 pages. But it’s so rushed and clearly so forced, you can’t help but roll your eyes and say “Are you serious?�, out loud to yourself in the coffee shop you’re reading this book in. Plus, the book is again, written with so many pointless, random, annoyingly unnecessary details that the book feels way longer than it actually is. So by the time you get to the big “plot twists�, you don’t even care anymore because you’ve pretty much guessed everything that’s gonna happen and it took so long to get there, you don’t care. This book makes 303 pages feel like 503 pages.
There’s only one detail that was mentioned in this book that had significance in the end, which was the pear tree. And once the author started giving into what that all meant, it was actually gorgeous, beautiful, somewhat thrilling writing. I just wish I didn’t have to wait until literally the very end to get that writing. I loved learning about the different aspects and complexities about Nigerian culture here. There were some extra things I didn’t know before that I now know (like how some Nigerians will wrap their mangoes newspaper so that they will ripen quicker.) That was an interesting quip, as well as a few other ones. But the majority of Nigerian facts in this book, I feel like these are things most people (atleast black people), already know about Nigerian culture.
All in all, if you love family/rich people dramas, this is definitely for you. If you love thrilling, heart pounding, or at the very least, mysterious thrillers, you can absolutely skip this one.
This is the first book I’ve read this year that I’ve given one star. This book is completely marketed wrong. Not a thriller by any means. More of just a family/rich people drama. (And even with that being said, it’s still a whole lot of nothing.) The author includes way way WAYYY too many details of random, pointless things throughout the book instead of writing actual story. And this is clearly done, in my opinion, just to fill the pages up. I’m assuming she does this to pace the story and not give too much away too soon. But, it’s done so poorly. I would start reading a chapter that would begin with a small crumb of story and then the author would just divulge into a TON of pointless details that didn’t matter in the end and would go on for so long, I literally forgot what the beginning of the chapter was even about.
This book claimed that it was going to be about the aunt searching for Nicole and eventually find out her “darkest secrets� and that she was involved in something so dark and mysterious ooooh!!! But really, there were no dark secrets and nothing mysterious about this book. The twists were bland and no where near thrilling. (Again, just revealing a bunch of family drama and reasons why the family had beef and using those things as a “twist�, when really and the story does this over and over again as if we didn’t see it coming a mile away.)
The ending was extremely rushed and, as another reviewer here on GoodReads put it, “a hot mess�. And I couldn’t put it better myself. I hate it when a random plot twist (that barely makes any sense) is written into the story just to add a bit of that “shocking� twistiness that the reader has been waiting for for a whole 298 pages. But it’s so rushed and clearly so forced, you can’t help but roll your eyes and say “Are you serious?�, out loud to yourself in the coffee shop you’re reading this book in. Plus, the book is again, written with so many pointless, random, annoyingly unnecessary details that the book feels way longer than it actually is. So by the time you get to the big “plot twists�, you don’t even care anymore because you’ve pretty much guessed everything that’s gonna happen and it took so long to get there, you don’t care. This book makes 303 pages feel like 503 pages.
There’s only one detail that was mentioned in this book that had significance in the end, which was the pear tree. And once the author started giving into what that all meant, it was actually gorgeous, beautiful, somewhat thrilling writing. I just wish I didn’t have to wait until literally the very end to get that writing. I loved learning about the different aspects and complexities about Nigerian culture here. There were some extra things I didn’t know before that I now know (like how some Nigerians will wrap their mangoes newspaper so that they will ripen quicker.) That was an interesting quip, as well as a few other ones. But the majority of Nigerian facts in this book, I feel like these are things most people (atleast black people), already know about Nigerian culture.
All in all, if you love family/rich people dramas, this is definitely for you. If you love thrilling, heart pounding, or at the very least, mysterious thrillers, you can absolutely skip this one.
June 4, 2023
Majorly impressive debut novel!
Where do I begin? Let me start with saying that it's been a while since I've been as captivated by a novel as I was reading The Nigerwife. It was everything I wanted in a novel: equal parts mystery, thriller and suspense meeting lie after scandal after secret for an edge of your seat page-turner. This book screams big screen production and so I am glad that it's been shopped and picked up by (HBO) MAX. One of the things that kept my attention all throughout this book is that just when I would begin to think I'd met the author's most heightened end, something else even grander and more fascinating would occur. It is definitely worth a read.
Nicole has moved to Nigeria to begin what appears to be a perfect life with her husband Tonye and the family they've built. To most, Lagos is a community that appears to be lucrative, thriving and glamorous. Rich with historical and cultural tradition, Nicole is all too happy to leave behind a past she'd rather not remember for the comfort of all that Nigeria has to offer. She becomes a part of a community of Nigerwives -- foreign women married to wealthy Nigerian men and at first is all too engaged. It is when Nicole comes up missing without a trace after a boat trip with friends that their perfect lives and community begin to unravel and secrets are exposed. When her disappearance turns up no leads in the investigation, her aunt Claudine flies from London to Nigeria desperate to find answers. Having to also confront her own past and secrets it is a rollercoaster ride of suspense, intrigue, and drama.
A beautifully written thriller about family secrets, jealousy and the bonds that tie them altogether. If I could, I'd give this one 10 stars!
Where do I begin? Let me start with saying that it's been a while since I've been as captivated by a novel as I was reading The Nigerwife. It was everything I wanted in a novel: equal parts mystery, thriller and suspense meeting lie after scandal after secret for an edge of your seat page-turner. This book screams big screen production and so I am glad that it's been shopped and picked up by (HBO) MAX. One of the things that kept my attention all throughout this book is that just when I would begin to think I'd met the author's most heightened end, something else even grander and more fascinating would occur. It is definitely worth a read.
Nicole has moved to Nigeria to begin what appears to be a perfect life with her husband Tonye and the family they've built. To most, Lagos is a community that appears to be lucrative, thriving and glamorous. Rich with historical and cultural tradition, Nicole is all too happy to leave behind a past she'd rather not remember for the comfort of all that Nigeria has to offer. She becomes a part of a community of Nigerwives -- foreign women married to wealthy Nigerian men and at first is all too engaged. It is when Nicole comes up missing without a trace after a boat trip with friends that their perfect lives and community begin to unravel and secrets are exposed. When her disappearance turns up no leads in the investigation, her aunt Claudine flies from London to Nigeria desperate to find answers. Having to also confront her own past and secrets it is a rollercoaster ride of suspense, intrigue, and drama.
A beautifully written thriller about family secrets, jealousy and the bonds that tie them altogether. If I could, I'd give this one 10 stars!
August 21, 2023
After seeing great reviews for by at least 30 times on Bookstagram, I decided I had to give it a shot. I am very glad I did because I ended up really enjoying this one! The majority of the story is told through Nicole before chapters and Claudine after chapters, and I loved the way Walters blended the two together to give us the full picture of what happened to lead up to her disappearance and Claudine's subsequent arrival in Lagos. I have only read a couple of books set in Nigeria, and this was my first time learning of the term Nigerwife and what it means. I loved the setting of Lagos, and it was fun to get to learn more about this city at the same time as learning more about the community that is the Nigerwives.
There is an excellent air of mystery throughout the entire book, and I really had no idea where the author was going to take the story. The climax AND the very end both completely shocked me, and I was a big fan of the way Walters handled both. I don't usually love national book club picks, but The Nigerwife definitely lived up to the hype for me and I would read this author again for sure. It also didn't hurt that I was a big fan of the audiobook, and Dami Olukoya & Debra Michaels did an impeccable job as the voices of our two MCs. I think I would have gotten about as much enjoyment from reading the book though, and I would recommend it to readers who love learning about a setting and its intricacies through a slow burning mystery.
There is an excellent air of mystery throughout the entire book, and I really had no idea where the author was going to take the story. The climax AND the very end both completely shocked me, and I was a big fan of the way Walters handled both. I don't usually love national book club picks, but The Nigerwife definitely lived up to the hype for me and I would read this author again for sure. It also didn't hurt that I was a big fan of the audiobook, and Dami Olukoya & Debra Michaels did an impeccable job as the voices of our two MCs. I think I would have gotten about as much enjoyment from reading the book though, and I would recommend it to readers who love learning about a setting and its intricacies through a slow burning mystery.
May 1, 2023
Won this one in a giveaway. Getting the first note of this book out of the way...yes the title of this book is a jumpscare if you don't immediately pick up the word Nigerwives being correlated to Nigeria. Thought this might be a book I just wouldn't say the title of but realized from other ŷ comments that wasn't the case.
Overall I liked it. It's very character driven and more of a mystery than a thriller. Don't really know if this book is a love letter to Nigeria...or the opposite. There seem to be a lot of critiques for Nigerian society littered in this novel.
It was a wordy book and some scenes felt unnecessary. Some characters were complex and others were not. I liked the ending surprisingly. Nicole's parts were definitely the best... I don't know if this is morbid of me but I really enjoyed the scenes were she conversed with her husband. I love complicated relationships tied to people who are supposed to love one another. Nicole's unhappiness in her life was interesting to read...honestly my favorite part.
Overall okay read not a favorite.
Overall I liked it. It's very character driven and more of a mystery than a thriller. Don't really know if this book is a love letter to Nigeria...or the opposite. There seem to be a lot of critiques for Nigerian society littered in this novel.
It was a wordy book and some scenes felt unnecessary. Some characters were complex and others were not. I liked the ending surprisingly. Nicole's parts were definitely the best... I don't know if this is morbid of me but I really enjoyed the scenes were she conversed with her husband. I love complicated relationships tied to people who are supposed to love one another. Nicole's unhappiness in her life was interesting to read...honestly my favorite part.
Overall okay read not a favorite.
February 21, 2024
The Lagos Wife is a mystery thriller told in two perspectives, the first being Nicole Oruwari, a British born Caribbean woman who gave up her life in London to become a "Nigerwife" joining many expat women who have come before her. In this foreign land she has to face the tumultuous waters of navigating marriage, motherhood, and cultural expectations. As she battles against losing friends and loneliness she goes missing. The second perspective is of Claudine, Nicole's aunt, who flies to Nigeria to play detective; her story is one of regret and determination.
As this was a mystery/thriller I was excited to dive in however I thought the pace of the book was too slow and the ending rather disappointing. I did enjoy the social commentary and the importance placed on community - that felt very authentic to the setting.
Thank you to the publishers and NetGalley for providing me with an eARC.
As this was a mystery/thriller I was excited to dive in however I thought the pace of the book was too slow and the ending rather disappointing. I did enjoy the social commentary and the importance placed on community - that felt very authentic to the setting.
Thank you to the publishers and NetGalley for providing me with an eARC.
March 27, 2023
I wouldn’t put this one in the thriller category, it’s definitely more of a domestic family drama. As far as the storyline goes, it was pretty predictable. The exploration of different cultures was very educational and I learned a lot from it. (The inspiration comes from the authors own experience of being a Nigerwife, which is the foreign wife of a Nigerian man.) I found some chapters a little wordy at times, which made it a bit hard to read. Overall I think this was a decent read, but not fantastic.
Thank you to the publisher for an ARC.
Thank you to the publisher for an ARC.
April 18, 2023
The Nigerwife by Vanessa Walters. Thanks to @atriabooks for the gifted Arc ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Nicole left London for Nigeria when she married. She became part of the Nigerwives, an informal club of foreign women married to rich Nigerian men. When Nicole goes missing, her auntie Claudine flies to Nigeria to do her own investigation.
While there is a missing person in this story, it’s not really a thriller. It’s more of domestic mystery and cultural fiction. The atmosphere is huge in this book. Nigeria is an interesting place full of culture and uniqueness; and it really comes out in this tale. We get to see the stark difference in the western world by Claudine who visits Nigeria from the west in an attempt to find Nicole. I loved the part of the Nigerwives and that they are a real thing.
“But Claudine was going to find out the truth, even if it took them all down with it, including herself.�
The Nigerwives comes out 5/2.
Nicole left London for Nigeria when she married. She became part of the Nigerwives, an informal club of foreign women married to rich Nigerian men. When Nicole goes missing, her auntie Claudine flies to Nigeria to do her own investigation.
While there is a missing person in this story, it’s not really a thriller. It’s more of domestic mystery and cultural fiction. The atmosphere is huge in this book. Nigeria is an interesting place full of culture and uniqueness; and it really comes out in this tale. We get to see the stark difference in the western world by Claudine who visits Nigeria from the west in an attempt to find Nicole. I loved the part of the Nigerwives and that they are a real thing.
“But Claudine was going to find out the truth, even if it took them all down with it, including herself.�
The Nigerwives comes out 5/2.
June 12, 2023
I land right in the middle for this one. I feel like marketing it as a thriller really messed up my expectations going into this one. It is a slow burn mystery with a looooot of descriptions. In The Nigerwife, we get chapters from the past from Nicole's POV before she has gone missing and then in the present we get Claudine who has traveled to Lagos to try and figure out what happened to her. I honestly preferred following Nicole's POV to Claudine's. My favorite part of the book was learning more about the culture and the Nigerwives which is based completely on Vanessa Walters experiences.
I think if you go into this one expecting a slow burn mystery, you could really enjoy it. I do think it will be awesome on TV from Max and I look forward to checking it out.
Thanks to Atria Books for the gifted copy!
I think if you go into this one expecting a slow burn mystery, you could really enjoy it. I do think it will be awesome on TV from Max and I look forward to checking it out.
Thanks to Atria Books for the gifted copy!
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