Due to a sudden, unexpected passing in the family a few years ago and another more recently and my subsequent (mental) health issues stemming from that, I was unable to download this book in time to review it before it was archived as I did not visit this site for several years after the bereavements. This meant I didn't read or venture onto netgalley for years as not only did it remind me of that person as they shared my passion for reading, but I also struggled to maintain interest in anything due to overwhelming depression. I was therefore unable to download this title in time and so I couldn't give a review as it wasn't successfully acquired before it was archived. The second issue that has happened with some of my other books is that I had them downloaded to one particular device and said device is now defunct, so I have no access to those books anymore, sadly.

This means I can't leave an accurate reflection of my feelings towards the book as I am unable to read it now and so I am leaving a message of explanation instead. I am now back to reading and reviewing full time as once considerable time had passed I have found that books have been helping me significantly in terms of my mindset and mental health - this was after having no interest in anything for quite a number of years after the passings. Anything requested and approved will be read and a review written and posted to Amazon (where I am a Hall of Famer & Top Reviewer), Goodreads (where I have several thousand friends and the same amount who follow my reviews) and Waterstones (or Barnes & Noble if the publisher is American based). Thank you for the opportunity and apologies for the inconvenience.

Over the weekend, I managed to finish this lovely little read called Deadly Sacrifice by Stella Oni. I downloaded it from Netgalley because I’ve been wanting to read something from Jacaranda Books for ages plus I LOVE crime thrillers! The premise of it immediately captured my attention so I hit that request button and got to reading 😏

DCI Toko is called to investigate a disturbing case where missing body parts belonging to young black children are turning up all over the city. The police race to find out who, or what, is behind these murders. Alongside this, Toko’s best friend Coretta is an investigative journalist who delves deep into this murky world. What they discover is a place of Nigerian magic and cults.

I really had fun with this book, it was a definite page turner for me however I do have a few criticisms. I thought the chapters ended really abruptly sometimes which I thought was a bit disconcerting, however sometimes it did work. Not sure if this was just me though! I also felt like at the beginning, Oni focused too much on educating people on Nigerian culture, to the point that it drove the plot, instead of being a natural part of the plot. I definitely enjoyed the second half of the book more than the first, as I thought the plot and characters really came into their own by this point.

I love love loveeeeed the whole Nigerian magical aspect of it! I found it to be an incredibly compelling aspect, and one that makes it stand out from its other crime thriller counterparts. Deadly Sacrifice also explores some deeper topics such as human trafficking, child abuse and adopting in Nigeria. It was certainly eye opening to learn about this stuff.

I would like to thank Netgalley and Jacaranda Books for a review copy of Deadly Sacrifice, the first novel to feature DC Toks Ade of the Met.

Recently transferred to CID Toks is thrown in at the deep end when a visit to investigate a missing nine year old starts with discovery of a severed child’s hand in the car park of a tower block. It has the mark of child sacrifice and Toks and her partner, DS Philip Dean, find themselves on the seamier side of Nigerian religion.

I enjoyed Deadly Sacrifice to a point, but have mixed feelings about it as a complete novel. It is not a long novel but it is eventful and crams in a lot of information although the flip side of this is a lack of depth at some points and some threads being abandoned with no explanation. I liked the plot which is interesting and unusual and I loved the context given to the background of child sacrifice and trafficking. It definitely makes for uncomfortable and sickening reading but learning about different cultures and mindsets is always a plus.

This novel reads like a debut as it has some issues. The narrative is split between Toks, Philip and Toks’s friend Coretta, an investigative journalist looking into human trafficking and child sacrifice with reference to Nigeria which seems to be hub. This is a worthy subject but Coretta’s information comes to her too easily and she never adequately grasps the danger she could be in. It’s a touch facile. The balance between the investigation and the personal is wrongly weighted. Both Toks and Philip have personal problems and much time is devoted to them without resolution or in Philip’s case forward momentum. I can only assume that more novels are planned to resolve these issues, otherwise they’re a waste of space.

I like Toks and think she’s a great character, smart and strong, but not overly sure of herself. Mostly I like the fact that she’s half hearted about her diet as I can so relate to that.

Deadly Sacrifice is a good read.

A good crime story with some great twists, lots making you think you know who is the bad guy but never quite getting you all the way to the truth...

Stella Oni's writes a chillingly gruesome piece of crime fiction set in London, painting a vivid picture of the rundown crime ridden council estates, shifting location to Nigeria, a corrupt patriarchal country with its extreme inequalities between the wealthy and the poor, cults and brotherhoods with their deplorable practices of human and child trafficking, innocent human sacrifices and strong beliefs in juju. DS Philip Dean and DC Toko Ade, of the Stamford CID unit, are on their way to visit the grandmother, Mrs Bello, of a young 9 year old black girl, Venus, missing for two days. They are planning to re-interview her with Toko to act as a Yoruba interpreter. However, they are waylaid by a group of children who have discovered a hand, of a young black child, of approximately 4 years of age. The case brings worrying echoes of a heinous crime from the past where a young African boy's torso was found in the River Thames.

A post-mortem of the hand reveals the child had been tortured and abused in their life and there are concerns that this child's deadly fate may well be connected with that of the missing Venus. Toko is a struggling single mother, with a 15 year old son, Bode, a committed Christian and regular church goer. Bode's father is Femi, a rich Nigerian with his own family, who had never wanted Bode when Toko became pregnant. Femi, with a family and children in Africa, has since expressed desires to see Bode but Toko has rebuffed his efforts, all that is now set to change with Bode wanting to see him. Toko's friend, Coretta Davies, is an award winning investigative author, following her own lines of inquiries into the deadly world of child and human trafficking, the sacrifice of innocents, that has her going to Nigeria hoping to find proof of this hidden murky world, the horrifying practices, and those behind it.

Oni makes a powerful impact with this grim crime offering, showing the worst of humanity, in a case that cannot fail to affect and sicken the police with its depravity, with the buying and selling of children, and the terrors that await them. The parallel investigation by Coretta results in murders and dangers that threatens to close in on her, particularly as she insists on going to Nigeria to see what she can find out. I thought this was a strong foray into the crowded crime fiction genre by the author, but it is not without its issues. There were times when the story needed more coherence, tighter plotting and more judicious editing to avoid too much repetition. Having said that, I loved the diverse cast of characters, insights into families with members in Britain and Nigeria, and the gripping, if terrifying cases, the police have to handle. Many thanks to Jacaranda Books for an ARC.