My Sister, the Serial Killer – Oyinkan Braithwaite
This is one of those books where the hook is flashy but the real story is quieter and meaner.
Yes, it’s about a woman who keeps helping her sister clean up after murdered boyfriends, but that novelty wears off quickly. What’s left is a tense, frustrating portrait of loyalty taken to its ugliest extreme.
Korede is the responsible sister: a nurse, a fixer and a woman who has spent her life managing other people’s damage. Ayoola is beautiful, adored, reckless and entirely psychotic. They love each other, but it isn't equal love.
Oyinkan Braithwaite keeps things moving in short chapters that jump from moment to moment without much hand-holding. If you’re looking for deep interiority or traditional character arcs, you won’t find them here. Instead, she trusts the reader to connect the dots, especially when it comes to Korede’s interior life.
I tore through this in two sittings, not because I was invested in the murders — which quickly become almost beside the point — but because I wanted to see when, or if, Korede would finally choose herself. That question comes into focus when Ayoola sets her sights on the doctor Korede quietly loves. At that point, the book stops being darkly comedic and becomes genuinely tense.
The ending is exactly as aggravating as it needs to be. There’s a clever twist involving a comatose patient who’s been absorbing Korede’s confessions, and while that thread isn’t fully mined, the larger resolution lands. Korede once again chooses her sister, sends the man she loves to prison and ensures that nothing really changes in the house of cards life.
I do think the book could have gone further with its side characters, particularly the mother, who feels more like a narrative function than a fully realized presence. Braithwaite packs a lot into a quick read, but I wish she’d allowed a little more room for the story to breathe – something I don’t say often.
The audiobook narration by Adepero Oduye is excellent. She gives each character a distinct voice, and her delivery makes the setting feel lived-in rather than stylized.
This isn’t a thriller in the traditional sense, and it isn’t interested in justice or closure. It’s a story about complicity, self-erasure and the lies we tell ourselves in the name of family. Perfect for fans of “Dexter” or “Yellowjackets.”
Rating (story): 4/5 stars
Rating (narration): 4/5 stars
Format: Audiobook (library loan)
Dates read: January 31 – February 1, 2026
Multi-tasking: Good to go. The pacing is brisk, but once it settles in, it’s easy to follow without full attention.
