A business man is found dead in a motel room in Nairobi. There is no murder weapon or signs of struggle and there is no suicide note. It is a mysterious death and one that would, like so many,go unnoticed except the dead man is well-known and wealthy.
Jack Chidi, an investigative journalist is assigned this story by Bulldog, his editor at the Daily Grind, a local newspaper. It is an assignment he takes on reluctantly but he cannot say no to Bulldog-he needs the job and a cure for a pounding hangover.
Before the dust has settled and even before the CID, led by detective Ali Fana can solve this mystery, another murder isreported-that of a renowned doctor and then later, that of a university professor. There is nothing that ties them together except the locations and circumstances of their death- in hotel rooms with no forced entry, no physical trauma or any sign indicating foul play.
Could this be the work of a serial killer or killers? Are these deaths in any way politically motivated?
No one knows what to expect except that if there is a serial killer on the loose, they are bound to strike again. There is no telling who is next and it seems there is no way to stop whoever is responsible.
To add to the growing mystery, the Medical Examiner’s office is unable to ascertain causes of death which makes it harder for the police to profile whoever is responsible. Without any forensic evidence it is becoming almost impossible to solve these mysteries.
City Murders examines the complex relationships between friends, enemies, husband and wives, the world of business, politics and government. It is a book about greed in its many manifestations, it is a book about power, poverty and wealth and all the things that drive society. It is about corruption, misguided loyalties and vengeance as much as it is a story about trust and betrayal.
It is also a story about fear, love, hurt and the hopeful possibilities that make life.
Life in Nairobi and the surrounding metropolis is full of contradictions, a duality that is explored throughout the novel. The reader gets to see display of wealth in the suburbs and the physical morass impressed by poverty in the slums. The depravities induced by greed stand as testament to the decay in society.
And yet under these threats to our social fabric there is hope. There are still some good people who, against insurmountable odds, wake up each morning to do the right thing.
City Murders is the first of what will be a Jack Chidi series.
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