City Murders by Nducu wa Ngugi

Book: City Murders

Author: Nducu Wa Ngugi

Genre: Crime Thriller

Publisher: East African Educational Publishers

First Published: 2014

Size: 178pages, A5

Price: 615 (KES)

City Murders

I must have been one of the first people to read City Murders, at least I hope I was, when it was published in 2014. I have since then read it again because it turned out to be one of those books you read again when there is nothing to read. It got me hooked on page two or thereabouts. Jack Chidi, the lead character, is an investigative journalist working for The Daily Grind, a newspaper as eccentric as Chidi, and possibly everyone else who works there including the big boss, Bulldog.

Chidi is quickly introduced as a man who loves his tipple, perhaps out of boredom. He is a smoker who perpetually wants to quit. He borders on obnoxious, for instance when he spits phlegm on the ground. On the surface he comes out as rough and tough, a guy you SHOULD not like, but his soft side keeps betraying the facade; he is still nursing a heartbreak and has an un-confessed soft spot for a waitress. But Chidi is real, the kind of realness we all aspire to have but are too self-aware to pursue. By the time you are done with the book, you know he would like to settle down with a good woman like his friends, Ali and Otieno.

In City Murders, a series of murders of high and mighty happen in quick succession in Nairobi, leaving the police out of their comfort zone, and the public scared. Is there a serial murderer out there? The police, led by Inspector Ali who has a love/hate relationship with Chidi, is on the trail of the murderer(s). But Chidi and his sidekick, Otieno, are not sitting back. Together with Jacob the company driver and Chidi’s cousin, Mburu, the hunt is on, a hunt that puts their lives in danger.

The language is easy and laced with humour. City Murders was Nducu’s first book, but he wrote it like a crime thriller veteran. He manages to throw in some confusion for us when he writes about pubs with jukeboxes with patrons on mobile phones. One of those is extinct and the other one is the new kid on the block.  

MUST Read.

City Murders is available in bookshops.

Nducu Wa Ngugi, Author

QUICK10FIRE QUESTIONS
 -           City Murders was your first novel. Where can we find your other writing?

o   The Dead Came Calling is the sequel to City Murders. I have also written short stories and non-fiction essays. You can find links to these on my website, www.nducuwangugi.com.

-          Do you ever imagine a world without writing? What would it involve?

o   I am not sure that I see myself without writing. I have always written as far back as I can remember. But I like to think about my writing as one part of a whole. I also find great joy in the classroom (teaching or learning), music, farming, cooking and painting.

-          Jack Chidi is a very interesting character. Is he based on someone you know?

o   No. But in many ways, he is all of us. I was interested in a character that goes through life the way most of us do. He has insecurities, be they work-related, social and financial and so on. He is hardworking, curious and like all of us, fallible. In other words, he is full of contradictions.

-          Why Thriller? Anything to do with fascination with death?

o   When I was young, my father, Ngugi Wa Thiong’o, used to narrate stories about Mwangi Cowboy, a character who was always in search of justice. Mwangi not only meted out punishment for wrongdoing, but he was fair-minded, firm and always curious. What I found most fascinating about his stories was the way he connected the dots. So, when Wanjiku and Mukoma, my younger siblings were little, I started narrating Mwangi Cowboy stories to them. I try to do the same in my writing; create intrigue and suspense.

-          What do you do to unblock writer’s block?

o   There are times I spend hours trying to write and nothing comes, or when it does, it does not make sense. Sometimes I am like ‘I-really-need-to-find-another-line-of-work.’ I take breaks, walk, read, ride my bike or just do something else and then get back into it. Sometimes, I just have to plough through the ‘bad writing’ until something clicks.

-          What do you think Kenyan authors can do to get Kenyans to read more Kenyan?

o   I think it has to be a collaborative effort between all stake holders – writers, publishers, bookshops and readers, and also the government. Writers churn out good books but at times cannot find a publisher. When a book sees the light of day, publishers have to publicize that book and not just leave it for the author’s ‘throw-back-Thursday’ social media blitz. They can also source local printers to keep the cost down for the buyers. The government can also invest in libraries where people can easily access these books and also spaces where writers can connect with readers.

-          What is your perfect setting for writing?

o   I write best when I am home. It is familiar and I can lose myself in my writing. But at times, it works against me because I can always find a good excuse not to write. I tried writing in the library once, and I found myself people-watching. People fascinate me, which makes for good stories. But I need that quiet space where I can sit and write uninterrupted.

-          Any similarities between you and any of the lead characters?

o   No, but it is fun to live vicariously through them.

-          How many unwritten books are in your head right now?

o   It is hard to say, but I know there is always something cooking.

-          Jack Chidi is back with The Dead Came Calling, when do we expect another one?

o   Soon, I hope. In the meantime, I hope readers enjoy City Murders and The Dead Came Calling.