A Crime in the of 7000 Islands by Zephaniah Sole
Brought to you by a serving FBI agent! A Crime In The Land of 7,000 Islands is a powerhouse crime book like The Silence of the Lambs fused with anime and Grimm’s fairy tales.
This incendiary novel, beautifully-written and at times horrifying, tells of FBI Special Agent Ikigai Johnson, who pledges to bring justice to children abused by a monstrous American in the Philippines. Amidst a police procedural of expert accuracy, she recounts her tale to her Eleven-year-old daughter through fantastical allegory. Her story exposes the damage of generational trauma and the exploitation that arises from inequality. It explores the nuances of criminal justice and reminds us of the battles between our courage and our willingness to let fear take hold. It is a call to act against evil.
Review
This is a truly stunning book, it was beautifully honed and a perfect mixture of reality blended with fantasy. I have never read a book like it before and I doubt I will again. I already think that this will be my book of 2023 as it will take a lot to knock it off its perch.
This book tells the tale of Ikigai Johnson a Special Agent working in the FBI in Portland. She becomes involved in a case of child abuse by a local teacher, a man who has also partaken in sex tourism in the Philippines. Amidst this case, Ikigai has to explain to her eleven-year-old daughter why she is leaving her and promises to tell her the reasons when she returns. Ikigai spins an allegorical fantastical tale of her time in the 7000 islands and why she is there. Her story exposes injustices, exploitation, inequality and trauma.
The main theme of this book is child abuse but it is dealt with in such a way that although it is confronting, it's palatable. This is a tale of warriors chasing lost innocence, the battle between good and evil. A mixture of modern reality and the tales and myths of East Asia. I'm finding this book really hard to review as it is so unique and I don't want to say too much as it would spoil the magic and the beauty of it. So I will stick to facts. Ikigai is a warrior, working to bring justice to those being hurt by others. Her daughter Junior seems innocent for an eleven-year-old and when she asked her mum why she was leaving, Ikiagi says she will tell her the reasons why when she returns. In order to make her understand she spins her story into a mixture of truth and fantasy.
The author has managed to create something special in this book. I know it will stay on my shelf for my lifetime and I will recommend it to everyone. The standard of writing blew me away. I don't think I looked up once while reading this book. I was mesmerized by its writing, its tone and its narrative. There is not one negative thing to say about this book. I just thoroughly enjoyed!
Let me know if you pick it up.
