In this “nail-biting murder mystery” (Seventeen) set in Kenya, a teenage refugee is sent on a journey of bitter revenge after her mother is killed by her untouchable wealthy employers.
“A twisty-turny-chock-full-of-secrets, so exciting-you-have-to-force-yourself-to-take-breaks-and-breathe kind of novel.”—The New York Times
“A blend of The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo’s Lisbeth Salander and X-Men’s Storm.”—Hollywood Reporter
In the shadows of Sangui City, there lives a girl who doesn’t exist.
Tina and her mother first arrived in Kenya as refugees from Congo desperately searching for a better life. Trading the peril of their besieged village for the busy metropolis of Sangui, they can barely believe their luck when Tina’s mother finds work as a maid for the Greyhills, one of the city’s most illustrious families. But there’s a dark secret lurking behind the family’s immense fortune, and when Tina discovers her mother shot dead in Mr. Greyhill’s private study, she knows he pulled the trigger.
With revenge on her mind, Tina spends the next four years surviving the streets on her own, training as a master thief with the Goondas, Sangui City’s local gang. It’s a job with the Goondas that finally brings Tina back to the Greyhill estate, giving her a long-awaited chance for vengeance. But once Tina returns to the lavish home, she’s overcome by memories of her painful past, and the girl who does not exist is caught red-handed, setting into motion a breathless and dangerous cascade of events that will expose not only the truth behind who killed Tina’s mother, but even more harrowing secrets from Tina’s past that will change everything.
A Best Book of the Year: Bustle, Seventeen, NPR, Teen Vogue, and Chicago Public Library
“
City of Saints & Thieves is a twisty-turny-chock-full-of-secrets, so exciting-you-have-to-force-yourself-to-take-breaks-and-breathe kind of novel. . . . [Tina’s] emotional journey feels compelling and true.”
—The New York Times
“
Ocean’s Eleven meets
Blood Diamond: Natalie C. Anderson’s
City of Saints & Thieves, a gripping tale of revenge and redemption, tracks a murderer through the jungles of Congo and the far reaches of cyberspace, shining a light on the importance of family and friendship along the way—a perfect cocktail of suspense, action and heart.”
—Tara Sullivan, critically acclaimed author of Golden Boy and The Bitter Side of Sweet “
City of Saints & Thieves will pull you from the very first page into a rarely seen world, violent and beautiful, where the only rule is survival and the only weapons are a young woman’s courage and love.”
—Francisco X. Stork, award-winning author of Marcelo in the Real World and The Last Summer of the Death Warriors“In prose as tenacious as her vendetta-driven and irresistible protagonist, Anderson interweaves personal and national tragedies, answering legacies of loss with the promise of family and friendship.
City of Saints & Thieves is a world opener of a debut, one worth reading and remembering.”
—Ashley Hope Pérez, Printz Honor–winning author of Out of Darkness“A story full of twists and turns, proving nothing is ever as black and white as it may seem.”
—Kirkus Reviews“[A] linguistically beautiful murder mystery tale that will have you tearing through the pages, all along its twists and turns.”
—Bustle
“A teenage Congolese refugee (a blend of
The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo’s Lisbeth Salander and X-Men’s Storm) in Kenya seeks revenge for the killing of her mother.”
—Hollywood Reporter
“A gripping journey of vengeance.”
—US Weekly“Anderson’s dark thriller will appeal to readers who prefer their mysteries political and their stakes high and who will feel rewarded by solutions in shades of gray rather than black-and-white.”
—The Horn Book “This nail-biting murder mystery set in Kenya follows Tina, a Congolese refugee, as she tracks down her mother's killer in the midst of corrupt businessmen, a master thief, and a street gang.”
—Seventeen
“[I]n this fast-paced thriller . . . Anderson adeptly uses language to bring Tina’s world to life as she carefully traces her heroine’s history to reveal a shocking truth.”
—Publishers Weekly, starred review
“[A] wonderfully twisted puzzle of a murder mystery.”
—Booklist, starred review “[A] solidly plotted, swiftly paced international murder mystery that’s laced with just a hint of romance. . . . Highly recommended for teens looking for a gritty, suspenseful, immersive read driven by a tough, smart, realistic heroine.”
—School Library Journal, starred review“[B]y setting a fast-paced crime drama with compelling characters in this fraught region, Anderson does the good service of interesting young readers in this ongoing human conflict and the tragic toll it continues to take on the people of the region.”
—BCCB, starred review“Natalie C. Anderson's breathtaking debut is deep, dark and—remarkably for the subject—quite funny at times. . . . Pages will fly by as readers root for Tiny and her loved ones.”
—Shelf Awareness, starred review
