Sinister from the outset, Mukoma Wa Ngugi's Black Star Nairobi opens in the thick interior of the Ngong forest, where an unknown corpse has been devoured by wild beasts, and detectives Ishmael and "O" share a joint while considering the body. The sequel to Nairobi Heat, Wa Ngugi's second novel takes place in Kenya's capital, where the private investigators strive to connect the corpse with a nearby hotel bombing. Despite their sobering occupation, the two men enjoy an amiable life outside of work. O's wife is close with Ishmael's girlfriend, and the four enjoy nights of banter and intellectual debate. Then a horrific incident makes their lives inseparable from their work, as their small case is tied to a network of international actors.
Readers will recognize common thriller plot elements, such as white-collar corruption and a female computer hacker. What sets Wa Ngugi apart is his grasp of global politics--undoubtedly the outcome of having written a range of nonfiction pieces on the subject. In Black Star, the Kenyan presidential elections--divided along ethnic lines--occur alongside 2008's U.S. presidential primaries, in which Barack Obama is brought to the fore. These events hold particular significance to Ishmael, a Kenyan-American ex-policeman. While political issues drive the plot, it is ethical uncertainty that gives the novel its core. When one must kill to survive, is it possible to maintain a moral code? What distinguishes cop from criminal? And if a great justice is one's goal, can small injustices be committed along the way? --Annie Atherton, intern at Shelf Awareness