THE GHOSTLY ADVERSARY

Book: The Ghostly Adversary
Author: Omoseye Bolaji
Publisher: Drufoma (South Africa)
Pages: 116
Reviewer: Rebaone Motsalane

Sometimes, I hate a well written book. Maybe “hate” is rather a strong word, but I fail to find a proper alternative.

A good book lingers in your mind longer and it takes another book to cool you down. I have read so many books by Thomas Hardy and they always lingered in my mind and some have made a permanent space there.

The Book, The Ghostly Adversary (by Omoseye Bolaji)reminded me of Thomas Hardy though it is not really as melancholic as his stuff. Still, it really got on my nerves and now I am faced with the need to wipe my mind clear again.

Omoseye Bolaji has a love for the detective story, brilliantly written and I have enjoyed most of them. But this one hit a nerve as a woman, reading about the devastating effects rape can have on women.

Light hearted at first, I did not even guess that he was addressing rape and its impact and how brutal rapists really are. Though he tried his best to paint an un-frightening rape scenario, any rape story is a trauma to any woman.

It is only in the end that the mystery behind the attacks orchestrated on this woman raped twenty years ago is revealed.

She was raped in her teens and will never be the same again and dedicating her life to educate and teach others about rape.

One would think that after revenge she would be able to move on with her life, but the scars of rape were too deep and she ended up having to fight each and every man that wronged her in the end.

It is indeed a good book, but it will take a while before I gather my strength to read another detective book!

The book is for every one, tainted or not tainted by the crime of rape. It is a good detective story and available in local libraries.

P.S: If you know a less melancholic Thomas Hardy book, let me know…or then again, maybe not!

* This review was originally published in Mangaung issue (Jan 26, 2011)