Truth Is a Flightless Bird
"In a city choking on inequality, truth is elusive, love is dangerous—and escape is never simple. Customer-Facing Description A pregnant aid worker swallows narcotics to escape Somalia—and vanishes into Nairobi’s slums. In this Nairobi crime thriller of African noir and psychological thrillers, a disillusioned missionary pastor races the city’s underworld to save her and the unborn child she’ll protect at any cost. Caught between a ruthless Somali dealer, a corrupt cop, and Ciru—a healer who wields ancient power with modern violence—Duncan must navigate police corruption, postcolonial power, and his own moral collapse. Set in modern Kenya, this women’s survival thriller blends medical thrillers intensity with the moral weight of postcolonial African fiction. From fetid underground safe houses to neon-lit streets where marabou storks circle like omens, the story explores motherhood, faith, and the brutal calculus of survival. For readers of The Last House on Needless Street and Look Closer (David Ellis), with the atmosphere of Local Woman Missing, We Have Always Lived in the Castle, No Longer at Ease, and the systemic rot of Slow Horses. Ideal if you browse best thriller books, police procedural mysteries, African noir, and Kenya crime thrillers. You’ll enjoy this if you’re searching for: *psychological thrillers and medical thrillers with high stakes and heart *African noir / Kenya crime thriller / Nairobi thriller set in today’s Nairobi *women’s survival thriller with maternal stakes and moral ambiguity *postcolonial African fiction that confronts power, faith, and corruption *police corruption stories with elements of police procedural mysteries"
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Bestselling author of mystery novels, weaving suspense and intrigue. Captivating readers with every page turn.
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"Hussain’s Truth is A Flightless Bird is a fast-paced story set in an African city that never sleeps. Like the characters of the novel, he manages to capture a city that’s as unpredictable as it is memorable. A noteworthy debut"
"Truth Is a Flightless Bird is a compelling thriller that blends literary and noir elements into a harrowing character study of three flawed people in blind pursuit of an unobtainable future."
“Hussain’s earnest debut dramatizes the fraught social and economic circumstances of modern-day East Africa.”
Truth is a Flightless Bird is an intriguing mystery about the drugs trade and the people caught up in it. It’s a fascinating insight into Nairobi, from the vibrant rich quarters to the poverty ridden streets… There’s a strong story here, grounded, at times in some shocking insights. The setting, mostly Nairobi, is brilliantly observed… Akbar Hussain is very good at demonstrating how for people will go for the promise of a better life
It's a wonderful read - a genre I'm not very familiar with, but I enjoyed very much. I also gave a shout-out to the Press, which I think is doing admirable (and necessary) work.
US President Barack Obama is scheduled to visit and Nairobi is abuzz. But the real story for us is related via several characters: Nice, Duncan, Ciru, and Toogood. All of them in difficult circumstances, all of them connected in some way to the illegal drug trade. With their stories, comes the story of two cities, and much about the culture within. You are transplanted to the unsavoury parts of the drug world, good and bad. Much like the characters, also not all bad and not all good.
“With its intriguing title, Truth is a Flightless Bird by Akbar Hussain is a debut literary fiction novel. It is set in Nairobi just prior to an imminent American Presidential visit by Barack Obama…Its easy-flowing narrative captures the ambiance of Nairobi and its machinations played out in this enjoyable tale.”
This novel was a breathless rush from beginning to end. I can see how this would make a fantastic television series…Truth is a Flightless Bird is a fantastic novel of place. It gives the reader a view into a world most of us will never get to see or experience in person…