THE PLOT: Kiss, Marry, Kill by Yemi Dipeolu is a contemporary mystery about a wedding marred by murder. Nigerian couple Ade and Ife have been best friends since they were kids. They seem perfect so everyone is shocked when Ade is arrested for the murder on their wedding day. Ade’s ex-girlfriend, Cynthia, has been missing for months but now her body has been found on the Dorset coast. Ade denies any wrongdoing but Ife isn’t so sure. In a dual timeline, Ade must try and prove his innocence while Ife searches for the truth.
SUMMARY: This was one of my Black debuts to watch in 2026 but unfortunately this novel didn’t work for me. The characters felt shallow, the premise felt unrealistic and the mystery felt predictable. The beauty of a mystery novel is trying to piece together what happened. If you’re like me, you’re trying to do this before the author wants you to. It’s all about picking up the breadcrumbs and putting together the pieces. However, this book left me with more questions than answers. On one hand the mystery was so obvious (it’s clear that Mark was a creepy stalker) and on the other hand, the ending was so anticlimactic that I didn’t predict the details (because I expected there to be an actual murderer). Now, this is partly subjective. I like my romance and thrillers to have a lot of emotional depth and intricate plots, so this is just my opinion. But I have to be honest… this book was not what I’d expect from Faber. Although the title and cover felt basic and unoriginal, I thought this book would have more depth based on the publisher’s reputation for more literary, complex novels. I’m so afraid to say this because of the potential knock-on effect for Black women in publishing; but it seemed like a good premise that was severely underdeveloped. Now I was clearly invested in this book to keep reading until the end so it’s not a total write-off. However, it didn’t suit my reading taste.
GOOD BITS: This book is a fast-paced binge read. Structurally, I think the countdown around Cynthia’s disappearance worked well to keep the tension. There’s a dual-timeline in Cynthia’s POV (before she disappears) and in Ife’s POV (after Ade is arrested for Cynthia’s murder). This allows the reader to get to know both characters. There are moments in Ife’s POV which I enjoyed. For example, when Ife started to get to know Mark, I got a sense the novel was picking up and the mystery was unravelling. Equally, there are moments in Cynthia’s POV that I liked too. Her combative relationship with Ade’s mother was funny and her relationship with Ade’s brother (Tayo) was intriguing – I actually thought this would go further and become part of the mystery. There are also some thought-provoking underlying themes about being Black in the countryside, the role of the church and pressure in Nigerian families. However, these could have been more developed.
NOT SO GOOD BITS: I just couldn’t understand any of the character’s motivations for any of their actions. For example, Cynthia is a dancer in her twenties in present day yet she doesn’t consider promoting her dances or business on social media until Mark suggests using Instagram. This feels so unrealistic and out-of-date (at least suggest Tiktok), I just couldn’t believe it because it makes the character seem stupid. The type of character inconsistency is littered throughout the book. Why would Ife and Ade – two young Black people – move to rural Dorset? Why would Ife marry Ade so quickly? What happened with Ife’s job? Why is she such a pick-me? Because I couldn’t understand a single one of these character’s psychologies, I didn’t trust the author and couldn’t become invested in the plot.
OVERALL: I’d recommend this book to fans of The List by Yemi Adegoke and The Lagos Wife by Vanessa Walters. You can purchase this book (with a discount) and support @aminasbookshelf via my bookshop.org. affiliate link.
Thank you to Faber for my #gifted copy in exchange for an honest review.
