THE NIGERWIFE

308pp., paperback, London, 2023

Also published in the USA in 2023.

Nicole Oruwari has left London for sunny, moneyed Lagos and joined the Nigerwives - a community of foreign women married to wealthy Nigerian men. When she disappears without trace her aunt Claudine flies to Nigeria and discovers a dark, hidden side to Nicole's life.

“A thrillingly suspenseful novel that reveals its riches, layers and secrets through effortlessly elegant prose, while exposing the imprisoning dynamics inside transactional relationships of patriarchal power. I was hooked right through to the shocking end.” Bernardine Evaristo, author of Girl, Woman, Other

“A brilliantly original novel about family, motherhood, identity and diaspora, with a crime thriller twist.” Afua Hirsch, author of Brit(ish)

Vanessa Walters was born and raised in London and has a background in journalism and playwriting. She is the author of two books for young adults. The Nigerwife is her first novel for adults. She lives in Brooklyn.