City of Saints & Thieves - by Natalie C Anderson (Paperback)

About the Book

This enthralling mystery set in Kenya is "a gripping tale of revenge and redemption, tracks a murderer through the jungles of Congo and the far reaches of cyberspace, shining a light on the importance of family and friendship along the way" (Tara Sullivan, critically acclaimed author of "Golden Boy").

Book Synopsis

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo meets Gone Girl in this enthralling murder mystery set in Kenya.

In the shadows of Sangui City, there lives a girl who doesn't exist. After fleeing the Congo as refugees, Tina and her mother arrived in Kenya looking for the chance to build a new life and home. Her mother quickly found work as a maid for a prominent family, headed by Roland Greyhill, one of the city's most respected business leaders. But Tina soon learns that the Greyhill fortune was made from a life of corruption and crime. So when her mother is found shot to death in Mr. Greyhill's personal study, she knows exactly who's behind it.

With revenge always on her mind, Tina spends the next four years surviving on the streets alone, working as a master thief for the Goondas, Sangui City's local gang. It's a job for the Goondas that finally brings Tina back to the Greyhill estate, giving her the chance for vengeance she's been waiting for. But as soon as she steps inside the lavish home, she's overtaken by the pain of old wounds and the pull of past friendships, setting into motion a dangerous cascade of events that could, at any moment, cost Tina her life. But finally uncovering the incredible truth about who killed her mother--and why--keeps her holding on in this fast-paced nail-biting thriller.

Review Quotes

Praise for City of Saints & Thieves

An Amazon Best Book of the Month - January 2017
A Barnes & Noble Discover Great New Writers Pick
A Barnes & Noble Most Anticipated YA Debut of 2017
An Apple iBooks Best of January 2017 Pick
Winter 2016-2017 Kids' Indie Next Pick
Indies Introduce Winter/Spring 2017 Pick
A Teen Vogue Best New Young Adult Book - January 2017
A Bustle Best YA Book - January 2017
A 2017 Chicago Public Library's Best Teen Fiction Pick
A Seventeen Magazine Best Book Pick of 2017
A 2017 B&N Best Young Adult Book
An NPR 2017 Best Book
A 2018 Bank Street Best Book

"City of Saints & Thieves is a twisty-turny-chock-full-of-secrets, so exciting-you-have-to-force-yourself-to-take-breaks-and-breathe kind of novel. . . . [Tina's] emotional journey feels compelling and true."--The New York Times

★ "[I]n this fast-paced thriller... Anderson adeptly uses language to bring Tina's world to life as she carefully traces her heroine's history to reveal a shocking truth."--Publishers Weekly, starred review

★ "[A] wonderfully twisted puzzle of a murder mystery."--Booklist, starred review

★ "[A] solidly plotted, swiftly paced international murder mystery that's laced with just a hint of romance. . . . Highly recommended for teens looking for a gritty, suspenseful, immersive read driven by a tough, smart, realistic heroine."--School Library Journal, starred review

★ "[B]y setting a fast-paced crime drama with compelling characters in this fraught region, Anderson does the good service of interesting young readers in this ongoing human conflict and the tragic toll it continues to take on the people of the region."--BCCB, starred review

★ "Natalie C. Anderson's breathtaking debut is deep, dark and--remarkably for the subject--quite funny at times. . . . Pages will fly by as readers root for Tiny and her loved ones."--Shelf Awareness, starred review

"Ocean's Eleven meets Blood Diamond Natalie C. Anderson's City of Saints & Thieves, a gripping tale of revenge and redemption, tracks a murderer through the jungles of Congo and the far reaches of cyberspace, shining a light on the importance of family and friendship along the way--a perfect cocktail of suspense, action and heart."--Tara Sullivan, critically acclaimed author of Golden Boy and The Bitter Side of Sweet

"City of Saints & Thieves will pull you from the very first page into a rarely seen world, violent and beautiful, where the only rule is survival and the only weapons are a young woman's courage and love."--Francisco X. Stork, award-winning author of Marcelo in the Real World and The Last Summer of the Death Warriors

"In prose as tenacious as her vendetta-driven and irresistible protagonist, Anderson interweaves personal and national tragedies, answering legacies of loss with the promise of family and friendship. City of Saints & Thieves is a world opener of a debut, one worth reading and remembering."--Ashley Hope Pérez, Printz Honor-winning author of Out of Darkness

"A story full of twists and turns, proving nothing is ever as black and white as it may seem."--Kirkus Reviews

"[A] linguistically beautiful murder mystery tale that will have you tearing through the pages, all along its twists and turns."--Bustle

"A teenage Congolese refugee (a blend of The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo's Lisbeth Salander and X-Men's Storm) in Kenya seeks revenge for the killing of her mother."--Hollywood Reporter

"A gripping journey of vengeance."--US Weekly

"Anderson's dark thriller will appeal to readers who prefer their mysteries political and their stakes high and who will feel rewarded by solutions in shades of gray rather than black-and-white."--The Horn Book

"This nail-biting murder mystery set in Kenya follows Tina, a Congolese refugee, as she tracks down her mother's killer in the midst of corrupt businessmen, a master thief, and a street gang."--Seventeen.com

About the Author

Natalie C. Anderson is an American writer and international development professional living in Geneva, Switzerland. She has spent the last decade working with nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) and the United Nations on refugee relief and development, mainly in Africa. She was selected as the 2014-2015 Associates of the Boston Public Library Children's Writer-in-Residence, where she wrote her debut novel, City of Saints & Thieves.