As a lover of mystery and intrigue, I enjoyed reading Foreboding by Debra Erikz. It was really thrilling and captivating. With serial murder on the menu, it was interesting to see how the mystery was unraveled, eventually revealing a very unlikely serial killer. I think Debra did a good job with this one. First of all, the setting is very relatable as the university environment has sometimes been the hotbed of terrible crimes in Nigeria, and so it is not such an aberration that serial killing can occur around a university’s environment. Secondly, the development of the plot is pretty simple, not many twists and turns, and that certainly has its own appeal. Debra is also applauded for her thorough research, especially into the internal workings of the Nigeria Police Force, revealing the corruption and nepotism that have many times cost innocent citizens their freedom, reputation, and even life.
As for the narrative style of the text, Debra employed a combination of biographical or second person narrative technique and stream of consciousness, wherein an author lets the reader into the mind and thoughts of characters in a play or prose. Debra certainly combined both techniques well in Foreboding, and that added to the intrigue of the story. I also like that she very well portrayed Nigerian speech idiosyncrasies in the story, which further enhanced the reader’s mental formulation of the setting. Also, although the overall theme of Foreboding is ominous, just as its title suggests, Debra was careful to not be too graphic in her description of the murder of the victims of the serial killer in the story, so as not to appall the reader. That’s a thumb up for her! I also like the fact that there were a number of humorous moments in the plot, which were welcome distractions from the gloom of innocent young women being gruesomely murdered.
Overall, Foreboding is a fantastic literary piece because Debra is a good writer – intelligent, creative, and meticulous. Her diction is good and her command of the English language is terrific. She clearly has the potential to be an even better writer than she currently, and she is in the right way. For Debra, I say the sky is not her limit but her take-off point; she is clearly heading for the stars. Well done Debra!
Read Foreboding HERE on OkadaBooks.
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