The Library of the Dead

Huchu (The Hairdresser of Harare, as Tendai Huchu) plunges readers into the dark, supernatural recesses of contemporary Edinburgh in his powerhouse fantasy debut and series launch. Headstrong high school dropout Ropafadzo “Ropa” Moyo works as a ghostalker, ferrying messages between the worlds of the dead and the living for the right price. When penniless ghost Nicola comes to Ropa pleading for help, Ropa is initially reluctant to take on her problems—until she learns that something is sucking the souls out of the bodies of the city’s children. Now Ropa heads on a dangerous hunt to discover who—or what—is behind these sinister attacks. The mystery contains plenty of twists, turns, and genuinely eerie moments to draw in even the most seasoned horror reader. Huchu writes with a refreshing voice, crafting an intimate portrait of Ropa and her Zimbabwean family amid the delicious paranormal chaos. Precocious, often snarky Ropa, meanwhile, breathes new life into the standard rough-around-the-edges female protagonist. Expertly blending elements of Zimbabwean and Scottish culture, Huchu’s occult thriller is as entertaining as it is thought-provoking. [em](June) [/em]