I thought The Signare of Goree was an engaging read. I loved the location and general setting of the book; it's not anywhere I've read about before and I found the environment and culture fascinating. The plot was well-done. I had anticipated the "who," but not the "how," and it ended up being very complex! Inspector Leroux was a good main character. He was skeptical enough to question what others thought might be coincidences. The element of the French army vs the native population lent another angle to the investigation and caused a little more trouble than it was worth. The respect that Leroux showed the native population, even if he didn't quite understand their customs, was kind.

Thank you NetGalley and Victory Editing NetGalley Co-op for this eCopy to review

I recently finished reading The Signare of Gorée by Laura Rahme, and I have mixed feelings about it. The novel is set against the rich historical backdrop of Gorée Island, and Rahme does an excellent job of bringing this unique setting to life. The vivid descriptions and historical details were definitely a highlight for me, immersing me in a time and place that I knew little about before.

The story follows the life of a signare, a woman of mixed African and European heritage, navigating the complexities of her identity and the societal expectations placed upon her. The protagonist’s journey is compelling, and I appreciated the depth of her character development. Rahme’s portrayal of the cultural and social dynamics of the time is both informative and engaging.

A significant part of the plot revolves around a murder investigation led by Maurice, a determined detective sent from France. This added a layer of intrigue and suspense to the story, as the detective delves into the dark secrets of Gorée Island to uncover the truth. The murder mystery kept me guessing and added a thrilling element to the narrative.

However, there were aspects of the book that didn’t quite resonate with me. The pacing felt uneven at times, with certain sections dragging on while others felt rushed. Additionally, some of the secondary characters lacked the same depth and development as the protagonist, making it harder to fully invest in their stories.

Another point of contention for me was the dialogue, which occasionally felt stilted and unnatural. This sometimes pulled me out of the otherwise immersive narrative. Despite these issues, the book’s exploration of themes such as identity, heritage, and resilience kept me interested enough to see it through to the end.

Murder mysteries are ten a penny, but this one stands out for its unusual setting and historical context. The story takes place mainly on the Senegalese island of Goree, in the mid 19th century. The island is home to French colonialists and local people, and was built on the slave trade, which has been made illegal before the start of the story. High society is ruled over by the signares - local woman who have risen to wealth and power thanks to temporary marriages to French men during their time in the country. It's a fascinating society, very different from anything I've heard of before, particularly with females and non-white people having so much power at that time.

The story begins with the discovery of a murdered French soldier, followed by others, and detective Maurice is called in from France to investigate. The authorities are quick to point the figure at disgruntled locals, but Maurice is not so sure. Initially not even believing the deaths to be murder at all, he changes his opinion as he learns more about the island and its people, and as the body count rises.

I loved the setting, both in terms of location and time period, which is well evoked. The story flows well, is easy to read, and quick to 'get into'. It's a story I looked forwards to reading. The occasional sentence was slightly clumsily worded, making me think it may be a translation, but it doesn't appear to be. Maurice is an unobjectionable character although not very distinctive, unlike the 'quirky' detectives often found in whodunnits. He has apparently appeared in an earlier novel by Rahme, which I haven't read, but that didn't affect my enjoyment at all - it certainly didn't read like 'sequel'. I did work out the culprit, and fairly early on, but I still enjoyed the untangling of the story. There is one particularly gory description of a murder that made me shudder, but it is only the once and only the most squeamish need avoid.

If you enjoy murder mysteries and want something that has all the ingredients of a good one, plus a really original setting, look no further. It's also essential reading for anyone with an interest in this part of Africa or period of history.

This is a clever murder mystery/ historical fiction / multicultural interest - the book definitely has an Agatha Christie feel but since I am an avid reader of this genre --I started to suspect who the killer was in the last quarter of the book-- the storyline was interesting with a diverse cast of characters-- the weaving of the folklore was well done. There is French scattered throughout the book -- so annotations of the meanings would be nice for those who don't speak or understand French . Overall a nice cozy mystery in a far away land.

Thanks to Netgalley and Victory Editing Netgalley Co-op for this ARC . This is my honest review.