Adam Oyebanji is an SF/Crime novelist whose work blends thrilling plots with thought-provoking ideas, often exploring themes of identity, belonging, and the occasional whodunnit. His work has been praised for its originality, rich world-building, and sharp storytelling. Born in the United Kingdom but having spent much of his time in the United States and West Africa, Adam draws on a global perspective shaped by a career in law and a lifelong passion for speculative fiction and murder mysteries. He is a member of the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers Association, the British Science Fiction Association, and the Crime Writers’ Association.
When not writing, Adam works as a lawyer specializing in counter-terrorist financing. A profession that has taken him to places significantly stranger than fiction.
Esperance Nominated for L.A. Times Book Prize!
Finalists and honorees for the 46th Los Angeles Times Book Prizes were announced February 18, 2026, with Esperance nominated in the Science Fiction Fantasy and Speculative Fiction Category. Winners will be announced Friday, April 17 at USC’s Bovard Auditorium, a prologue to the 31st annual Los Angeles Times Festival of Books, which runs April 18-19.
The Los Angeles Times Book Prizes are one of the major American literary awards, created in 1980 to celebrate outstanding books and authors across a wide range of genres. They are presented each spring at the L.A. Times Festival of Books, the largest book festival in the United States. As a nominated finalist, Adam will be appearing on a festival panel on Saturday, April 18 and is looking forward to meeting readers old and new.
Esperance Long-listed by BSFA for Best Novel!
The British Science Fiction Association has been giving out its prestigious awards for more than four decades now, it’s first Best Novel being Stand on Zanzibar by John Brunner in 1969. Notable previous winners include Arthur C. Clarke’s Rendezvous with Rama, Terry Pratchett’s Pyramids, and Ann Leckie’s Ancillary Justice. For Esperance to be longlisted is a wonderful honour and my heartfelt thanks goes out to all those BSFA members who thought it worthy of nomination.
A Stirling Double Header!
Adam is making not one but two appearances in Stirling this September. As part of the world famous Bloody Scotland crime festival he will be on stage at the Golden Lion Hotel on Friday 12th September at 8.30pm with Ben Aaronovitch and Nicholas Binge. Drinks will have been had so it promises to be a lively session.
If you can’t make Bloody Scotland, Adam will be returning to Stirling on Thursday, 18th September to chat with fellow author AJ Liddle at the Smith Art Gallery and Museum at 7.30pm. Drink – Georgian wine this time – will also be involved, so the discussion should definitely flow!
The Reviews Are in For Esperance!
“A gripping, intricately plotted mystery which unravels its themes of justice, choices and consequence with huge assurance and flair” — E. J. Swift, author of The Coral Bones
“In this brilliant story, Oyebanji makes the reader question perceptions of guilt and innocence, of vengeance and justice, of time itself—all the while asking what makes us truly human. A tour de force and most highly recommended.” —Julie E. Czerneda, author of To Each This World
“A tightly wound plot told from two divergent points of view that will keep you guessing in the best ways. If you’re a fan of SF mystery, Esperance merges the best from both genres.” — Michael Mammay, author of the Planetside Series
“A police procedural genetically modified to include the best of science fiction, mystery, action, and suspense…this page-burner earns its moral heft.” —Donna Glee Williams, author of The Night Field
“A fast-paced, superbly plotted blend of mystery and science fiction.”
“This mixture of mystery, SF, and historical fiction is highly recommended for readers who love intricately blended genre stories that ask big questions. Those who fell hard for Rivers Solomon’s The Deep or Leslye Penelope’s Daughter of the Merciful Deep will find a kindred story here.”
“This excellent sf-thriller opens with Ethan Krol looking at three beings on the floor of his twentieth-floor Chicago apartment: a man, his son, and a barracuda … Fans of Charles Stross’ near-future police procedurals will be drawn to this one.”
“Lovers of sharp, fast sci-fi from the likes of Neal Stephenson will be right at home with Esperance. For this reader, it scratched about a dozen itches at once and then some. It’s exciting, inventive and murky, an ocean worth the plunge.”
BookPage, Starred Review!
“Oyebanji dextrously blends genres in this suspenseful sci-fi mystery … yielding a satisfying, if grim, solution. Rob Hart and Blake Crouch fans should check this out.”
“Esperance is an engaging read because of the way Oyebanji blends these genres, as well as the thrill of learning who is behind the murders – and why.”
Locus (Adrienne Martini)
“Oyebanji utilizes lots of suspense, thrills, humor, cryptic allusions to ancient deeds, and moral debates to propel his plot. The result is a very satisfying read on all levels.”
“Esperance weaves science fiction, detective drama, and historical fact together to explore thoughtful themes and create a satisfying payoff… I went into this book blind, only knowing that it was a science fiction thriller, and was pleasantly surprised at how deftly it handles culturally fraught subject matter while balancing a really interesting story and a fun cast of characters. I’d recommend it to fans of either genre but also to folks who want to read a fresh, science fictional take on post-colonial revenge stories.”
“Esperance is a compelling genre hybrid: part science fiction, part historical fiction, all delivered at the tempo of a gripping detective mystery.”
“A fast-moving thrill ride of a story.”
“By the time I hit the final act, I was all in. The twists come fast, the revelations hit hard, and the ending is equally satisfying and unsettling. I feel it’ll stick with me. If you’re into Blake Crouch-style thrillers, Neal Stephenson-esque tech mysteries, or just a smart, fast-paced story that refuses to be predictable, Esperance is absolutely worth your time.”Fantasy Book Critic
“The book is fantastic. There’s wonderful characters, excellent interactions between them, and an intriguing and compelling mystery. It covers racism, mammoth questions like what justice really is or looks like – and is a standalone story. Highly recommended.”
“Exciting, dark, entertaining, heartfelt, and thought provoking to the core, I could not put Esperance down until I knew everything.”
“Part (very weird) murder mystery, part speculative fiction and a wow ending — Esperance is an evolving surprise from start to finish.”BiblioBloggityBoo
Cover Reveal!
Esperance Due May 2025
Available for Pre-Order Now!
A whip-smart thriller in the vein of Blake Crouch, Andy Weir, and Neal Stephenson, Esperance plumbs the depths of a seemingly impossible crime rooted in racism, intergenerational trauma, and an inhuman concept of justice.
Detective Ethan Krol is on the twentieth floor of a Chicago apartment building. A father and son have been found dead, their lungs full of sea water—hundreds of miles away from the ocean.
Abidemi Eniola has arrived in Bristol, England. She claims to be Nigerian, but her accent is wrong and she can do remarkable things with technology, things that her new friend, Hollie Rogers, has never seen before. Abi is in possession of a number of heirlooms that need to be returned to their rightful owners, and Hollie is more than happy to go along for the ride.
But neither Abidemi Eniola nor her heirlooms are quite what they seem. Abi is a target of Ethan Krol’s investigations, and Hollie’s life is about to become far stranger than she bargained for. In a clash of cultures, histories, and different ideas about justice, the consequences will be deadly…
Two Times Murder Makes Kirkus’s Best of 2024 List!
Two Times Murder has not only received a starred review from Kirkus, which described it as, “Not to be missed,” it has also received the accolade of Best Mystery and Detective of 2024.
Greg Abimbola is many things. He’s Black, British and fluent in Russian. He’s a snappy dresser, a reasonable teacher, and an unenthusiastic sports fan. But most of all, he’s exceptional at keeping secrets. Like, who he really is, and the things he’s done.
Determined to keep his head down after helping solve a murder in the school basement, Greg fears a trap when Sergeant Rachel Lev of the Pittsburgh police corners him in his apartment. Because his refusal to take credit isn’t modesty, it’s a survival tactic.
But Rachel is here on another matter entirely. She needs his help. She’s lead detective on the homicide of an unidentified man fished from the Allegheny River. With clues scant, and surrounded by colleagues who’d love to see her side-lined, Greg is her final roll of the dice.
Greg has no choice. He knows more than he’s saying about Rachel’s mysterious corpse. To add to his troubles, a school trustee plunges to his demise after a heated board meeting. Both deaths come with potentially lethal consequences. If he doesn’t find answers, and soon, Greg Abimbola might be the third man on the autopsy table.
With its razor sharp themes of identity, diversity and culture wars, Two Times Murder is not just a pitch-perfect spy mystery, but also an incisive examination of contemporary America, written by a Black author who’s lived on both sides of the pond.