Cyber Larceny by Akintunde M. Lawal is an ambitious work in progress. It is a sprawling tale that offers commentary on cyber crimes, corruption, income inequality, and a host of other socioeconomic issues. Taking place after a major cyber attack on a global scale, the story focuses on James Robert Nushi, a digital forensics expert who works for a firm called CyberKonsult in the UK. Nushi takes leave from his job to go to a cyber security conference in Nigeria. He quickly becomes embroiled in a counterfeit product scheme which has much larger implications. Aided by a local named Debola Wright, the two investigate the crimes while commenting on global cyber security issues, the ramifications of  the “internet of things,” and modern life in Nigeria.

The author is clearly very familiar with Lagos, Nigeria, and the surrounding regions, as most of the book takes place there. The descriptions of the residences and attractions of Banana Island are extremely detailed. Many of the descriptions of places like the “Classico Hotel,” and “LucreziaBySujimoto” [sic] feel like they have been taken from brochures from their real-life counterparts because of how well they sell the feel of the locations. There seems to be a lot of quoted material, especially in the numerous “overheard” news broadcasts, that should be sourced if they’re not original.

While I thought the story was interesting I felt that it could have been greatly improved by a thorough edit. I think this is a story worth telling, and the author clearly has knowledge on tech and Nigeria.

Cyber Larceny feels like a testament to the success of a growing country, but also expresses frustration with local and federal level bureaucratic problems, economic disparity, supply chain issues, crime, and hopelessness of the next generations. This is a curious science fiction story that has a lot of potential to tell a unique story.

Pages: 213 | ASIN: B09NS5TDSW