What do you think?
Rate this book
The Boy in the River
On 21st September 2001 the mutilated torso of a small child was found floating beside London’s Tower Bridge, one tide away from being swept into the North Sea.Unable to identify the victim, the Murder Squad turned to Richard Hoskins, a young professor of theology with a profound understanding of African tribal religion, whose own past was scarred by a heartbreaking tragedy. Thus began a journey into the tangled undergrowth of one of the most notorious murder cases of recent years; a journey which would reveal not only the identity of the boy they called Adam but the horrific truth that a succession of innocent children have been ritually sacrificed in our capital city.Insightful and grippingly written, The Boy in the River is an inside account of a series of extraordinary criminal investigations and a compelling personal quest into the dark heart of humanity.
307 pages, Kindle Edition
First published June 7, 2012
13 people are currently reading
307 people want to read
About the author
Richard Hoskins
9 books10 followersI wrote the CWA Gold dagger winning bestseller The Boy in the River, which is being made into a film. I'm currently working on a sequel.
There's some official blurb about me here:
https://www.thesohoagency.co.uk/autho...
There's some official blurb about me here:
https://www.thesohoagency.co.uk/autho...
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 60 reviews
July 14, 2020
21-Sep-2001 and a 32-year-old IT Consultant called Aidan Minter crossed Tower Bridge in London, UK and saw what looked like a body with red cloth attached in the River Thames. He calls 999. By the time the authorities find the mutilated torso of the little boy it was at the Globe Theatre. They call the boy, Adam.
This was a completely different book from what I was expecting. The author is Richard Hoskins a professor of theology that knows all too well the religious rituals in Africa. He is brought in to help on the case by very perplexed London detectives. You see the case, not from the viewpoint of the police, but from Hoskins. By the way, this is non-fiction. It really did happen. I remember them finding the body and knew it was some kind of sacrifice but I never did find out the details and that is because they do not come to light until years later. Well, sort of anyway.
We follow Hoskins not just on this case but on others and also his life. Quite fascinating it is too. The ‘Adam’ case leads him onto others and quite a disturbing trend coming out of a new religion. He is on a mission of sorts to try and expose this and to save children from terrible abuses. As his wife says to him, ‘You’re not some sort of superhero in red tights, you know, swooping around the world righting wrongs’. She does not want him getting mixed up in this business. One of the cases he observes which is all linked is that of Victoria Climbie. It is just devastating the way this poor child was treated. This is the independent statutory inquiry report. Be warned, the subject is harrowing. VC Independent Inquiry
Slowly, over many years, the reason for the deaths of multiple children become clear to a certain extent. Clear in the sense that Hoskins begins to learn why they are happening. You can tell that the decade long search for the truth takes it out of Hoskins and no surprise. The subject is harrowing so to be right at the front confronting it in Africa and the UK must take something out of you.
This was a completely different book from what I was expecting. The author is Richard Hoskins a professor of theology that knows all too well the religious rituals in Africa. He is brought in to help on the case by very perplexed London detectives. You see the case, not from the viewpoint of the police, but from Hoskins. By the way, this is non-fiction. It really did happen. I remember them finding the body and knew it was some kind of sacrifice but I never did find out the details and that is because they do not come to light until years later. Well, sort of anyway.
We follow Hoskins not just on this case but on others and also his life. Quite fascinating it is too. The ‘Adam’ case leads him onto others and quite a disturbing trend coming out of a new religion. He is on a mission of sorts to try and expose this and to save children from terrible abuses. As his wife says to him, ‘You’re not some sort of superhero in red tights, you know, swooping around the world righting wrongs’. She does not want him getting mixed up in this business. One of the cases he observes which is all linked is that of Victoria Climbie. It is just devastating the way this poor child was treated. This is the independent statutory inquiry report. Be warned, the subject is harrowing. VC Independent Inquiry
Slowly, over many years, the reason for the deaths of multiple children become clear to a certain extent. Clear in the sense that Hoskins begins to learn why they are happening. You can tell that the decade long search for the truth takes it out of Hoskins and no surprise. The subject is harrowing so to be right at the front confronting it in Africa and the UK must take something out of you.
July 9, 2024
It was very difficult to give a rating for such a horrific and heartbreaking factual read.
June 12, 2013
I'm currently listening to happy music to try to lift my spirits, so utterly depressing and soul destroying are the stories that emerge from Richard Hoskins account of his time as an expert witness on multi-cultural religious or ritual child abuse. And yet it is a book everybody should read, if only because the tortured and the murdered deserve to have their stories told.
In this book Richard Hoskins describes how he travelled to the Congo with his first wife to work on behalf of the Christian Church and developed a deep understanding and love for the people and their culture. After returning to the UK he studies at university becoming an academic.
It was when the mutilated body of a young African boy is washed up in the Thames that Hoskins begins his work with the police as an expert on the religions and rituals of African culture. This leads to his involvement in what feels like a series of increasingly horrific cases of abuse.
There are some desperately sad cases such as the Congolese boy Londres who, having brought up in London is sent back to the Congo to have the 'kindoki', an evil demon, exorcised from him. When Hoskins tracks him down the boy is sad and wants to return home but his time in London was just short of the time required to become a British citizen. Nothing can be done.
In many ways though Londres sticks out as one of the luckier ones, he's still alive and although lonely and living hundreds of miles away from the place he thinks of as home, being alive in this book is a rare thing.
Hoskins unfortunately does a great job of describing the decay of Africa after years of misrule, the desperate poverty of it's people and the bleakness of existence for the hundreds and thousands of African children.
The final case though is by far the most horrific and will stay with me for some time. It's truly awful and I would never have believed such cruelty and evil could exist.
The toll that the work has taken on Hoskins life comes through the book as well and one can only imagine the mental strains exposure to such cases must have placed on him
If there's one criticism to be made it is that occasionally Hoskins's approach borders on the uncomfortable, does he involve himself too closely with certain cases and sometimes there's the hint of an ego that shows itself fleetingly. Hoskins often talks of the negatives sides of his work, understandable when the work is swamped in so much that is awful but surely he allows himself moments of pride at the position he's created for himself through his work with the police. Perhaps I'm guilty of judging a better human being by my own low standards?
Ultimately though Hoskins deserves a huge amount of credit for his work in publicising the issue of African ritual child abuse and for establishing the religion can never be a defence. Child abuse is child abuse and no decent African would ever condone the criminal acts described in this book.
Definitely a recommended read but have something happy ready to read afterwards.
In this book Richard Hoskins describes how he travelled to the Congo with his first wife to work on behalf of the Christian Church and developed a deep understanding and love for the people and their culture. After returning to the UK he studies at university becoming an academic.
It was when the mutilated body of a young African boy is washed up in the Thames that Hoskins begins his work with the police as an expert on the religions and rituals of African culture. This leads to his involvement in what feels like a series of increasingly horrific cases of abuse.
There are some desperately sad cases such as the Congolese boy Londres who, having brought up in London is sent back to the Congo to have the 'kindoki', an evil demon, exorcised from him. When Hoskins tracks him down the boy is sad and wants to return home but his time in London was just short of the time required to become a British citizen. Nothing can be done.
In many ways though Londres sticks out as one of the luckier ones, he's still alive and although lonely and living hundreds of miles away from the place he thinks of as home, being alive in this book is a rare thing.
Hoskins unfortunately does a great job of describing the decay of Africa after years of misrule, the desperate poverty of it's people and the bleakness of existence for the hundreds and thousands of African children.
The final case though is by far the most horrific and will stay with me for some time. It's truly awful and I would never have believed such cruelty and evil could exist.
The toll that the work has taken on Hoskins life comes through the book as well and one can only imagine the mental strains exposure to such cases must have placed on him
If there's one criticism to be made it is that occasionally Hoskins's approach borders on the uncomfortable, does he involve himself too closely with certain cases and sometimes there's the hint of an ego that shows itself fleetingly. Hoskins often talks of the negatives sides of his work, understandable when the work is swamped in so much that is awful but surely he allows himself moments of pride at the position he's created for himself through his work with the police. Perhaps I'm guilty of judging a better human being by my own low standards?
Ultimately though Hoskins deserves a huge amount of credit for his work in publicising the issue of African ritual child abuse and for establishing the religion can never be a defence. Child abuse is child abuse and no decent African would ever condone the criminal acts described in this book.
Definitely a recommended read but have something happy ready to read afterwards.
January 2, 2014
Both fascinating and horrifying.
As a result of his expertise in African religions and ritualistic sacrifices, Richard Hoskins has been called to testify in a number of cases of murder and abuse in British courts. The torso of a young African boy, found in the Thames in 2002, was the first indication that these horrific practices were taking place in London. The child had been drained of blood and cut in a precise manner, suggestive of sacrifice. More cases have come to light in subsequent years, indicating that this is a serious problem, not only in Britain, but throughout the world.
Richard Hoskins originally went to live in The Congo as a young man. His twin daughters were born there and one died very young. When the second daughter started to become sick, it was suggested that he should sacrifice a chicken or goat to save her from the call of her twin, from beyond the grave. Sadly the second daughter died too, but this event resulted in Mr Hoskins becoming aware of the practice of sacrifice. Also known as kindoki, this has subsequently developed into a much more extreme version and it is no longer just chickens or goats that are sacrificed. Extremist African churches are starving, beating and abusing young children who have been accused of witchcraft. Sometimes this may be because of some behaviour of the child, sometimes because a relative becomes sick and the child is blamed. Either way the accusations and their solutions are beyond belief.
In his book, Richard Hoskins describes those early years in The Congo. He explains how the boy's torso was discovered and the phorensic work that followed it. He takes us through several court cases and other instances where these extreme religious views have resulted in the suffering of innocents. Although it is very well written, it is not an easy book to read. However, these practices are now no longer hidden in the dark; as detectives become aware that these things occur, so other children can be saved from following in their footsteps.
An eyeopening book, highly recommended.
As a result of his expertise in African religions and ritualistic sacrifices, Richard Hoskins has been called to testify in a number of cases of murder and abuse in British courts. The torso of a young African boy, found in the Thames in 2002, was the first indication that these horrific practices were taking place in London. The child had been drained of blood and cut in a precise manner, suggestive of sacrifice. More cases have come to light in subsequent years, indicating that this is a serious problem, not only in Britain, but throughout the world.
Richard Hoskins originally went to live in The Congo as a young man. His twin daughters were born there and one died very young. When the second daughter started to become sick, it was suggested that he should sacrifice a chicken or goat to save her from the call of her twin, from beyond the grave. Sadly the second daughter died too, but this event resulted in Mr Hoskins becoming aware of the practice of sacrifice. Also known as kindoki, this has subsequently developed into a much more extreme version and it is no longer just chickens or goats that are sacrificed. Extremist African churches are starving, beating and abusing young children who have been accused of witchcraft. Sometimes this may be because of some behaviour of the child, sometimes because a relative becomes sick and the child is blamed. Either way the accusations and their solutions are beyond belief.
In his book, Richard Hoskins describes those early years in The Congo. He explains how the boy's torso was discovered and the phorensic work that followed it. He takes us through several court cases and other instances where these extreme religious views have resulted in the suffering of innocents. Although it is very well written, it is not an easy book to read. However, these practices are now no longer hidden in the dark; as detectives become aware that these things occur, so other children can be saved from following in their footsteps.
An eyeopening book, highly recommended.
August 9, 2012
A fascinating read and a riveting layered account of the authors deep and nuanced relationship with the Congo its people places and culture and the murder investigation focussed upon the discovery in 2001 of the torso of an unknown child in the river Thames. It privides an insight in kindoki, the scourge of revivalist/fundamentalist christianity in West Africa and highlights the very distubing effects this can have on peoples belief systems. The book details some harrowing events in Kinshasa and London and at the same time is the authors journey from a place of faith to one of deeper belief ultimately in the people close to him and his own inner resources. Thoroghly recommend this to anyone interested in crime involving ritual killing/sacrifice, kindoki, Congo and African religion or juju/nganga studies in general. I was struck in particular how the actions of charismatic (often but not always males) people of conviction can often bullly and cajole weaker minded individuals to do very harmful things to themselves, and of course to the vulnerable..the children. Beware of convincing powerful men in suits on raised stages with head mikes, clapping and bellowing at you about the 'truth' and how you can be 'saved'. Not all messiahs are useful and are in fact often the very opposite. Evil men and women out for personal gain at the expense of the gullible.
October 17, 2014
My friend lent this book obviously as a way to make me relive my childhood.. The author describes in vivid detail the extent of child abuse perpetrated on African children justified in the name of 'traditional' religion. The author does justice in his attempt to give a voice to the multitude of children who are scarred mentally, emotionally and physically, delving in the darkness that is often overlooked and misunderstood by those in the west. I would recommend this book to anyone interested in the dark side of religion and anyone who has experienced child abuse in the form of religion, as the book offers hope and assurance that victims are not alone. The book is not for the mentally weak, as the trauma described is severe and real.
February 20, 2022
True story of a random child who was murdered due to muti (a particular type of African witchcraft) mixed with a professor's memoir.
The anthropological perspective was quite interesting, however I felt the book dragged a bit too much and at times it felt more about Hoskins own life rather than the boy.
The anthropological perspective was quite interesting, however I felt the book dragged a bit too much and at times it felt more about Hoskins own life rather than the boy.
July 21, 2012
I saw Richard Hoskins on BBC breakfast talking about this book, and for the 1st time ever I was moved to get on my iPad and buy it. Never have I been so touched by a book. I would whole heartedly recommend this to any one with a heart.
March 4, 2021
Septembre 2001, le corps d'un enfant mutilé est repêché dans la Tamise. La thèse d'un meurtre vaudou est très vite évoquée compte tenu des mutilations observées sur le corps du jeune garçon. Le docteur Richard Hoskins, maître de conférence en religions africaines à l'université Bath Spa est appelé par Scotland Yard pour apporter son expertise sur ce cas complexe. Ce dernier connaît bien l'Afrique, il a passé plusieurs années au Congo. Il a traversé là-bas plusieurs drames personnels.
Richard Hoskins raconte alors la longue enquête menée sur presque dix ans qui aura bien d'autres ramifications : plusieurs cas de meurtres rituels, la mise en place d'un réseau de trafic d'êtres humains... Parallèlement, il revient sur son expérience au Congo qui l'a profondément bouleversé.
Avec « L'enfant dans la Tamise, meurtres rituels et sorcellerie au cœur de Londres aujourd'hui », Richard Hoskins signe un document édifiant, qui se lit véritablement comme un thriller. Sauf que tous les faits racontés se sont bel et bien déroulés à Londres au XXIème siècle. L'auteur met en lumière certaines pratiques ancestrales encore utilisées aujourd'hui, qui sous prétexte de délivrer du mal un enfant posant des problèmes, lui font subir les pires sévices. Il dénonce avec beaucoup de force les fondamentalistes chrétiens qui en République démocratique du Congo se sont appropriés des croyances ancestrales et qui conseillent aux familles de faire exorciser leurs enfants. Les cérémonies d'exorcisme donnent lieu à des actes violents de maltraitance. Il explique que malgré l'interdiction de ces pratiques, la croyance en des forces extérieures maléfiques reste profondément enracinée dans leur culture.
Sans clichés, ni préjugés, Richard Hoskin livre un document personnel, le récit d'un amoureux de l'Afrique et d'un protecteur des enfants.
Richard Hoskins raconte alors la longue enquête menée sur presque dix ans qui aura bien d'autres ramifications : plusieurs cas de meurtres rituels, la mise en place d'un réseau de trafic d'êtres humains... Parallèlement, il revient sur son expérience au Congo qui l'a profondément bouleversé.
Avec « L'enfant dans la Tamise, meurtres rituels et sorcellerie au cœur de Londres aujourd'hui », Richard Hoskins signe un document édifiant, qui se lit véritablement comme un thriller. Sauf que tous les faits racontés se sont bel et bien déroulés à Londres au XXIème siècle. L'auteur met en lumière certaines pratiques ancestrales encore utilisées aujourd'hui, qui sous prétexte de délivrer du mal un enfant posant des problèmes, lui font subir les pires sévices. Il dénonce avec beaucoup de force les fondamentalistes chrétiens qui en République démocratique du Congo se sont appropriés des croyances ancestrales et qui conseillent aux familles de faire exorciser leurs enfants. Les cérémonies d'exorcisme donnent lieu à des actes violents de maltraitance. Il explique que malgré l'interdiction de ces pratiques, la croyance en des forces extérieures maléfiques reste profondément enracinée dans leur culture.
Sans clichés, ni préjugés, Richard Hoskin livre un document personnel, le récit d'un amoureux de l'Afrique et d'un protecteur des enfants.
April 20, 2023
A fascinating, gruesome and heartbreaking story of a young African boy’s horrific death when his torso ends up in The Thames, London. At the same time Richard Hoskins tells us of his years spent in The Congo, of the death of 2 children and the end of his first marriage. Parts of the book are just awful to read and what bothers me is that children are so easily moved from country to country. In one case he outlined 5 siblings were sent by their parents to live with their sister in London who then, along with her husband, tortured and killed him!
I always like to know something about authors so checked him out online and his own story is worthy of a book itself. Since this book was written he has a second failed marriage behind him and the tragic death of his son David from his first marriage.
I was also shocked to read that he transitioned from Richard to Rachel, having major facial surgery and buying illegal drugs to encourage his breasts to grow. As he lay all ready for surgery which would replace his penis with a vagina, he backed out. He is now, he says, very happy as a man again and very concerned that he was almost pushed into transitioning which he feels is also happening to too many teenagers. He is sure that had anybody in the medical profession counselled him about his life they might have realised he was suffering great pain from losing 3 children, 2 marriages and witnessing all these sacrificial killings, rather than wanting to change sex.
I always like to know something about authors so checked him out online and his own story is worthy of a book itself. Since this book was written he has a second failed marriage behind him and the tragic death of his son David from his first marriage.
I was also shocked to read that he transitioned from Richard to Rachel, having major facial surgery and buying illegal drugs to encourage his breasts to grow. As he lay all ready for surgery which would replace his penis with a vagina, he backed out. He is now, he says, very happy as a man again and very concerned that he was almost pushed into transitioning which he feels is also happening to too many teenagers. He is sure that had anybody in the medical profession counselled him about his life they might have realised he was suffering great pain from losing 3 children, 2 marriages and witnessing all these sacrificial killings, rather than wanting to change sex.
September 17, 2025
This is an extremely sad story of how a professor who had lived in the Congo with his wife - and lost two children there - was called upon in London to help unravel murders of young people. He mixes chapters of his explorations in a developing nation, which seemed determined not to develop, with the cases piling up in Britain.
The amount of brutality, control freakery and abuse of children is hard to read. No wonder this took a heavy toll on the author and his family. With increasing numbers of African people travelling to Britain, naturally more cases of deaths were occurring, and some appeared to have taken place in ritual manners relating to muti, a primitive black magic. A boy found in the Thames was later balanced by a teen boy murdered in his home. But back in Africa, we are shown a pastor and a parent insisting that a small girl fast from food and water for three days to aid with casting out any demons. In other words, the kid probably had worms, and a warped Christian religion was abusing her, instead of finding a cure and digging proper latrines.
See also, Under The Big Tree by Ellen Agler on development in Africa.
This is an unbiased review.
The amount of brutality, control freakery and abuse of children is hard to read. No wonder this took a heavy toll on the author and his family. With increasing numbers of African people travelling to Britain, naturally more cases of deaths were occurring, and some appeared to have taken place in ritual manners relating to muti, a primitive black magic. A boy found in the Thames was later balanced by a teen boy murdered in his home. But back in Africa, we are shown a pastor and a parent insisting that a small girl fast from food and water for three days to aid with casting out any demons. In other words, the kid probably had worms, and a warped Christian religion was abusing her, instead of finding a cure and digging proper latrines.
See also, Under The Big Tree by Ellen Agler on development in Africa.
This is an unbiased review.
August 14, 2019
Heart wrenching and educational at the same time. If you’re intrigued by other cultures and have a crime interest as well this book is a must in my opinion.
It took me only 2 days to get through it I was that invested in the story.
It’s definitely not for the faint hearted, based on a true story about a child’s torso that was found in the River Thames in London in 2001, also known as the Adam murder case.
If you know of the case already you’ll know that the case is still unsolved, I didn’t know this prior to starting this book and had high hopes for a better outcome, the case being solved.
Hoskins did a really great job transitioning between various times in his life that related to the overall story as well as bringing other cases that he had worked on into the storyline.
It took me only 2 days to get through it I was that invested in the story.
It’s definitely not for the faint hearted, based on a true story about a child’s torso that was found in the River Thames in London in 2001, also known as the Adam murder case.
If you know of the case already you’ll know that the case is still unsolved, I didn’t know this prior to starting this book and had high hopes for a better outcome, the case being solved.
Hoskins did a really great job transitioning between various times in his life that related to the overall story as well as bringing other cases that he had worked on into the storyline.
August 3, 2017
j'ai bien aimé ce livre, j'ai appris pleins de choses sur les croyances africaines ainsi que sur leurs traditions. L'histoire était bouleversante, avec des passages difficiles à lire parfois mais il m'a tout de même manqué quelque chose mais je ne serai pas dire quoi.
Je trouve que le titre est mal choisi, le livre gravite autour de l'histoire du petit garçon retrouvé dans la Tamise mais le livre traite vraiment de la vie de l'auteur qui a réellement participé à cette affaire pendant des années.
Je trouve que le titre est mal choisi, le livre gravite autour de l'histoire du petit garçon retrouvé dans la Tamise mais le livre traite vraiment de la vie de l'auteur qui a réellement participé à cette affaire pendant des années.
November 6, 2022
Hugely eye opening and interesting read. Took a while to get through as only reading on lunch breaks at work which also meant I kept needing to reread sections. Very emotional journey for all characters involved
October 23, 2024
A great insight into current events in Africa and Europe. The discovery of a young child's body in the Thames is set against people using religion to seek power and influence over others. Definitely recommended
March 8, 2025
Quite well written. This book introduced me to a world that I wasn't aware of before. The stories were quite tragic. It was interesting to learn them from the point of view of an expert that was involved in the crime solving process.
February 26, 2018
A gripping read.
August 4, 2019
At first I was spectacle about this book, but I went on with it and I don't regret it.
March 10, 2020
A fascinating insight into the ritual killings that take place in this country and how our own ignorance perpetuates these crimes, simply because we choose not to see them!
March 28, 2021
An emotional read. Well written.
February 24, 2022
Breathtaking book, after reading it I feel sad and at the same time shocked at how much of this world that I know nothing at all.
June 28, 2025
There are no words to learn what can and what does happen. The cases are horrific.
February 2, 2021
🌲quite boring
🌲more on African history than a mystery
🌲more on African history than a mystery
August 11, 2024
A fascinating insight into a sad case of the body of a boy found in the Thames and the expert brought in to help solve the case.
May 28, 2016
In the name of Blood. With an extreme sign of no-mercy. Speaking blague over Bible and hunting (or you may say haunting) a human flesh to heal others. An implausible ritual tracing from Africa and landing to Europe.
The boy in the river! Hmmm the title itself is the junkyard of a confound investigation. Exactly 10 days after 9/11, a mutilated torso is found floating beside Tower Bridge of London. The body is unidentified with no traces and no witnesses. Scotland Yard jumps in and the murder squad works on this brutal murder. The investigation team seeks help of the author Dr. Richard Hoskins who is a young professor of Theology with a profound understanding of African tribal ritual and religion in Bath Spa University.
Being involved and case studying the murder, the author corners back to his grief-ing past when he traveled Congo attaching his newly married life with Sue to the existence of politically disturbed rigid environment from 1986-1992 when he was in his 20s.
In those times, Congo was ruled by the corrupted dictator with a leopard skin toque, Mobutu Sese Seko. Under him, Congo suffered a kleptocratic era of his 32-year presidency. The country was economically disturbed with extremely high inflation and human rights violation.
Life of newly married Hoskins and Sue laid under the tribal areas and villages who supported Mobutu. Slowly with the passage of time, the couple adjusted and learnt their Lingala language and culture. But they also confronted their tribal rituals and religions which later on turned in their life to be a dramatic heartbreaking account.
It took years to solve the murder mystery. But step-by-step, with years in investigation gesticulating, they come to understand a nexus from Africa to Europe about the tribal rituals followed by many thousands of Africans in both the continents.
The major plus of reading this book is by literally reading a murder-mystery, you actually come to know Africa’s traditions which involves crime. The book speaks about Muti, a Zulu word used for traditional medicine widely known in Southern Africa but disaster to the nature of Muti is that it is known as a medicine murder and deals in Muti Killings which commands a human sacrifice or spilling of blood in order to excise body parts for incorporation as ingredients into medicine and concoctions used in witchcraft.
Dr. Hoskin also explains Kindoki. Kindoki is a powerful belief of being a black magic or witchcraft by evil spirits which abandons child and ritually abuse them beyond the limit. Nganga are spiritual healers dealing in Kindoki in West Africa specially in Congo. There is another specific term ‘Yoruba’ which Hoskins doubted to be involved behind the murder. Yoruba is a religion followed by people from Southwest Nigeria and Southern Benin in West Africa which deals in spiritual practices.
It really surprises me that people migrating from Africa to other continents to develop a better life mostly stuck to their blague traditions and still follow the practices which cost lives of their own kins. Hoskins bring the practices in realistic limelights to show how in many years or decades, the African children were getting abused and murdered. Quite a shocking account!
The boy in the river! Hmmm the title itself is the junkyard of a confound investigation. Exactly 10 days after 9/11, a mutilated torso is found floating beside Tower Bridge of London. The body is unidentified with no traces and no witnesses. Scotland Yard jumps in and the murder squad works on this brutal murder. The investigation team seeks help of the author Dr. Richard Hoskins who is a young professor of Theology with a profound understanding of African tribal ritual and religion in Bath Spa University.
Being involved and case studying the murder, the author corners back to his grief-ing past when he traveled Congo attaching his newly married life with Sue to the existence of politically disturbed rigid environment from 1986-1992 when he was in his 20s.
In those times, Congo was ruled by the corrupted dictator with a leopard skin toque, Mobutu Sese Seko. Under him, Congo suffered a kleptocratic era of his 32-year presidency. The country was economically disturbed with extremely high inflation and human rights violation.
Life of newly married Hoskins and Sue laid under the tribal areas and villages who supported Mobutu. Slowly with the passage of time, the couple adjusted and learnt their Lingala language and culture. But they also confronted their tribal rituals and religions which later on turned in their life to be a dramatic heartbreaking account.
It took years to solve the murder mystery. But step-by-step, with years in investigation gesticulating, they come to understand a nexus from Africa to Europe about the tribal rituals followed by many thousands of Africans in both the continents.
The major plus of reading this book is by literally reading a murder-mystery, you actually come to know Africa’s traditions which involves crime. The book speaks about Muti, a Zulu word used for traditional medicine widely known in Southern Africa but disaster to the nature of Muti is that it is known as a medicine murder and deals in Muti Killings which commands a human sacrifice or spilling of blood in order to excise body parts for incorporation as ingredients into medicine and concoctions used in witchcraft.
Dr. Hoskin also explains Kindoki. Kindoki is a powerful belief of being a black magic or witchcraft by evil spirits which abandons child and ritually abuse them beyond the limit. Nganga are spiritual healers dealing in Kindoki in West Africa specially in Congo. There is another specific term ‘Yoruba’ which Hoskins doubted to be involved behind the murder. Yoruba is a religion followed by people from Southwest Nigeria and Southern Benin in West Africa which deals in spiritual practices.
It really surprises me that people migrating from Africa to other continents to develop a better life mostly stuck to their blague traditions and still follow the practices which cost lives of their own kins. Hoskins bring the practices in realistic limelights to show how in many years or decades, the African children were getting abused and murdered. Quite a shocking account!
April 26, 2015
This is a biographical account of Richard Hoskins who helped with the investigations into child murders by those who believed they had kindoki (evil spirits).
Excellently written in the form of a novel rather than pure facts, it is a personal journey as well as an account. An important issue to read about and understand, this is a truly disturbing book to read.
As a Christian and having lived in a village helping in the medical centre in the Congo with his first wife Richard, grew to love the people and country.
Through his expertise in African tribal ritual and religion, he enters the darkest of worlds helping the police in their investigations into child abuse and murder in London linked to beliefs in certain African communities. The investigations leads to child trafficking, and sex exploitation.
He paints a wonderful picture of his early days in the Congo, and of his respect for the people around him. His account of his life in the village is very fascinating and readable, I learnt a lot from his writing.
Through helping the police on several cases of what many thought were ‘witchcraft’ beliefs, he helps the justice system understand the differences in tribal customs and pure child abuse.
There is a disturbing trend that has grown from migrants from parts of Africa to merge Christianity with African religion into a hybrid that is plain wrong. It damages the various peoples of Africa who do not practice ‘deliverance’ rituals, and to the many Africans who do not follow these extreme churches.
Richard Hoskins pulls no punches when he describes how insidious these practices are, and how it affected him and his family when he was researching them. The cases he describes are well known Victoria Climbie and Child B, and his first case that of ‘Adam’ the torso of a six year old found in the Thames. He is honest in the effect on people and society and writes this book as a warning not to overlook the effect on our own communities.
I enjoyed reading this book but was understandably troubled by what he was recounting.
Excellently written in the form of a novel rather than pure facts, it is a personal journey as well as an account. An important issue to read about and understand, this is a truly disturbing book to read.
As a Christian and having lived in a village helping in the medical centre in the Congo with his first wife Richard, grew to love the people and country.
Through his expertise in African tribal ritual and religion, he enters the darkest of worlds helping the police in their investigations into child abuse and murder in London linked to beliefs in certain African communities. The investigations leads to child trafficking, and sex exploitation.
He paints a wonderful picture of his early days in the Congo, and of his respect for the people around him. His account of his life in the village is very fascinating and readable, I learnt a lot from his writing.
Through helping the police on several cases of what many thought were ‘witchcraft’ beliefs, he helps the justice system understand the differences in tribal customs and pure child abuse.
There is a disturbing trend that has grown from migrants from parts of Africa to merge Christianity with African religion into a hybrid that is plain wrong. It damages the various peoples of Africa who do not practice ‘deliverance’ rituals, and to the many Africans who do not follow these extreme churches.
Richard Hoskins pulls no punches when he describes how insidious these practices are, and how it affected him and his family when he was researching them. The cases he describes are well known Victoria Climbie and Child B, and his first case that of ‘Adam’ the torso of a six year old found in the Thames. He is honest in the effect on people and society and writes this book as a warning not to overlook the effect on our own communities.
I enjoyed reading this book but was understandably troubled by what he was recounting.
February 21, 2017
I just finished this book. Found it interesting because I think it opens our eyes bout those ritualistic thingy that maybe some of our society don't really care is actually exist.
September 19, 2013
Unimaginable that this abuse of children goes on in the UK and Africa in the mis-represented name of religion. This non-fiction account of just a small slice of abuse subjected by African nationals proves that it does. Dr Hoskins weaves a tale of personal tragedy which still haunts him from his time as a (I'll call it a misssionary)in the Congo with his first wife.
Not much is said about his first wife and his remaining children from that first marriage when he and his family return to the UK, just to say that he got divorced and met another lady who was to become his second wife.
He becomes involved with a murder case of the torso of a very young boy who was found in the River Thames by a passerby in 2002. He then is asked to help out in other cases of disgusting abuse by African nationals, who use the excuse of 'chasing out the childrens'Demons' to cover their actions.
The cases he covers in the book are cases that most will remember from the UK news headlines over the years. I am sure though that much more abuse goes on which we as the general public know nothing about.
Although not a lot is said in the book about Dr Hoskins religous beliefs (he obviously belonged to a religion as he went to Africa as part of the church) you get the immpression that he lost his calling when returning from the Congo. This is later addressed again when he opted not to swear on the Bible in Court.
I think although dreadful in nature and emotionally upsetting, these tales have to be read. Only then do we have a better understanding of the sometimes abhorant states we live in, and not be blinkered or ignorant.
Not much is said about his first wife and his remaining children from that first marriage when he and his family return to the UK, just to say that he got divorced and met another lady who was to become his second wife.
He becomes involved with a murder case of the torso of a very young boy who was found in the River Thames by a passerby in 2002. He then is asked to help out in other cases of disgusting abuse by African nationals, who use the excuse of 'chasing out the childrens'Demons' to cover their actions.
The cases he covers in the book are cases that most will remember from the UK news headlines over the years. I am sure though that much more abuse goes on which we as the general public know nothing about.
Although not a lot is said in the book about Dr Hoskins religous beliefs (he obviously belonged to a religion as he went to Africa as part of the church) you get the immpression that he lost his calling when returning from the Congo. This is later addressed again when he opted not to swear on the Bible in Court.
I think although dreadful in nature and emotionally upsetting, these tales have to be read. Only then do we have a better understanding of the sometimes abhorant states we live in, and not be blinkered or ignorant.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 60 reviews