Believers and Hustlers
Where absurdity meets survival—stories from a country caught between faith and hustle. When faith becomes a billionnaira empire, who pays the price? Ifenna, a dogged investigative journalist, loses everything after exposing a suspicious death at Nigeria’s largest cathedral. Pastor Nick rules Heaven’s Gate—a glittering megachurch built on prosperity gospel—and his wife, Nkechi, discovers infidelity and the shady funds behind their meteoric rise. As allegations explode online, three lives collide in a highstakes battle for truth, power, and survival. Believers and Hustlers is Nigerian literary fiction with the pace of an investigative journalist thriller and the psychological pull of social realism fiction. Set in contemporary Lagos, this African contemporary fiction novel explores religious corruption, spiritual abuse, and the precarious ethics of journalism in a society where truth is dangerous. What you’ll find inside *Megachurch intrigue (megachurch/megachurch), prosperity gospel culture, and a web of financial crime *A relentless newsroom vs. pulpit clash—perfect for readers of Nigerian psychological drama *A fearless portrait of faith, power, and culpability—this is the “culpability book” you’ve been looking for For readers who enjoy *Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie and Yaa Gyasi (comp authors) *The psychological tension of The Silent Patient and the scandal-fuelled buzz of None of This Is True (comp titles) If you browse “top 10 mystery books 2025” lists, love Lagos, Nigeria, fiction that tackles faith and power, or want a religious corruption novel with the drive of an investigative journalist thriller, this book belongs on your shelf. Also suits readers searching for *Prosperity gospel church novel *Pastor’s wife drama fiction *Social realism fiction *African contemporary fiction novel *Nigerian literary fiction *Megachurch scandal fiction *Christian biography books (for readers who enjoy faith-centered narratives and want a gripping fiction counterpart) *Greek row book (readers of campuspower and hierarchy dramas may find similar power dynamics here)
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Bestselling author of mystery novels, weaving suspense and intrigue. Captivating readers with every page turn.
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Ifedigbo can stand on the same podium as masters like Gurcharan Das. What makes his writing plain and unique at the same time, is the elegance of his prose. He writes with such clarity, that one does not need to be told that he is one of the best storytellers of his generation.
Believers and Hustlers is the contemporary Nigerian novel, doing on the page what Wole Soyinka’s Jero plays did on the stage. Mr. Ifedigbo’s writerly instincts probe, with uncanny accuracy, the religion-media matrix and the result is a milestone of a book, a book with a passport into most of Africa.
~Publisher’s Weekly (starred review)
Author Ifedigbo isn’t simply out to provide entertainment. In his bio, he says “the calling of a writer is to study humans explicitly and document this in simple, memorable stories.” He’s done that well. Believers and Hustlers is a study of the desperation caused by political, social, and economic corruption.
Quite a compelling thriller that got me gripping my tablet.
The name Believers and Hustlers, by Sylva Nze Ifedigbo, is absolutely the perfect description for this book! While this book was written about Nigeria, it's also a perfect commentary on the celebrity pastors and the megachurches around the U.S. and the world.
This was my first novel by a Nigerian author and I enjoyed it. The author adopts a teasing yet indulgent tone towards his characters, and towards the culture as a whole, their foibles and eccentricities, describing the easy manner in which people pick up foreign accents…I highly recommend this one.
“The book is well balanced on humor, mystery and culture. The author did a wonderful job of pacing the book and character development.”