The Dancing Face

In this intriguing if meandering art caper from Guyanese British novelist Phillips (Kind of Union), the theft of an African mask from a London museum sets off a wild chain reaction. Black university lecturer Gus swipes the so-called “Dancing Face,” which British colonialists looted from Nigeria during the Victorian era, and hatches a plan to ransom it back to the museum for £10,000. Within a few days, however, Gus is killed in a random car crash; before he dies, he manages to send a message to his brother, Danny, letting him know where the mask is stashed. The mask—which, according to legend, gives its wearer the power to see the future—then continues to change hands via a series of convoluted thefts and voluntary exchanges among Gus and Danny’s social circle. All the while, exiled Nigerian millionaire Dr. Okigbo lurks in the background, hoping to get his hands on the artifact as a means of restoring his tarnished reputation in his native country. Phillips tackles themes of colonialism and Black British identity with a sharp intelligence, but too often politics overshadow plot, and the narrative’s glacial pacing and long-winded dream sequences further drag things down. It’s an ambitious misfire. (Aug.)