Oil On Water by Helon Habila (Hamish Hamilton), R150. ISBN: 9780241144862 - Two reporters set out to investigate the kidnapping of an English woman in Nigeria.

The newsmen try to make contact with the group of rebels to negotiate a deal for her release. 

Their mission takes the reader into the heartland of the Niger Delta, a hot spot on the African continent. 

Village life along the river has been ruined by oil companies that have ruthlessly exploited the oil rich region, leaving behind an environmental catastrophe. 

In response, armed militants sabotage pipelines and refineries resulting in government counter- action. 

This is a chilling novel in which the action takes place against a backdrop of total societal breakdown.