Drawing on his own experiences of the Continent, O’Loughlin delivers
the tightly written story of Owen Simmons, one of a group of Western
journalists chasing scoops and each other around Africa’s war zones in
the 1990s.
Not even genocide can get in the way of professional rivalry as they
race to file first but when they retire to their plush hotels, the
cracks begin to form.
O’Loughlin’s lyrical depiction of Africa, alternating between idyllic
jungle and mountain landscapes and apocalyptic scenes of almost casual
carnage, comes alive through vibrant but restrained prose.
His words flow from the page, making it an easy, albeit sad, read.
This is O’Loughlin writing what he knows and to great success.