Oil on Water

Compassionate, emotive, masterly ... draws on the tradition of the classic detective novel but also operates on a deeper, metaphorical and philosophical level Independent A lean, evocative novel - part thriller, part meditation on the deadly cost of the region's under-reported oil politics ... a classic coming-of-age narrative Daily Mail Powerful, accomplished ... Oil on Water lays bare the real-life tragedy of the Niger delta, in which petrodollars warp human relationships as surely as leaking crude poisons birds and fish Observer Habila's writing has that combination of elegance and rattling-good-yarn that we associate with Conrad and Graham Greene ... Terrific The Times Habila is a master at evoking the plight of characters who ask for little, and end up with even less ... this is a book you can't put down Boston Globe In a beautiful, almost cinematic style, Habila moves back and forth in time to tell a story swathed in the cynicism of modern global development and the mysteries of human longing Booklist This is a powerful novel that is both creepy and engaging Bookseller