Bush Blog

Derek Strangely runs a safari tour company with his side-kick Pedro, a Tutsi with a sad history. After stumbling upon a mauled Congolese child soldier they also find what he had hidden - three large diamonds. The diamonds belonged to General Cosmo Zomba wa Zomba who presides over the Congolese jungle with his Corporal, Duke Amin thwarting the efforts of the UN Peacekeepers at every turn. Hired by the mysterious diamond merchant, Richard Katz, Derek and Pedro go to the Walikale region of the Congo closely followed by the young and idealistic Natalie Cox who is determined to reveal Katz's illegal trade. Kidnapped by Cosmo and force-marched into the wilderness the four hostages become pawns in a dangerous game. It seems that the murderous Madame Azziza Nshuti is at the heart of everything. What is she up to? Is there a link between her and Katz? Can Cosmo trust her? Can anyone trust her? Has she corrupted members of the UN?

As Lake Kivu threatens to release a deadly gas over the inhospitable terrain, the hostages lives are in the balance as they try to 

escape their captors and avoid the drug-fuelled, violent and unpredictable child soldiers. Will they get away before Cosmo and a rival war-lord join forces to destroy the UN camp? How far will General Cosmo go to retrieve his diamonds when he discovers Derek's secret?

Fast-paced, gripping and a genuine page-turner, Cummings' action adventure marks the arrival of an author who compares to Wilbur Smith at the height of his powers. 

Derek Strangely is living in Kampala with his dog Rafiki and is still recovering from his time in the Congo jungle where he was rescued by the enigmatic Azziza Nshuti when he is contacted by his old friend, Johnny Oceans. It seems that Johnny had been abducted by Somali pirates more than 14 years ago. On his escape he had converted to Islam, married a Darod woman, and lived a modest life. Now, after years of peace among the Sumis, Johnny's life is again in danger, this time from radical Islamic forces. His only hope of survival, indeed the only hope of all the people of Puntland, lies in the hands of a Somali clan elder, currently in the Kakuma Refugee Camp. Derek and Johnny's trip to the camp involves a highly dangerous illegal border crossing—but this is only the start of their involvement in the political intrigue and power struggles of the region. Just who is pulling the strings, and will Johnny ever be able to return to the arms of his wife? Derek Strangely is the only person in the world able to make it so.