Ken, have you read Blood River by Tim Butcher? It's great book, part travelogue, part history lesson. It's gives a real insight into the horrors that have been, and are still being visited on the Congo and it's inhabitants. It's sad that such a vast and resource rich country has been reduced to a basket case. As a fan of heart of darkness and someone who has already travelled in the Congo I would say it's a must read..
My holiday read this year was 'I am Pilgrim' by Terry Hayes. An excellent espionage thriller about a former covert agent trying to stop a biological attack on the US. I know it sounds hackneyed but it's a cracker. Very well written and I couldn't put it down.