**LONGLISTED FOR THE BOOKER PRIZE** ‘Exuberant and satirical: this is an angry comedy about Zia’s brutal legacy to Pakistan’ Observer There is an old saying that when lovers fall out, a plane goes down. This is the story of one such plane. Why did a Hercules C130, the world’s sturdiest plane, carrying Pakistan’s military dictator General Zia ul Haq, go down on 17 August, 1988? Was it because of: 1.Mechanical failure. 2.Human error. 3.The CIA’s impatience. 4.A blind woman’s curse. 5.Generals not happy with their pension plans. 6.The mango season. Or could it be your narrator, Ali Shigri? A Case of Exploding Mangoes is sharp, dark, inventive and utterly gripping.