A Case of Exploding Mangoes cover art

A Case of Exploding Mangoes

 Preview
Get this deal Try Premium Plus free
Offer ends December 16, 2025 11:59pm GMT.
Prime members: New to Audible? Get 2 free audiobooks during trial.
Just £0.99/mo for your first 3 months of Audible.
1 bestseller or new release per month—yours to keep.
Listen all you want to thousands of included audiobooks, podcasts, and Originals.
Auto-renews at £8.99/mo after 3 months. Cancel monthly.
Pick 1 audiobook a month from our unmatched collection - including bestsellers and new releases.
Listen all you want to thousands of included audiobooks, Originals, celeb exclusives, and podcasts.
Access exclusive sales and deals.
£8.99/month after 30 days. Renews automatically.

A Case of Exploding Mangoes

By: Mohammed Hanif
Narrated by: Paul Bhattacharjee
Get this deal Try Premium Plus free

£8.99/mo after 3 months. Cancel monthly. Offer ends December 16, 2025 11:59pm GMT.

£8.99/month after 30 days. Renews automatically. See here for eligibility.

Buy Now for £12.99

Buy Now for £12.99

Only £0.99 a month for the first 3 months. Pay £0.99 for the first 3 months, and £8.99/month thereafter. Renews automatically. Terms apply. Start my membership

About this listen

 There is a saying that when lovers fall out, a plane goes down.

A Case of Exploding Mangoes is the story of one such plane. Why did a Hercules C130, the world's sturdiest aircraft, carrying Pakistan's military dictator General Zia ul Haq, go down on 17 August, 1988?

Was it because of: mechanical failure; human error; the CIA's impatience; a blind woman's curse; generals not happy with their pension plans; the mango season? Or could it be your narrator, Ali Shigri?

Teasing, provocative, and very funny, Mohammed Hanif's debut novel takes one of the subcontinent's enduring mysteries and out if it spins a tale as rich and colourful as a beggar's dream.

©2008 Mohammed Hanif (P)2008 W F Howes Ltd Genre Fiction Literary Fiction Political Spies & Politics Suspense Thriller & Suspense Espionage Fiction Feel-Good Aviation

Listeners also enjoyed...

 White Highlands cover art
Musungu Jim and the Great Chief Tuloko cover art
The Snow Tiger cover art
The House of Dolls cover art
The Medici Murders cover art
Murder in Tuscany cover art
An Air That Kills cover art
The Last Days cover art
Wild Cards I cover art
A Dying Breed cover art
Trigger Point cover art

Critic reviews

"Reader Paul Bhattacharjee gives voice to torture chambers, social satire, bucolic lyricisim 'night on the mountains is a black sheet flung from the skies' and Catch-22-style military slapstick with equal panache, through I suspect the real Zia was a little less cuddly than he makes him out to be." (Saturday)
"This explanatory novel, woven in language as explosive as the mangoes themselves, is wickedly cynical and reveals layers of outrageous - and pausible - corruption." (The Observer)
All stars
Most relevant
Entirely believable tale of Pakistani life under the first post-colonial military rule, written from the perspective of the leader and a lowly member of the military who has reason to bear a grudge. A beautifully written, gently and cleverly funny story.

The narration was pitch perfect for the characters and for the pace and style of the writing.

Splendid

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

Would you consider the audio edition of A Case of Exploding Mangoes to be better than the print version?

Haven't read the print version but if I did I don't think I'd be able to put it down.

What other book might you compare A Case of Exploding Mangoes to, and why?

Maybe for the humorous content "The Case of the Deadly Butter Chicken" a Vish Puri novel.

What does Paul Bhattacharjee bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you had only read the book?

An excellent narrator. His pace and delivery made listening a complete pleasure although it started off a little fast but settled down very quickly.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

Most definitely. It's great entertainment.

A brilliant, entertaining read.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

If you could sum up A Case of Exploding Mangoes in three words, what would they be?

absolutely loved this book! the narrator was excellent, the story intriguing, witty and funny. definitely recommended.

Delightful!

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
I love his sarcasm! It’s a kind of book you need to pay attention when you listen not to miss any thing. I found myself lounging out loudly several times!

The reader is excellent which makes this audiobook simply brilliant!

Brilliant

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

Would you listen to A Case of Exploding Mangoes again? Why?

I never listen to books more than once

What did you like best about this story?

I could feel the heat of the sun and the tension in the air. great story, well told well read. I want to visit Pakistan now!

What does Paul Bhattacharjee bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you had only read the book?

His voice and accent fitted the story and enriched my experience

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

The very surprising love scene...no spoilers

Any additional comments?

I am still captivated by the story one week after finishing it, it made my trips to work in the car fly by

whatever happened to blind Zenab?

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
See more reviews