A Case of Exploding Mangoes, By Mohammed Hanif

Somewhere in mid-air between Waugh and Rushdie (with the shade of Catch-22 hovering nearby) this tremendous novel make a tragi-comic weather all its own. Former air force officer Hanif's debut, which has won a Commonwealth Writers' Prize, spins a satire out of a mystery.

In 1988, Pakistan's dictator General Zia died when his plane inexplicably crashed. From bare bones of fact, and a feast of speculation, Hanif fashions a twisty and witty plot that barrels along with humour, zest and pathos to spare. His scenes of military force and farce have a subversive mischief that bears the square-bashing stamp of truth.