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1[[quoteright:177:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/exploding_mangoes_9221.jpeg]]
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3''A Case of Exploding Mangoes'' is a 2008 novel by Pakistani writer Mohammed Hanif. In the final months before his [[TruthInTelevision suspicious death by plane crash]], Pakistani dictator General Zia ul-Haq grows increasingly paranoid. Ali Shigri, a Pakistan Air Force junior officer, meanwhile finds himself being interrogated after his close friend Obaid dies while stealing a plane from the base at which both are training. Features a very short cameo by UsefulNotes/OsamaBinLaden.
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6!!''A Case of Exploding Mangoes'' provides examples of the following tropes:
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8* BlindSeer: Blind Zainab, despite nobody -- including here -- realizing that she's coincidentally done this.
9* BodyHorror: Plenty to spare. [[spoiler: In particular, General Zia suffers from a rampant endoparasite infection at the end of the book, leaking blood from his rear orifice as he walks.]]
10* ChekhovsGun: [[spoiler: Blind Zainab curses General Zia to be eaten alive by worms when she hears that she is being moved to a solitary confinement at another prison. A fairly straightforward curse, nobody comments on it, except the writer, who mentions in passing that curses only work when spoken to crows with filled stomach. Zainab has just fed a crow, who flies off and out of the story, reappearing only at the end of the book to be involved in two separate attempts to kill Zia.]]
11* ColonelBadass: Colonel Shigri, Ali Shigri's father, is a highly recognized character who kills himself before the beginning of the book. Several characters mention him.
12* CruelAndUnusualDeath: General Zia's bodyguard [[spoiler: who is killed by being given a sabotaged parachute when he jumps out of a plane during a paratrooper demonstration]]. It is also implied that Blind Zainab will be stoned to death, but this does not happen in the course of the book.
13* DeadlyGas: [[spoiler: Yet another weapon being used to assassinate General Zia at the climax of the book]]
14* DeathIsDramatic: Holds true completely, unusual in that the book is written realistically. [[spoiler: The two minor deaths - Secretary General and the spy working for the ISI - are disposed of relatively cleanly. Zia's bodyguard dies while skydiving, splatting dramatically. Colonel Shigri's death, though glanced over to some extent, is very dramatic. Finally, almost all the major characters die in a very dramatic plane crash at the end of the book.]]
15* DisgustingPublicToilet: Shigri has an aversion to unclean toilets. [[spoiler: This is later used to torture him, by forcing him to spend the night in a particularly filthy latrine. Shigri forces himself to spend the entire night standing.]]
16* FlashbackCut: Shigri's memories of his father and Obaid.
17* HellholePrison: Constructed under the Lahore Fort (ironically, by Ali Shigri's father). It's particular brand of hell is having the prisoners kept in large, roomy, but completely dark rooms.
18* HowWeGotHere: A good portion of the book describes in flashbacks the scheme which resulted in Obaid's failed aircraft heist [[spoiler:and the evolution of Shigri's scheme to kill General Zia]].
19* KickTheDog: Major Kilani gets to do this with [[spoiler:Ali Shigri's prisonmate, known only as Secretary General. Additionally, he claims to ''be'' Ali Shigri [[InstantDeathBullet right before he shoots]], leading to Shigri feeling guilty that Secretary General thinks he betrayed him]].
20* MidAirRepair: Attempted [[spoiler:unsuccessfully]] by General Zia's bodyguard [[spoiler:on his sabotaged parachute]].
21* NeverSuicide: Ali Shigri's father died under suspicious conditions; we very quickly learn that Shigri believes his father was killed.
22* PlausibleDeniability: Since actual information about General Zia's death is scant, this novel has considerable room to guess at the cause of his death.
23* PoisonedWeapons: [[spoiler: Ali Shigri's sword. Trope played straight, as the Ali Shigri - then narrating in the first person - is conscious that his attempt to poison Zia ul-Haq should have been successful; Obaid, who assumed the plot was to attack the general directly with the sword, is glad to see his friend choose not to attack Zia as had been planned]].
24* TheChessmaster: General Akhtar (an actual [[TheSpymaster spymaster]]) attempts this. [[spoiler: It ends badly.]]
25* TheStarscream: Both General Akhtar and General Beg seem to be plotting to replace General Zia as President by the end of the book.
26* TortureCellar: Under the Lahore fort. [[spoiler: Ali Shigri is briefly kept in one, and perfunctorily beaten up - the torturer is specifically told to not leave any permanent marks. His friend, Obaid, is not treated quite as well.]]
27* YouCantFightFate: The book opens with General Zia having a premonition of his death. It ends with his death.
28* YouKilledMyFather: Ali Shigri's entire motivation.
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