Miriam B

If I had known that this was the fourth book in a mystery series, I would never have read it. As a fan of mysteries, and even mystery series, I found the plot much too convoluted and requiring far too many "look backs" to previous sections to keep characters and events in mind. The only reason I didn't give it a lower rating is that I was determined to finish it to see how it was resolved.

Once again, Chris Bohjalian has written an extremely absorbing novel which I enjoyed very much. We see the last days of World War II from several different perspectives and look forward to learning how the various story lines will weave together. In this novel, the reader feels for individuals on different sides of the war.

I would definitely recommend it to book clubs as there is much to discuss. Bohjalian is remarkable for intertwining different perspectives and his novels really stay in the reader's mind well after completing them.

In the final analysis, I enjoyed A Case of Exploding Mangoes. This may seem a strange way to open a book review, but I really was "iffy" about the book while I was reading it because I wasn't sure if it was supposed to be entirely a farce or historical fiction leading up to the plane crash which killed General Zia-ul-Haq. The ending certainly clarifies which one it is.

The many characters were well integrated into the novel. The juxtaposition of characters and scenes kept the book interesting, if at times, confusing. In particular, the party scene with Saudi guest, OBL was amusing.

I look forward to future novels from Mohammed Hanif.