Please Do Not Disturb

By Robert Glancy

A gripping and beautifully observed novel of power, corruption and innocence from the author of Terms & Conditions

Charlie, a curious boy with a dangerous Dictaphone habit, eavesdrops on the eccentric guests of the Mirage Hotel, as the African nation of Bwalo prepares for the annual appearance of its Glorious Leader Tafumo.

Sean, who's given his heart (and the best part of his liver) to Bwalo, struggles to write the great African novel – if only his crazed fiancée would stop distracting him.

Josef, kingmaker and mythmaker, starts to hear the ominous rattle of skeletons in his closet.

Hope, the nurse caring for the King, keeps the old man alive as she mourns her own broken dreams.

And storm clouds gather as petty criminal, Jack, smuggles something into Bwalo – to the Mirage Hotel – that will change the lives of all of them for ever…

• Language: English
• Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing
• Release date: Jun 16, 2016
• ISBN: 9781408866313

Robert Glancy

Robert Glancy was born in Zambia and raised in Malawi. At fourteen he moved from Africa to Edinburgh then went on to study history at Cambridge. His first novel, Terms & Conditions, was published by Bloomsbury in 2014 to critical acclaim. He has recently been awarded the Grimshaw Sargeson Fellowship in New Zealand, where he currently lives with his wife and children. @RobertGlancy

Reviews for Please Do Not Disturb

[joyhclark · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Interesting take on African totalitarianism written by a Zambian-born, Malawi-raised, UK-educated, currently New Zealand-based author (so I'm feeling very poorly traveled right about now). There are a number of books, movies, etc. about this unique and multicultural continent with a sordid and complicated past. Please Do Not Disturb takes place in the present day, in a fictional southern African nation known as Bwalo. The story is told from multiple points of view, each character with their own reactions to the events surrounding The Big Day - the anniversary of King Tamufo's rise to power - the one day of the year that he ventures from his mansion to speak with his subjects. Each of the five point-of-view characters provides a unique perspective on the events of the book. Josef, Tamufo's childhood friend and current minister, is beginning to understand the truth behind the nefarious happenings under Tamufo's regime. Hope, Josef's ex-wife and Tamufo's nurse, is realistic and provides a more present understanding of the King's state of mind. Charlie, the local hotel manager's son, allows the reader to see the events through a child's immature and trusting eye. Sean is a Irish ex-patriot writer with a penchant for alcohol and a severe case of writer's block. Sean is often a source of comic relief in an otherwise serious story line. Finally, Jack is a drug runner hired to move "chemicals" to Bwalo. The perspective intertwine in a less-than-balanced fashion, with some characters receiving less attention than I would have liked. The story is suspenseful but doesn't veer into disturbing or overly-emotional territory for the most part. The characters are uneven - some are well-developed with consistent past and present personas (Sean). Others are simply there to advance the plot (Jack). Still others seem overly naive (Josef). It doesn't have the same sense of drama that is present in most novels about post-colonial Africa. There is more levity here, which is counterintuitive to the subject matter. Not to say that it is all fun-and-games. There is a dictator, after-all. Rather, the way it is written feels lighter, almost satirical in parts. It's an easy, fast read, and definitely enjoyable. Just don't expect to be moved by any great emotional revelation.Thank you to the publisher for providing me with an ARC through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.