The Satsuma Complex
£4.30£8.50 (-49%)
‘Funny, clever and sweet’– Sunday Times
‘The much loved comic proves adept at noirish fiction in a debut whose surrealist humour sets it apart’ – Observer
‘Like Spike Milligan, Mortimer has managed to use a novel for his distinctive comedic voice’ – The Telegraph
‘Hilarious’ – Daily Mail
‘You’ll love it’ – Independent
My name is Gary. I’m a thirty-year-old legal assistant with a firm of solicitors in London. To describe me as anonymous would be unfair but to notice me other than in passing would be a rarity. I did make a good connection with a girl, but that blew up in my face and smacked my arse with a fish slice.
Gary Thorn goes for a pint with a work acquaintance called Brendan. When Brendan leaves early, Gary meets a girl in the pub. He doesn’t catch her name, but falls for her anyway. When she suddenly disappears without saying goodbye, all Gary has to remember her by is the book she was reading: The Satsuma Complex. But when Brendan goes missing, Gary needs to track down the girl he now calls Satsuma to get some answers.
And so begins Gary’s quest, through the estates and pie shops of South London, to finally bring some love and excitement into his unremarkable life…
A page-turning story with a cast of unforgettable characters, The Satsuma Complex is the brilliantly funny smash hit first novel by bestselling author and comedian Bob Mortimer.
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Additional information
| Publisher | Gallery UK (25 May 2023) |
|---|---|
| Language | English |
| Paperback | 320 pages |
| ISBN-10 | 139852123X |
| ISBN-13 | 978-1398521230 |
| Dimensions | 13 x 1.95 x 19.8 cm |
by Trudy
I didn’t want to put it down. A very neat story with likeable characters. I don’t usually read this genre but I’d recommend this book.
by Geraldine Croft
The main character is massively engaging and reminded me of Eleanor Oliphant. Enough twists to keep you wondering. I really enjoyed this book.
by I. Norton
Bob’s quirky sense of humour is there in the character of Gary and is so funny. I loved the story and the characters were very well written. The story just built and built until I found myself turning the pages at a faster rate as the story developed. Really hope Bob writes another as I would definitely read it.
by Tom Powys
Loved the reviewing of his life through the prism of a heart.attack. Came late to appreciating him from seeing him tying the other panellists in knots on Would I lie to you. The book shone a light on his relationship with Vic Reeves. Class.
by LINDAG
Bob Mortimer has written a super fun tale of the Good overcoming the Bad while revealing character flaws and the antics by degrees as in real life of the Good.
Great fun with some very funny lines and passages, as you’d expect from Bob Mortimer.
Highly recommend this novel which flows swiftly from beginning to end.
by Geraldine Croft
I bought The Satsuma Complex because it was written by Bob Mortimer.
A bit bonkers, slightly surreal and laugh-out-loud funny, it is interwoven with threads of darkness, poignancy and extreme violence.
Disenchanted with his day job and disinclined to give his Peckham flat any sense of permanency, Gary’s high points are Saturday pie with Grace next door and Battenberg with banter at Wayne’s coffee shop until the fateful evening he agrees to meet Brendan at his local for a pint where he is drawn to a pretty, dark-haired girl he names Satsuma (after the book she’s reading – it could happen to you!) and listens to his guffawing, garrulous work colleague for the last time.
What follows is a well-constructed murder mystery with twists a-plenty, great character development, sad back stories and many hysterical moments. Alternative herbal tea, DIY health food bars and lower back pain remedies. Attic invaders, ducks and mouth-watering jelly snakes!
And then there’s the squirrel.
Of course there’s a squirrel.
What better sounding board than a bushy-tailed buddy?
I loved the humour, the harsh realities and the pacy plot as well as the portrayal of Gary, Emily, Grace and all the other characters, bad and badder.
by Amazon Customer
Really enjoyable read, so typically Bob Mortimer, love his style. Bit of a weak ending though, shame… still loved the book all the same.
by Mrs. Rosemary J. King
A lovely story. You can see snippets of his podcast creeping in at various points, which is nice as they’re little nods towards it being Bob’s humour. The story was really enjoyable, and genuinely funny in parts. The squirrel is a very wise creature indeed! Well worth a read, happy I bought it. Already recommending it to friends.