I have had a few people tell me that I need to pick this book up, including Mr Bookwormandtheatremouse, and I have finally listened and made the decision that it would be the last book of February for me. Just like ‘Curtain Call’ by Julian Clary, there is no mistaking who wrote this book as you read it, the voice of Bob Mortimer jumps out from the page the minute you start reading – and I am OK with that.
‘The Satsuma Complex’ is a crime novel, but it is often classed as contemporary fiction, and alongside that it is full of humour and warmth as you would expect from the pen of Bob Mortimer. I enjoyed this book, and being inside the head of our main character, Gary, is quite an experience, especially when he likes a chat with the local squirrel (as I write that it sounds so strange, but honestly it all works). Gary is a legal assistant in a firm in London; he feels very anonymous in a large world and seems to live a fairly mundane life. Until one evening, he is having a drink with an acquantice in a local pub and meets the mysterious Emily, who happens to be reading ‘The Satsuma Complex’. From that moment onwards, his life takes quite a different direction – and maybe life is not as mundane as he thought.
As usual that is all you are going to get from me on plot, as I do not share spoilers, especially for something that has some mystery amongst its pages. However, I will say that I adored the characters in this book; they had so much humour to them, even if they did turn out to be a villain. It may not be the most complex plot to a book, but it is one that does make you feel joy as you read it and probably hear it as Bob Mortimer in your head. This is like a film noir in a book and it is great fun. I think the chats with the squirrel are some of my favourite moments, and I think, if we are all honest, we have all probably had imaginary conversations in our head.
So, if you want to read a story that will leave you with a feeling of joy and that will help you escape the real world, this is definitely a book that is worth picking up, and I will definitely be reading ‘The Avocado Hotel’ to find out what happens to Gary next.