Bob Mortimer

A short review of a novel and its sequel.

The Satsuma Complex

This is a comedy whodunit, featuring the author’s trademark offbeat comedy. The plot starts slowly and develops into an enjoyable mystery. Mortimer’s voice comes through strongly in the narrative, particularly when the protagonist (Gary) is batting dialogue off a talking squirrel. This device adds to the surreal imagery and occasional malapropisms employed by Mortimer as the plot unfolds.

The characters are made more rounded (Gary is a low-level legal clerk) as the author draws on his younger self, and they develop relationships as Gary is assisted in his investigations by ‘Satsuma’, (the girl who sparks the mystery) and his ageing neighbour, all of whom are further fleshed out with unhappy backstories and a unifying theme of loneliness that draws them together.

This book is an easy read, funny and quite touching in places.

The Hotel Avocado

The sequel to ‘The Satsuma Complex’ continues with Mortimer’s familiar and friendly voice, as the story resumes and the comedy whodunit becomes more of a ‘comfy thriller’.

Mortimer’s style of looking at the world askance continues with observations such as “[His vape] smells of peanuts with a hint of warm trilby,” and “Trousers so flared I had to lean into the wind to avoid being ship-wrecked”, and the talking squirrel is now joined by an observational pigeon (voiced in the audiobook by Bob’s fishing companion, Paul Whitehouse).

Like the previous book, the plot starts slowly as it catches up with some familiar faces and introduces us to some new (and unsavoury) characters. The plot picks up pace though, and is racing along by the time it reaches the crescendo, before a post-script satisfactorily ties up any loose ends, and heart-warmingly builds on the themes of friendship and loyalty regarding the characters we have become invested in.

Although another easy and amusing read, it does at times feel like a tongue-in-cheek send-up of the ‘cosy crime’ genre. In other words, this is very enjoyable if not taken too seriously.