Book Review: The Satsuma Complex by Bob Mortimer
- Paola Santana
- Apr 28
- 2 min read
Updated: May 27
The Satsuma Complex is a romantic suspense novel - boy meets girl at a bar; boy falls for girl; but girl might be involved in a murder, and he could be next. Bob Mortimer's debut novel received glowing reviews from just about everyone who is anyone in the book review world. So, of course, I had to check it out and see what the fuss was all about.
BOOK SPECS:
Number of pages: 320
Format: Paperback
Genre: Romantic Suspense, Mystery
Tropes: Mysterious Stranger, Missing Person, Mafia
SHORT REVIEW:
I really enjoyed reading this book and have given it my first five-star review of the year. It also seems to be quite a hit with all my male friends who don't read romance. So if a fellow male bookworm is looking for something to read, this would be a good recommendation - especially if they're British, as they'll get the sense of humour. Full, detailed review below.
HEART RATE:
SMUT SCORE:
FULL REVIEW:
Writing
Smart, witty and at times really funny, Bob Mortimer's writing is really entertaining. His foreshadowing is spot on and no piece of information he gives is wasted or a surplus. Everything and every character in the story is there for a reason. After reading a three-book series that had a lot of loose ends, that was quite refreshing for me.
Told from the point of view of the main character, Garry, who has a vivid imagination despite being a very ordinary bloke, Bob's writing also lends itself to some cracking descriptions of events and people.
Plot
I love when I read a book and the plot is watertight. This is the case with The Satsuma Complex. Even the book cover design is part of the story, and Mortimer leaves nothing untethered or unexplained.
The storyline and suspense unfold at a nice pace, flipping between present and past, the murder mystery and the romance, to keep you on your toes. And even the love story starts with a bit of a mystery, as Garry, our protagonist, doesn't know what his love interest is called, after they meet at a pub in London.
Characters
There are quite a few characters in this book, but Mortimer gives each one of them a very distinct personality. His descriptions of them are, at times, hilarious! You learn just enough about each one of them to get invested, and there are no over descriptions or unnecessary appearances.
Smut & Romance Score
If you are looking for a hot smut scene, this is not the book for you. The romance develops nicely but, as this is a romantic suspense first and foremost, the main story is the murder and the predicament the main character finds himself in. Our romantic pair barely even kisses. So in terms of smut, this novel is actually very PG.
OUT OF CURIOSITY:
Bob Mortimer is a British comedian. The Satsuma Complex was his debut novel, but he also has an autobiography that made the bestseller's list. The sequel to The Satsuma Complex - The Hotel Avocado is also now available and on my TBR.
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