Yes, Bob Mortimer Really Did Write a Novel
Look, the first instinct is to be sceptical. Celebrity fiction has a reputation, and not a good one. But The Satsuma Complex is genuinely not that. It reads like someone sat down and wrote the book they actually wanted to read, not the book a publicist suggested. Gary, the protagonist, is a mild, slightly lost young solicitor who gets tangled up in something far bigger than his life usually allows for. It's a comic thriller, loosely speaking, but the comedy is deadpan and strange in exactly the way Mortimer fans will recognise.
I started it on a commute expecting to dip in for ten minutes. Finished it in two sittings. The pacing is tighter than you'd expect.
Who This is Actually For
If you're after serious literary fiction, this isn't your book. The prose won't stop you in your tracks. But if you want something funny, a bit odd, and propulsive enough to make a train journey disappear, this does the job nicely.
The Kindle price at 99p makes the decision almost frictionless. That's less than a chocolate bar from a garage forecourt. Even if it's not your exact cup of tea, the risk is practically zero.
One honest reservation: some of the plot mechanics are a little creaky near the end. Nothing that derails it, but you notice. Still, for 99p and a few hours of solid entertainment, this is a spot-on impulse buy.
