The Satsuma Complex

By: Bob Mortimer, Sally Phillips

Narrated by: Bob Mortimer

*WINNER OF THE BOLLINGER EVERYMAN WODEHOUSE PRIZE FOR COMIC FICTION 2023*

THE SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLER

‘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

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.

Critic reviews

'The much loved comic proves adept at noirish fiction in a debut whose surrealist humour sets it apart ... Off the wall doesn’t quite cover it ... Fans of Mortimer’s surrealist turns on Would I Lie to You? or his internet sketch show Train Guy won’t be disappointed. Nor will crime fiction devotees, if only they can get over the talking squirrels.'

'Funny, clever and sweet – and the "Richard Osman effect" will make it a bestseller ... The good news is that there is a lot of Mortimer’s ridiculousness in all this. Gary loves a regular chat with a squirrel in his playground, and his favourite chat-up lines include, “Have you ever needed to use a tourniquet in your work environment?”'

'As in his television work, Mortimer conveys an infectious joy in his own oddity, and, as his recent bestselling memoir And Away… showed, there is a sweetness to his worldview that makes his writing gently poignant. And although I can’t imagine non-fans emerging anything other than baffled, those who are used to his brand of weirdness will find that the book works well as a thriller, too. Like Spike Milligan, the only vintage comic whose fiction is still read, Mortimer has managed to use a novel as a vehicle for his distinctive comedic voice.'

'An offbeat romantic thriller, as if Salvador Dali scripted a Hitchcock film... It's as a comic novel that the book is most memorable. It contains the funniest description of somebody having a bath that you're ever likely to read… But there is genuine tension at times, and I came to believe in and care about the central characters. More than just a tour of the wonderfully weird mind of Mortimer, it works - for the most part - as a novel.'

'I’m delighted to report it’s as hilarious and surreal as you would expect… stuffed with laugh-out-loud moments.'

'With Mortimer’s self-mocking wit, plus an audio version read by Sally Phillips, alongside the man himself, what’s not to love?'

'The first novel from comedy legend Bob Mortimer is as funny, idiosyncratic and full of squirrels as you’d expect. It’s also really rather lovely.'

'Mr Clown Shoes. Lassoo the dog. The corn cob dongle. Just three hilarious elements of The Satsuma Complex – a surprisingly serious debut novel from Would I Lie To You? and Gone Fishing comedy star Bob Mortimer. The stellar success of his surreal and semi-truthful autobiography And Away… caused clamour for a fully fictional follow-up, and Mortimer fulfils the brief with a remarkably dark and gritty tale of sink estate murder, law and order mystery, and honey-trap romance. His distinctive tone and bizarrely British humour sing from every page, with the story swinging from side-splitting set-pieces to moments of real pathos and high drama. It’s a bit unusual, but you’ll love it.'

perfect Bob Mortimer

this is a great story by the inimitable Bob Mortimer and I loved it. the performance by Sally Phillips was a perfect addition to Bob's performance.

Lovely twists in the plot!

Nothing actually. It was a lovely read. Typical British sense of humor and the narration was excellent

A great first novel!

I feel like I’ve just had a quick glimpse of what it must be like inside the mind of Bob Mortimer, and boy how truly wonderful it is in there! I can’t say I thought I’d be listening to a talking squirrel when I started this book, but that’s Bob in a nutshell. (Pun intended) I truly hope we hear more from Gary,Grace and and Satsuma.

Great fun.

Good story with some very ‘Bob’ funny moments. I really enjoyed and hope that there will be more.

Quite Pleased With What It Achieves

I was expecting to be amused, but I was surprised at how entertaining the entire story was. The plot was good, the characters engaging, and even though there are a minimum of duck references, I didn't feel short changed.

I was a little concerned when I saw two narrators on the audio version, but thankfully it wasn't done like a two-hander. The recording quality isn't uniform throughout and there's a stumble or two that didn't get edited out, but they in no way took away from the story.

I look forward to Mr. Mortimer's next book. And a slice of Battenburg.