Reviews tagging 'Emotional abuse'

The Satsuma Complex by Bob Mortimer

16 reviews

wowsmeows's review

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funny mysterious medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.0

"I've never been good at striking
up conversations with
strangers, especially the opposite sex. I needed to come up with a suitable opening line. I knew what would work for me if the roles were reversed - something like: 'Do you prefer even or uneven surfaces?' 'Do you wish that Sports Direct also sold fresh meat?' 'Have you ever needed to use a tourniquet in your work environment?' "

The Satsuma Complex follows the story of Gary, a man who meets up with a friend for a pint and then accidentally gets caught up in their subsequent disappearance. This is not a crime thriller by any means, but it does have some suspense, mystery, a touch of romance and a really solid plot.

I really enjoyed this book, there were many laugh out loud moments. I listened to the audiobook and there were times you could almost hear Bob smiling at the jokes. Wonderful. Sally Phillips was equally fantastic as always.  If you're a fan of Bob Mortimer's crazy humour from his many WILTY appearances, I'd definitely recommend giving this a go.

That being said, there are some darker moments in the book, but overall it was a delight to read.

Shout out to one of my favourite quotes:
"dogs sharing an interest in a spillage (I imagine the dogs are called Zak Briefcase and Lengthy Parsnips)."



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millie_blue's review against another edition

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dark mysterious tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes

3.75


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mayze's review against another edition

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funny lighthearted fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.75

A funny book by the comedian Bob Mortimer. I strongly recommend the audiobook version as it is narrated by the author (and  Sally Phillips ) and we can better understand the sense of humour in it. 

It's a solid book, I think it doesn't bring anything new narrative-wise and found the romantic plot very unrealistic and even somewhat stalkerish (I initially thought that would be the plot) but still it a pleasant read overall.  

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hb22's review against another edition

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medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5


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nreyno's review against another edition

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adventurous funny lighthearted medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0


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gemloukay's review

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adventurous funny hopeful lighthearted mysterious medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.5

Having heard a lot of rave reviews, I was keen to read this book and I was not disappointed. Full of typical Bob Mortimer obscure humour (which I love) and all the elements of a cosy crime mystery, it follows the story of plodding through life Gary, his older neighbour Grace and her dog Lasso, and “Satsuma”, the girl he meets in the pub and neglects to get the name of. When Gary meets a work acquaintance, Brendan at the pub and then he goes missing, he must find Satsuma (named on account of the book she was reading) to provide and alibi and also work out what happened to Brendan. If you love a mystery and Bob Mortimers brand of humour, don’t miss this gem of a book! 

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amyowen's review

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dark lighthearted mysterious sad tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5


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laurataylor's review

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adventurous fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

5.0


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theunfinishedbookshelf's review against another edition

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funny mysterious medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? No

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stagasaurus's review against another edition

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adventurous dark funny lighthearted medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.25

Gary is such a shithouse. I did get annoyed by his passivity but that was believable. I enjoyed the talking squirrels. 

Some sentences only Bob Mortimer could have got past an editor. My favourite one, "We each had an ice cream cornet made with the draft variety of ice cream that falls out of the machine at the pull of a lever." 

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