Reviews with content warning for Murder - The Satsuma Complex

Reviews tagging 'Murder'

The Satsuma Complex by Bob Mortimer

17 reviews

abigail_r23's review against another edition

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adventurous dark funny mysterious tense fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.75

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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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simonefk's review against another edition

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funny medium-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

3.5

I find it quote hard to summarize The Satsuma Complex. It is funny, quite bizarre at times in Gary's narrative. It was easy reading and it's the quickest I've read a book in a long time. If you're familiar with Bob you can hear his voice coming through which is really enjoyable.

I really enjoyed Emily's chapters and wish there were more from her point of view. I think her story came across as very genuine and I felt a lot of empathy for her. Her story portrayed how women can end up in bad relationships.

Where I struggled was the writing at times, a lot of Tommy's dialogue in capital letters, the inclusion of 'ha ha' in speech, minor things but did impact my enjoyment of the book. Also as the story progressed I found myself getting mixed up with characters and who was involved with what but that may just be me!

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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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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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balfies's review

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adventurous funny lighthearted fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.75

Unlike me to read a noir, but I am particular to Bob Mortimer's sweet kind of madness. The mystery itself is window dressing, really - the characters, imagined dialogue with squirrels, and Mortimer's slightly surreal imagination are the stars of the show. This is another one worth listening to on audiobook, narrated by Mortimer and Sally Phillips. Have a cup of tea and slice of Battenberg with it.

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