They say everyone has a book inside them, and I expect that’s true. However, I’m cautious about celebrities putting pen to paper or fingers to keyboards. How much of the praise they receive is due to their fame rather than the quality of their writing?
So it was with considerable hesitation that I picked up Bob Mortimer’s The Satsuma Complex. I like Bob; he’s funny, with a quirky sense of humor, and he comes across as sensitive and intelligent. While I didn’t witness his rise to comedic fame as part of Reeves and Mortimer, I recently became a huge fan of Mortimer and Whitehouse: Gone Fishing despite having no interest in fishing. The relationship between the two friends, the beautiful scenery, the music, and the dog with funny teeth named Ted all contribute to making it one of the best half-hours on television today.

And then there are his regular appearances on the panel show Would I Lie to You? When I first saw his novel, that’s the programme that immediately sprang to mind. You can’t miss the book cover with its bright orange satsuma and slightly evil-looking squirrel. You can just imagine him weaving some incredible tale around the two objects, adding layers of obfuscation as he gets questioned by the other panellists, and then watching as LIE gets plastered on the screen behind him, or worse, TRUE.
If you haven’t seen the programme, do watch it. The team captains are David Mitchell, who recently excelled in Ludwig, and Lee Mack of Not Going Out fame. I defy you not to laugh out loud at their quick wit.
You’ll be delighted to know that I loved Bob’s book. It’s a well-crafted story with some great lines. For example: “To describe me as anonymous would be unfair, but to notice me other than in passing would be a rarity.” Or this gem: “I don’t see the point of it (social media); I’ve got enough strangers in my life as it is.”
It’s clever and funny, works as a crime novel, and you do find yourself caring about the main characters. It's no surprise then that it became a Sunday Times bestseller.
Laughter is so life-enhancing that I envy people who can make others laugh. I recently started writing a book with the working title The Education of Norah Chilvers, and I was gratified when an early reader chuckled at some of the scenes. Unfortunately, the novel didn’t seem to go anywhere and I gave up on it. Maybe I need to rework it into a short story.
Meanwhile, I’m working on a novel set in the 1960s and 1970s about a pen friendship between two girls. I’m trying to write it with a lighter touch than No Going Back or After. The subject matter of both books was too serious for levity.