And Away...

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Gary’s imagination, visual descriptions of people’s looks and attire and self depreciation are endearing from the start. Never have I read such hilarious commentary about prosaic day to day concerns including ‘my favourite urinal’ and imagining a dog called Lengthy Parsnips. There was a near miss of tea spitting following a guffaw regarding Gary’s blunt thoughts regarding the cover illustration of The Satsuma Project. Not an opinion I share!

Update now that I read it: Of course it was very funny but also warm and Im glad we had a mention of the legendary Gary Cheeseman "snipers dream" (top tier joke) and other familiar tales. Bob also, perhaps surprisingly, grew up as a shy and socially anxious person and this blighted his early life to quite a dramatic extent. It was only with his close friends in Middlesborough that he felt comfortable. Thankfully that gradually changed over time although he still prefers the company of his family and a few good friends. It’s not all hilarious though, as he spoke candidly about how’s he really struggled with shyness all his life and with depression at uni. It was really quite sad at times, especially when revealed how hard he found it making and keeping friends.

There are dirty cops, a barista named Wayne who wears tight t-shirts to best show off his biceps and an eccentric neighbour Grace, and her dog Lassoo. So, it’s no surprise that I’m a Bob Mortimer fan and have been appreciating his quirky style of humour for years now. So it’s not surprising that, while reading The Satsuma Complex, I could hear his voice every time his lead character, Gary Thorn, opened his mouth. I read this introduction to the novel in one sitting and despite there only being two chapters I laughed out loud a lot. It’s a book written by British comedian and national treasure Bob Mortimer. Of course I wanted to read this. If you don’t know who Bob Mortimer is, go to YouTube. His “Would I Lie to You?” appearances are legendary and absolutely hilarious, no matter how many times you rewatch them. I mean, if you don’t have tears in your eyes from laughing when Bob claims that he does his own dentistry, then you’re doing it wrong.

A triumph’ – Daily Mail Bob Mortimer’s life was trundling along happily until suddenly in 2015 he was diagnosed with a heart condition that required immediate surgery and forced him to cancel an upcoming tour. The episode unnerved him, but forced him to reflect on his life so far. This is the framework for his hilarious and moving memoir, And Away…A different cosy mystery read with some comic aspects thrown in. Pacing is a tad slow but wait for the punch lines. Gary Thorn is a fairly anonymous legal assistant who talks to squirrels. He's trying to trace the woman he’d bought a drink for at the pub. His ‘sort of’ mate Brendan ends up being murdered after leaving the place. Gary needs an alibi and he rather liked Clementine so he tries to find her. Life becomes a bit more dangerous than Gary had anticipated. There’s the rub! Roberts, David (2006). British Hit Singles & Albums (19thed.). London: Guinness World Records Limited. p.452. ISBN 1-904994-10-5. Bob was born in 1959 in Middlesbrough, the youngest of four boys. His father died in a car crash when he was seven and Bob says he became his mother’s little helper – although he also set fire to their house after playing with fireworks. As a teenager he dreamed of a career as a footballer, but he ended up studying law at university, and worked as a solicitor in south London. With his status as national treasure assured, Bob Mortimer can expect a lot of goodwill for his debut novel, an amiable crime thriller. Who should buy this book? Fans of The Great British Bake Off, especially fans who have just started to notice how wobbly the show has got without her. The Bullet That Missed by Richard Osman

Every woman who owns a cat will want this Dawn O’Porter book. Photograph: Dave M Benett/Getty Images

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The 10 most surprising truths we've learnt from the guests on Would I Lie to You?". Radio Times. Immediate Media Company Ltd . Retrieved 13 August 2019. I have never minded… playing second fiddle’: Mortimer with Vic Reeves on Shooting Stars, January 2003. Photograph: Kieran McCrum/BBC Some people bury their faces in their smart phones all day. Not me. I’ve had the same old Nokia phone for years and years and have never bothered with social media and the like. I don’t see the point of it; I’ve got enough strangers in my life as it is.” What do you expect when a comedian writes a murder mystery that has a man named Gary talking to squirrels and names dogs as Long Parsnips? Whatever you expect, the book beats that.