Review By Veronica
The Clementine Complex is the perfect read for fans of Bob Mortimer.
Favourite Quote:
My mum used to tell me that I was blessed with a good imagination and should use it to my advantage– to relieve any boredom and inject perspective and joy into my life. She would say, if you can imagine something that has never happened to you, then when you encounter it you will be better prepared to both appreciate and cope with it.
Goodreads Synopsis:
Unremarkable legal assistant Gary Thorn goes for a pint with his coworker Brendan, unaware his life is about to change. There, Gary meets a beautiful woman, but she leaves before he catches her name. All he has to remember her by is the title of the book she was reading: The Clementine Complex. And when Brendan goes missing, too, Gary needs to track down the girl he now calls Clementine to get some answers.
And so begins Gary’s quest, through the estates and pie shops of South London, to find some answers and hopefully, some love and excitement in this page-turning, witty, and oddly sweet story with a cast of unforgettable characters.
I am a firm believer that not every book is meant for every reader and that there is a reader out there for every book. In this case, The Clementine Complex is not a book for me. I was taking a chance with this book and stepping out of my usual reading comfort zone. I love doing this every once in a while because sometimes I stumble upon some fabulous hidden gems. But in this case, I struck out. I love a book that can make me laugh, and I tend to laugh at pretty much anything (which tends to get me into trouble, lol). But in this case, the humour in this book didn’t click with me. It felt forced, and I didn’t get it. I also found the pacing of the book a bit slow for me. I love a slightly faster mystery read, and this book just left me feeling a bit bored.
Fans of Bob Mortimer will enjoy this book because I am sure he has woven his trademark humour throughout this story. Bookworms looking for a different kind of mystery novel will enjoy the story’s uniqueness. The writing is fairly solid, and the characters have a real sense of realism. Bob includes some well-placed twists and turns that help move the story along (I wish there were more of them). There is also this more dark, sarcastic feel to the overall story.
If you are looking for a unique and funny mystery, try The Clementine Complex.
Thank you, Simon & Schuster Canada for the arc in exchange for an honest review.
