The Hotel Avocado: Everything You Need to Know About the Sequel

Readers searching for information about The Hotel Avocado typically want to know whether it is a sequel, what it is about, and whether it is worth reading. This guide draws on publisher data, verified reader reviews, and established literary sources to answer those questions directly. It covers the book’s connection to Bob Mortimer’s earlier work, its genre, its reception, and what new readers should expect before picking it up.

Last checked: 2026-05-21

Author: Bob Mortimer ·
Main Character: Gary Thorn ·
Genre: Crime thriller with comedy ·
Published: August 2024 ·
Bestseller Status: #1 (publisher claim)

Is The Hotel Avocado a sequel to The Satsuma Complex?

Yes. The Hotel Avocado is a direct sequel to The Satsuma Complex and is listed on Goodreads as Gary Thorn #2. Both novels are written by British comedian Bob Mortimer and continue the story of the same protagonist, Gary Thorn, and his partner Emily.

Penguin Books UK published The Satsuma Complex in 2022 under its Viking imprint. Wikipedia notes that The Hotel Avocado is described as the follow-up novel continuing Mortimer’s fiction writing after his autobiography And Away… (Wikipedia).

The series structure is confirmed across multiple sources. Waterstones markets The Hotel Avocado explicitly as a sequel, describing it as “a hilarious new caper with Gary and Emily” (Waterstones). Goodreads categorises The Satsuma Complex as the first book in the Gary Thorn series, with The Hotel Avocado listed as the second entry.

What is The Hotel Avocado about?

The Hotel Avocado continues the story of Gary Thorn, an unassuming solicitor who spends his time drinking, watching football at his local pub and eating doughnuts, as described by reviewer Sally Flint (Sally Flint). In The Satsuma Complex, Gary becomes infatuated with Emily, a young woman he meets in a pub who is reading a book titled The Satsuma Complex, and his attempts to find her drive the plot.

Retail copy for The Hotel Avocado notes that the novel involves Gary and Emily becoming embroiled in fresh trouble at a run-down hotel, signalling a shift of setting from the London-based pubs and offices in The Satsuma Complex (Waterstones). The Phoenix Remix describes it as continuing to follow Gary’s life and mishaps, framing the novel as an ongoing character-driven series.

Penguin Books UK describes The Satsuma Complex as a “comedy crime novel” and highlights Gary’s quest to find Emily after she disappears, confirming the central mystery-driven structure that reviewers identify as part of Mortimer’s crime-comedy blend.

Sally Flint notes that The Satsuma Complex handles serious topics such as domestic abuse, kidnapping and murder while still being a comedy, a tonal blend that reviewers frequently question (Sally Flint). The Guardian has reported that Mortimer has said writing his memoir in 2020 inspired him to attempt fiction, leading to The Satsuma Complex as his debut novel (The Guardian).

Do I need to read The Satsuma Complex before The Hotel Avocado?

Most reviewers and sources recommend reading The Satsuma Complex first. Hopeless Pluto’s audiobook review describes The Hotel Avocado as “a satisfying and engaging sequel” that “truly benefits from being read after The Satsuma Complex” because it builds on the earlier character development (Hopeless Pluto). The same review emphasises that The Hotel Avocado feels like an evolution of Mortimer’s style, retaining the quirkiness of the first book while tightening some narrative elements.

Characters and plot elements carry over from The Satsuma Complex, and readers who are already familiar with Gary and Emily’s dynamic are likely to appreciate the sequel’s references and character development more fully. However, the novel is designed to function within an ongoing series rather than as a standalone story.

Is The Hotel Avocado a true story?

No. The Hotel Avocado is a work of fiction. The Goodreads listing explicitly identifies Bob Mortimer as a British comedian and labels the book’s genres as fiction, humour and mystery (Goodreads). Characters including Gary Thorn and Emily are fictional.

Bob Mortimer is best known as a comedian and television personality, and both his fiction novels draw on his comedic sensibilities rather than autobiography. Mortimer has said that writing his memoir And Away… inspired him to attempt fiction, but his novels are distinct from that autobiographical work.

Is The Hotel Avocado any good?

Reception of The Hotel Avocado is mixed, and reviewers frequently compare it directly with The Satsuma Complex. Several Goodreads readers comment that the sequel is “funnier” but has a looser plot than the first book (Goodreads).

The Phoenix Remix’s Sunday Book Club feature states that if readers enjoyed The Satsuma Complex, they are “going to really enjoy the sequel,” highlighting continuity in tone and appeal. The review calls The Hotel Avocado “a really good read, engaging and not too heavy,” suggesting that Mortimer retains a light, comedic tone despite crime-novel elements (The Phoenix Remix).

Jeverett15’s review on Cannonball Read criticises The Hotel Avocado for containing “padded” and less relevant storylines, including Emily’s hotel renovations and subplots unrelated to the main plot. The reviewer argues that The Hotel Avocado is less successful than The Satsuma Complex because the mystery is weaker and the plot more diffuse, though Mortimer’s humour still comes through (Cannonball Read).

Hopeless Pluto notes that listening to The Hotel Avocado as an audiobook performed by Mortimer enhances the comedic timing and makes some of the more meandering plot strands easier to enjoy (Hopeless Pluto).

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