Third in the police procedural series that began
with The Dentist, DS George Cross is outside the Major Crime Unit
in Bristol as The Patient: A DS George Cross Thriller by Tim
Sullivan begins. He is about to ride home on his bicycle when he sees a woman
who has been inside the station each day for the last several days. She is
soaked from the falling rain and eating a sandwich in the bike shelter. After a
little back and forth, she tells DS Cross that her name is Sandra Wilson and
her daughter was murdered.
He takes her inside, has Alice Mackenzie get the
soaked woman a towel, and looks at the paperwork Sandra Wilson brought with
her. Her daughter, Felicity, known to all as Flick, had a very long history of
drug use. The police that handled the case decided the death was an accidental
overdose, maybe even a suicide, and closed the case. Mom is very sure that her
daughter did no such thing. She is sure that it was murder. After going through
the file repeatedly and question the woman, DS George Cross spots an inconsistency
in the case that makes no sense at all.
That is what he does. He spots the smallest of
details because he is on the Autism Spectrum. The inconstancy he spotted was
ignored by those who worked the case. The system has failed the mother of the victim,
the victim herself, and the very young daughter of the victim. He starts
working the closed case as if it were his own regardless of who is annoyed that
he is doing so.
This includes his boss, DCI Carson, who would very
much prefer he not waste his time on a closed case. Especially when Cross could
focus on the current open case of a body being found in the river. Undeterred,
Cross does what he wants because he is a very good detective.
It isn’t like they are going to fire him as he is
very good. Much to the annoyance of others, including a fellow detective, who
should be focused on doing their own jobs better. Including a fellow detective
who is now bringing charges internally against him in order for the Force to
take disciplinary action against DS Cross.
This third book in the series now being published in
the United States by Grove Atlantic is a very good read. As is the police
procedural series to date. Best to read in order as Cross, Ottey, Mackenzie,
and other characters are fast becoming family for this reader.
Amazon Associate Purchase Link: https://amzn.to/3Y9MXPY
I received a digital ARC from the publisher, Atlantic
Crime, imprint of Grove Atlantic, through NetGalley, with no expectation of a
positive review.
Kevin R. Tipple ©2026