This is the fifth book in this wonderful series of books by Tim Sullivan, but the strong storyline and excellent characters ensure that it can be read as a standalone book. I was offered the opportunity to read this on NetGalley and it kept me engaged throughout.
To say it is a detective novel would be to downplay its brilliance as it is so much more than that. There is a well-plotted story of a crime that isn’t easy to solve and keeps you guessing until the end. But its joy comes from the fact that at its heart is the superbly written character of George Cross and his circle of detectives, family and friends. You are drawn into this circle that warmly accepts George, even when he doesn’t follow or understand ‘normal’ conventions of politeness or friendship.
George Cross as a detective is methodical, hardworking and thorough with everything completed by the book sometimes to the intense annoyance of his team and his boss! None of them complain for long though, as he always gets to the truth of the matter.
I highly recommend this book and now need to catch up with all the others in the series!

The Monk by Tim Sullivan what a great read. I have not read any others in this series but I certainly will be now.

DS Cross is a policeman with Aspergers whose relationships with his colleagues who obviously admire and love him is sometimes quite trying. But you cannot deny he has a unique ability to solve baffling crimes. This particular book centres round the death of a Benedictine monk and who and why he was murdered in a particularly gruesome way. At the same time DS Cross has to get to grips with his mother coming back into his and his fathers life after she seemingly abandoned them when he was a child.

I loved this book and really got invested in the characters. I did not guess the ultimate end although I was in the right area.

An author that is going on my to be read pile. Brilliant.

The Monk by Tim Sullivan was a book I was looking forward to reading to follow DI George Cross and his inimitable way of getting to the heart of whodunnit! It certainly didn’t disappoint. Another reviewer mentioned that it was genius to base a lot of this investigation in a Benedictine Abbey to see Cross delight in the peace and structure provided by the environment and indeed it was. As before, the characters are well developed and credible with strong idiosyncrasies and life struggles but that never overshadows the plot. This is a great read, themes are well researched and the outcome just a little unexpected Four and a half stars rounded to five for me

Oops! I must have missed this series as this was my first DS George Cross and DS Ottey book.

Everything about the book was excellent; great plot relating to the death of a monk, detailed insight in to life in a small monastery. and how each individual monk lived.

By not reading any others in the series I must have missed a trick, as I wanted more about the back stories of both Cross and Ottey.

However, the book was enjoyable and maybe I will seek others from Mr Sullivan?

Thanks to Aria & Aries, Head of Zeus and Net Galley for the chance to read and review.

Anyone new to the DS Cross crime novels can expect a real treat if they discover this book as a new reader of the series. The author continues to weave together a perfectly good police procedural/crime thriller alongside the interesting and quite charming personal story of Detective Sergeant Cross. Cross is another member of the growing sub genre of detectives who display behaviours characteristic of those on the autistic spectrum - think Saga Norén in ‘ The Bridge’ or Astrid in ‘Murder in Paris’. It is important to stress from the outset that this book does not mock or take advantage of our lead character’s personal behaviours. If anything, it does the reverse and celebrates the particular gifts that can be exhibited by those who are less neurotypical than the general population. In this book, our hero is called upon to solve a brutal murder of a monk who lives in a religious community in Somerset. The unfolding pursuit of the perpetrators keeps the reader’s interest right up to the unexpected denouement.
Strongly recommended and can’t wait for the next in the series!

I have not read all the books in this series, but I have read one of them and found it an easy series to get into. I then seem to have missed a couple more and now come across this latest one. again another one that is easy to pick up given that it is a series. The character of DS George Cross was very easy to remember as he is socially awkward and has a very specific way of dealing with his life, those of people he knows and of the crimes he is investigating.

He is tenacious and it is this tenacity that has helped him navigate his way through tricky investigations before and will do so again this time as well. While he has always been able to look at crimes from the outside, this time he discovers a connection that makes one of his friendships a little strained.

Luckily for him, he has people around him who know how he works and he has built up a level of respect. He really is a character I like given his very literal understanding of everyday conversations, sarcasm, joking and general banter.

When the body of a monk is discovered it leads Cross and the team along a route that even surprises them. Everyone comes from somewhere and even a monk has a past, even one that has been left behind. As the team investigate there seems to be something more than first meets the eye.

Having different threads in this story the author is able to weave what would seem like a complex case. If I was to try to explain it, well it would be complex, but the way the author lays it out makes sense. Leads are followed, but not always successfully or with full understanding. Progress is slow and is hampered by not having knowledge of all the facts.

While this is a police procedural first and foremost, the author does bring in the out-of-hours or off-the-job aspect to his main characters. It is a chance to get to know more about Cross and what happened to his mum and dad when he was younger and they went their separate ways.

Being on the spectrum, Cross is shown to struggle with changes in his routines and these revelations do up skittle him. He is however a professional and is able to departmentalise so his focus is where it needs to be. Being a stickler for having every 'I' dotted and 'T' crossed he will always keep working at things that niggle him.

This is a fabulous story and as I mentioned this does not have to be read in order. It does mention this is the book blurb so I will be going back to read the previous ones I have missed. If you are a fan of crime, thriller and police procedural stories then this is one I would definitely recommend.

DS George Cross & his team are investigating the brutal murder of a monk from the local abbey. But who would want to kill him? He knows that brother Dominic has a past that he left behind but could someone from his past. But he be able to unravel the mystery of the monk’s life? Now that he knows that the monk was related to the priest Stephen he doesn’t know how to handle it as he is good at expressing himself. But in his own way he won’t stop looking until he finds out the truth about brother Dominic.
A good read full of twists & turns. Good solid characters.
Cross is a likeable person it is just that he is misunderstood but that isn’t his fault. I think that is what makes him such a good policeman.
Thank you Netgalley & the publisher for the ARC copy. This is my voluntary review.

Another wonderful encounter with DS Cross and his fabulously literal ways of looking at and reacting to situations and conversations. While it has a great main plot, dealing with the murder of a monk, it’s the unique way in which the main protagonist deals with the evidence, that makes this the engrossing read it is.
Interesting developments in the sub plot see the return of Cross’s mother into his life, who, as far as he was aware, ‘abandoned’ him when he was a child. The lives’s of the other characters develop too and one can’t help but worry how Cross might react if his team were to change.
Lots of twists along the way provide a surprising culprit.
Another great addition to this hugely enjoyable series.

The body of a Monk is found after a horrific murder.
DS Cross is called in to solve this murder but first he needs to find out who the monk really was and what has he done to meet such an end.
The more he digs the more complex the monks life seems to have been and he seems to have made enemies during this time.
This unravels quite quickly but will keep you guessing to the end..

Really enjoyed this book. Another excellent Cross and Ottey story. The characters are so well described and brought to life I always feel like I really know and understand them which obviously makes the story more engaging. There are a few red herrings in terms of who committed the crime but the explanation of who, why and how was really good. Looking forward to more in this series.

Tim Sullivan's The Monk, features a truly intriguing detective. Bristol detective DS George Cross may lack interpersonal skills, but has a knack for his problem-solving abilities. When a body of a monk, with a seemingly unknown past, is discovered in woodlands, George and the team investigate.

The monk really was a book of two halves for me.
At the beginning I was struggling I must confess. It felt like their were so many characters and names being thrown about without any chance to get a feel of the characters. I felt suddenly thrown straight in it the story and without time to establish the characters and build up a full character background I wasn’t able to establish the connection I wanted.
If I can’t picture the characters it makes it so much harder for me to follow their actions.
Does anyone else feel the same?

But I luckily didn’t have to feel that way for too long and slowly the bond between me and George cross grew and I began to really relax into the story.
I do wish it was ‘streamlined a bit’ and had less characters so that I wasn’t having to flick back and forth.

Georges character is lovable without meaning to be and i felt that i was worried about him and genuinely was upset when people were harsh or critical of him.
I was the book had explored Otteys character a little more as I would love to have got to know her more. I didn’t feel I knew enough about any of the other characters except George to fully warm to them.

I feel that my criticisms of the lack of connection with the characters is much more a me problem though than an author problem as I’ve jumped straight into book 5 rather than read from the beginning and I’m sure suddenly jumping into any series so far along you would feel the same!

The plot far exceeded my expectations and I was left guessing right up to the last page .

I can’t wait to grab the first book in the series and discover more about the amazing DS George cross.

Synopsis

THE DETECTIVE
DS George Cross has always wondered why his mother left him when he was a child. Now she is back in his life, he suddenly has answers. But this unexpected reunion is not anything he's used to dealing with. When a disturbing case lands on his desk, he is almost thankful for the return to normality.
THE QUESTION
The body of a monk is found savagely beaten to death in a woodland near Bristol. Nothing is known about Brother Dominic's past, which makes investigating difficult. How can Cross unpick a crime when they don't know anything about the victim? And why would someone want to harm a monk?
THE PAST
Discovering who Brother Dominic once was only makes the picture more puzzling. He was a much-loved and respected friend, brother, son—he had no enemies. Or, at least, none that are obvious. But looking into his past reveals that he was a very wealthy man, that he sacrificed it all for his faith. For a man who has nothing, it seems strange that greed could be the motive for his murder. But greed is a sin after all . . .


I love this series and eagerly pick up each new book DS George Cross is such a great detective.
This is an interesting read centring around a monastery A monk initially reported missing is found dead in a ditch.
I love the interaction between George and Ottley and how George just goes straight to the hub of the issue I really enjoyed this read and would highly recommend it

Another great book in the ‘George Cross’ series. These books just keep getting better, you could read as a stand-alone, but you would miss all the background on the characters as they get introduced. So many red herrings in this, could have been anyone, but not too surprised at the actual murderer. Just got to wait for the next book now

This is the fifth book to feature DS Cross of Avon and Somerset Police. He is on the spectrum, lacking in social skills but is an excellent detective. I really like the characterisation and the interesting plotting of a murdered monk who has a connection to a 300 year old bank in the city. What secrets did Brother Dominic have that someone would torture and kill him? This is an excellent read filled with twists and unexpected surprises and I highly recommend the series. Thanks to Net Galley for my ARC.

Another fantastic addition to the DS Cross series. This series just gets better and better. I have read/listened to all of the DS Cross series and it is now one of my favourites. Highly recommend

The fifth of the DS Cross police mystery series, Tim Sullivan’s The Monk, features a truly unique sleuth. Bristol detective DS George Cross is an unusual character who may lack interpersonal skills, but has a knack for his uncanny problem-solving abilities. When a body of a monk, with a seemingly unknown past, is discovered in woodlands, George and the team investigate. Whilst George’s superiors are keen to close the case, his fixation on an odd minor clue leads to further suspects, and his being disconcerted with events and his personal life. It was a joy to read another installment of a substantive police procedural with many a twist, making for a four-and-a-half-star rating. With thanks to the Head of Zeus Books and the author for an uncorrected proof copy for review purposes. As always, the opinions herein are totally my own and freely given.

I adore Sullivan's DS Cross books. Cross is a highly intelligent, meticulous and autistic detective. In this, he has to apply his uniqueness to finding the person who murdered a monk. The how was evident, but the why was the elusive question because why would anyone want to kill a monk? We have a further insight into his personal life (and personality) when he finally learns why his mother left him when he was a young boy. Details he, with his very special acuity, finds it not altogether straightforward to process.

Sullivan has the knack of giving you an easy read, despite twists, turns and complex plot. It's enthralling, fast-paced and he gives you not only the charismatic DS Cross, but wonderful characters in his police team.

Sullivan is a brilliant author and in Cross gives us a wonderful, intriguing and enigmatic character, who isn't hard to like.

I've now read two Cross books. Very fortunately, I have at least two more to look forward to.

Cross makes a brilliant detective but hopeless colleague. Thankfully, Ottey has learned to handle him in most situations quite competently. I already know the characters, having read the others in the series, so I was ecstatic to be granted the alc of The Monk.

Things are made more tricky for Cross, with the deceased being a relative of one of those closest to him (there aren't many) and his personal family situation suffering a little shake-up. He deals with things, thanks to Ottey's gentle guidance and manages to solve the case before harm can befall anyone else.

This is the fifth book by Tim Sullivan featuring the neurodiverse DS George Cross.
On this occasion Cross is investigating the brutal murder of a monk.
As the case develops, the previous life of the monk as a high-flying city banker is revealed, and a complex storyline follows. Reading about Cross in the abbey, working alongside the monks is fascinating and reveals a lot more about him.
DS George Cross is a fantastic character and I love this series of books.

Thanks to Aria & Aries and NetGalley for ARC.


A Benedictine monk is found brutally murdered in a peaceful rural setting.
DI George Cross and his colleagues have a difficult task. The first question shouldn't be 'who would murder a monk?' but 'why?' as George points out to his colleagues.
In this, the fifth outing in a series by accomplished screenwriter and novelist Tim Sullivan, the investigation takes unexpected turns and secrets are slowly revealed. But the affectionate portrayal of George (single, on the autism spectrum, adapting with difficulty to new information about his family) and his colleagues and friends is what keeps bringing readers back. This series repays loyalty as there is growth of the characters over time, so readers may want to go back to the beginning if they start here.
Not since DL Sayers' Nine Tailors have I read a crime novel with so much church music. The details of monastic life are well rendered.
I do think Sullivan has missed a trick here by killing off his victim so early - I would happily read a series of 'Brother Dominic mysteries' in which the monk with a colourful backstory solves the problems of those who approach the monastery for help.