DS George Cross is a detective with Asperger's Syndrome. This means that he pays closer attention to nuances and patterns than many of his colleagues, which leads to one colleague filing a complaint when Cross criticises his investigative methods. Cross is eventually vindicated.

Cross also fails to observe some social niceties, such as acknowledging or understanding when someone does him a favour. This is due to his being on the autistic spectrum and he often has to be prompted by colleagues to say things like "thank you" or express sympathy for a bereavement.

Recovering drug addict Flick Wilson dies from a suspected overdose/suicide, but her mother is convinced she was killed and asks the police to investigate. Cross is the only officer who takes an interest and he notices some unusual details around the case that back up the mother's suspicions.

As he enquires into Flick's death, Cross interviews a range of suspects, including a boss who preys on vulnerable female workers at a dry cleaning business and an arrogant therapist who believes in legalising euthanasia. Cross becomes aware of a pattern involving the fatal administration of diamorphine to several recovering addicts and this eventually leads him to the killer.

I found this an engrossing mystery, with the interplay and relationship between Cross and his colleagues, DI Ottey and staff worker Alice Mackenzie, entirely plausible and sympathetic. Cross's father, Raymond, also plays a significant part in helping explain Cross's behaviour traits.

Cross works his way through his list of suspects doggedly to ensure he gets to the truth. This enables him to glean important information that might otherwise have gone unnoticed.

Tim Sullivan includes enough detail for you to follow the investigation but without revealing who the perpetrator is until a key moment. Even then, not all the loose ends are tied up, leading to Cross making one final connection to ensure Flick's killer is brought to justice.

I particularly enjoyed the ending, which gave further insight into Cross's character and introduced us to a possible storyline for the next investigation.

This is a superbly written crime story and I look forward to reading the two previous mysteries.

I received an ARC of this book from Head of Zeus, in return for an honest appraisal.

I really enjoyed this compelling and twisty read, which kept me gripped throughout. It's cleverly written, and sensitively handles topics relating to addiction, suicide and sex work. The plot was incredibly twisty and kept me guessing.

Sandra is convinced her daughter didn't kill herself. She had battled her drug addiction & had a young daughter she loved. The police however decided it was an open & shut case. She has haunted the police station trying to get someone to listen to her. Luckily she met George Cross. George has an excellent record in solving cases. He is on the Autistic Spectrum & this makes him often difficult to deal with but makes him excellent at following even the most unlikely clues On listening to Sandra & seeing the pictures of the scene he decides she's right.

I loved George! I hadn't read the first two in the series but I will definitely be looking out for more! As a stand-alone it worked very well. I really liked the way his detective partner worked with him as well as Mackenzie who is a staff member who is not in the force. I can't wait for the next in the series. Thanks to Netgalley & the publisher for letting me read & review this super book.

My thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for my copy of The Patient. This is an excellent book which kept me engaged from start to finish. The police characters were well drawn and their relationships true to life. The case is solved by the marvelous DS Cross who uses the fact that he is on the Autistic Spectrum to work through the case that would not, and indeed did not, occur to other officers.

DS Cross at first doesn't believe Sandra that her daughter Flick was murdered until he finds out about Daisy. Suddenly his train of thought changes and you are instantly gripped by the story, eager to know the outcome.

I loved DS Cross and his "eccentricities." I also loved Ottey and Mackenzie, how in tune they were to Cross and how accepting of him they were. I couldn't stand Dr Sutton with his air of arrogance. I wanted to reach into the book multiple times and slap him.

I thought I had worked out that one of the characters was setting up the murderer, but I was wrong. I didn't guess who the murderer was or why they had done it which I liked. It keeps you guessing with little twists and turns along the way.

This is my first DS Cross novel so I liked that there was some character background added in as well as some explanation into police roles or procedures. With the added information, that didn't take away from the story at all, it helps to feel like you aren't missing anything from any of the previous novels. I will definitely be going to check out the other two books in the series.

A brilliant murder mystery book set in Bristol (my home town) with a detective DS George Cross who suffers from autism..His character is well portrayed, believable, and with lots of good unexpected humour. Whilst he may not be everybody's 'cup of tea', he can solve problems well. I also love the banter between Cross and his partner Mackenzie. You need a sense of humour working with conditions like autism - believe me!

Basically the story starts with an investigation of the death of a young woman with a long history of drug abuse, Whilst the coroner reports it as suicide, the mother refuses to accept this and manages to get George Cross on her side. No more spoilers from me; the book is well written and moves along really well.

An easy 5 star and thanks to Net Galley and Head of Zeus - an Aries book, for the chance to read and review.

D.S. George Cross is an extraordinary detective in the Major Crimes Unit. He notices, in the rain, a woman who has been sitting patiently in the reception area the previous three days, and she speaks to him about her reason for being there. She is certain that her daughter’s death, pronounced a “suicide,” was actually a murder. He invites her back inside, and after getting details, decides to reopen the case…though it may cost him his career.

D. S. Cross, we quickly discover, has Asperger Syndrome, putting him on the autism spectrum. He is a relentless and brilliant detective with a severe lack of social skills, reluctant to engage with groups of people and set in his own particular ways. Having worked with those on the Autism spectrum and with those who have Asperger Syndrome, his portrayal is accurate and sensitive, believable and brilliantly written. Despite his utter lack of social skills, he is a genius, and a very patient one at that. I cannot imagine a single person who won’t immediately love his character. He is irresistible, and so is the story line. It builds throughout, leading to an fabulous climax and conclusion. You think you have the mystery solved, but George will prove you may not have all the pieces. The writing is very clean, intelligent, binge-worthy, and stunningly detailed. (The very last paragraph was a remarkable ending).

I’d like to thank NetGalley, Tim Sullivan, and Head of Zeus Books for allowing me to read this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

A brilliant book with a different twist to it.
DS George Cross suffers from Autism and his character is brilliantly portrayed and very believable, and the way he solves the crime is second to none.
He starts to investigate the death of a young woman with a long history of drug abuse, the coroner reports it as suicide and the mother refuses to accept this and gets Cross on her side and he takes over the case to prove it was not suicide as she left a young daughter alive in the next room.

I loved the banter between Cross and his partner Macenzie and how he works everything out and his relationship with his father.
Definitely recommend this book and can`t wait for the next in the series.

Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I haven't read any other books from this series and I wish I had. I adored DS Cross and was gripped by this book from the first few pages. Definitely going back to the previous 2 books.
Thanks for the opportunity to read this ARC.

This is the first novel in this series that I have read and I didn’t think it made any difference reading it as a stand alone. I instantly fell in love with DS George Cross and just loved his personality. He investigates all his cases throughly and despite his ASD he is guarded by his two female colleagues to say and do the right thing. He took Flicks mother seriously when she turned up reporting her daughters murder and the investigation has many twists and turns with an extremely satisfying ending. I cannot wait now to go back abs read more in this series.

This is the first book I have read in the series. I really enjoyed it but did find it a bit slow at times. Although being on the Autistic spectrum adds to DS Cross's character, the point is over-laboured. I would have expected this had it been the first in the series. Like 'The Bridge', this would make good television. Ottey and Mackenzie are brilliant support for Cross and at times give some humour to the story. I look forward to the next in the series.
This is an honest review of a complementary ARC.

Tim Sullivan is to be congratulated over his creation of DS Cross, a detective whose behaviour is strongly indicative of his being on the Autistic Spectrum, but who deploys the particular strengths of his condition to great effect in his police work. The writing is carefully structured to convey the unusual approach DS Cross takes when confronting a murder, originally considered to be a suicide. In following DS Cross and his team as they investigate the unusual murder the author carefully blends a neat police procedural with an exploration of how the detective with his Autistic Spectrum condition navigates the world of relationships and communications whilst deploying his sharp and perceptive intelligence to the pursuit of the murderer. Sullivan is careful to weave a strand of humour through the narrative that avoids making fun of aspects of Cross’s behaviour. The overall effect is strangely satisfying and, having discovered Tim Sullivan’s DS Cross, this reader will be looking at earlier novels in this series.

Flick, a young mom and a former drug addict is found dead and the case is ruled like suicide, but her mother is convinced that it is murder.
DS Cross is starting to investigate this case. I like detective Cross, how he sees everything.
Thanks to. Netgalley for this book.

Former drug addict and young mum, Flick, committed suicide according to the authorities. Flick's mum refuses to believe this verdict and persuades DS George Cross to investigate the possibility that Flick was murdered.
Cross is on the autism spectrum which gives him a meticulous and logical mind, perfect for solving crime where others fail.
There are several potential suspects, including the ex-boyfriend, the obsessed neighbour, the predatory employer and the arrogant therapist.
DS George Cross is the Sheldon Cooper of crime and his character brings the extra element needed to elevate this above other standard British crime drama.

The main character is a very talented Detective who has Aspergers and can be honest to the point of offending someone. I was hooked by page 10. This is a great, easy read with good characters, twists, humour and a satisfying end. An easy five stars. Now, where are the first two DS Cross books?

A fascinating portrait of an autistic DS who has a love of solving puzzles which makes him brilliant is his job but difficult in his relationships. He survives with a high success rate by being saved by his team who have learnt how to cope with his peculiar idiosyncrasies and make up for his short comings. When a woman who has recover from drug addiction is found dead from an overdose indicating an open close case and the DS differs, it brings him in dispute with his superior officer. How he finds something and is allowed to investigate which he pursues with obsessive dedication, disregarding the toes trod long the way until murder is found and justice is served forms a brilliant story.

This book is the 3rd in the series, ive not read the first two books , however after reading this instalment I’m planning on downloading them and then reading this one again. I loved the characters and the story being told. Definitely a book worth reading!

This Bristol set police procedural features DS George Cross, of the Bristol Crime Unit, as he reopens the investigation of a young woman. She is thought to have died by suicide, but her mother is convinced she was killed. Cross is intrigued by some of the anomalies in the story and starts to look for other inconsistencies, supported by his team.
The plot is interesting, centring on abuse of the vulnerable and dispossessed by those who profess to offer help and support.
What makes this book though is the warmth of feeling for Cross himself, and the team around him. The insights into how he manages in the workplace (as someone who is not neurotypical) and how his colleagues, family and friends adapt to his needs, plus the dry humour, will bring this series lots of readers.
I have not read the others in the series, but I intend to start from the beginning.

Thanks to Netgalley and Head of Zeus for ARC

Thanks to NetGalley and Head of zeus for the loan of this book

This is the first book I have read by this author, and I loved the character of DS Cross and all his quirks. I especially loved his forthright manner, and wish more people could be as honest as him.

A woman who has just lost her daughter to apparent suicide asks DS Cross to look into her case as she does not believe her daughter took her own life. Other officers will not help her and believe the case is closed. Cross, however, see's things differently and looks into the case. It soon becomes clear that there are discrepancies in the case and he soon has a list of suspects.

The book explores the different relationships Cross has with fellow officers and the people he comes across while dealing with the case, and I enjoyed the way different people reacted to him.

Personally, I found the book laborious at times and didn't race through it like other books I have read, but I found it enjoyable nonetheless and would read a further book by this author.


*

This is the first time I have read anything from this author, and as seems to be my usual, I am starting mid-series!!! This is the 3rd book in the DS Cross Mysteries series and yep, I wish I had started it from the beginning.

Being introduced to Cross part way through a series was actually quite good in some respects as the characters already know him and his routines and ways. Although I do think the journey from the beginning to book 3 would definitely be interesting knowing what I now know.

Cross, is a brilliant character. He has a very analytical mind, in some ways reminiscent of Holmes in the way he does or says things that don't quite seem relevant to the rest of the team. The synopsis does mention Cross as having Asperger's, but as I had read the synopsis sometime ago I had, to be honest, forgotten what the synopsis was apart from knowing it was a police procedural.

Having a character with Asperger's was great for several reasons, it kept the emotional side out of the way. I know this may sound harsh but it gave the analytical process and the way Cross approaches everything a clean, crisp and more structured way of investigating. The second reason was that it made for some interesting conversations between characters as well as showing how far he has presumably come from the beginning of the series. Thirdly it was great to see someone on the spectrum being positively assisted in the workplace.

Now for the plot. This was brilliant, it was quite a complex one as investigated as suicide is then challenged. This in itself leads to other issues and becomes a subplot as such. The main plot has a great amount of intrigue, the process of Cross trying to work only with facts and not gut instinct is quite refreshing and the balance between the team supports Cross and his traits. I have to say the author, in my opinion, did a great job with Cross. His initial emotionless persona was solid, but there were some subtle inclusions that made him a very, very likeable character.

The rest of the team add a great balance to this story, they are more traditional in their approach, but they also take on advice and adopt different styles to how they think. This for me gave various different perspectives during the investigation, questioning process and the feel of the story overall.

There was also a more personal story within this one, and this again had me hooked. I think pretty much everything about this story had me hooked. The personal story brought in some additional characters and I admit to having a big lump a couple of times.

Brilliant crime thriller story with a psychological aspect t it. A story that deals with mental health
shows personal growth and is a cracking read. It is one I would definitely recommend, and I would also suggest that unlike me starting it from the beginning of the series.