The Patient is the third book in the DS Cross series of thrillers and whilst I hadn't read the two previous books in the series I found this current story easy to pick up and soon became immersed in the world where Bristol Detective DS George Cross operates with such good intentions. The story moves along at a quick pace, I enjoyed the short snappy chapters and the way that alongside DS Cross we become caught up in this complex investigation.

This is a first for me by the author and one I enjoyed and would read more of their work. The book cover is eye-catching and appealing and would spark my interest if in a bookshop. Thank you very much to the author, publisher and Netgalley for this ARC.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC of this book. I have chosen to write this honest review voluntarily.
This is the first book in this series I have read. I thought the style of writing was rather stilted with some odd word choices such as 'infant' to describe a 2-year-old toddler (an infant is a baby up to the age of 1) and peculiar ideas - how is using a baguette to make sandwiches a sign that someone is middle class? Cross' autism impacts upon his behaviour but this point was laboured throughout the book with so many 'Are you on the spectrum?' questions and comments about aligning folders in the middle of a desk that I felt as though the author was trying to teach us about the condition. The pace of story-telling was very slow.
The case has some major flaws which might not be appreciated by those outside the caring profession but it made the story completely unrealistic for me: Spoiler Alert: Diana is described as a nurse who can take blood for testing but as she does not work in a nursing role she would not be able to maintain her registration, thus she might be an ex-nurse but is not a registered nurse now and could not take blood in an official capacity. All victims would be used to having blood taken but would have struggled when they saw her trying to inject a substance from a syringe so she would not be likely to be successful at injecting the full dose.
This book has not led me to want to read any more by this author.

A few pages in and I thought, well, gosh, how come I haven't come across this excellent author and DS George Cross until now? I absolutely loved this.

Think TV's The Good Doctor: it's that show's main character in a police setting. An unusual, pedantic, literal, meticulous-attention-to-detail man: a man who is positioned somewhere on the spectrum. Irritating and exasperating to his colleagues, but undeniably a detective who, with dogged determination, gets results.

The plot is intriguing and a little complex. Just like DS Cross himself, who takes up the case of the death of a young recovering drug addict, whose mother disagrees with the verdict of suicide.

Twists, turns, dead ends move this along at a decent pace. And what a treat that it's set in Bristol, where I live.

Superbly written…intelligently and articulately…and I've already downloaded the two previous DS Cross novels. Cleverly, Sullivan has crafted these novels so that they can be read in any sequence. I anticipate I won't be able to get enough of DS Cross.

Thanks to NetGalley and Head of Zeus for an ARC of this book.

This is the first book I’ve read written by Tim Sullivan and the third in the DS Cross mysteries series. I enjoyed this one so much I definitely want to go back and read the rest.
George Cross doesn’t behave or investigate crimes like other detectives. As a result he has the highest conviction rate in the force. He is on the Autistic Spectrum so sees things very differently from other people. He often rubs people up the wrong way(both police officers and the general public) due to his lack of social skills attributed to his autism but his close colleagues are used to it and try to steer him in the right direction if deemed necessary.
The bereaved mother of a suicide victim(Flick Wilson) seeks him out because she doesn’t believe her daughter killed herself. Nobody in the police will believe her but George does and sets about investigating the case again.
Several suspects crop up throughout the course of the investigation but George has a unique way of confirming their guilt or innocence- he tries to provide them with an alibi.
Not only does he uncover the truth about Flick’s death but also had he not reopened the case a serial killer would never have been found.
I loved the relationships George had with his team and also with his father Raymond. His mother left when he was very young as she couldn’t cope with his “behaviour”. At the end of the book we see she is possibly going to come back into his life. We’ll have to wait and see.
I thoroughly enjoyed this book which was well written and kept me guessing until near the end.

This is the third book in the DS George Cross series and frankly they just get better and better. When I read the first book in the series I was unsure as to whether I would be able to enjoy it, such was the detail that it went into about Asperger’s Syndrome, which George Cross has. However, the subsequent books, while still explaining about this aspect of his personality, and the effect it has on his policing and his personal life, it isn’t as intrusive to the murder story as I felt it was in the first book, The Dentist. I received this book, The Patient as an advanced e.reader copy and made the decision to go back and read the first two before I read the third. Whilst you could read them as stand alone copies, I am so glad that I have read them in order, as it’s possible to see the characters evolving and growing with each subsequent book, therefore I would recommend anyone contemplating reading The Patient, to go back and read The Dentist followed by The Cyclist and then read The Patient.

I am becoming more and more fond of George Cross and his little team, Josie Ottey and Alice Mackenzie.
I won’t precis the book this has been done by far better writer than me on the cover of the book but suffice to say that the topic of this book is addiction, substance abuse and sexual harassment and abuse.

I thoroughly enjoyed the book and couldn’t put it down and I look forward eagerly to the next one in the series.

My thanks go to the author, the publishers and to NetGalley for an advanced reader copy, however, the views expressed in this review are entirely my own honest opinion of the book.

Well I have to admit this is one of the best books I have read. I have already got the first 2 in the series lined up to read.
The characters are brilliant, who would think that an autistic policeman would be so riveting? His colleagues are so well written too. The story has plenty of twists and turns - thank you net galley for introducing me to such a brilliant book.

This is the first book in the D.S. Cross series by Tim Sullivan that I have read, I really enjoyed it!

A neurodiverse main character brought an interesting angle to the book, their characteristics and personality were explained well - as were the interactions with other colleagues and characters in the book.

The storyline was interesting, with some twists and turns - a good whodunnit which kept you guessing. I really like the way the book followed the main plot, but also intertwined a parallel story following the main character, DS. Cross.

I would recommend this and will read the other books by this author in this series.

Thanks to #NetGalley and the publishers for a copy of #ThePatient by #TimSullivan in exchange for an honest review.

Detective Cross is a great new character on the scene is a pantheon of quirky detectives. He's clearly on the spectrum and his astounding solve rate offsets his lack of social polish. As entertaining as the main story is, the interaction between him, his partner and others is more fun.
His ability to focus only on the relevant facts and not be distracted by niceties of empathy and politeness allows his to quickly seize on the important.
Great fun.

An excellent police procedural novel with an interesting Detective Sergeant.
DS Cross is precise, logical and follows the facts, being on the autistic spectrum he also has no idea of social niceties and I liked him a lot. Most detectives you read about these days seem to have some personal issues that drag them down and cause them angst but this quirky detective is a delight.
I thoroughly enjoyed this book, the first I have read in the series but apparently they can be read in any order and I have already bought one of the others to continue my enjoyment.

In a world where difference is still misunderstood, it is difference that sets him apart from others.

DS Cross, is most definitely different. Somewhere on the autism spectrum. He uses his persistant need for finding out the truth to questions, that arise from his methodic view in both his professional and personal life.

His approach, to his work wins him no friends with his colleagues. His partner, is just starting to fathom out his inner workings. But his success rate is phenomenal. With certain suspects cleared and the full arm of the law being brought down on the actual perpetrators.

A string of apparent suicides, of young women all from a background of addiction and rehab. The links, a dry cleaners and a psychotherapist.

A mother who refuses to believe that her daughter commited suicide, is the catalyst required to spark a re-investigation for a case already closed by another.

This book draws you in. The lead character, what he lacks in interpersonal skills, he more than makes up in the dogged quest for the truth.

The plot flows seamlessly, with well rounded characters, with more than enough background to lend for a great storyline.

Would I recommend this book. That is a definitive yes. I found myself going just one more chapter. Before, I put it down and get on with what I’m supposed to be doing. I guess I didn’t get that much done. It was always just one more…

Status: Completed

Rating: 4.8/5.0

Brilliant book. The idiosyncratic George Cross is an absolute hero who you both immediately and deeply warm to and equally firm and fast do you feel the frustrations of his colleagues. Sensitive handling of a delicate theme to the main storyline but gently and humourously handled.

The Patient is extremely captivating to read. Throughout the novel I spent the entire time trying to piece together the mystery that was Flick's death, and all of the conclusions that DS Cross came to were extremely believable, and are conclusions that I would have been satisfied with, up until the point where major information about who the real person involved in her death was revealed. Then, through Sullivan's excellent storytelling, all of the pieces in the mystery fell into place. This page-turning novel was everything I love about murder mysteries, allowing me to feel as if I was a part of the story. If you like Agatha Christie's work, then you will definitely enjoy The Patient.

The Patient focuses on an investigation led by George Cross into the apparent suicide of a recovering addict. The girl’s mother has been visiting the station repeatedly, adamant that her daughter was murdered. Nobody is willing to listen to her. George Cross meets with her and hears enough to be convinced there were anomalies in the initial investigation. And so begins our foray into the kind of story that you can’t help but find hard to believe.
This may be due to me not having read the previous two books in the series, but I found this hard to get into. The repeated comments about Cross and how he’s ‘different’ to others and tolerated by many of his workers felt patronising and potentially harmful in its depiction of autism. While I can see that Cross’s approach has certain benefits in his line of work, the way it was repeatedly flagged up didn’t sit comfortably with me.
The thing that kept me from turning away from this was the actual scenario we were given. The focus on the investigation lent a wider focus to things, and this was enough to force me to overcome my irritation at the way Cross was presented.
As the book progressed there seemed to be more genuine moments of character study and there are certainly signs of interesting relationships between Cross and his colleagues. The family element also offers an interesting diversion, leading to a potentially tense meeting in the future.
The actual story around our victim had a number of red herrings thrown our way, and yet they allowed us the opportunity to see different facets to our team. Around the time that the case started to finally go somewhere, things moved onto a bigger stage with a rather distracting focus on assisted suicide. Although it was integral to the plot this did feel like something of a distraction and further opportunity to draw unnecessary attention to Cross’s approach/behaviour.
All in all this is not an author I’d immediately pick up again. I may go back to book one in the series and see how Cross is depicted here, but I felt many harmful stereotypes being perpetuated and it lessened the impact of what could have been an intriguing puzzle.
Thanks to NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read this prior to publication.

No fingerprints. No weapon. No witnesses. Can DS Cross prove it was murder?
DS George Cross can be rude, difficult, and awkward with people. But his unfailing logic and dogged pursuit of the truth means his conviction rate is the best on the force. Now, this unusual detective is met with an even more unusual case.
When a young woman is found dead, the Bristol Crime Unit is quick to rule it a suicide: the woman had a long history of drug abuse. But her mother is convinced it was murder: her daughter had been clean for years and making strides in a new therapy programme.
As an outsider himself, DS Cross is drawn to cases involving the voiceless and the dispossessed. He is determined to defy his bosses and re-open the investigation, even if it costs him his career. Soon he is mired in a labyrinth of potential suspects, but can he solve the case before his superiors shut it down for good?

This is a wonderful addition to this thrilling series!
Wonderful well written plot and story line that had me engaged from the start.
Love the well fleshed out characters and found them believable.
Great suspense and action with wonderful world building that adds so much to the story.
Such a thrilling read that I couldn't put it down.
Can't wait to read more of these.
Recommend reading.

I was provided an ARC from NetGalley and the publisher. This is my own honest voluntary review.

this was a really interesting thriller and i really appreciated the diversity this author included. I have never read about an autistic detective and i thought that the author did a really good job of the characteristics and personality of him. I have never read this author before but i am definitely going to invest in the rest of the series because of how much i enjoyed it! I really loved the twists and turns included in the book as well, There are some trigger warnings mainly for sexual assault and substance abuse. I will be recommending this book.

I enjoyed the story and the characters and DS Cross and his unique unravelling of the clues, however my one criticism was the book at 700+ pages was way too long. Did we really need so much devoted to Cross's fathers house been tidied and re decorated? That apart it did eventually become a page turner in the closing chapters.

I am very grateful to NetGalley and Head of Zeus Publications for an advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review.

I loved the book, especially the character of DS Cross. He is described as 'rude, difficult and awkward with people' in the marketing material. However, once you get to know him, I realised that he is the way he is for a reason, though he may not be rude and difficult.

Knowing friends with his condition, I found Tim's writing so true-to-life, and at times it made me laugh, and at others, it made me cringe. However, Cross's character is one of many gems in this book.

The storyline is beautifully drawn, and knowing Bristol a little, I also enjoyed the settings.

DS Cross is known as the champion of the outsider, the voiceless and the dispossessed. He certainly is that, and more, and this unique approach to a crime thriller demonstrates that in spades.

I highly recommend it!

This was my first George Cross, why havent I noticed both this author and character before. Love his partners as well they are so well rounded and bounce off George.

What a fantastic story - just devoured it and it kept me guessing on what was going to happen.

Really so well written - so recommend. Now I need to go back and look at the previous books in the series.

I was given a free copy by netgalley and the publishers but the review is entirely my own.

I enjoyed The Patient so much more than I anticipated, largely due to the brilliant characterisation.

A young Mum.
An apparent suicide.
Case closed.

Enter DS Cross.

What he lacks in social skills, he makes up for with unrelenting thoroughness and diligence.

One of the best written ASD characters I've ever read. I adored George Cross and his partner Ottey. Their interactions left me smiling and they were the perfect combination of personalities.

A mystery that was complex without ever being over the top and unbelievable.

A wonderful cast who together brought depth and humanity to the story.

I will definitely be reading more by this author.

Thank you, NetGalley for the opportunity to discover a new favourite author. This book really ticked all the boxes for me. Firstly, it is set in my hometown of Bristol, and not just depicting the Clifton suspension bridge but references to the Malaga and other lesser-known areas of the city. Secondly, DS George Cross is a wonderful character and so are his team, Alice and Josie, who complement him perfectly adding their compassion to his bluntness. There are a lot of touches of humour where his autism means he gets it wrong in dealing with people. Like many of the reviewers, this is the first of this series that I have read but it won't be the last.