“Cross’ obsession with order and procedure was what made him one of the most successful detectives in the Major Crime Unit of the Avon and Somerset police, in terms of his conviction rate. Ninety-seven percent of his cases resulted in successful convictions. He had a great set of deductive skills and was something of a legend in the interview room, but it was his detailed presentation of cases to the CPS, his ordered collation of evidence, which was genuinely astonishing. His dogged, slavish, adherence to procedures was extraordinary, if at times frustrating for those working with him.”

DS George Cross is very good at his job, but his Asperger’s syndrome sometimes makes his interactions with colleagues and the general public awkward. His partner DS Ottey is constantly asking to be reassigned. When a homeless man is found murdered, clues tie the murder to an old case that seems to have been bungled. That old case was headed by a now-retired detective who had bullied Cross when he first joined the force.

This is the first book of a series that started in 2020. There are already 10 books in the series, so that gives me a lot to look forward to. Several books are available free in Audible Plus until July 15. I really enjoyed this. Cross is an intriguing character - intelligent, persistent and not angst ridden. His irritating flaw is that he follows the rules too closely. The plot is believable. This isn’t one of those books (unfortunately, too common) in which the author tries so hard to be twisty that the plot has zero credibility. The author is also a screenwriter and director, so he has a lot of experience with plots. 4.5 stars

I received a free copy of this book from the publisher.

I'm not really a big fan of the detectives-with-disabilities sub-genre, and I certainly don't want to debate whether Asperger’s Syndrome should even be classified as a disability or not. My point is that I like detective novels and police procedurals, and in the disability sub-genre it's generally the disability that gets most of the attention, not the detecting.

I was pleased to discover that really wasn't the case in THE DENTIST. The Asperger’s Syndrome plot line and the police detective plot line were nicely balanced, which I appreciated. What I appreciated less was that both plot lines were considerably over narrated, and I frequently found myself skimming sections of text which honestly contributed little or nothing either to the narrative or to illuminating the characters. Cutting 20% or more of the text would have made this a far better novel.

My synopsis: Detective Sergeant George Cross is part of the Major Crime Unit of the Avon and Somerset Police. His brain is wired differently having Asperger’s Syndrome (Autism Spectrum Disorder) in that he believes in order and procedure, avoids any kind of physical social interaction, he sees food as a fuel and nothing more, and exceptional high attention to detail which has led to a 97% of his cases having a successful conviction.
DS Cross and his partner DS Josie Ottey are working on a case in which an elderly homeless man is strangled to death. This murder is linked to a cold case 15 years prior in which a woman too was strangled.

My review: I will read the next one in the series, I really liked DS Cross as a character and found him endearing. I always love books having the police procedure and questioning of suspects with an interesting lead character. I will say I found it sometimes too wordy at times, that I ended up skimming parts that I felt were too long. The middle of the book was quite repetitive around the red car, and the revealing of the killer at the end felt repetitive as we already knew who and why. I also found it ended quite abruptly. When reading it, it did feel like it was set up to become a tv show script. I found it helpful when the detectives would do a round up of all the information they knew. I also liked getting to know DS Cross and his dad more personally with DS Cross cycling and church organs, and his dad’s repurposing items. I did guess one of the killers and why, but not the other!

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Just brilliant!

George Cross is a Detective Sergeant with a difference, he has Aspergers Syndrome and has difficulty in social situations and reading cues from people, but he has the best clearance rate of any detective in the police force.

A homeless man has been found murdered, it's assumed he has been killed by a fellow homeless person, probably for the cans of cider or food he has, but George doesn't believe it, even though he has confessed.

So well written, engaging, and just a great read.

Highly recommended

Detective Cross - absolute recommendation!

This character causes what readers crave for: emotions! Whether it‘s an eye roll or the wish to hug him - you have emotions. That‘s why I read no matter if the crime was a bit too long-winded or well-paced: Cross is the one I followed.

No wonder the book is such a success!

Thanks so much to the publisher for the e-book!

"The Dentist" by Tim Sullivan is the first book I have by him, but it certainly won't be the last. This engaging police procedural features the endearing yet resolute Detective Constable George Cross as the protagonist. His intelligence and charm make him a standout character, complemented by a superb cast of supporting roles.

The plot centers around the discovery of a homeless man, who turns out to be a dentist that vanished years ago and was officially declared dead by his family. Intriguingly, his wife was murdered several years prior to his disappearance. Detective Constable Cross is committed to unraveling the mysteries behind both murders, which occurred nearly two decades apart. If you appreciate well-crafted police work, this book is a must-read.

The Dentist by Tim Sullivan. First in the DS Cross Mysteries Series. The characters are very interesting and unusual, especially DS Cross who provides an interesting change as a detective in a police procedural. . DS Cross has Asperger’s Syndrome The author allows the reader to get inside DS Cross's head enabling the reader to see the world as DS Cross does. Good mystery with lots of twists and turns. Will be interesting to see how the series evolves.

Thank you to the author, Grove Atlantic/Atlantic Crime and NetGalley for the opportunity to preview the book

I’m really not sure why this is the first book I’ve had by Tim Sullivan! It won’t be the last, loved the writing style, loved George Cross and will continue to read books by this author!