The Monk

*Many thanks to Tim Sullivan, Aria & Aries, and NetGalley for arc in exchange for my honest review.*
I am always drawn to mysteries in all forms which are set in monasteries, and the description of The Monk appealed to me. It turned out I was offered more than a mystery surrounding the death of a Benedicitine monk. Mr Sullivan manages to build a good plot which is enhanced by characters who do not allow you to keep the distance. I was unaware of the fact that this is the 5th book in the series, and yes, at times I felt I missed out on some information. Fortunately, it did not prevent me from enjoying this instalment.
What I want in police procedurals or thrillers is something more than just gore details of murder scenes. And The Monk did not disappoint me. George Cross, being on the spectrum, is definitely a character who can be close to even though this is not what he desires. His partner's perspective is our perspective and allows us to at least make an attempt to comprehend a person whose reactions are not what social standards require.
A well-designed mystery, with some insight into modern monastery life.
I hope to continue with the series as I already miss Cross.

When the body of a murdered monk is found in a ditch by a country lane. DS George gets to investigate the monastery where he came from. In his investigations he learns a lot about life as a monk and finds the ordered tranquil life much to his liking even as an unbeliever. He gets to repair the broken organ in the chapels which also enables his stay as a live in guest. Along with his investigation George is learning to live with having a mother as well as a father in addition to a few other friends and colleagues forcing him to be more sociable. Most interesting to see how his character develops as he solves another mystery made smooth by his partner DS Ottey.

I have read others in this series , which I was glad of because as a reader, you are immediately plunged into the story in this book. George Cross, one of the detectives, is on the autistic spectrum, which adds a special dimension to the way he investigates the cases and the relationships with family, acquaintances and his collegues. The plot is fairly intricate in this book with a couple of twists and turns along the way . Fairly believable and the investigation is immaculate though perhaps a little slow going at times. We also find out more about George's family life, though mostly from his own persepctive and as such coloured by his way of thinking.
A good read. 4 stars from me,
Thanks to Net Galley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review

Read it! It really is a great story not to be missed. The compulsion to read it starts at page one and doesn’t let go. Brother Benedict Augustus is one of ten monks in an abbey near Bristol. Then he is found murdered. Before becoming a monk, he was crucial to the collapse of a bank which was engaged in dodgy dealings. So he enemies from his past. He is also an expert at identifying the provenance of paintings and angered a client when he valued a painting much lower than expected. That could be another source of enmity. The monastery setting is an excellent background for the story. The tale has further surprises as it moves on and the conclusion is very satisfying. Above all, the detective sergeant George Cross is the star of the book. He is autistic and has difficulties relating to others. He is also a brilliant detective. This is a great read. I recommend it.

DS George Cross, a memorable name and brilliant detective but he's a man on the spectrum which gives Tim Sullivan plenty to write about. A monk goes missing and his body is later discovered in a ditch, strapped to a chair. How he died was quickly deduced, he had taken a sever beating, tortured you might say, then dispatched by an implement causing skull and limb fractures. This is a case for George to solve and it takes him down many paths. Along the way he discovers that some aspects of the monastic life are definitely suited to him. In fact a lot of the novel centres around the monastery. I really liked this angle and especially George's predeliction for all things organ. Yes, he gets to restore a rather lovely old organ that has seen better days. Furthermore, he witnesses the full working of a monastery from the tending of the vegetable plot, to the manicure of lawned perfection, bee keeping and book binding. His favourite time is spent savouring the simple delights of freshly cooked soup and baked bread, eaten in silence and contemplation. I think George has found his spiritual retreat at last.
The Monk does have a funny side too because of George's bluntness and Spock type logic, although most would prefer to laugh with him, not at him, for fear of one of his tirades. (Actually I am uncertain if George is capable of laughing.) Tim Sullivan has certainly found his forte with the character of the DS and also his supporters or should I say handlers? They are very protective of him for sure. However, I think I found a faux pas which wouldn't have passed the DS's lips, here I refer to him saying the news media are quicker than blowflies in finding a corpse, for clearly George had just witnessed the maggots on the victim's body!
It has to be a deserved five stars from me, for plot, wit and pace.

I love DI George Cross, he is a wonderful character and like most people who have read Tim Sullivans books about George, I do think these stories would work wonderfully as a new TV detective series and although I was really looking forward to reading this latest installment The Monk, I found the story has become a bit repetitive when it comes to George's ways and his being on the Autistic spectrum and how he is with people and although at times I did laugh out loud with his interview techniques and how he speaks to people, I do feel it would be nice to focus on his partner Jossie Ottey a little more, she just seems to be kept in the background and is there to throw in the odd comment and drive George about.

The Monk is a good story but it isn't one of my favourites of the series

As we go into the fifth book in the DS Cross Thriller series, it wouldn't be unreasonable to wonder how much mileage there is left in a series featuring a police detective on the spectrum; a series that to some extent adopts some of the same characteristics. DS George Cross likes order and procedure to a far greater degree than even the most assiduous detective. He is not governed by gut feelings or intuition, has a habit of speaking his mind, sometimes in the most inappropriate manner considering the circumstances, with little sense of apparent sensitivity for the families of the victims. Well, the answer is there in the fact that each book so far has shown that DS Cross actually has more reserves of human empathy than you might think, while on the other hand the irrational, instinctive and adherence to social niceties can - certainly to DS Cross - appear even stranger and more disconcerting.

Tim Sullivan, with characteristic skill, lays that out clearly in the critical but customary opening scene of a murder site, setting the tone for what lies ahead. A Benedictine monk, Dominic Augustus, reported missing two days previously, has been found dead, bound to a chair in a ditch, having been brutally beaten before being killed. Cross finds the idea of a holy man being subjected to such an ordeal baffling, but not so much from the view of who would do such a thing to a monk, as why. He isn't impressed either by a constable of the Somerset and Avon police force making a joke at the scene. It really does show how the behaviour of people and their reactions can sometimes be bewildering.

So even though Cross delivers the news to the abbot of the St Eustace monastery with customary bluntness, the response of Father Anselm to the news is unexpected, as is the behaviour of his brotherhood. If the actions and motivations of people in response to a criminal investigation can be difficult to fathom, it's going to be even more difficult to find out why anyone would kill a monk, and even more so trying to conduct an investigation with a group of men close to the victim who are accustomed to silent reflection and inexpressiveness. There is also the fact that Brother Dominic also seemed to be concerned about keeping a low profile, saying little about his previous life as a top city banker.

But then, that's not so different either from the other cases we've seen in the previous DS Cross thrillers. Family continues to be an important line to follow and, as with previous investigations, family tend to close ranks, be protective of each other and try to protect themselves from the trauma of loss. The small community of monks at St Eustace are a kind of family too, just as likely to close ranks to protect their institution. However, Cross knows that statistically that most murders are committed within a family, so nothing can be discounted. The theme might be familiar from previous novels, but Sullivan finds another variation on it here, with the complicating factor that DS Cross is still struggling to come to terms and understand the dynamic in his own personal family life.

As noted before over the course of the series, Sullivan writes much in the manner of his lead character, inevitably adopting some of the conditions of a person with Asperger's Syndrome. He keeps to familiar patterns, in the titles of the books, in the response and method of the police investigation, in the structure of the book and the customs that Cross keeps. It's quiet and methodical, allowing time for information to be absorbed, but just like Cross, he can surprise you by launching into incredible flights of rapid action. Action is perhaps not quite the word, but in the context of one episode here of a police interrogation that takes place on the private plane of a successful businessman, it's an extraordinary change of pace, showing what Cross is capable of, while also laying down in a dramatic manner how the investigation is going to move in a new direction.

Still, while DS Cross's methods are unique and fascinating for a crime detective series, it's his humanity that in the end proves critical to the successful resolution of the case. While his own personal family situation is nothing like those of the high society families he is investigating here, it's the necessity of not just understanding human behaviour and actions, it's feeling them and coming to terms with his position as a son that provides the insight that is needed here. It's not intuition, not just procedure and thorough investigation of evidence, but a willingness - as painful as it might be for him and more difficult to solve than any criminal case - to confront his own humanity. Once again, contrary to appearances, DS Cross seems to have more of it than many others. It's this kind of development that continues to make this an exceptional series.

Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher and author for this eARC.

This is my second George Cross read and I have to say George is fast becoming my favourite Detective and I think the pairing of him with Ottey is just brilliant. I absolutely loved this read, I was drawn into the story from the first page and Tim Sullivan grabbed and held my interest all the way through to the end. I love the authors writing style here, his descriptions of Cross, what he is thinking, how others see him, and all the wonderfully humorous moments in the story that made this such a gem of a read. Cross, Ottey and the team investigate a murder of a Monk and have to look into the victims past for clues. This is such a well written book, one I found to be very moreish where I kept thinking I’ll just read a bit more, then a bit more and found myself picking my kindle up again to continue reading at every opportunity. I enjoyed following the team’s investigations and thought I knew who the killer was and was wrong. Cross is such a unique, quirky character who you just can’t help like and root for. I loved the glimpses into his personal life and how he is trying to cope with the reappearance of his mother after a long absence. Overall a brilliant read which I can’t fault because I loved everything about it, I’m still to read the first three books in this series and will do as soon as I can. If you like crime, police procedurals featuring a Detective who is just that little bit different to the norm then look no further although if you’re new to this series I’d recommend you read the books in correct order.

5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Another triumph for Tim Sullivan. These George Cross books would make a brilliant tv series! I'm totally in love with this unique , lovable detective with all his quirks and foibles. Being on the spectrum allows him to say exactly what he thinks, totally uncompromising with the truth and remorseless in seeking out justice. I love his relationship with Father Stephen , at whose church he goes to practice playing the organ. His partner, sergeant Otley is driven to distraction by him but also loves and protects him. This latest outing sees him investigating the brutal murder of a much loved monk Brother Dominic and entails him having to spend a lot of time at the Abbey among the monks, whose lifestyle has great appeal to George.
The author's deep understanding of people in the spectrum shines through his books . His plotlines are intelligent, well researched and thoroughly engaging. There is a freshness and authenticity to his writing that just gets better with each book.
The Monk has it all- brilliant storytelling, engaging characters, humour and humanity. I loved it and cannot wait for the next in the series.

DS George Cross is on the autistic spectrum, he has his foibles and ways of doing things, with a complicated private life involving his father, and a recently returned mother. These books are so well written, there is humour, and understanding throughout.

A body is found taped to an armchair and submerged in water, when the chair is lifted out, people are horrified to find the victim is a Benedictine monk, Father Dominic.

Who was Father Dominic before he took the cloth, how did a monk make enemies?

DS Cross, with DS Ottey, who tries to help with nuances of modern life are forced to look into the life of the monk, and what will they discover.

So original, couldn't put it down. Can't wait until the next one

Another excellent installment from Mr Sullivan involving the strangely likable, certainly quirky detective, George Cross.
I am strangely drawn to this character who has certainly been researched in depth, putting a new dimension to a sometimes overdone genre keeping it fresh all over again.
Tidy, neat plot and a great pace.

A great story of DS George Cross and his officers working on the death of a monk. I loved the relationship between DS George Cross and DS Ottey they work well together.
This was a fast moving thriller with a real insight into life at a monastery and how monks live and cope with the outside world.
This is the first DS Cross book I have read and thoroughly enjoyed the plots and mystery look forward to the next book.
Would highly recommend.
Thanks to Aria & Aries, Head of Zeus and NetGalley for a ARC.

This is the second DS Cross book I have read and loved it as much as the first one. DS Cross is on the autistic spectrum and struggles in the real world but he is very astute and sees crimes in a different way to his fellow officers. A Benedictine monk, Brother Dominic Augustus of St Eustace Monastery, has been murdered and DS Cross is called in to find the killer. Why would someone murder a monk and this sets him on the path to finding out more. He starts his quest at the Monastery itself. Investigations bring up many surprises about Brother Dominic, the main one that he was a high flyer in the banking world and earned a fortune. When he entered the Monastery where did his money go – a question which DS Cross cannot let be. He also has the added pressure of his mother re-entering his life which he is confused about and cannot compute in his autistic mind. The one good thing for him during this investigation is that he can help the Monastery repair it’s organ and this helps him put all his thoughts together as it is quiet and no one is disturbing his thread. He deals with the murder in the only way he can and his partner, DS Josie Ottey, keeps him from upsetting people along the way although he does not realise that he is doing this. He has not a sense of humour and some anecdotes he does not understand again due to his autism. The plot gathers pace and it is difficult to put the book down as you want to find out “who did it”. I loved the main characters of this book as always and it is written so well I feel I can visualise them. A perfect story and a perfect read Awaiting the next book

DS George Cross is not like most other detectives. Diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder, he may be socially awkward and find many social situations difficult but he has a brilliant mind. He sees patterns and joins dots that others miss. George will need all of these skills on his latest case.
The body of a monk is found bound to a chair in a ditch. Brother Dominic has clearly been brutally beaten. Who could possibly want to do this to a monk. Initial enquiries show that he was a well-liked and respected man with nothing to indicate that he had any enemies. To find the killer, Cross, Ottey and the team will need to dig into his past, who was Brother Dominic before he entered the monastery? When they discover that he was actually a very wealthy banker, they begin to wonder if money could be the key to his murder.
I adore DS George Cross. The way he has found his place in what must be a very difficult world for him, the way his colleagues accept who he is and recognise how valuable he is to the team is just brilliant.

This is the fifth book in the excellent DS Cross series and just like the others it is a great read.
With great characters and an ever twisting fast paced plot it is genuinely a "hard to put down book" and I thoroughly enjoyed getting the chance to read and review it.
I highly recommend this book and indeed recommend reading the whole series from book 1.

Love this book, love the characters and love the back story - and the fact, that the very likeable detective leading the case, is on the spectrum, is really a great acknowledgement.
I like the story, a little brutal, but the characters pulled it back to very enjoyable mystery. A financial high flyer retires to a monastery to live a life of a monk. But life catches up with him - how and why is woven into the story of his brutal death, and the chase for his killer.
Very layered story, well written and enjoyable. Thanks you NetGalley and the publishers for the DRC

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.

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.

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.

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.

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

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!

Thoroughly enjoyed The Monk with a plot line that keeps the reader guessing until the last page. The central character DS George Cross is a carefully crafted interesting character who has his difficulties when out in certain situations but his thoroughness although irritating for his colleagues actually leads to the right result. Looking forward to more books from Tim Sullivan where DS Cross features. It is a smart move to include on the cover a comment from Stephen Fry of 'Perfect Detective'. This is the fifth full length D'S Cross book but could easily be read first. Tim Sullivan also has a background of writing and directing for films and TV.

George Cross is a Detective in the Avon and Somerset Police force. He is on the autistic spectrum, which makes his approach to the murder victim and the interviewing of suspects quite amusing at times. George is blunt, direct and doesn’t always pick up social nuances about people and their grief, he relies upon logic and seeing the scene first hand, both are admirable traits that seem to be in short supply today.
His long suffering partner, DS Ottey helps George with the more sensitive details of how to read people, and the story is mainly told from her perspective, I admire her patience and forbearance in dealing with George, while simultaneously dealing with his abrupt insights into aspects of the case that makes perfect sense to him, but need further investigation to make it apparent to all others involved.
A Monk is found murdered. Why would anyone want to murder a man of God wonders George. The secrets are hidden in his past, but such personal details are very hard to find. I absolutely adored the details of monastic life, the services, prayers, such peace and calm on the surface, can hide many forbidden secrets. We also learn a great deal about book binding, and bee keeping( a great favourite of Sherlock Holmes), and George becomes involved in the monastic life when he undertakes repairs to the organ pipes, his curiosity knows no bounds, and perhaps these facts will emerge in future books in this series?!!
The first book I have read in this series, I found George to be a very likeable and compelling character, curious, naive and there were some giggles in some wholly inappropriate places, which only added to the charm! A brilliant police procedural murder mystery, the ending was a complete surprise to me, and I have the added delight of catching up with the previous books.
My thanks to Netgalley and Head of Zeus, and Aria and Aries, for my advance digital copy, freely given in exchange for my honest review. A five star rating. I will post to Goodreads and Amazon UK.