When Brother Dominic- a Benedictine monk is found savagely beaten to death the police are mystified. Who would want to kill a monk. D.S. George Cross & D.S, Josie Ottey are charged with finding out more. George is a bit different from you average neurotypical detective. Being on the autistic spectrum he often comes across rude & abrupt but he has a sharp mind & great detection skills. Josie is a perfect partner for him, working on smoothing out his social faux pas! It seems that Bro Dominic had an interesting past. Along with solving the murder we also see George coming to terms with the reappearance of the mother who left when he was a small child & the concept of being a friend. I have read one of the previous books in this series & am sorry I missed the last one. However I'll definitely look out for the next one. This was an interesting mystery, but George is the real star! Thanks to Netgalley & the publisher for letting me read & review this book.

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

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.

I was excited to read the next adventure for DS George Cross. (I came to them late and read them in a random order but they still worked well). This time the investigation is into the brutal murder of a monk, an interesting, twisted tale. I always think I have it worked out, even with twists, but rarely manage to. In this series I love the way the information is discovered, gradually helping the reader piece together the background and the circumstances. In this book, George has the opportunity to further his interest in organs, which adds a lovely side story to the plot. As always, the characters are realistic with great depth and it is lovely seeing how the relationships develop and how George learns how to relate to friends. His condition is depicted accurately and with sensitivity. I must admit to a few laugh out loud moments at some conversations. Another cracking read, just one book to go to be ready for the publication of Book 7 in 2025.

I've not read a George Cross detective novel before but I am informed that this is the fifth in the series by Tim Sullivan and this time the murder victim is "The Monk". I can definitely see the appeal of this series with George Cross being a detective on the spectrum and his ways either annoy the hell out of his companions or they just put up with it. Engaging story and I'm going to go back and read the 4 that precede this one now.