Let me tell you the background about my copy of Tim Sullivan’s The Dentist. Someone here (I’m guessing Kim, but I might be wrong) raved about Tim Sullivan’s DS Cross series. I’m guessing Kim, because after I ordered a used copy of the book, I later learned that the series wasn’t actually released in the U.S., but it will be in October. So, there’s a hardcover, Kindle, and audio book coming out in October. For those who use NetGalley, the new edition is available there now. I actually thought I was just ordering a book that had been released in paperback a few years ago when I ordered this. Thank you, though, to whoever originally recommended these books. I now have a new police procedural series to look forward to, one with an unusual protagonist.
DS George Cross in on the autism spectrum with Asperger’s syndrome. He’s a complex character, but he’s persistent when he investigates cases. He drives his fellow police, especially his partners and supervisors, nuts, but 97% of his cases result in successful convictions. Cross doesn’t recognize emotions. He has no empathy. He lives by rules and routine, but that leads to success.
When a homeless man is found dead, the higher-ups consider it a homeless on homeless case, and they’re not really interested. But, Cross considers it murder, and he wants to identify the victim and find the killer. Cross’ partner, DS Josie Ottey, reluctantly agrees with him. When they bring in a man who fought with the victim the night he died, the higher-ups are pleased, and force Ottey to charge him because Cross refuses to do it. Instead, he continues to investigate, against the wishes of his boss, and he drags Ottey and a new young staff member along with him.
Once the dead man is identified, Cross won’t let go. He talks with the family, and learns about a case from fifteen years ago. The more he investigates, the more he’s convinced the solution lies in the past, and that someone got away with murder long before the current victim died.
The Dentist is a fascinating police procedural because of Sullivan’s development of George Cross’ character. He spends a great deal of time showing how Cross’ personality and Asperger’s affects his work and his life, as well as his relationships with his co-workers. But, he doesn’t neglect Ottey, a black single mother, or Cross’ father. Step-by-step, George Cross uses all his skills to find a killer, someone who has killed before, and who may have been assisted by a cover-up within the police department.
I’m reviewing The Dentist now because there are copies available. But, fans of police procedurals may want to wait until October. And, we all should hope that the entire series is published in the U.S.
Tim Sullivan’s website is https://timsullivan.co.uk/
The Dentist by Tim Sullivan. Pacific Press, 2020. 362p.
FTC Full Disclosure – I bought a copy of the book.
This sounds intriguing Lesa. I just requested it on NetGalley.
Fascinating protagonist, Susan.
Thanks for this, Lesa. I looked at my library’s website, and found that not only do they have the book, but they seem to have the rest (7 so far) of the series. Weird. How come sometimes a new book in a well established series is unavailable, yet an unknown (at least in America) like this, not so much? Anyway, will definitely try it when it comes in (I’m #3 on hold).
Isn’t it weird, Jeff? And, my library doesn’t have any of them, which is why I bought the first int he series. Then, it came up on NetGalley, but I’d already bought it in print. If you can deal with all Cross’ eccentricities, I think you’ll like it. I did, and I’m eager to read the next one.
I was the person who recommended the DS Cross series to you. I had never heard of Tim Sullivan and I feel I know authors pretty well, Somewhere I heard of him, perhaps on FB, when favorite authors were being mentioned in the UK. I had trouble finding the first book The Dentist to read also. I purchased a group of 6 books in the series to obtain the book. The are in kindle format. I saw it was coming out here in October. I enjoyed the book and then read the second book The Cyclist. It was so good also. I am now hooked on the series. The secondary characters are great too. Next book up will be The Patient.
I mentioned it on here because I knew you liked police procedurals. Glad you enjoyed it too.
Another good author that is hard to find here is William Shaw’s Alex Cupidi. After Salt Lane, the publisher was changed and since then it has been hard to find. I purchase them. I donated Deadland to my library several years ago. I just took Grave’s End to donate. I don’t know if they will accept it or not. I have the next two Alex Cupidi here to read. Just ordered his new series The Red Shore. I asked once at the library about ordering his books and the answer was an unfamiliar publisher. Salt Lane was a familiar publisher so it was ordered in the U.S. We have many libraries in the library system here and none of them carry the later William Shaw
or Tim Sullivan books.
Lynn, I agree on the Cupidi books by William Shaw. I’m up to date except for the latest one. He also had a stand alone, DEAD RICH as by G. W. Shaw, described as “an edge of the seat thriller.” Some of these are hard to come by in the U.S.
One more thing: several of Shaw’s books (like his earlier series) have different titles in the UK and US, so be careful.
A Song From Dead Lips = She’s Leaving Home
A House of Knives = The Kings of London
A Book of Scars = A Song for the Brokenhearted
Sympathy For the Devil = Play With Fire
Then, I owe you a big thank you, Lynn! You’re right. I really enjoyed it, and hope to able to find the others somewhere, even if I have to buy them on Kindle as a set as you did. Thank you so much. This series, with its characters, is very different, and I enjoyed that.
Now, I’m going to have to check out William Shaw, too, Thank you!
Just ordered the first Cupidi book, Lynn. My library has that one!
I first read The Birdwatcher by William Shaw. It was a prequel to the DS Alex Cupidi series. I did not like her character and wondered at the time if I would continue if it became a series. Well, I am so glad I did because Salt Lane became one of my best reads the year I read it. I found that I did like DS Cupidi. Have been enjoying the series since then. It gets hard to get the books after Salt Lane. There was a publisher change. I started ordering them through Book Depository which unfortunately is there no longer. I do have the next two to read. He has a new possibly series staring called The Red Shore that recently was published. I have ordered it.
Thank you, Lynn. I’ll give The Birdwatcher a try, and see what I think. Even if I don’t like it, based on your recommendation and Jeff’s comment, I’ll try the second one. Thank you!
I really enjoyed the William Shaw series and have The Dentist in my tbr pile.
If you end up reading and liking The Dentist, Jennifer, we all have Lynn to thank.
A few years ago my MIL came across one of the David Raker Missing Persons series by Tim Weaver in her rural Louisiana library. Same sort of thing where it was only published in the UK. Strange how that happens.
It is strange, MM. Rural Louisiana library. I wonder if someone donated the book. Big libraries don’t always add donated copies. I was a Director at a small library. We were grateful for them!
Wow! I want to read it, I looked on Amazon and it was a shocking $64! I didn’t give up, I found a book that I could afford and added it to my buy list, the Monk!
The local library charges for interlibrary loan of books, so not doing that!
I don’t blame you, Carol. Like you, I found an affordable copy. I wouldn’t have gone $64 either!
Carol- I ordered DS Cross Thriller Box set which is the first 6 books in the series. It cost $15.65 on Amazon which I thought was a good price for six books. They are all in kindle format if you read e books at all. I see his latest number 7 book right now is $1.99 in kindle format.
So, the Dallas Library system started updating their computer system Monday morning and took the website, catalog, Hoopla, and Libby access all down. So, no way to see either books or anything.
Put in for The Dentist on NetGalley. Time will tell.
Thanks for the leads, Lesa, and everyone.
Kevin, If you don’t get The Dentist on NetGalley, let me know. I’ll send you my copy if you can’t get it. I know you like police procedurals as much as I do.
Thank you, Lesa, but I am surprisingly good on this.
While trying to get my tire fixed yesterday at a nearby place I use—-I had a freaking bolt in it and it took three hours plus as things got complicated—I got the alert that I had been approved for it. Woo Hoo.
Now, if I could just get FRAMED TO DEATH…
Circling back to say that, once I got by the early chapters, I got hooked. Just submitted my review over on NetGalley. Because of the flood of books coming out on October 21st, my review runs on the 16th on my blog.
Lesa nailed it. Again.
Thank you, Kevin. I hope you enjoy the series as much as I am.