These are among my more recent and successful library finds. The first one I borrowed was “The Teacher” (they all have two word titles referring to the murder victim), and I have subsequently also read “The Patient”, “The Cyclist”, “The Monk”, “The Politician” and just recently “The Bookseller”. The one title in the series I have yet to read is “The Dentist”. This post looks at these novels.
DS GEORGE CROSS
The main focus of the novels is Detective Sergeant George Cross, who is autistic, often difficult to work with but has the best conviction rate in the force by a good margin. Though just as prone to exasperation at Cross as anyone else his boss at the Bristol Major Crimes Unit, Detective Superintendent Ben Carson, knows that Cross’s detective skills are unmatched, and makes allowances from him that some don’t approve of. Cross’s regular partner while investigating cases is Josie Ottey, who in the most recent offering, “The Bookseller” has just been promoted to DI, so she technically outranks Cross, which of course changes the dynamic between the pair, though Ottey tries to minimize the extent to which this happens. We also learn a fair bit about Cross’s family along the way, and about his regular organ practice.
THE CRIMES
The crimes generally look quite straightforward on the surface and various people are eager for quick arrests (except in “The Patient” where by way of variation the common reaction to the case is to dismiss it as one of death by accidental drug overdose), but developments soon reveal that all is not as it seems. The solution eventually emerges. There are invariably side stories as well. In “The Bookseller” the case of former DI Robert Warner, a deeply unpleasant character who has perpetrated at least three rapes and one attempt thereat, generally of female work colleagues, is finally resolved, with his conviction for these offences. Warner’s connection with Cross’s unit as that he was briefly seconded there to help with an investigation. It was there that his crime spree ended and he was finally arrested. His would-be victim there not only pressed charges for the attempted rape but persuaded two of the earlier victims to join her in pressing charges. Near the end of the latest offering in the series Cross submits his resignation because he wants to be able to take care of his seriously ill father, though his father does not want him to resign. My suspicion, given that Cross had been persuaded to think further about that resignation, is that he is not done just yet, and I look forward to reading about more adventures of his.
PHOTOGRAPHS
My usual sign off…
aspiblog 