Tag: Crime Fiction

The DS Cross Novels of Tim Sullivan

A look at Tim Sullivan’s DS Cross novels and a large photo gallery.

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…

A Charles III £1 coin – not especially the splendid reverse. The individual pictures from which this composite was made appear later in the gallery.
An unusual juxtaposition – a mute swan, a freshwater bird, and a cormorant, more usually a sea bird, side by side in a pond in North Lynn.
This swimming rodent was moving too fast for me to capture it, though I tried.
The reverse of the £1 coin
The obverse of the £1 coin.

Book Review: The Mitford Murders

A review of “The Mitford Murders” by Jessica Fellowes.

INTRODUCTION

I was in King’s Lynn Library on Friday when I saw a copy of this book, by Jessica Fellowes, on the shelves and decided to take a punt. The fact that today is the following Monday and I am posting this review gives a clue as to what I made of the book.

THE SETUP OF THE BOOK

This book is based on a real life murder, that of Florence Nightingale Shore,  god-daughter of “The lady with the lamp” and like her famous godmother a war-time nurse. At the heart of the story is a fictionalised account of goings on in the aristocratic Mitford Family. The heroine is Louisa, who takes a job in the household helping to look after the children. Crucial to the development of the story is the friendship she forms with Nancy, the eldest of the Mitford children (16 when the story opens to Louisa’s 18). 

Spanning just over two years, and taking in two countries the story is developed with expert touch, and the revelation of the true murderer is a gobsmacker.

This is a splendid story, combining its other merits with giving a panoramic view of immediate post WW1 life, covering the full range of society.

CLOSING THOUGHTS

I understand that a second book in the series is due soon, and I say “Bring it on”. I follow that by saying that if you see a book with Jessica Fellowes’ name on the cover you should definitely pick it up. Rating *****.

Mitford Murders

 

Detective Fiction Meets Ornithology

A review of a new find – Steve Burrows’ Birder Murders, with some Norfolk bird pictures of my own for company.

INTRODUCTION

This post concerns two books by a writer I discovered in the last few days:

BMBs FCBMBs - BC

MAKING THE DISCOVERY

When I saw these in the library there was never any doubt about borrowing them – detective stories set in Norfolk and heavily concerned with birds looks a darned good mix. 

THE BOOKS

There is much of interest about birds and about North Norfolk in these books, and the strikingly different characters of each of the police officers makes for some good interplay between them. 

In the first of these two books, “A Siege of Bitterns”, the first victim is actually a birdwatcher. The second victim is a suspect in the first case until he is found dead. It eventjually turns out that the first case was not murder but suicide, and that the murderer in the second case was the MP.

In “A Cast of Falcons”, the hero’s boss, DCS Shepherd, is shown up in a very poor light when she initially refuses even to entertain the notion that the exceedingly rich Sheik who has bought an old dairy farm for his pet project (research on method of carbon capture) could be guilty. She shows herself to be more concerned with not annoying someone who is rich and powerful than with justice, which given her job is entirely unacceptable.

There is a third book in this series that I know of, called “A Pitying of Doves”, and it is sufficient comment on just how good these two books are that I have reserved a copy (costs 60p) and am awaiting it’s arrival at King’s Lynn library.

Siege of BitternsCast of Falcons

If you get the opportunity to pick up a book with the name Steve Burrows on the cover please take it!

SOME NORFOLK BIRDS

To finish this post here are some new pictures of Norfolk birds…

Bird MootBirdsCormorand and gullCormorant and gullsCormorant close-upCormorantGGGullsMagpieMoorhenPoserWingspan