Another very enjoyable episode of a George Cross mystery. Full of humour. Some nice twists and turns and some problems for George as he attempts to come to grips with his mother Christine now having moved in with his father Raymond. He also is contending with the arrival of former police support Alice as a probationary detective constable. Further, Alice is to be under his management, which George finds quite puzzling and he wishes Josie had not been promoted to detective inspector. Alice’s relationship with forensics’ Dr Michael Swift is changed by her access to his hero, George. They begin a humorous rivalry over gaining his attention, of which George, of course, has no idea.

Bespoke TAILOR Billy is murdered on a train to Bristol. No one can work out why a seemingly inoffensive man would cause anyone to murder him and also remove his luggage. Thus George becomes fascinated by the dynamics of the tailoring business now run by Billy’s twin sister Gwen. This is an amusing sub plot. Though something of a fantastic plot involving Chinese spies and fairly unbelievable in places I really enjoyed reading this novel. I don’t know why they haven’t made a TV series of George Cross yet. He would make a fantastic character for TV.

I read a proof copy provided by NetGalley and the publishers. I’m very grateful they thought of me again.

Excellent writing as always, Tim Sullivan 's character George Cross is genius. This story presents quite a challenge for George and his team. His insights are at times hilarious or profound and his very direct nature brings out the best in his team. My all time favourite detective stories.

I love George Cross! What a fantastic and utterly complex character this is but it is what makes you really enjoy reading the books. A bit different storyline wise compared to the others, but don't let you detract from what is a great read. All the main police characters are back along with Raymond, Christine and Stephen - it is a side line to them which is just as fantastic as the main storyline, which was very enjoyable to read too. Highly recommended!

What starts as the murder of a tailor on a train turns into a complex and original plot involving Chinese spies. This is another great read in the DS Cross mystery series. I love the humour and the dynamics between George and others in the team. The inimitable George has to be one of the best creations in modern detective fiction. The series just gets better with each book.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an arc in exchange for an honest review.

Such a wonderful series of books and this one is no exception. The storyline would be enough on its own but George Cross carries it to a whole new level. As always, his unique perspective shapes the progress of the plot but it’s done with an unintentional humour that you can’t help but warm to.

This latest George Cross novel is the best so far. A tense and fast-paced story liberally laced with humour. In this book DC Macenzie is assigned to work alongside George to replace the newly promoted DCI Ottey. She quickly learns how to "manage" his quirks, jumping in to cover his brusque statements and questions with the polite niceties of conversation and keeping track of him when he does a disappearing act. She has come a long way from being clerical staff in the earlier books. The best bit though, comes toward the end of the book where George copes with a tense situation in his own unique way.

Oh, George, how I've missed you!

I absolutely adore this series and get genuine butterflies when a new installment lands in my inbox. Everything and I mean everything, gets pushed aside so I can while away a few hours with one of my all time favourite characters, George Cross.

DS George Cross is a bit of enigma to the majority of people he comes across. Being on the spectrum makes him come across as abrupt, rude, standoffish and even emotionless but it also makes him tenacious, unstoppable, unflappable and one hell of a detective.

This is book #8 in the DS George Cross series and with each new book my adoration for him grows. The series just gets better and better the further into it we get, each one bringing a fresh, unique plot that feels just as exciting, thrilling and unputdownable as the very first.

In book #8, a bespoke tailor is found murdered aboard a train from Bristol to London. His throat slit and a freezer bag placed over his head. His luggage and suit carriers are missing.

Investigating, Cross deduces that this wasn't simply a murder, someone was after something, something obviously important, but what?

Newly promoted, DI Josie Ottey is still protective of her old partner and trying to navigate training his new partner, someone who has worked with the team previously, probationary DC Alice MacKenzie. Alice is struggling to keep a hold on Cross and his wandering ways but used to his manner, soon figures out a way to keep track of him, which comes in handy later on.

This was a complex, multi layered plot that had many paths to keep track of. A seemingly placid, workaholic, murdered tailor. His scientist chinese wife. Government secrets and the reprisal of a past character Toby Fletcher.

Alongside the main plot we also have the life of George, Raymond and Christine bubbling in the background, which I absolutely love. Without doubt, George's interactions with his parents make me smile every single time.

I must admit, I actually roared with laughter in a particular section of this tale. Without spoilers, at one point George, unsure how to control his emotions decides to just 'chat' to two men, the way he just went off a on a tangent had me properly belly laughing, I still chuckle now just thinking about it.

Lastly, one phrase I never thought I'd see.... George Cross has swagger!

Side note: I'm not in love with the new cover I must admit, I much preferred the previous designs!

Huge thanks to Netgalley and Aria & Aries for the ARC.

DS George Cross is amazing as a detective, his dogged pursuit of answers is remarkable, hie social skills on the other hand leave a lot to be desired.
In this case a man travelling by train is killed on board. The man was a tailor, an unremkable man with no secrets, until Gei=orge finds them
Another brilliant book in the series. George Cross is one of my favourite detectives.

#NetGalley #Aria&Aries #TheTailor #TimSullivan #DSGeorgeCross

Tim Sullivan's George Cross series is one of my favourites and The Tailor is another brilliant story. A man is murdered on the train to Paddington and George and his new partner are assigned to the case. It's great to have the police team back again. The plot is complicated and interesting. I love the author's extensive research attention to detail.

The latest in the excellent DC Cross series is another fantastic read. Cross’s neurodivergence provides some genuinely funny moments, and his relationship with his (newly reconciled) parents is sensitively dealt with. The police procedural aspect of the book is very well crafted and kept me turning the pages till the early hours. I love this series and hope there are many more books to come.

I have been a fan of Tim Sullivan right from the beginning I enjoyed his books and the way he crafts his stories, so I was very excited to be allowed to preview his next book.

For me this was the very best in the series, beautifully written with characters that have continued to mature involved in a complex storyline that kept me intrigued from the first to the last page. Loads of details that make the story real, plot twists that you don’t see coming and an excellent conclusion that leaves you with a very satisfying end. I loved this book and the care and attention that Mr Sullivan brings to all his work. Unlike some other authors each of his stories brings a freshness that doesn’t use a formula but original thinking.

I highly recommend this book and the whole of the series to you!

DS George Cross is my absolute favourite fictional detective.

In this eighth instalment, The Tailor, it sees DS George Cross with a new partner, DC Alice McKenzie. Despite knowing Alice, he’s struggling getting used to having a new partner.

A tailor is found murdered in Bath on a London-bound train and Cross is called to investigate. Cross focuses on the tailor’s missing suitcase and suit bags believing that they are central to the case. With Cross and his process, he thoroughly researches fine bespoke tailoring and goes so far as have a bespoke suit made. His fastidiousness sees him and Mackenzie leave no stoned unturned to honour the murder victim and uncover the truth.

It is punctuated with humour and with the kindness of Cross’s support network of his father Raymond, mother Christine, priest Stephen and his former partner Ottey.

This series of books are pitch perfect and Tim Sullivan has truly created a one of the kind detective in DS George Cross.

Huge thanks to NetGalley and the publishers, Aria & Aries, for making this e-ARC available to me in exchange for a fair and honest review.

It is official - I am in love with DS George Cross! ‘The Tailor’ by Tim Sullivan is the eighth book in this wonderful series, but can easily be read as a stand-alone. However, I would urge you to read the whole series as it is some of the best crime fiction being written at the moment. It is intellectual, without being overbearing, and is full of empathy and love!

When a tailor is found dead in a train toilet, it is clear that it is murder, and George and the team are called in to investigate. The fact that he is a tailor gains George’s attention and, in his usual manner, becomes slightly obsessed with the process of making a bespoke suit. But there doesn’t seem to be a reason why this devoted family man would be targeted. The team are stumped but are soon pulled into a world they had not expected…

George is on the spectrum and has numerous ways in which he annoys his colleagues and family. But they also adore him, as do readers. He may not deal with change well, but he is like a hound dog once he gets a case. He picks up on details others might not, and it is laser-focused when it comes to investigating them.

George may be the attraction, but the mystery aspect of the books is always top-notch, and this was again the case for ‘The Tailor’. It was nuanced and intricate, with a few red herrings and subtle reveals peppered through the narrative. The standard of writing was superb, and it is clear that the author researched the topics.

It is hard to put down these books when you get started, and that was certainly the case here. I really look forward to reading this series, and I promise I am going to savour the experience and end up bingeing it in one sitting! But it was deliciously good. Roll on the next one.

Let me know if you pick this one up!

This was another fabulous read in the George Cross series with a slight change of dynamics in the station with Ottey working as a DI in her own right leaving George in need of a new partner. This case has a different feel about it to others due to the complexities that it slowly revealed and a different look at how justice can prevail. Despite the gruesome crime and the obstacles in solving it there's a brilliant balance with the humour of his new partner trying to manage him as well as the issues George has with his parents. The crime itself is really well thought out with some intriguing elements and I love how it gave George a new obsession as this series is as much about how he functions with life as much as his detective skills. I'm looking forward to seeing how the station dynamics progress in the next book especially in regards to his boss as this altered their relationship considerably.

The Tailor by Tim Sullivan is book 8 in the DS George Cross series. It is published on 16 July. Thank you to Netgalley and Aries Fiction for an early copy. This is such a wonderful series which I love. George is an amazing character, complicated but in some ways very simple. He's on the spectrum and has his own way of dealing with things. Usually pedantic and fixated, but it gets results. A man is murdered on a train, a tailor. George and Ottey are called in to investigate as the Railway Police are caught up with Glastonbury. George doesn’t take long to focus on an irregularity in the case which, to him, is a possible lead. From there, the case takes on a fascinating slant with MI6 featuring. George and Ottey are both great characters. I love how annoyed Ottey gets with George’s behaviour at times, when he feels he is being quite reasonable. He takes things literally. Their interaction makes me smile. His family relationships are causing him some confusion, and this certainly adds to this gripping story too. I really look forward to each new book in this series, which is brilliant.

If you are new to Tim Sullivan's stories about DS George Cross then you are in for a treat with this latest edition plus you can look forward to catching up with many previous books in the series. George suffers from Aspergers Syndrome and at a time where the neuro diverse hero seems to be in vogue in books, it is worth reflecting on previous fictional sleuths who were characterised as being "quirky" but could well have been on the spectrum. Sherlock Holmes, Hercule Poirot, Frank Columbo, Monk. So George is in good company and like his predecessors uses his obsession with detail and process to his advantage when solving crimes. It also creates a greater level of complexity to his character and his struggles to deal with "neurotypicals" make for a great deal of humour.
In this story George has to solve the mystery of a bespoke tailor who is found dead on a train in what seems like an execution. Of course he gets completely seduced with the ancient and precise craft of hand made tailored suits but it just adds to the mystery of why someone from this world would warrant a professional hit. Adding to his woes are the loss of his partner Josie Otley with whom he had established a tolerable working relationship. She is now a DI, effectively his boss, and has to somehow persuade George that her replacement, DC Alice MacKenzie who is still on probation, will be a good fit. She also has to persuade Alice that a partnership with George is not the hell she imagines it will be!
Tim Sulivan is a great author both with the strength of his characters and their interactions and also his plots and schemes. His books are very readable and packed with humour along with complex crimes to solve. I would recommend this to any lovers of murder mysteries who need a bit of sweetness to balance the bitter darkness!
Many thanks to the Publishers and Netgalley for providing access to this pre publication edition.

Another unputdownable George Cross murder mystery. This is an excellent series in which each new book not only involves a mystery, but also develops DS Cross’ character as he reacts to the changing circumstances in which he finds himself. This time, for instance, George has a new work partner, a change that he does not welcome but which his new colleague manages well. And there’s also a bonus espionage twist.
I am already looking forward to his next challenges.

Thank you to NetGalley and Aria & Aries for an advance digital copy of this book in return for an honest review.

George Cross has to be my most favourite detective! The Tailor is book 8 in the George Cross Mystery books which can be read in any order. George’s character is so well written and it was great to see him trying to understand strange emotions that were new to him in this book. He has such a unique way of thinking and talking (or not talking!) A really great story with a clever storyline complete with twists.

The blurb:

“Measure twice. Cut once.

A bespoke tailor boards the 10:00 train from Bristol to London. Before it reaches Bath, he's found dead in the toilet, his throat slit and a plastic bag pulled over his head.

DS George Cross deduces that this wasn't a robbery – nothing about the killing is random.

It's an execution.

George's investigation brings him dangerously close to a cold and merciless world. And is it his imagination or is he being followed?

With the highest conviction rate of any officer in the force, someone will do anything to stop George from getting to the truth.

This time, the next cut could be meant for him...”

Reviewed on Goodreads and Fable

I just couldn’t wait to read this as I love George Cross, if you’ve never read this series, please read now as you are missing out. The characters and the plots are first rate and a ‘must read’ for me. A complete joy.

The Tailor by Tim Sullivan is another George Cross police mystery and it is a very satisfying read. A bespoke tailor enters the 9.26 train from Bristol to London. Before the tailor even reaches Bath his body is found slumped in the toilet, having been murdered.
D.S.Cross realises, it was a professional hit. This realisation causes Cross into an unfamiliar world, which is merciless. George wonders at times if he is followed. George Cross is tenacious and always gets to the truth but this time someone wishes to stop him by force, if necessary..
In this eight book of the series, George Cross encounters Chinese agents, South Korean hit men and MI6 and still manages to find the truth or as near as he can in this murky world of industry espionage and foreign agents.
Highly recommended

I am a little bit in loe with the character of George Cross. At times throughout this book he seems utterly bewildered and then at others, he is in complete control, enjoying the nugget of information he has that his colleagues haven't yet worked out.

The plot is centred around the murder of a man who turns out to be a tailor. Cue George developing hyperfixation on tailoring techniques and fabrics.

As usual, Tim Sullivan has written the plot and characters well. I deliberately waited until a non-working day so I could read it in one sitting. An excellent read.

Tim Sullivan has done it again. Another classic George Cross investigation. Our hero hates change, and in this outing he gets change in abundance, new partners, new bosses, new subordinates and worst of all a new house guest!!!. Each of these changes discombobulates, but true to his character, he soldiers through, and in the face of heavy internal pressure to drop the cases solves not one but two murders.
Most heart warming of all was the opportunity George Cross, and the reader, was given to discover the real esteem in which has colleagues hold him. He is cantankerous, difficult, insensitive and totally unaware of these faults, and yet, and yet, friends and colleagues admire his strength of purpose and his success; they are prepared to swallow being offended and insulted because they understand and respect the character inside.
Brilliantly and perceptively written. Keep them coming Tim.