| Publisher | Head of Zeus |
|---|---|
| Date Published | 02 March 2023 |
| ISBN-10 | 1801107793 |
| ISBN-13 | 978-1801107792 |
| Format | paperback |
| Pages | 416 |
| Price | £ 9.99 |
The Politician
by
DS George Cross brings his exceptional skills as an investigator to the case of a burglary that may have been cover for murder.
Review
Police procedurals are not normally my furst choice of reading material, but I may have to revisit that view as I know there are great examples of the genre out there. The Politician is a case in point.
This is the fourth in Tim Sullivan Bristol based crime series, but it was the first time I’ve met his protagonist, DS George Cross, an almost instantly likeable man on the autism spectrum who displays somewhat quirky social behaviour.
The initial crime scene appears to be a burglary gone wrong at the home of the wealthy Peggy Frampton, who has been found dead. Valuable jewellery stolen from the family safe supports the view that robbery was the motive. Peggy is a community-minded former mayor turned blogger. She has potential enemies from her time in politics, as well as opponents of the views she expresses in her blog posts. She has a history of not supporting certain property projects in Bristol, so much of the development community is not enamoured of her.
To add to the mix, her family is not a picture of perfection either. Although Peggy has a daughter who is a successful doctor, she also has a chronically unfaithful criminal lawyer husband, as well as a son with a gambling addiction who is in debt to criminals. Family members also have links to both the development community and other local personalities.
Sullivan assembles a great list of potential malefactors and several possible reasons for Peggy's murder. The directory of characters remains manageable and doesn’t become over-subscribed with a cast of thousands.
Cross has exceptional awareness levels for some things, but is often poor with social interaction. His literal interpretation of events does provide some lighter moments. He doesn't really drink, nor dine out, and plays an organ in a church for social rather than religious reasons. He'd rather not eat than have someone disturb him at his daily breakfast at Tony's.
Cross's immediate boss, Carson, who is mostly side-lined for this case, is not an ally, but his closest colleague definitely is as she has been through multiple previous investigations with Cross. So too is their ultimate superior who has come in to oversee the case operationally. Unlike Carsen, she immediately recognises Cross's talents.
Sullivan introduces a social thread in examining Cross's family history. George was seemingly abandoned by his mother when he was five but, as is often the case, things are not always as they seem. She has re-appeared in person once she discovered that Cross had made inquiries about her.
I didn't feel at all disadvantaged by not having read the previous books in the series, so The Politician can easily be read as a standalone.
It’s hard to know where to start praising this book. I enjoyed the portrayal of he ‘on the spectrum’ Cross, as well as Tim Sullivan’s writing and observational skills and the way he assembled the crime clues to deliver the story's denouement. All these factors played a part in producing this gem of a book.
This is the fourth in Tim Sullivan Bristol based crime series, but it was the first time I’ve met his protagonist, DS George Cross, an almost instantly likeable man on the autism spectrum who displays somewhat quirky social behaviour.
The initial crime scene appears to be a burglary gone wrong at the home of the wealthy Peggy Frampton, who has been found dead. Valuable jewellery stolen from the family safe supports the view that robbery was the motive. Peggy is a community-minded former mayor turned blogger. She has potential enemies from her time in politics, as well as opponents of the views she expresses in her blog posts. She has a history of not supporting certain property projects in Bristol, so much of the development community is not enamoured of her.
To add to the mix, her family is not a picture of perfection either. Although Peggy has a daughter who is a successful doctor, she also has a chronically unfaithful criminal lawyer husband, as well as a son with a gambling addiction who is in debt to criminals. Family members also have links to both the development community and other local personalities.
Sullivan assembles a great list of potential malefactors and several possible reasons for Peggy's murder. The directory of characters remains manageable and doesn’t become over-subscribed with a cast of thousands.
Cross has exceptional awareness levels for some things, but is often poor with social interaction. His literal interpretation of events does provide some lighter moments. He doesn't really drink, nor dine out, and plays an organ in a church for social rather than religious reasons. He'd rather not eat than have someone disturb him at his daily breakfast at Tony's.
Cross's immediate boss, Carson, who is mostly side-lined for this case, is not an ally, but his closest colleague definitely is as she has been through multiple previous investigations with Cross. So too is their ultimate superior who has come in to oversee the case operationally. Unlike Carsen, she immediately recognises Cross's talents.
Sullivan introduces a social thread in examining Cross's family history. George was seemingly abandoned by his mother when he was five but, as is often the case, things are not always as they seem. She has re-appeared in person once she discovered that Cross had made inquiries about her.
I didn't feel at all disadvantaged by not having read the previous books in the series, so The Politician can easily be read as a standalone.
It’s hard to know where to start praising this book. I enjoyed the portrayal of he ‘on the spectrum’ Cross, as well as Tim Sullivan’s writing and observational skills and the way he assembled the crime clues to deliver the story's denouement. All these factors played a part in producing this gem of a book.
Reviewed 09 September 2024 by John Verpeleti
