The sixth book in this excellent series featuring DS George Cross. As with the previous five books, this is an excellent read. The writing is well done, easy to read and has just the right amount of humour. The plot is intriguing and complex and full of twists. The cast of characters just get better and better with George the obvious highlight.
Highly recommended.

I read the except from this to start with so I was very happy to get to finish it. Let me just say that I like the character of George Cross so much, that I just went back and bought the first book to read.

George has Asperger’s and this gift to his personality makes him an extremely talented detective. It is interesting how the people around him react to his no nonsense personality traits. He is literal and cannot understand societal niceties. This black and white view to a murder investigation helps him to assess the evidence and come to correct conclusions whereas other detectives have a hard time putting their feelings aside. His partner, Ottey, works hard to make others understand him and his methods.

I am looking forward to reading the other books in the series although this works fine as a standalone novel. Thank you to Head of Zeus, Netgalley, and Tim Sullivan for introducing me to this quirky and interesting new series to enjoy.

I have been meaning to read a Tim Sullivan book for a while so decided to finally dip my toe in the water by reading “The Teacher”. Although this is the sixth book in the DS George Cross series I was instantly into the story and the lead character himself. Easily works as a standalone but I was only a few chapters into this book when I decided to get all the previous books. George Cross is a fascinating character who suffers with autism which adds another layer to him.

An eighty year old man is discovered murdered in his home in a village in South West England and instantly arouses the interest of DS George Cross. His body is positioned as if he fell down the stairs but a stab wound reveals something else. In the two weeks before his murder Alistair Moreton was acting completely different from the very private person he was and locals were convinced he had someone in his house when they went to see him. Alistair was reluctant to let them in his house and it was thought it was due to the visitor. Although Alistair was known as a generous, charitable man he was not popular and made the lives of his neighbours and ex pupils a misery. This type of behaviour made the suspect list longer than usual and there was plenty of investigating for DS Cross to do.

The plot was well thought out and well written but it was the strength of the character DS George Cross that really made this novel stand out for me. I fully intend to follow this book up by reading the previous five books in the series which I fully expect to only appreciate the series even more.

I would like to thank both Netgalley and Aria & Aries for supplying a copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review.

Please Tim Sullivan could you write a book a month, as I need my DS George Cross fix, I love this character so much and as much as I want to read the newest book there is always a part of me that regrets it when I've finished, In The Teacher poor old George has got to juggle alot of changes , His dad wants to go away and his partner DS Josie Ottey is off as well as shes moving house so Goerge finds himself partnered with the odious new detective "Warner" who doesn't get George at all. Let the fun commence.
The way Tim Sullivan writes makes these stories so enjoyable even though they deal with murders, Georges idiosyncrasies are what make the series and the bit with the two interviews definitely had me chuckling away when I was reading it in the middle of the night. Please, please never finish this series.

This is the latest by Tim Sullivan in his delightfully engaging crime series featuring DS George Cross of Somerset and Avon police, on the autistic spectrum, with the best crime solving statistics, but not good with people. To help him, he has his own office, which he loses when incoming DI Bobby Warner of Kent Police is seconded after DS Josie Ottey goes on leave, moving house, with her mother who helps look after her children. Warner turns out to be a provocative and offensive officer, who constantly insults and sidelines George, making it acceptable for others, such as Murray to do so too. He apparently has a excellent record but has neither the patience or skills to understand George, but George has a team behind him, which includes Alice McKenzie, and goth Dr Michael Swift who adores George.

The cantankerous elderly retired headteacher of a Catholic boys prep school, Alastair Moreton, is found murdered in his home, and his neighbours, Londoners Barnaby and Tamsin Cotterell, with whom he had been in constant conflict since their arrival become prime suspects. Moreton is a difficult customer, living alone, a man of routines and rituals, set in his ways, insisting on speaking his opinions at length at the parish council meetings, but still there were locals who found time for him. Why would anyone want to murder him? His son is a media savvy, right wing MP, facing a byelection, keeping a close eye on the investigation. Whilst Warner goes ahead with arresting Barnaby with what looks like sufficient evidence, George is not happy, feeling more inquiries are needed.

Sullivan does a stellar job in developing George's character over him coming to terms with his father, Raymond's growing relationship with his mother, Christine. Additionally, there is the intelligent development of DCI Ben Carson, whose changing circumstances make him far more amenable to Josie's request for leave, and apart from the blip in initially supporting Warner, his wholeheartedly backs George, referring to him as Sherlock Holmes in comparison to Warner's Inspector Clouseau. We discover just how nasty a piece of work Warner is with the inclusion of a horror of a gritty contemporary storyline when it comes to the police, involving Alice, with Carson putting his full weight behind his support of Alice. A brilliant addition to a brilliant crime series! Many thanks to the publisher for an ARC.

Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher and author for this eARC.

I think The Teacher is an excellent addition to the authors George Cross series. The book hit the ground running with Cross at a murder scene of an elderly man with his boss Carson. The story flows easily and in my opinion the pacing is spot on. Cross has to work alongside DI Warner whilst Ottey is on leave. I loathed Warner with a passion, there isn't anything likeable about him and he deserves all he got. There are some very humourous moments between him and Cross that I liked. Warner rushes to charge a suspect - has he got the right man though? The plot line is intricate with layers of deceit, lies and subterfuge that Cross and Ottey unravel. I loved being back in the world of Cross and Ottey and I can picture them in my mind when reading. I liked the character development of Carson and Mackenzie - they both came into their own with Carson coming across as much more likeable. I love following these characters in their investigations as well as the glimpses into their home, personal and family lives too. Overall another great read from Tim Sullivan and I look forward to the next book. If you're a fan of police procedurals and like a Detective who is different from the norm you'd like this book and series, and I'd recommend this read.

4.5 stars ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Oh what a brilliant book, this series gets better with every instalment. George Cross is such a well imagined character, in the hands of a lesser author, he could have become a little ‘one note’, but here he is starting to learn certain behaviours. Great plot too, with plenty of red herrings. My goodness, can’t believe how fatherhood has changed Carson for the better and I really enjoyed his understanding of George. I wish this author could write a new book every week, but then they wouldn’t be as good. Already looking forward to the next one.

DS George Cross , Avon and Somerset Major Crimes Unit #6

80-year-old retired headteacher Alistair Morton is found dead at his cottage and George is on the case, unfortunately not with his usual partner DS Josie Ottey, who is on leave. George has the “misfortune“ to be working first with his boss, DCI Ben Carson, and subsequently, the even greater misfortune to be working with DI Bobby Warner, temporarily drafted in from Kent. Who would want Morton dead? The deeper George digs, the more the questionmarks appear. However, what is patently obvious from the start is that Warner and George are on a collision course.

This is another excellent addition to a series, which I really like. I love George who has become a firm favourite in police procedural/mystery/thrillers. He has autism spectrum disorder or condition as he prefers, which makes him an excellent officer as his record substantiates. Such a pity that Warner doesn’t appreciate George in the way he should be appreciated
but what this does do is to create a fascinating storyline. Warner starts off as arrogantly obnoxious and becomes even more odious with time and parts of this storytelling are dark. There’s some excellent interaction between George and Warner, one which is farcically funny but it becomes less funny with every passing offensive insult from Warner. Whilst he is a character to loathe he does bring a gritty edge to the evolving multilayered plot.

The deeper George’s investigation into Morton goes, the more cans of worms are opened with a widening suspect pool. Morton proves to be a man who invokes strong emotions, especially from his time when he was a headteacher. I love that George ploughs his own furrow with a little help from his friends, police staff officer Alice McKenzie, forensic investigator Dr Michael Swift, and of course, Josie Ottey. George is more than capable of getting one over on Warner and as always, I totally root for him.

There is much to praise here. There’s just the right blend of the personal with the investigation. As ever the dynamics between George, his wonderful father Raymond, and his mother, Christine, newly back into his life, are a source of fascination. It’s complex and never dull. There are some terrific scenes, such as in the interview room and in the court room with some scenes that make you gasp in shock.

Overall, this is yet another well written novel which has me gripped throughout. Will George get his “man“ or will Warner beat him to it?

With thanks to NetGalley and especially to Aria and Aries for the much appreciated arc in return for an honest review.

This is a sample from the next book in the DS Cross series and what a teaser! I am sure this will be another excellent read from the author. I love the writing style and character development, the plotting is clever and Cross's autism is described skilfully. I am sure this will be a great addition to the series. Thanks to Net Galley for my ARC.

Fabulous read, plenty of red herrings and i did not guess the outcome. Autism is not something you come across in many police procedure reads so this made the book stand out for me. Original with many smile moments. An outstanding book. My thanks to netgalley and the publisher for my copy.

This is the first Tim Sullivan book I’ve read but I’m definitely going to look for his previous George Cross stories as I absolutely loved his character. The book itself is slow paced but still very engrossing and both how DS Cross mentally processes things due to his Autism Spectrum Disorder and how others respond to him makes for brilliant reading never mind the investigation itself. I really enjoyed the secondment of DI Warner whose approach to investigating is the polar opposite to DS Cross but some of his actions such as the desk situation genuinely got me cross on Cross’s behalf, totally wrongly handled imho however the side story involving Warner was also incredibly relevant. My suspicions as to the perpetrator were correct but the process of Cross getting there was compelling and highly enjoyable. 9/10

I adore this series and I don't think there is another detective out there who I cheer for more than DS Cross.

For those unfamiliar with Cross, he has Autism Spectrum Disorder which, understandably plays a significant role in his crime fighting capabilities. What he lacks in social skills and 'normal' social awareness, he more than makes up for in his ability to see things that others don't. Whilst some colleagues are taken aback by his approach, what I love about Cross is that he is supported by an excellent team around him who will do anything to protect him.

Sullivan's books are somewhat unimaginably titled, with each title simply giving the basic description of the victim. The Teacher here was elderly and long retired, the fact that he kept himself to himself means that Cross has a difficult time trying to piece together his life.

However what becomes clear is that there are long buried secrets in The Teacher's life which are soon revealed along with a number of motives and suspects....

Thanks to Netgalley and Aries and Aries for an ARC in exchange for an honest review

I really enjoy the George Cross books, he's a character I've become very fond of in the short time we've been acquainted.
What starts out as a murder of a poor defenceless old man, twists and turns into something quite different.
It definitely had my brain working hard.
I'm also enjoying the progression of all the side characters, and their interactions, some of which amuse me, even in their frustration
It's a series I hope we are going to see a lot more of.