The Bookseller is the seventh book in this series by Tim Sullivan. The first book was The Dentist, I think. The titles all seem to be related to professions and can be read in any order.

The protagonist of this series is neurodivergent and brings his perspective to all he does (not that this is surprising). This time, as the title tells readers, a bookseller is murdered, not necessarily so usual in that profession. Who killed him and why?

Add suspects, relationships in Cross's life, a case to solve, and the ingredients for a good mystery are all there.

This is my first read by the author. It will not be my last.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Bloomsbury USA for this title. All is my own.

The Bookseller by Tim Sullivan is a highly recommended procedural and the seventh book in the series featuring DS George Cross.

Torquil Squire is the 90 year-old owner of Squires Rare Books in Bristol. The family business is currently ran by his son Ed, with assistants Sam and Persephone (Percy). When Torquil heads to London for the day to attend a rare book auction, he returns in the evening to find his son, Ed, dead and Percy locked in the bathroom upstairs. DS George Cross and his partner DI Josie Ottey are called in to investigate and must figure out who would want to kill Ed and how the business of rare and antique books works.

George Cross is neurodivergent. He is a tenacious, brilliant, and insightful investigator who is also socially awkward and struggles following social cues. On the job his differences make him a formidable investigator who can follow and catch clues others might miss. At the same time as the murder investigation is underway George's father, Raymond has a brain tumor diagnosis. He has a stroke during surgery and is now facing a longer recovery. His father's situation makes George consider retiring from the force to care for his dad.

For those who enjoy following the clues in detailed, intricate procedurals, The Bookseller would be a good choice. This is part of a series though it can still be enjoyed as a standalone novel. However, it is easy to see where reading the previous books in the series would be beneficial. It did seem a little long and drawn out at times. Thanks to Aria & Aries for providing me with an advance reader's copy via NetGalley. My review is voluntary and expresses my honest opinion.

The review will be published on Edelweiss, Barnes & Noble and Amazon.

'It's remarkable how much crime there is in the book world. I had no idea,' Cross began.
'What do you mean?' asked Sam.
'Well, the impression it gives, or maybe we as the general public infer, is of a polite, rarefied, well-mannered, possibly old-fashioned, world. But look a little more closely, under the surface, and it's far from the truth. Fakes and forgeries have been going on for centuries. In modern times you only have to look back at Book Row in New York, theft was rife,' Cross began.

I love a good brilliant neurodivergent character, so I jumped at the chance to read this! I hadn't read any of the earlier books in this detective series, but now I'll be adding them to my TBR. DS Cross was such an endearing character; I loved all his quirks and idiosyncrasies. I get him.

When the body of a bookseller is discovered lying in a pool of blood, it challenges the preconceptions of bookselling as a quiet, peaceful profession. Detective George Cross is the perfect investigator for this case, dismissing false leads and honing in on clues that others might not notice. We are soon caught up in a web of family drama, death threats, Russian oligarchs, forgeries, and sellers pursuing more money than you would think possible in the world of books.

This is not a fast-paced action thriller, but a complex and slowly moving investigation as Detective Cross puts the pieces together while dealing with distractions in his personal life. I had an inkling of who might have done it, but I was not prepared for the twists this took! If you are at all interested in the world of rare books, this is such fun exploration of the drama behind the scenes!

Thank you so much to Bloomsbury/Head of Zeus and Netgalley for this book!

Thanks to the Arie & Aries and Netgalley for this eARC.

Tim Sullivan’s "The Bookseller" plunges readers into the intricate world of Detective Sergeant George Cross, a brilliant yet socially unconventional investigator whose meticulous approach is both his greatest strength and his deepest vulnerability.

In this latest installment, Cross tackles the enigmatic murder of a bookseller, unearthing layers of secrets hidden in the dusty aisles of literature and in the lives of those connected to the victim.

Sullivan’s storytelling is razor-sharp, weaving a plot that is as intellectually satisfying as it is emotionally poignant. The setting—a realm where the scent of old books mingles with the aura of suspense—serves as a character in itself, immersing readers in a rich atmosphere that lovers of both literature and mystery will relish.

What sets "The Bookseller" apart from conventional crime novels is the depth of George Cross’s character. Sullivan masterfully portrays his challenges in understanding human emotions, making his victories all the more gratifying for the reader. Cross’s methods may be unorthodox, but his relentless pursuit of truth is inspiring, and his growth throughout the narrative adds an unexpected layer of heart to the story.

The supporting cast provides a dynamic backdrop to Cross’s investigations. Their interactions with him—ranging from frustration to admiration—highlight the complexities of working alongside someone as unique as the detective. Sullivan balances these relationships with finesse, ensuring they enhance rather than overshadow the central mystery.

The plot itself is a well-crafted puzzle, with twists and revelations that keep readers guessing until the final pages. Each clue is meticulously placed, making the resolution both surprising and satisfying. Sullivan avoids clichés, instead offering a fresh take on the genre that feels authentic and engaging.

"The Bookseller" is not just a crime novel; it’s an exploration of individuality, determination, and the connections that define us. Tim Sullivan has created a literary gem that will appeal to fans of intricate mysteries and character-driven stories alike.

Whether you’re new to George Cross’s world or a returning admirer, this book is a must-read.

The rarified atmosphere of antique books…and murder!

Another intriguing murder mystery with DS George Cross and his partner Josie Ottey at the helm. Their chief DCI Ben Carson as always ready to jump the gun and announce to the media situations that needed to be back tracked on.
A bookseller of rare books is found murdered in the kitchen above the bookshop. His rather strange niece who acts more like a sixteen year old than in her late twenties / early thirties was downstairs attending to some display items and knew nothing.
Edward Squire was the son of well known and respected bookseller, Torquil Squire, the proprietor of Squire Rare Books in Bristol.
With George, we delve into the realm of all things rare books; collectors, including a Russian Oligarch, forging marginalia and signatures, and the selling of stolen goods.
It’s into this world DS Cross and his partner Josie, now a Detective Inspector are immersed.
(Let’s just say that promotion causes Josie and to some extent George some concern with a very DS Cross reaction.)
As well George is looking at how to care for his father Raymond. In the process he learns new things about himself.
As ever, a rewarding read.

A Bloomsbury ARC via NetGalley.
Many thanks to the author and publisher.
(Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.)

Most readers at some point in their history have entered a used book store on a quest to find a certain book that they've been looking for forever. The person manning the store is a bookseller. Someone who actively searches, usually on request, for titles to fill in the gap left in collections or libraries. Some books, you have to OWN. I've been both the buyer and the seller, so when I came across this book title, it was a "must read". Then I met George. A DS who's just a little....no.....quite a bit different than the others. This is book #7 in the series and I have discovered a new author to follow and a new character to love.

A bookseller is murdered in his own store. No one saw anything or knows why violence was required in this transaction. Enter DS George Cross. He has a reputation among his co-workers of seeing the clues others miss and remebering small details that become important later on. His habits and manners are on the edge of unacceptable, unless you know that he solves his cases. George's character has grown and matured through the series but now we learn more of his life outside work. As readers sort through the clues, the murderer becomes clearer and the motive appears. Just when you KNOW who it is, nope, you've missed a clue. This was such a great police procedural plus the characters feel like friends, some good, some maybe not so good. But overall, this is a series that everyone who loves great mysteries should add to their list and maybe even jump line to the top.

This is the seventh book in the DS Cross Thriller series, but it is the first one I have read. Tim Sullivan is a totally new author for me, but the title caught my attention as well as the cover. I love books and most things about books and libraries, so I had to pick it up. Also, with there being seven books already in this series, I felt like I was missing out.

Description:
THE SETTING
The body of a bookseller is discovered, lying in a pool of blood in his Bristol bookshop. Police have one question: how did the man meet such a violent, murderous end in this peaceful place?

THE CONFLICT
DS Cross's ability to dismiss red herrings is challenged by a worrying development in his personal life. Hopelessly distracted, he needs to rely on those around him in a way he has never been comfortable doing before.

THE MURDER PLOT
It may be a quiet profession, but it's full of passionate, ambitious characters who know the value of a rare book. Their extensive reading means they also know how to get away with murder.

But is that enough to fool the tenacious DS George Cross?

My Thoughts:
I have to say I liked DS Cross as a character and will probably need to go back and read more of the earlier books in this series. I enjoyed his quirkiness with his inability to handle social situations well. The mystery kept my focus, but even though I thought I knew all along who the killer was, I could not have been more wrong. The real killer surprised me to say the least. I enjoyed this book. The literary atmosphere and the ongoing feud among the booksellers provided the perfect backdrop for the story. The plot was intriguing with lots of facets - even a Russian oligarch. There were some red herrings and numerous twists. Anyone who enjoys a good mystery should enjoy this one.

Thanks to Bloomsbury USA | Head of Zeus -- an Aries Book through Netgalley for an advance copy.

I must start by thanking both NetGalley as well as the publisher for my eARC in exchange for my honest review.
Disappointing. All that was there that drew me to this series is now somehow lacking. We now must assume that we know that DS George Cross is an obstinaat, painfully difficult, brilliant police officer. It was seeing these played out that made the series, and the character lovable. Sadly this is now lacking in this edition.

"SOMEONE'S ABOUT TO TURN THEIR LAST PAGE...

THE SETTING
The body of a bookseller is discovered, lying in a pool of blood in his Bristol bookshop. Police have one question: how did the man meet such a violent, murderous end in this peaceful place?

THE CONFLICT
DS Cross's ability to dismiss red herrings is challenged by a worrying development in his personal life. Hopelessly distracted, he needs to rely on those around him in a way he has never been comfortable doing before.

THE MURDER PLOT
It may be a quiet profession, but it's full of passionate, ambitious characters who know the value of a rare book. Their extensive reading means they also know how to get away with murder.

But is that enough to fool the tenacious DS George Cross?

Perfect for fans of MW Craven, Peter James, and Joy Ellis, this is the seventh book in the bestselling series, which can be read in any order."

I think DS Cross has a lot to learn about books and booksellers...

Though this is the seventh in the DS George Cross series, it can be read as a standalone because it’s easy to pick up on the characters’ personalities, and their back stories are filled in smoothly and efficiently. It becomes clear immediately that Cross, a detective with the Bristol CID, is on the spectrum, but his abruptness and literal-mindedness don’t bother his colleagues and family. His colleagues, especially his partner, Josie Ottley, value his doggedness and insightfulness. Even his ambitious and none-too-brilliant DCI, Carson, has learned that what sound like challenges and maybe even insults from Cross, are just George being his usual blunt self.

On the home front, George lives with his beloved father, Raymond, his mother having left the family years before. Raymond is proud of George, and they have a regular routing of Chinese takeaway on Wednesday nights, George’s organ practice on Thursdays, and so on.

But George’s home and work routines are upset as the action begins. Raymond has a slow-growing lung tumor that he is insisting on having removed, despite his advanced age and the risk of surgical complications. George’s mother has returned to help out, which is fine with Raymond, but hard for George to process. At work, Josie has been promoted to DI, which usually means a move to a different job, maybe a different station. It’s been hard for George to get on with partners in the past, but he and Josie have worked well together. Now all that seems at risk. George has a lot on his mind, and not even a new and difficult murder case can completely occupy his attention.

After a pleasant auction trip to London, the elderly Torquil Squires returns after hours to his old bookshop, whose attic also includes a small apartment that he lives in. He’s shocked to discover his son, Ed, who also works in the bookshop, has been stabbed to death in the shop. When George and Josie arrive, they find Torquil’s grand-niece Persephone cowering behind the locked door of Torquil’s bathroom. She is able to provide some scant information about an overheard altercation and a man fleeing the scene. Interviews with Ed’s family, and the other bookshop employee, Sam, lead to the possible involvement of Russian mobsters and even skulduggery in the country’s book trade. It takes thorough and insightful work from George and Josie to find the killer—which requires stopping DCI Carson more than once jumping the gun and charging the wrong suspect.

The book has a mildly humorous tone and is a satisfying police procedural. George reminds me a little of Professor T on the mystery series of the same name.

Of course I found the title irresistible, and the premise was cool: bookseller found stabbed to death in a British vintage bookshop.
But the cast of characters was hard to keep track of-is this an aunt, or a stepmother? Brother or son?- and the reader is bounced between possible culprits like a ping pong ball.
I liked the main characters, though. One male investigator, clearly on the spectrum, and his female partner who's great at teaming up with him, despite his idiosyncracies.

This is my first DC Cross thriller. It's a great read for those looking for an easy to follow procedural, and reads well as a standalone. I'd heard a lot about this series and glad it can live up to the hype. The equal focus on the detectives personal life and the case at hand helped me engage with his idiosyncrasies, and who does not like a thriller set in the worlds of books? I learnt something new!

The first of this series I’ve read but will read more. Characters are well developed. I enjoyed George’s relationships with family and colleagues. Plot was well written with lots of twists

Thank you to Bloomsbury USA | Head of Zeus and NetGalley for the eARC. This is the seventh in the DS Cross books by Tim Sullivan.

DS Cross and his team are called to a local bookstore where the propreitor's son is found dead in an upstairs office. The owner, an elderly fellow, was away in London for the day attending an auction and visiting old haunts. He's in the process of retiring and handing the shop over to his now deceased son. It's a well respected business, and reputation is everything in the book trade. The detectives have trouble believing that the gentile world of books could harbour such resentment as to cause murder. Turns out there's more jealousy and deviousness in the book trade than in a good mystery novel. Also thrown into the mix is a personal situation that DS Cross must get to grips with.

DS George Cross is on the autism spectrum. He's challenged by interaction with the public and needs routine. He's learned to deal with the public the best he can in his job, aided by co-workers and his family. While it can easily be read as a stand-alone, I highly recommend reading the entire series to understand how George has leaned to cope and understand all the character dynamics. This is a well written book with an interesting plot, and fascinating characters. 4 out of 5 stars.

I would rate this book a solid 4.5 starts. The series is very engaging. The stories are a slow burn, with solid detective work until the end.

Cross and Ottey are a strong team because she gets him and his quirks better than anyone else on the force. There are many changes to George’s personal and professional life which keep the series very engaging. His father’s illness causing unexpected changes to his solid and orderly life.

When Ed Squire is found dead in his book shop, there are a surprising number of suspects. The world of book collecting is exposed along with Ed’s personal life. Slowly and methodically George is able to peel back the layers to get at the truth from Ed’s family and coworkers.

I will continue to read this series. The end of the book hints at the possibility of George switching professions, but hopefully not yet. Thank you to Netgalley, the publisher and the author for a chance to read and review the latest installment in a series that I thoroughly enjoy.

The Bookseller is the first full length novel that I've read by Tim Sullivan, and I have have mixed feelings about the experience. On the one hand, the premise is intriguing, the main character is unique in his quirks and the other characters are well rounded and relatable, and the mystery to be solved has a good number of suspects with viable motives.
On the other hand, the book took me what seemed forever to get through. It is, in a word, slow. I'm usually a fast reader, but this book was such a slow build that I often considered putting it aside; however, its base storyline had me hooked and I persevered.
Will I read any more books by Sullivan? I'm not sure, but I doubt it. This one seemed too much like work in the end.
I do appreciate receiving the ARC of #TheBookseller from #NetGalley.

neurodivergent, secrets, bookseller, justice, family-business, family-drama, family-dynamics, family-expectations, relentless, unputdownable, crime-fiction, rare-books, procedural, murder-investigation, working-partners, middle-aged, sly-humor, British-detective, fractured-families*****

DS George Cross and his partner (recently promoted) DI Josie Ottey become entangled in the bewildering murder of a relatively quiet bookseller at the longtime family business owned by the 90-year-old patriarch. The case and the characters steadily become more complex and the mystery more compelling. I thought it did OK as a standalone as this is the first DS Cross mystery I've read and enjoyed.
I requested and received a free temporary uncorrected ebook file from Bloomsbury USA | Head of Zeus -- an Aries Book via NetGalley. Pub Date Apr 15, 2025
#TheBookseller by #timsullivanauthor #DSCrossThrillersBk7 #headofzeus #bloomsburypublishing
#NetGalley #goodreads #bookbub #librarythingofficial #barnesandnoble ***** Review #booksamillion #bookshop_org #bookshop_org_uk #kobo #Waterstones #neurodivergentDetective #BritishDetective #MurderInvestigation #FamilyDrama

2 stars.

DS George Cross is investigating the case of a dead bookseller found in his bookshop in Bristol. What happened and why?

This is the seventh book in a series about the autistic detective; I had not heard of the books before. I only chose this because it is about a bookseller and a rare book.

I found this a bit dull. I kept forgetting who the characters were and I didn’t find Cross compelling enough nor a good enough police officer to put up with all his nonsense (given the way he treats his superintendent I’m surprised he still has a job.). Maybe I would have enjoyed this more if I had read some of the earlier books, for example there was clearly considerable backstory with his mother which went completely over my head.

I was not really a big fan of this book. The premise was pretty good, but the execution of it was not that great. the writing style was lacking, the descriptions were not descriptive

Thank you to NetGalley, to the author, and to the publisher for this complimentary ARC in exchange for my honest review!!!

Thanks to Bloomsbury USA and NetGalley for this free ARC in return for my honest review.

Book 7 in the DS Cross series, and this was actually the first one that I read. Enjoyed this so much that I now own all the others in the series. Cross is a rather unique detective who appears to be autistic - it may have been explained in prior books - he is a creature of habit with few social graces, and yet he is able to solve crimes by seeing, remembering and analyzing evidence that others miss. Here a bookseller is found dead on the floor of his rare book store. There are connections that lead this case in multiple directions and the solution of which is quite well plotted and disguised. I like the characters, and considering this is Book 7 of the series it certainly is easily read as a Stand Alone.