Blog Tour/Feature Post and Book Review: The Dentist by Tim Sullivan

The Dentist (DS George Cross #1) by Tim Sullivan

#TheDentist #DSGeorgeCross @TimJRSullivan @damppebbles #damppebblesblogtours

Hi, everyone!

Today I is my turn on the blog tour for the first book in a new British Police procedural/mystery series featuring a rather unique protagonist. I am excited to be sharing my Feature Post and Book Review for THE DENTIST (The DS Cross Mysteries Series Book #1) by Tim Sullivan.

Below you will find a book blurb, my book review, an about the author section and the author’s social media links. Enjoy!

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Book Blurb

A homeless man. Violently strangled. No leads. Except his past.

An outsider himself, DS George Cross is drawn to this case. The discovery of the dead man’s connection to an old cold case then pulls Cross in further. Convinced this is where the answer to the murder lies, he sets about solving another that someone has spent the past fifteen years thinking they’ve got away with.

Cross’ relentless obsession with logic, detail and patterns is what makes him so irritatingly brilliant. It doesn’t exactly make him popular with colleagues or his superiors, though. He has numerous enemies in the force wanting to see him fail.

Red flags are soon raised as suspicious inconsistencies and errors in the original detective’s investigation come to light. Now retired, this ex-cop has powerful friends in the force and a long-standing dislike of Cross.

Set in picturesque Bristol in the Southwest of England, it’s not long before the city reveals its dark underbelly, in a case of intriguing twists and turns whose result astonishes even those involved.

Difficult and awkward, maybe. But Cross has the best conviction rate in Avon & Somerset Police. By far. Will this case put an end to that?

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/54030721-the-dentist

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My Book Review

RATING: 5 out of 5 Stars

THE DENTIST (DS Cross Mystery Series Book #1) by Tim Sullivan is the first book in a new British police procedural series with an intricately plotted mystery and a rather unique protagonist. A DS with Asperger syndrome would seem unlikely, but the syndrome is on a spectrum and his absence of social skills and empathy is more than compensated for by his meticulous pursuit of facts and justice.

DS George Cross has the best conviction rate in the Avon & Somerset Police. The prosecuting lawyers all love to get his cases because every fact is checked and in a logical order for an easy conviction. This attention to detail does not always make Cross an easy person to work with though. He is brilliant at his job, but he is not good with his colleagues. He does not understand many social cues that everyone else takes for granted.

A homeless man is found murdered. Cross and his partner Ottey begin to investigate and soon find a suspect, but Cross does not believe he is responsible for the man’s death. They discover that the wife’s murdered man was a much loved dentist until the murder of his wife fifteen years previously. Cross believes the solution to their present case will be solved with the resolution of the wife’s murder.

Suspicious inconsistencies begin to be raised in the original investigation. Now retired, the officer in charge of the wife’s murder is hiding something behind powerful friends on the force. Cross and Ottey are following a trail that will shock all involved.

I enjoyed this new DS protagonist and all of his quirks. The rapport between Cross and Ottey is revealed throughout the story and as much as Ottey complains, she also finds Cross interesting and someone she can learn from. The third person working with Cross is Alice Mackenzie who is a police trainee. She is innocent and eager, but she has to learn how to interact with Cross which leads to some humorous exchanges and no recognition of her hard work except in Cross’ mind because he does not feel it is necessary to verbalize. The plot is very detail oriented with plenty of twists and surprises. I liked every revelation of character and plot in this mystery which made for an excellently paced read.

I recommend this mystery and DS Cross. I am looking forward to many more books in this series.

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About the Author

TIM SULLIVAN made his first short film before graduating from Cambridge University. His ambition to become a screenwriter was formed not so much by this experience but as an attempt to foil his father’s determination to turn him into a lawyer.

Within weeks of leaving university armed with a law degree he had met the film maker Derek Jarman and persuaded him to commission an original screenplay from him entitled BOB UPADOWN and so a career was born.

A few months later he joined Granada Television as a researcher. Here he was commissioned to write the first of many television scripts for the company. Two sitcoms entitled THE TRAIN NOW LEAVING and THE GREASY SPOON followed by the crime dramas MYSTERIOUS WAYS and MAIGRET.

While at Granada he was selected for the prestigious Directors’ Training scheme when only 26. Previous encumbents had included Mike Newell, Roland Joffe, and Michael Apted, more recently Julian Farino. Among other credits he directed CORONATION STREET, MADE IN HEAVEN, THATCHER THE FINAL DAYS and THE CASEBOOK OF SHERLOCK HOLMES with Jeremy Brett.

During this time he also co wrote the screenplays for the movies A HANDFUL OF DUST starring Kristen Scott Thomas, Judi Dench and Alec Guinness and WHERE ANGELS FEAR TO TREAD starring Helen Mirren and Helena Bonham Carter, both with producer the legendary TV producer Derek Granger (BRIDESHEAD REVISITED).

Upon leaving the bosom of Granada and venturing into the wild wide world of the freelance film maker he wrote and directed the movie JACK AND SARAH starring Richard E Grant, Samantha Mathis, Ian Mckellen, Judi Dench and Eileen Atkins. This led to a commission from New Line Pictures to write the screenplay WALKING PAPERS based on the Jay Cronley novel of the same name.

This screenplay came to the attention of execs at Universal and Imagine who then asked Tim to do a page one rewrite of a western for Ron Howard entitled THE PRETENDERS. Tim enjoyed working with Ron for over a year on this.

He then wrote an original screenplay, PERSONAL SHOPPING, which was promptly snapped up by Paramount for producer Scott Rudin.

He spent four months working for and with Jeffrey Katzenberg at Dreamworks animation as a production writer on the movie FLUSHED AWAY. Impressed by his work Katzenberg commissioned him to write a script for SHREK 4 which wasn’t used as a different storyline was decided upon as a director came on board.

During this time he was actively involved in British television directing the last ever ninety minute episode of the BAFTA award winning series COLD FEET. As well as a TV movie for ITV called CATWALK DOGS written by Simon Nye.

He was commissioned by the BBC to write a pilot for a TV series he invented called BACKSTORY as well as another pilot for the ITV network entitled OFFSPRING.

He also wrote HIS MASTER’S VOICE for the BBC as a radio play starring Rob Brydon which was broadcast in 2015.

He recently wrote the screenplay for LETTERS TO JULIET starring Amanda Seyfried and Vanessa Redgrave.

Oscar winning producers of The King’s Speech, Iain Canning and Emile Sherman then commissioned an original screenplay from him entitled THE WEDDING DRESS.

Tim is writing and co-producing and co-writing an animated feature screenplay for Hasbro and Paramount which is in production and scheduled for release in 2021.

He has now embarked on a series of crime novels featuring the eccentric and socially-awkward, but brilliantly persistent DS George Cross. Set in Bristol in the south west of England, Cross’ methods often infuriate his colleagues and superiors “not so much a thorn in my side as a pain in my arse,” according to his boss DCI Carson. But his conviction rate, thanks to his dogged persistence and attention to detail, is the best in the force. The DENTIST is in the first of a series.

Tim lives in North London with his wife Rachel, the Emmy award-winning producer of THE BAREFOOT CONTESSA and PIONEER WOMAN.

He is currently the UK chair of the Writers’ Guild of America (West).

Social Media Links

Twitter: https://twitter.com/TimJRSullivan

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/timjrsullivan/

Website: https://timsullivan.uk/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/timsullivannovelist/

Purchase Links

Amazon UK: https://amzn.to/3ginNGt

Amazon US: https://amzn.to/3gjS7AB

Waterstones: https://bit.ly/3hnLO0b

Barnes and Noble: https://bit.ly/2QksVPQ