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The Patient

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The Patient

By: Tim Sullivan
Narrated by: Finlay Robertson
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About this listen

Introducing your new crime thriller fix:

Bristol detective DS George Cross, champion of the outsider, the voiceless and the dispossessed. DS George Cross can be rude, difficult and awkward with people. But his unfailing logic and dogged pursuit of the truth means his conviction rate is the best on the force.

An outsider himself, having been diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder, DS Cross is especially drawn to cases concerning the voiceless and the dispossessed. Now, Cross is untangling the truth about a young woman who died three days ago. With no fingerprints, no weapon and no witnesses, the Bristol Crime Unit are ready to close the case.

The coroner rules suicide: the woman had a long history of drug abuse. But her mother is convinced it was murder: her daughter has been clean and sober for over two years.

DS Cross is determined to defy his bosses and re-open the case, even if it costs him his career. Soon he is mired in a labyrinth of potential suspects—but can he solve the case before his superiors shut it down for good?

©2021 Tim Sullivan (P)2021 W F Howes Crime Crime Thrillers Fiction Genre Fiction Medical Mystery Police Procedural Small Town & Rural Thriller & Suspense World Literature Thriller
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I am working my way through the DS Cross series, and while the stories are not particularly original, they are well written. The autistic detective idea works quite well. What is irritating is that the narrator stumbles over the occasional word that he should have highlighted in preparation. Eg: pronouncing “hyperbole” as “hyper bowl”. A quick Google search provides guidance for the uncertain.

Occasional clumsy pronunciation

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I loved this audiobook. The story, the narrator, the characters are excellent and with surprising ending.

Has become me favourite series.

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I like the "ordinariness" and realism of the characters. As usual, great plot that kept you guessing all the way through.

Gripping

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Awesome character analysis with insight into people on the spectrum. Solid plot with interesting outcome.

Great characters

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Tim Sullivan understands his characters’ behaviour, particularly DS Cross, who is on the spectrum. I love the way he interacts with everyone and the fact that he is an organist. The ending is already making me think about the next novel.

A Brilliant Author

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Nice twist that kept you guessing - easy to follow and entertaining! Recommend to anyone wanting a light, interesting story

Nice long story

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Terrific story and characters that are developing nicely. The Patient was once again a story that kept you intrigued until the very end.

Brilliant again

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An enlightening insight into the mind of an autistic person who is a professional police officer, confronting a dreadful murderer. A fascinating book that kept me guessing all the way through. Well narrated.

Brilliant book!

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I love my murder mysteries. I found this the best by far. The characters are complex but believable. The plot full of enough twists and turns to hold interest without introducing so many red herrings (as some of his peers) to frustrate the reader trying to predict ahead. In short, we are borne along the journey just as the detectives in our book.

Best So Far.

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I love DS Cross and his coterie of colleagues. A very interesting take on the odd-ball expert detective, and the plot is entertainingly complex. However, disappointingly, there are some glaring factual errors that required disbelief to be very actively suspended. Spoiler alert - this review discloses some crucial plot lines, so stop reading if you don’t want to know who dunnit.
Firstly, the distinction drawn between heroin and diamorphine is fallacious - a minor issue that would not trouble most readers, and can be let go easily enough. However, the assertion that a doctor can unilaterally order a hasty cremation when a person is thought to have suicided is ridiculous. It is a legal requirement that all such cases are referred to the Coroner, and cremation or burial can then only be authorised by the Coroner once the circumstances have been investigated and they are satisfied that foul play can be ruled out. So the central plot device is, alas, rubbish, a flaw that greatly diminished my enjoyment of an otherwise well-written procedural.

Great characters, particularly the enigmatic DS Cross, but serious flaws in the plot

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