The Patient

The brilliantly twisty mystery with the unforgettable detective in 2026
Bristol detective DS George Cross investigates the suspicious suicide of a young woman in the third police procedural from veteran screenwriter Tim Sullivan.

Don't miss THE TAILOR, the brand new mystery in the million-copy-bestselling George Cross series - available to pre-order now.

No fingerprints. No weapon. No witnesses.

For days, George Cross notices the same woman sitting patiently in the reception of the Bristol Crime Unit. Eventually, he asks her why.

She wants to talk about her daughter’s death, officially ruled a suicide after a long history of drug abuse. But the mother insists she was rebuilding her life and had been clean for years. She knows this wasn’t suicide – someone did this to her daughter.

George doesn’t operate on hunches or gut feelings, he simply follows the evidence wherever that might take him. And the facts of this case tell him this woman was murdered.

He just has to prove it.

Perfect for fans of MW Craven, Ann Cleeves and Joy Ellis, The Patient is part of the million-copy-bestselling George Cross Mystery series, which can be read in any order, by the 2025 Crime Writers' Association Dagger in the Library Award longlistee.

ALSO IN THIS MILLION-COPY-BESTSELLING SERIES
#1 THE DENTIST
#2 THE CYCLIST
#3 THE PATIENT
#4 THE POLITICIAN
#5 THE MONK
#6 THE TEACHER
#7 THE BOOKSELLER
#8 THE TAILOR

CROSS CHRONICLE SHORT STORIES
THE LOST BOYS
THE EX-WIFE
THE HUNTER
THE BASKET CASE

'In DS George Cross, Tim Sullivan has created a character who is as endearing as any I’ve ever come across in this genre. His quirks are his gift, and with Sullivan’s tremendous plotting and superb writing, this series is a gift to readers.' Liz Nugent

Why readers love George Cross .

'A clever mystery full of tension but also humour and compassion. George Cross is becoming one of my favourite detectives.’ Elly Griffiths
'A British detective for the 21st century who will be hard to forget' Daily Mail
'A compelling, suspenseful police procedural with an intimate, positive insight into living on the autistic spectrum' Woman
'Truly wonderful . well-developed characters and an absolute star in George Cross!' Reader Review
'An entirely different type of detective in DS Cross' Reader Review

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