In a village in South West England, an elderly man is found dead in his home. The angle of his neck says he fell down the stairs. But the stab wound on his body tells a different story.

In the weeks before his murder, Alistair Moreton changed. He always kept to himself, but people swear there was someone in the house when they checked on him. There was a reason he wouldn’t let them inside.

Prickly and miserable, Moreton wreaked havoc on his neighbors and his ex-pupils. While DS George Cross’s list of suspects is long, every victim deserves justice. But in all of Moreton’s years, there was something important he never learned: If you go through life making enemies, don’t be surprised when they teach you a lesson.

Praise for Tim Sullivan and the DS George Cross mysteries:

“A gripping, atmospheric police procedural.”—The Guardian

“One of the most iconic British fictional detectives of the 21st century . . . a delight.”—Daily Mail

“Old-fashioned in a good way . . . satisfying.”—Sunday Times

“I am insanely in love with George Cross, a perfect detective for our time and for all time. His complexity, orneriness and dogged persistence makes for such a complete and admirable hero . . . The Patient is a cracking mystery, full of twists and surprises to the end.”―Stephen Fry

“The fact that Cross has been diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder makes him just as intriguing as the murder mystery.”—The Times

“A compelling, suspenseful police procedural with an intimate, positive insight into living on the autistic spectrum.”—Woman

“A popular, must-read series.”—The Sun

“A clever mystery full of tension but also humour and compassion. George Cross is becoming one of my favourite detectives.”—Elly Griffiths

“These are must-read detective novels. George Cross is a great creation.”—Mark Billingham

“[This] is becoming a classic series.”—Imran Mahmood

“DS George Cross shot to the top of my favourites when I first encountered him.”—Mari Hannah