The Cyclist
A DS George Cross Mystery
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- Pre-Order
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- Expected Jan 13, 2026
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- $12.99
Publisher Description
“A perfect detective for our time and for all time.”—Stephen Fry
“One of the most iconic British fictional detectives of the 21st century . . . a delight.”—Daily Mail
Detective Sargeant George Cross returns to solve the case of a mangled body on a construction site and uncover a life of illicit drugs in the second book in Tim Sullivan’s internationally bestselling series
DS George Cross has unique and unmatchable talents. He uses a combination of logic, determination and exacting precision to get answers where others have failed for families who have long given up hope. So when a ravaged body is found in a local demolition site, it's up to Cross to piece together the truth from whatever fragments he can find.
From the faint tan lines and strange scars on the victim’s forearms, Cross meticulously unravels the young man's life, delving into the world of amateur cycling, an illicit supply of performance enhancing drugs, jealousy, ambition and a family tearing itself apart.
Cross’s relentless pursuit of the truth and eccentric methods earn him few friends. But just as the police seem to be nearing a conclusion, he doubles back. Could it be the biggest mistake of his career?
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Sullivan's shrewd second procedural featuring neurodivergent detective sergeant George Cross (after The Dentist) opens with Cross being called to the site of a Somerset demolition crew's grisly discovery. When the crew leads Cross to the male corpse wrapped in polythene that they found in an abandoned garage, the meticulous DS deduces that the victim is a cyclist, based largely on his tan lines and "disproportionately muscular thighs." Eventually, Cross's colleagues identify the dead man as Alex Paphides, who had been abusing performance-enhancing drugs while training for a challenging race, and may have gotten himself in hot water in the process. Aiding Cross in investigating Alex's death is his partner Josie Ottey, a single mother who must frequently apologize for Cross's brusqueness and distaste for social pleasantries. Early in the novel, Ottey observes that Cross's empathetic deficiencies make him a good interrogator ("Suspects were unnerved by his demeanour and often made the mistake of letting it encourage them to underestimate him"), and Sullivan brilliantly exploits those same qualities to make Cross a memorable protagonist. Clever plotting, a robust suspect list, and scrupulous fair-play detection add to the fun. This series continues to impress.
