Wulf's Book Reviews

The Hunter by Tim Sullivan Four stars out of five. “The Hunter”, Tim Sullivan’s Christmas story, gives George Cross two problems: a murder in a frosted hedgerow and what to buy his mother. At the centre is Cross’s clockwork approach to routine, which brings a familiar mix of precision and gentle humour. One small domestic observation captures his perspective: »This didn’t make a lot of sense to Cross who saw a lot of sense in eating the same thing as often as possible.« It is a lovely reminder that what seems obvious to someone else may not be obvious to him. Sullivan never makes Cross merely eccentric for effect; his way of seeing the world shapes the humour and the investigation alike. The Christmas thread gives the case warmth, while the murder remains central. I enjoyed returning to Cross and watching his methodical habits at work. My only reservation is length: the story ends just as I wanted more time with him and the characters around him. It is a pleasant visit, and I would g...

The Teacher by Tim Sullivan Five stars out of five. “The Teacher”, Tim Sullivan’s sixth George Cross novel, opens with an elderly schoolteacher’s death and an account of events that does not quite fit. The mystery’s pleasure lies in the small discrepancies that remain after everyone else thinks they have an answer. That is precisely the territory in which Cross excels. Cross’s clockwork precision is the book’s chief pleasure. His attachment to routine is stated plainly: »He liked regularity in his life. It removed unpredictability.« His routines are not simply a source of comfort; they train his attention to disruptions that others overlook. On a case, a break in routine is not noise to ignore but a signal to examine. Sullivan makes Cross’s autism part of the way he sees and orders information, without turning it into a magic power. He returns to records, tests assumptions, and follows a line of thought to its end. Even after the apparent case has narrowed, he has »systematically and...