Cathy's Reviews > The Monk

The Monk is the fifth book in the author’s series featuring DS George Cross of Avon and Somerset Police. I haven’t read any of the earlier books in the series but the fact I really enjoyed it means it can definitely be read as a standalone. Having said that, I think it would be great to read the series from the beginning to witness the development of Cross’s character and his professional partnership with fellow DS, Josie Ottey.

The quote by Stephen Fry on the front cover describes Cross as ‘the perfect defective’ and in many ways he is. He’s precise, logical, persistent, meticulous and sees patterns in things that others miss. He’s become good at observing individuals’ gestures, patterns of speech and facial expressions in order to determine whether they are telling the truth. ‘He had learned how to read facial expressions in his typically thorough way… For him it was an acquired skill, like a second language.’ But Cross’s blind spot is judging others’ emotions and for this he relies on Ottey. Theirs is a really successful symbiotic relationship and I liked the mutual understanding that has developed between them. And since George often takes things literally, it provides Ottey with opportunities for some gentle teasing.

The search for a motive is at the forefront of Cross and Ottey’s investigation. It involves piecing together myriad fragments of information about Brother Dominic’s former life in an effort to work out why anyone would want to kill a monk and, just as importantly, why now? The book’s intricate plot meant I suspected just about everyone and was wrong on each occasion. The notes I kept while reading the book is largely a list of characters with the question ‘red herring?’ alongside their name, the answer invariably turning out to be, yes. The author keeps the reader guessing until almost the last page. It probably won’t surprise you that it’s Cross who eventually uncovers the evidence that identifies the culprit and that all important motive, even if it does turn the investigation on its head. It’s that nagging doubt that he just can’t ignore.

Lovers of police procedurals will enjoy the scenes describing the interview of witnesses, the search for forensic evidence and the perusal of CCTV, phone records and social media. Possibly the only unrealistic element is the amount of police resource that seems to be available to deploy to the case, but this is fiction after all.

I have no experience of working or living with a neurodivergent person so it’s difficult for me to judge how well George Cross represents a person on the autistic spectrum but I liked the fact his different way of looking at the world is shown to be fundamental to his success as a detective. It’s a positive not a negative, and I admired that. I also found it touching to see his attempts to ‘train’ himself in the interpersonal skills that do not come as naturally to him as to others. For example, remembering to ask Ottey’s first question when interviewing a witness or suspect, ‘Would you like a drink?’.

The Monk is a skilfully crafted and ingenious crime novel with a really engaging protagonist that will keep you turning the pages. George Cross has a new fan.