Tim Sullivan talks to Paul Burke about his new George Cross crime thriller, THE TAILOR, Josie Ottey, autism, film, becoming a bestseller, Simenon and The Dagger in the Library.

The Tailor: Measure twice. Cut once.
A bespoke tailor boards the 10:00 train from Bristol to London. Before it reaches Bath, he's found dead in the toilet, his throat slit and a plastic bag pulled over his head.
DS George Cross deduces that this wasn't a robbery - nothing about the killing is random.
It's an execution.
George's investigation brings him dangerously close to a cold and merciless world. And is it his imagination or is he being followed?
With the highest conviction rate of any officer in the force, someone will do anything to stop George from getting to the truth.
This time, the next cut could be meant for him...

Tim Sullivan is an acclaimed screenwriter. He originally read English and Law at university - the latter forced on him by his Dad - but instead he wriggled free of those parental ambitions and pursued his own, to make films. His writing credits include A HANDFUL OF DUST, starring Kristen Scott Thomas, WHERE ANGELS FEAR TO TREAD, starring Helen Mirren and Helena Bonham Carter, JACK AND SARAH (which he also directed) starring Richard E Grant, Judi Dench and Ian McKellen and LETTERS TO JULIET, with Amanda Seyfried. He is also a Television director whose credits include SHERLOCK HOLMES and COLD FEET and CORONATIONSSTREET. He has written extensively in Hollywood in both live action and animation, working with Ron Howard, Scott Rudin and with Jeffrey Katzenberg on the fourth SHREK movie.

He has now embarked on a series of crime novels featuring the autistic, and brilliantly persistent DS George Cross.

He self-published the first two books and once they'd achieved over 200,000 downloads he came to the attention of Head of Zeus publishers. So thanks to all his readers for this success and their shared love of George.

The novels are set in Bristol in the south west of England, Cross’ methods often infuriate his colleagues and superiors “not so much a thorn in my side as a pain in my arse,” according to his boss DCI Carson. But his conviction rate, thanks to his dogged persistence and attention to detail, is the best in the force. Tim has now written the first four in the series with The Patient being published on March 3rd 2022.

Tim feels confident in his claim that he is the only crime writer around who has also co-produced and written a My Little Pony movie for Hasbro. MY LITTLE PONY - A NEW GENERATION is now available on Netflix.

Tim lives in North London with his wife Rachel, the Emmy award-winning producer of THE BAREFOOT CONTESSA and PIONEER WOMAN. Their daughters live near by.

Recommended: Northanger Abbey Jane Austen, Ripley Patricia Highsmith, John le Carré, TV – The Pitt.

Paul Burke is the editor of Aspects of Crime. His first book Spies on Screen will be published later this year.

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