A man boarded a train from Bristol bound for Paddington Station in London. From there he was to catch a plane for China to inspect his tailor shop where his customers suits are sewn together after measurements were taken in Bristol. On the way to China he would stop in Dubai for two customer fittings and the suits were in carriers. But he didn't get off that train alive.
When George Cross investigated the crime he learned that the man was found in one of the train loos on the floor in a pool of blood. He had a plastic bag pulled over his face and a pen in his neck which aided in slashing his jugular vein. Thorough police work ID'd the body which turned out to be William Titcomb, one of the tailors of the noted family shop Titcomb and Titcomb, bespoke tailors. But his sister couldn't understand where his luggage went and why the suit carriers were missing. Eventually the luggage was found and its contents destroyed. Most disturbing were the basted suits-both were hacked into ribbons. What was so important about Titcomb's belongings that got him murdered and who was the culprit?
Was it William's perfect Chinese wife who set up the shop in China? Was it any of the Chinese employees who were sent to Bristol for training? Or could it have been the two South Korean tourists who's cars turned up on CCTV footage? There might also have been an MI5 British spy connection to the crime-Cross's skills were certainly being challenged in this case.
Of course he also had other worries. He acquired a new partner which greatly disturbed his routine and comfort level. His father was recovering well from his stroke but he and Christine, his ex-wife who came to be his caregiver, were not getting on well. And his new interest in the art of tailoring was taking him in a new direction-he now craved a bespoke suit.
Sullivan's detective, George Cross, is always a joy to follow as he uses fact and logic to solve the crime. The Tailor is the new book in this detective series whose titles have been released slowly in the States for the last year. In my opinion, it's the best of his eight adventures. Can Cross "thread the needle" this time? Read it and find out!
Reviewed by Donna Ballard
August 11, 2026
Reserve a physical copy - Coming soon
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