The George Cross mysteries feature a detective "on the spectrum." He seems to have no interest in dating or sex, so his family life is centered on his parents. (By contrast, "The Tunnel," a TV series, features a neurodivergent detective who seems to have a robust sex life. I wonder if Tim Sullivan--author of the Cross novels--is aware of "The Tunnel.") George Cross grew up without a mother. For a long while, it was his belief that Christine, his mother, couldn't handle the challenge of living with a "special needs" child. But, in fact, Christine left for unrelated reasons. She discovered that her husband, Raymond, was gay; in that era, the "cleanest" solution seemed to be the act of disappearing. I think Sullivan could dig deeper here. There was really no other way for Christine to cope with complications? The author's "blurriness" around the Christine question is one of the weakest aspects of the George Cross books. ...