Brother Dominic from St Eustace Abbey is found dead in Goblin Combe but as little is known of his life before entering the monastery Detectives George Cross and Josie Ottley have no leads to go on and have to work hard to identify the reason why someone would want to kill him. ‘The Monk’ is based in Bristol when the dead body of Brother Dominic from St Eustace Abbey is found tied to a chair and lying face-down in a ditch. DS George Cross of the Avon & Somerset Police is quirky and completely different in the way he investigates cases. Although he has little sense of humour and a way of asking questions that isn’t always appreciated, there’s something about him that’s engaging that DS Josie Ottley acknowledges and they work well together. This novel has an interesting plot with well-developed characters and twists and turns, and although it’s the fifth book in the series it can be read as a standalone novel.