The Politician, Tim Sullivan

A ransacked room. A dead politician.

A burglary gone wrong – or a staged murder?THE DETECTIVEDS George Cross loves puzzles – he's good at them – and he immediately spots one when he begins investigating the death of former mayor Peggy Frampton. It looks like a burglary that went horribly wrong to most but George can see what others can't – that this was murder. THE PUZZLEAfter her political career ended, Peggy became a controversial blogger whose forthright opinions attracted a battalion of online trolls.

And then there's her family: an unfaithful husband and a gambling-addicted son. With yet more enemies in her past, the potential suspects are unending. THE SUSPECTSCross must unpick the never-ending list of seedy connections to find her killer – but the sheer number of suspects is clouding his usually impeccable logic.

He's a relentlessly methodical detective, but no case can last forever. And politics can be a dangerous game – especially for people who don't know the rules . . .