The Cyclist by Tim Sullivan

 When a construction crew starts to demolish a row of garages, a body is discovered.  DS George Cross and his partner, DS Josie Ottey are assigned the case.  It takes a while to identify the body but it turns out to be Alexander Paphides, son of Greek immigrants.  He and his brother run the family Greek restaurant and Alex is an avid cyclist.  He had not been reported missing because his family thought he was on a cycling trip abroad.

Cross is autistic so although he in actuality leads the investigation, DS Ottey is the officer in charge.  She knows how to work with Cross better than anyone and is working on his social skills as well.  There are several possibilities for who might be the killer.  Alex was caught up in the world of doping to improve his cycling performance.  Could he have gone astray of local drug dealers?  In his thirties, he is dating a sixteen year old waitress from the restaurant and now she is pregnant.  Could that be the motive?  Then there is business.  Alex wants to expand from their Bristol location and have a second restaurant in London.  His brother and partner is adamantly opposed.  Could that have sparked murder?

This is the second novel in the George Cross series.  Readers will be fascinated to see how he has made a life that works for him and how his mind works to unravel the mystery.  Those around him, like the new police intern Alice, learn to work in the ways that George can process.  His strength is looking at the little details that tend to slip through the cracks and that often can provide clues that can change the whole focus of the investigation.  This book is recommended for mystery readers.