This is a sequel I like this authors writing. I enjoyed seeing the characters from book 1. This is set in my hometown so that always makes me enjoy a book a bit more. I was invested in the story

Really enjoyed this - will definitely be recommending and looking forward to the next one by this author!

I loved Man on the Street and was really looking forward to this next installment. Well, I wasn't disappointed!

Jimmy is still his determined, stubborn self who can't help getting involved even though he doesn't want to be involved.

A dark, gritty plot that keeps you hooked from the first page. I love the relationship between Jimmy, Gadge and Deano.

I can't wait to read more about this intriguing trio.

Jimmy Mullen , street detective , was homeless but is now living in a hostel and has found himself a girlfriend . Things are looking up for Jimmy , and then his homeless friend Deano needs his help to find what has happened to his brother Ash who is missing. . Ash's body turns up in a bin , he is just one of a rising number of troubled youths who have been found dead. Apparently when it is narrowed down the deaths are being caused by a bad batch of Spice that has hit the streets . Jimmy sets out to track the dealers and others responsible for these deaths . Great characters and an exciting story.

The first Trevor Wood book that I've read and what an introduction! Ex-navy police officer Jimmy is now homeless on the streets of Newcastle, and has formed close friendships with other men that live in the hostels and on the streets. He is desperately worried when Deano, a young man that he's close to, goes missing out of the blue. Jimmy's investigations uncover issues including drug abuse and dealing, domestic violence, smuggling, and many more things. The story rattles back and forward across north England, uncovering more and more grim truths as it does.
Thanks for the chance to read it, I will definitely recommend it to everyone who likes crime fiction

I have not read The Man on the Street and did not realise this was a second novel. I did not feel I needed to read them out of sequence although I will read the first one as I did not get the impression from reading One Way Street that I was missing anything character wise. I think it is good to read a second book and relate to the characters without realising they have come before. Happy days as I have a thing about reading books out of sync. I loved the story and particularly Jimmy and Gudge. Although I do not know much about homeless people family wise I could relate to the story as it went along and felt heartsore for them. The Pit Stop sounds wonderful and I know we have similar things locally. The story is about young adults and drugs. Jimmy finds himself in a position of helping Deano who is homeless to look for his brother Ashley. This leads to other youngsters in trouble, so good and some not so and Jimmy even though he suffers severally with PTSD and has had a temper in the past, he feels he needs to get involved even though deep down he knows it is not a great idea. He has a friend in the Police and looks to him for some help as well as Gudge at The Pit Stop. Eventually they find out what happened to Ashley which makes Deano revert to type drug wise. The story continues quickly and involves a girl in an all girls school, butter would not melt in her mouth – ummm and also the daughter of a Councillor. Not everyone with a good family home stay on the right side of the law as is proved. The problems turn out to be stolen drugs from some thugs and being a lethal lot of the drug spice. Jimmy is on the case with the help of his friends and eventually it all comes together in a great way of settling the story straight and ending. Could he be the next Columbo, Sherlock Holmes, Luther as the Councillor is willing to help him to be. Roll on book 3. As an aside we do not realise how lucky we are to have our own homes etc and Trevor Wood made me more aware of how difficult life is on the streets. I do my bit for the homeless just knitting hats, blankets etc but I do wonder if it is enough

You’re never quite sure if a second book will live up to expectations after such a brilliant debut but this absolutely does and how! I was so happy to catch up with Jimmy and his mates again back in Newcastle trying to get by with the rough deal life has dealt them.

This is a terrific sequel, tightly plotted and gripping with utterly believable characters, dialogue and wonderful touches of humour. I loved how the author is developing Jimmy as a character and the fact there was more focus on ‘crime’ in this book. Great descriptions of settings as well.

To get the most from this fab book, I’d recommend reading Man on the Street first, (you won’t be disappointed) but this would also work as a standalone. I’m eagerly looking forward to reading more from Trevor Wood, he’s one of my ‘must reads’ now!

I’d like to thank the publisher, Quercus Books and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Thank you to Netgalley for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This is a new author for me. I am now going to read his first book. I enjoyed this book so much. Move over Vera Stanhope there's a new kid on the block. A must-read.

A great return of some of the most unlikely heroes you would ever meet or even want to meet. The second in what must surely be a series this book is original and believable. Jimmy doesn’t always get it right but he always does what he does for the right reasons and that’s why he is so likeable.
I just want more and I’m sure this talented author will oblige in due course despite his complaints about writing sequels in the acknowledgements. … Sherlock Homeless has to be his next title.

Characters are excellent and an interesting plot that unfolds well, .Set in the dark, grim, reality of homelessness this book is full of twists and turns keeping the reader hooked. My thanks to NetGalley, the publisher and the author for an advance copy in return for an honest review.

A welcome return to Newcastle for the latest installment in the homeless veteran Jimmy Mullen
A batch of rogue "spice" is claiming lifes on the streets of the North East.
Mullen sets about those responisble for the drugs on the street and the deaths of a number of users including some that are close to him. Mullen is meant to stay out of trouble as he is on probation.
Does he ? No chance Mullen dives head first into tracking those responsible down.
Every bit as good, if not better than the first book
Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for the ARC in return for an unbiased review.

I received this book from the publishers via Netgalley for a review. A homeless ex soldier helps his friend to find his brother murder and intrigue ensues. Highly recommended read.

This is the second book in the series, but it can be read as a standalone. Whilst there is mention of the previous case, and some relationships are established, it does not affect the readability of the story. Characterisation is reasonably well done, it is not possible to fully understand any of the characters, but there is a sense in which this is being revealed over time. The effect of this is that the reader is unable to really empathise with any of them. Given the setting, the author uses a lot of colloquialisms not all of which are obvious unless you are familiar with the region. In addition, there is extensive use of location and this is accurate and adds to the realism of the story.

There is a lot going on in the plot and things happen quite often. There is not a steady flow of time and chapters jump forwards and backward. This aids in the pace of the story but undermines its credibility, that the central character can go through so much against such odds and come out of it relatively unscathed, he does seem to be rather lucky to get out of some situations. Nevertheless, all is certainly not smooth sailing and not all of the characters make it to the end.

The plot is interesting and there are a few twists to maintain interest. New characters are introduced towards the end of the book and this complicates the reading as it is not easy to remember who is who. This has an impact on the denouement as the pace increases and revelations are made. The is a tendency therefore to keep reading even when you lose sight of who the characters are.

Overall it is a good read, but could have been a little more fully developed in some areas. 3.5 Stars

I was not sure about this book when I first stated reading it. However, I found that as I got further into the book I started to enjoy the storyline more and more. I was halfway through before I realised that this was the second book in a street crime series. That did not matter as the book could have easily been a stand alone crime novel. I would consider reading Trevor Wood's first book just to see whether it was equally well written. I would very much recommend this as a very good read.

This is the second book by Trevor Wood and sequel to The Man On the Street, which I have not read, however, I am pleased to say that One Way Street work just fine as a stand alone thriller.
Set in Newcastle and Gateshead this down to earth, gritty, drama begins with the disappearance of Deano, a young homeless man and the search for him by two of his friends, Gadge and Jimmy. It transpires that Deano has been told by the vicar of St Thomas's that his brother is around in Gateshead and Deano, who was separated from his family many years back sets out to find him. One of the people Deano questions about his brother is a young well off girl, Ginger, who offers him some 'spice' and then locks him away for several days. By the time Deano gets out of the warehouse and reunites with Gadge and Jimmy, several people are dead and others in hospital. Jimmy sets out to track down who is dealing with what turns our to be an extra strong and potentially life threatening batch of the drug.
This story revolves around family relationships and friendships. The bonds between Jimmy, Gadge and Deano are very strong. They would got to the ends of the earth for each other. Jimmy is also trying to rebuild a relationship with his daughter, destroyed when he was put in prison when she was just a child, and his girl friend, Julie, who also has a son she is trying to get to know better.
The thing that came across particularly strongly in this book for me is the setting of Newcastle and the hard and terrifying life of those who live either on the streets or just above being homeless, in hostels, where they are very much at the mercy of the managers. Jimmy, barely surviving himself, and still suffering from crippling nightmares left from traumas suffered previously, lurches from hostel to Julie's flat, to homeless and to jail with the space of a few days. It is as well he has friends he can rely on and therein lies the nub of the book.
This book was slow to get going — there are quite a few strands going at the start — and there are some quite graphic scenes., but as the story builds it is hard to put down. The story finishes on a note of hope as it is suggested to Jimmy that he should become a private investigator - a sort of Sherlock Homeless - giving rise to a whole lot more books in the series.
Many thanks to Netgalley and Quercus Books for the chance to read this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

EXCERPT: One of the things he knew anything about was cars - he'd nicked enough of them - and he recognized the bare bones of some classics, even a newish looking Range Rover. His mum used to say that everything was disposable 'these days' - turned out she was right. He just wished the list didn't include him. Wanting to take a better look, he stood up too quickly and immediately felt sick again, ducking straight back down behind the shell of an old BMW, trying to get his breath under control, to stop his heart racing. It wasn't easy, not with them still after him, their knives ready to carve him open. If he listened carefully, he could hear them . . .

ABOUT 'ONE WAY STREET' (JIMMY MULLEN #2): A series of bizarre drug-related deaths among runaway teenagers has set the North East’s homeless community on edge.

The word on the street is that a rogue batch of Spice – the zombie drug sweeping the inner cities – is to blame, but when one of Jimmy’s few close friends is caught up in the carnage loyalty compels him to find out what’s really going on.

One Way Street sees the welcome return of Jimmy Mullen, the homeless, PTSD-suffering, veteran as he attempts to rebuild his life following the events in The Man on the Street.

As his probation officer constantly reminds him: all he needs to do is keep out of trouble. Sadly for him, trouble seems to have a habit of tracking Jimmy down.

MY THOUGHTS: Trevor Wood has created some very interesting characters. Not only Jimmy who suffers from PTSD, but the older Gadge, bordering on genius, the young Deano, a child really, substance and drug abuser, and, of course, Dog. All people with good hearts. Their methods of getting to the truth may be somewhat unorthodox, but they make for a damned good read. Even the skeptical policeman, DS Burns, whose life Jimmy saved in 'The Man on the Street' is an interesting character and comes into his own in this second book. Jimmy isn't slow to call in favours from him, but not so quick to share his information.

Even though this book is centred around drug dealing, something I usually prefer not to read about, I was excited to pick up 'One Way Street'. Wood's writing is easy to read, his dialogue natural. The plot swept me along and I became so caught up in the machinations of the characters, that the subject became almost irrelevant.

There is almost a little romance for Jimmy, and he reconnects with his ex-wife, mother of his daughter Kate. There is a lot of development in all the characters. We learn a lot more about the backgrounds of Gadge and Deano, and Jimmy once again demonstrates his unswerving commitment to his friends. Stubborn but loyal to a fault.

Wood also highlights the plight of the homeless, the reality of their situation, the difficulties they face; things that most of us give little thought to.

There is a great deal of violence in this book, but nothing that seemed gratuitous. It is the world as it exists for the people that this trio get involved with.

I am looking forward to meeting Jimmy (Sherlock Homeless) and his friends again. Nice work Mr Wood. P.s. - I enjoyed the pizza joke 🤣😂

⭐⭐⭐.8

#OneWayStreet #NetGalley


THE AUTHOR: Trevor Wood has lived in Newcastle for twenty-five years and considers himself an adopted Geordie. He's a successful playwright who has also worked as a journalist and spin-doctor for the City Council. Prior to that he served in the Royal Navy for sixteen years. (Google Books)

DISCLOSURE: Thank you to Quercus Books via Netgalley for providing a digital ARC of One Way Street by Trevor Wood for review. All opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own personal opinions.

For an explanation of my rating system please refer to my Goodreads.com profile page or the about page on sandysbookaday.wordpress.com

This review and others are also published on Twitter, Amazon, Instagram and my webpage

I did not realise this was book 2 about Jimmy Mullen until I was part way through. I did not feel that this hindered my reading in any way. A refreshing look at life on the streets through the eyes of those down there. Not that what was exposed was very nice but than a crime novel is never going to be. The characters and plot seemed very realistic and I really enjoyed reading it.

One Way Street is the second in the Jimmy Mullen series and had a pretty hard act to follow coming after the excellent The Man On The Street.

We find Jimmy at Christmas, sitting down to a festive Dinner at The Pit Stop, but he can't settle. His friend Deano has not been around recently and, knowing that he would never pass up tucking into a slap up Christmas dinner, Jimmy is worried. So 'Sherlock Homeless' gets on the case and manages to find out Deano is looking for his long lost brother who has apparently been seen in a nearby town. After a tragic discovery, Jimmy ends up in the midst of a Spice dealing investigation that he just can't let go of, no matter the consequences to his life, or that of those closest to him.

This is another brilliant, gritty northern crime drama that shines a spotlight on the plight of homeless, veterans and those who rely on drugs to help them survive what traumas they have had to endure. It is done sensitively, but never backs away from the brutal reality of it.

Looking forward to seeing what Jimmy and the gang get up to next!

Having described Trevor Wood’s previous book, The Man On The Street as compelling and unerringly perceptive, with it gaining a spot in my Top Ten of 2020, I was more than a little excited to be transported once again to the homeless community of Newcastle Upon Tyne, and the trials that await Jimmy, a unique, unofficial and sometimes reluctant private detective…

One of the major things that impresses me about Wood’s writing both here, and in the previous book, is the way he captures and depicts the underclass that exists just beneath the surface of society, and the unfairness and prejudice with which they are labelled and treated. Bearing in mind that everyone is only one step away from possible homelessness at all times, for a vast variety of reasons, Woods always seeks to really humanise his characters, depicting them not as the commonly perceived idea of this community as being violent and threatening, but a group of people with flaws and weaknesses that have led to them slipping through the cracks of society, some of them through no fault of their own. Woods paints a vivid and perceptive picture of life on the street, the underlying threat of street violence, the fear of abuse, the exploitation of addiction, the fragility of familial bonds, and the cloak of invisibility as ‘normal’ people go about their business around them, but also the friendships and camaraderie that can ease the pain of life on the fringes of society.

Despite the very human failings of addiction and so on, there is a moral code at work here, epitomised by Jimmy the central character, his homeless buddies Gadge and Deano, and those they interact with in the more ‘respectable’ walks of life in the police and probation service. Jimmy, in particular, has acquired a certain degree of respect after the events of the last book, which has led to a symbiotic relationship with a police detective, Andy Burns, as well as the respect, and sometimes disrespect, of his peers in the homeless community. Wood’s characterisation is brilliantly drawn once again, perfectly capturing the fear and personal upsets of his band of characters, but also the moments of affectionate ribald humour and strong feeling of solidarity, as one character jokingly puts it the sense of all for one, and one for all.

Although still in the grip of PTSD episodes, a consequence of his previous naval career, Jimmy is picking his way through life with more settled accommodation, the chance of love and a further rebuilding of his relationship with his previously estranged daughter Kate, until trouble rears its ugly head. When Deano, his young homeless friend goes missing, Jimmy is compelled to find out why and how this has happened, drawing him into a sordid world of exploitation and drugs, and more than a whiff of trouble. With all the recent press coverage on county lines and using kids to transport drugs across the country, Wood takes an interesting angle on this theme, and we find the power behind this particular throne is not as obvious as it first appears. The grim world of drug dependency, and those that profit from them is put into crystal clear focus, and portrays a dispiriting, but unfortunately, realistic view of the temptations, financial gain, and self destruction that drugs provide.

Once again, Woods uses his setting of Newcastle Upon Tyne and it’s surrounds in One Way Street to great effect, that even as a non-native reader, you will get a sense of the city, its energy- good and bad- and what makes it tick, stoicism, football, and poking fun at Mackems (Sunderland dwellers) feature highly, which as a former resident of this great city always leads to a snigger or two. If you like any of the crime writers who specialise in urban crime, you will definitely enjoy the virtual exploration of the city that Wood provides, and his depiction of the slightly tarnished sheen that all cities have under the surface. I’m a real admirer of this writer’s work and delighted that this book is such a sharp and insightful follow up to his debut last year. Highly recommended.

Loved this authors first book in the series. Just one was as gritty as the first book with plenty of twists. It is the characters, however, that make this series so enjoyable. Jimmy and his ever increasing number of friends create a wonderful community around which the story is woven. I look forward to continue reading more of their exploits in the future.