A homeless veteran turns dogged investigator in Wood’s edgy, deftly structured mystery as a girl pleads for help in finding out what happened to her father.
Shortlisted for the Theakston's Old Peculier Crime Novel of the Year 2021
Winner of the CWA John Creasey (New Blood) Dagger 2020
It started with a splash. Jimmy, a homeless veteran grappling with PTSD, did his best to pretend he hadn't heard it - the sound of something heavy falling into the Tyne at the height of an argument between two men on the riverbank. Not his fight.
Then he sees the headline: GIRL IN MISSING DAD PLEA. The girl, Carrie, reminds him of someone he lost, and this makes his mind up: it's time to stop hiding from his past. But telling Carrie, what he heard - or thought he heard - turns out to be just the beginning of the story.
The police don't believe him, but Carrie is adamant that something awful has happened to her dad and Jimmy agrees to help her, putting himself at risk from enemies old and new.
But Jimmy has one big advantage: when you've got nothing, you've got nothing to lose.
Publisher: Quercus Publishing
ISBN: 9781787478374
Number of pages: 432
Weight: 301 g
Dimensions: 196 x 128 x 30 mm
Fresh, original, authentic and gritty - should be an instant classic - Lee Child
What more do you want from a debut than a unique protagonist and a cracking plotline? A smart, thought-provoking crime read with bags of heart and humanity - Mari Hannah
The story races along at a cracking pace, lots of tension in the twists and turns, and Jimmy is hugely engaging and complex. It's a rare skill to develop a sympathetic character with such a chequered history for whom one so wants a happy ending. A deeply satisfying read - Harriet Tyce, author of Blood Orange
Intricate, expertly paced with a shocking conclusion. The dialogue is on-point, the narrative is flawless and Jimmy is a character you root for from page one. Believe me when I say this, Trevor Wood has a bright future in the world of crime fiction. Simply superb - M W Craven, author of The Puppet Show
I can safely say it will be huge . . . Flying through it. It's a brilliant read and I love Jimmy - Patricia Gibney
A superbly written trip through the shadows of my hometown with a unique protagonist as a tour guide - Robert Scragg
Superb and going to make serious waves. Love it - Rob Parker
Brings a fresh voice and a totally original perspective to the 'detective as outsider'. A homeless man, traumatised and violent, makes an unusual hero, but a hero with wit and courage who will win readers' hearts - Isabelle Grey
I've just finished The Man on the Street, and I hugely enjoyed it. Wood is the real thing. I recently read the last Rebus, and it absolutely stands up to that level. It's smart, witty, compassionate and real, and the dialogue is brilliant. It's a fine thriller with something to say - and it feels like a blast of fresh air in the genre - Stef Penney, author of The Tenderness of Wolves
Wood's vivid evocation of Newcastle takes us into the depths of the city, and through Jimmy - our unlikely investigator - delivers an unsparing examination of life on the streets - Val McDermid
Jimmy is an original and convincing character... Wood not only weaves an enjoyable crime novel, but also explores the real world plight of many ex-servicemen and women - Spectator
There is little that gladdens the heart more than encountering a debut novel that absolutely strikes a chord with you as a reader, but also promises that you have discovered an author that will probably remain a firm... More
This story is set in Newcastle. Jimmy Muklen has not had an easy time. He had been in the Falklands war, his ship had taken a direct hit and he had witnessed his colleagues consumed in the ensuing fireball. With only... More
This is a well paced gritty novel set in Newcastle, Jimmy Mullen is a veteran from the Falklands war, struggling with PTSD which he has refused to seek help for, he is haunted by things he saw, he has hallucinations,... More
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