One Way Street by Trevor Wood

A series of drug-related deaths among runaway teenagers has set the North East’s homeless community on edge. Jimmy Mullen is trying to lead his life the ‘normal way’. A stint at the Navy followed by another at jail has made him homeless and is now staying at the hostel(for homeless).

When one of his fellow hostel mates Deano speaks about finding his long-lost younger brother, Ashley, Jimmy decides to help in any way possible. Jimmy learns from his cop friend Andy that a dead body has been found and on DNA tests, it is confirmed to be Ashley. Soon, Jimmy and his buddies Deano and Gadge find themselves entangled in a web of drugs, thieves and tricky teenagers.

One Way Street is the second book in Jimmy Mullen series. I haven’t read the first book but I am hoping to catch up with it soon. There is just one or two mentions of Jimmy’s previous adventures – which ended with Jimmy saving Andy’s life – so, though part of a series, this book can be read as a standalone.

The suspense is well-maintained throughout the story. The author has done a lot of research into writing this book. A strong message on how drugs can ruin lives is well-explained in this story. We also get to see how young children and teenagers get into the drug and/or prostitution ring. Deano was forced into prostitution before he managed to escape. He is a drug user and so was his younger brother Ash. Ash was found frozen to death in a garbage bin.

Two more teenagers have been harmed in the recent times. One is the daughter of a wealthy business – she was found face-down in the waters and is currently in coma. Another teenager’s dismembered body was found on the railway tracks. Jimmy learns there is a connection between these incidents. As he starts to dig deeper, he feels he’s being watched. He also receives threatening messages.

Overall, One Way Street was a pretty interesting read. The mystery behind the deaths keeps one guessing for more. In the second half of the book, the thrill intensifies a notch. The ending did justice to all the tension built-up from the start. A red herring thrown in halfway through the story piqued my curiosity – well, I didn’t know it was a red herring until the end. That is how they are supposed to work, isn’t it?

The characters are well-portrayed. The storytelling is excellent. Consider me impressed! One Way Street was an engrossing and riveting read. I am looking forward to reading more of Trevor Wood’s works.

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