TREVOR WOOD chats to Paul Burke about his latest novel just out in paperback, DEAD END STREET, characters Jimmy, Deano and Gadge, PTSD and homelessness, The People's Kitchen, writing a new stand alone novel, the writer's journey and the editor who wanted Dog to have a girlfriend.
DEAD END STREET: A group of vigilantes are carrying out a campaign of harassment against the homeless, hounding them both verbally and physically to get them off the streets.
Jimmy Mullen is approached by his friend Gadge, who wants to confront the people behind it but Jimmy has finally got his life back on track. He's working at a hostel for 18 to 25-year-olds and he's reluctant to get involved in anything dodgy.
Gadge decides to go it alone but is attacked by two of the vigilantes. The police find him unconscious in an alley, covered in blood. Problem is, there's a dead body in the alley too and it's his blood that Gadge is covered in. He's also got the murder weapon in his hand.
Convinced that Gadge has been set up, and feeling guilty that he didn't back him up in the first place, Jimmy returns to the streets to try and find out who's behind his friend's difficulties.
Unfortunately, he's about to discover that Gadge has a lot of enemies to choose from.
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. Trevor holds an MA in Creative Writing (Crime Fiction) from UEA. The Man on the Street, his first novel, was published to widespread critical acclaim and won the 2020 CWA New Blood Dagger. One Way Street and Dead End Street complete the trilogy.
Recommendations
Helen Fitzgerald Worst Case Scenario
Needless Alley Natalie Marlow
TV - The Capture
Paul Stewart's Trainspotting tour https://edinburghstreettours.co.uk
Invisible Cities Charity https://invisible-cities.org
Imagining Homelessness in a City of Care https://notanatlas.org/maps/
Produced by Junkyard Dog
Music courtesy of Southgate and Leigh
Crime Time
Paul Burke writes for Crime Time, Crime Fiction Lover and the European Literature Network. He is also a CWA Historical Dagger Judge 2022 .
Produced by Junkyard Dog
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