Newcastle author Trevor Wood has won awards but also appeared on BBC Look North!
August saw the Tyneside Book Club take on a locally-set crime novel, and Thai food as members combined a discussion with a meal to mark the group's 18th anniversary.
Trevor Wood's The Man on the Street was a kind of amuse bouche as members gave their views on an award-winning debut that featured an unusual detective. Homeless veteran Jimmy Mullen is the man trying to hunt down a killer on the streets of Newcastle.
Members particularly enjoyed the many references to local locations and found the bulk of them accurate, even if the odd place had been invented or slightly changed. Some did query whether the geography made all of the action feasible, but all agreed it was a convincing depiction of the city.
The club appreciated that Wood had pushed the boundaries of the crime novel by choosing a homeless man as his protagonist rather than just another police detective, and the book did give accurate-feeling insights into life on the streets.
Members generally enjoyed the characterisation of Jimmy and his homeless sidekicks, even if the IT skills of one of them perhaps pushed at the limits of credibility.
There was appreciation of tight plotting that generally made sense and the action moving at a good pace, although some members found the unfolding story less compelling than the characters and atmosphere. For some, the mystery did keep them intrigued, but for others it was the weakest part of the book.
Members who were fans of crime fiction felt it was a good example, though those who didn't generally read the genre, were not sure it had converted them. Some found the depiction of the police in particular unconvincing.
All agreed they certainly did not see the end coming though and there were mixed views on its somewhat seedy revelations.
Some members thought they would go on to read the next two books in the trilogy, but for others felt their journey into Jimmy's life would probably be a one-off.
Trevor Wood's The Man on the Street was a kind of amuse bouche as members gave their views on an award-winning debut that featured an unusual detective. Homeless veteran Jimmy Mullen is the man trying to hunt down a killer on the streets of Newcastle.
Members particularly enjoyed the many references to local locations and found the bulk of them accurate, even if the odd place had been invented or slightly changed. Some did query whether the geography made all of the action feasible, but all agreed it was a convincing depiction of the city.
The club appreciated that Wood had pushed the boundaries of the crime novel by choosing a homeless man as his protagonist rather than just another police detective, and the book did give accurate-feeling insights into life on the streets.
Members generally enjoyed the characterisation of Jimmy and his homeless sidekicks, even if the IT skills of one of them perhaps pushed at the limits of credibility.
There was appreciation of tight plotting that generally made sense and the action moving at a good pace, although some members found the unfolding story less compelling than the characters and atmosphere. For some, the mystery did keep them intrigued, but for others it was the weakest part of the book.
Members who were fans of crime fiction felt it was a good example, though those who didn't generally read the genre, were not sure it had converted them. Some found the depiction of the police in particular unconvincing.
All agreed they certainly did not see the end coming though and there were mixed views on its somewhat seedy revelations.
Some members thought they would go on to read the next two books in the trilogy, but for others felt their journey into Jimmy's life would probably be a one-off.
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