What do you think?
Rate this book
The streets can be deadly. And now an old friend is dead.
When a homeless man’s body is found in a derelict school, Victor Mitchum knows it wasn’t an accident. He knew Sawney from his own days on the streets. Sawney was clean, scared, and being hunted by dangerous people.
Working with private investigators Kasper and Zofia Dąbrowski, Victor traces the events that led to Sawney’s death. His search leads him into Manchester’s hidden places—disused buildings, private security firms, and communities forced to live in the margins.
But as he closes in on the truth, Victor finds himself caught between powerful interests, a grieving crime family, and a city willing to look the other way.
Someone wanted his old friend silenced. Can Victor find out why before he meets a similar fate?
When a homeless man’s body is found in a derelict school, Victor Mitchum knows it wasn’t an accident. He knew Sawney from his own days on the streets. Sawney was clean, scared, and being hunted by dangerous people.
Working with private investigators Kasper and Zofia Dąbrowski, Victor traces the events that led to Sawney’s death. His search leads him into Manchester’s hidden places—disused buildings, private security firms, and communities forced to live in the margins.
But as he closes in on the truth, Victor finds himself caught between powerful interests, a grieving crime family, and a city willing to look the other way.
Someone wanted his old friend silenced. Can Victor find out why before he meets a similar fate?
389 pages, Kindle Edition
Published April 15, 2026
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews
April 14, 2026
Sorry that this was mostly a ‘miss’ for me.
Surprising, as I really liked book #1 in the series…
Victor, a homeless man, and his dog Oscar are out trying to help people and solve murders.
The British Police have no use for him, and have no problems letting him know this.
But, when one of his homeless friends turns up dead, someone who supposedly overdosed, (although Victor KNOWS he’s been clean)…well, he and Oscar have to get involved!
Did I mention that Oscar SPEAKS to Victor? Like full conversations… catches him up on points he missed or overlooked! I need a dog like this! 😉
Anyway, the premise was terrific! But, about 35% in I was ready to DNF it…but I kept going, as I loved the prior book!
But for some reason, this one never fully turned around for me.
So, 3 stars for me. ⭐️⭐️⭐️
I will limit my review to Goodreads, NetGalley and my personal IG and Facebook sites, since I’m not giving a great review.
#Hunted by D E Beckler and narrated by Simon Mattacks.
This one releases tomorrow, 4/15/26.
Thanks so much to #NetGalley, @BrilliancePublishing and @BrillianceAudio for an ALC of the audiobook in exchange for an honest review.
You can also find my reviews on: Goodreads,
Instagram: @BookReviews_with_emsr and/or
My Facebook Book Club: Book Reviews With Elaine
Thanks so much for reading! And if you ‘liked’ my review, please share with your friends, & click ‘LIKE’ below… And, let me know YOUR thoughts if you read it!!
And as always, thanks for reading along with me! 📚⭐️📖🩷
Surprising, as I really liked book #1 in the series…
Victor, a homeless man, and his dog Oscar are out trying to help people and solve murders.
The British Police have no use for him, and have no problems letting him know this.
But, when one of his homeless friends turns up dead, someone who supposedly overdosed, (although Victor KNOWS he’s been clean)…well, he and Oscar have to get involved!
Did I mention that Oscar SPEAKS to Victor? Like full conversations… catches him up on points he missed or overlooked! I need a dog like this! 😉
Anyway, the premise was terrific! But, about 35% in I was ready to DNF it…but I kept going, as I loved the prior book!
But for some reason, this one never fully turned around for me.
So, 3 stars for me. ⭐️⭐️⭐️
I will limit my review to Goodreads, NetGalley and my personal IG and Facebook sites, since I’m not giving a great review.
#Hunted by D E Beckler and narrated by Simon Mattacks.
This one releases tomorrow, 4/15/26.
Thanks so much to #NetGalley, @BrilliancePublishing and @BrillianceAudio for an ALC of the audiobook in exchange for an honest review.
You can also find my reviews on: Goodreads,
Instagram: @BookReviews_with_emsr and/or
My Facebook Book Club: Book Reviews With Elaine
Thanks so much for reading! And if you ‘liked’ my review, please share with your friends, & click ‘LIKE’ below… And, let me know YOUR thoughts if you read it!!
And as always, thanks for reading along with me! 📚⭐️📖🩷
May 11, 2026
I struggled to get into this book as it was book 2 and just dropped us in without backstory (a talking dog? What is that?) however I am glad I stuck with it because the actual plot of the novel was very interesting and having it be investigated by someone who was from the unhoused community (formerly, but just barely clinging onto a place) was a unique premise that I hadn't seen before. That being said, making the leap from assuming everyone read book 1 and not including backstory really hurts the reader and likely the author as I only continued because it was an ARC and I felt obligated.
Thank you to NetGalley, the author D.E. Beckler, and Brilliance Publishing for my ARC of this audiobook.
Thank you to NetGalley, the author D.E. Beckler, and Brilliance Publishing for my ARC of this audiobook.
April 3, 2026
I received this as an ALC and it had so much potential. It did catch my attention right away, but sometimes that doesn’t matter because the book does later on. Let me start by saying the narrator was not for me. There was something about his voice I didn’t care for. Reading this as a physical book or ebook could change the experience. Also I didn’t realize this was the 2nd book in a series, so I was confused with some of the characters. For example, the dog can talk or communicate with his owner? Maybe I should have read book 1 first, but it wasn’t listed as a series when I received it off NetGalley. The plot had some good points and like I said it had a lot of potential, but it just wasn’t for me.
Review of advance copy received from Author
The once homeless, Victor, along with his dog Oscar, (a Schnauzer who is able to converse with Victor), both return in the second installment of the city streets mysteries.
I found the teaser chapters for Hunted, at the end of 'Missing', Book 1 of the City Streets Mysteries Series. I really enjoyed Missing and felt it was a strong start to a series, and I kept thinking back to those teaser chapters and wanting to know more!
This title didn't disappoint!
Sometimes when I read, my mind can wander and I end up rereading the same page over multiple times - There was no worry of this happening with Hunted. The story is fast paced and entertaining, I was hooked and my mind didn't even get chance to wander - I couldn't put it down!
The characters are well developed, and believable - yes, even the talking dog aspect, don't we all speak to our pets? Just maybe Victor had one too many knocks on the head, or it could be some sort of psychosis or a coping mechanism from his time on the streets. Or he could really be that in tune with Oscar that he knows what he's telling him - Tbh, it doesn't really matter, as it's this relationship between Victor and Oscar that makes the book so different to other crime titles.
The problems that the characters face, feel real, to the point I began to feel empathetic towards the main characters - Victor is lucky at being unlucky - and I definitely got lost in this story!
I can't wait for the future adventures of Victor and Oscar 😊
I will definitely be telling everyone I know to give the series at try!
I found the teaser chapters for Hunted, at the end of 'Missing', Book 1 of the City Streets Mysteries Series. I really enjoyed Missing and felt it was a strong start to a series, and I kept thinking back to those teaser chapters and wanting to know more!
This title didn't disappoint!
Sometimes when I read, my mind can wander and I end up rereading the same page over multiple times - There was no worry of this happening with Hunted. The story is fast paced and entertaining, I was hooked and my mind didn't even get chance to wander - I couldn't put it down!
The characters are well developed, and believable - yes, even the talking dog aspect, don't we all speak to our pets? Just maybe Victor had one too many knocks on the head, or it could be some sort of psychosis or a coping mechanism from his time on the streets. Or he could really be that in tune with Oscar that he knows what he's telling him - Tbh, it doesn't really matter, as it's this relationship between Victor and Oscar that makes the book so different to other crime titles.
The problems that the characters face, feel real, to the point I began to feel empathetic towards the main characters - Victor is lucky at being unlucky - and I definitely got lost in this story!
I can't wait for the future adventures of Victor and Oscar 😊
I will definitely be telling everyone I know to give the series at try!
April 17, 2026
4.75* Even better than the first in the series. Long may it continue!
This book picks up pretty quickly after the events in book 1, with cops still hunting the killers of the Novak brothers, and the Scotsman still insisting that Kasper and Zofia are still working for him, forcing them to take on new work. But there's a new baddie to add to the mix - Novak senior, who wants revenge.
There's a lot more to the tale, with a senior cop I can't figure out, a sympathetic one, and, if I'm not mistaken, one that's a snitch for Novak, but whose fate we don't get to find - unless I missed something. There's more homeless people, but not all are who they're trying to seem. Victor's friends from the previous book turn up again whilst they try to get to the bottom of their mutual friend's murder, and he's targeted. Oscar continues to steal the show, and the conversations between him and Victor, are hilarious. One of the best, if not the actual best, things in this series.
Zofia's brilliant brain and her big-girl panties stance save the day more than once, whilst Kasper continues to be the weak sibling. It feels like his strength is making coffee and not a lot more 😕
Hopefully the next will be out soon, because this Manchester-set series is such a breath of fresh air compared to all the US-set ones out there.
ARC courtesy of NetGalley and Thomas and Mercer for my reading pleasure.
This book picks up pretty quickly after the events in book 1, with cops still hunting the killers of the Novak brothers, and the Scotsman still insisting that Kasper and Zofia are still working for him, forcing them to take on new work. But there's a new baddie to add to the mix - Novak senior, who wants revenge.
There's a lot more to the tale, with a senior cop I can't figure out, a sympathetic one, and, if I'm not mistaken, one that's a snitch for Novak, but whose fate we don't get to find - unless I missed something. There's more homeless people, but not all are who they're trying to seem. Victor's friends from the previous book turn up again whilst they try to get to the bottom of their mutual friend's murder, and he's targeted. Oscar continues to steal the show, and the conversations between him and Victor, are hilarious. One of the best, if not the actual best, things in this series.
Zofia's brilliant brain and her big-girl panties stance save the day more than once, whilst Kasper continues to be the weak sibling. It feels like his strength is making coffee and not a lot more 😕
Hopefully the next will be out soon, because this Manchester-set series is such a breath of fresh air compared to all the US-set ones out there.
ARC courtesy of NetGalley and Thomas and Mercer for my reading pleasure.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Hunted was my intro to the City Streets Mysteries series. I def need to find and read book 1 to better understand Victor, Oscar, Zofia, Kasper and the gang...
Now, this book had my stomach in knots. Victor and Oscar are investigating the death of a homeless man, who also happens to be a friend. As Victor tried to dedicate his time to this chase, Kasper and Zofia are forced into taken on Novak as a client. Novak is on a mission to find out WHO murdered his sons. Zofia and Kasper have conflicting clients. Victor is navigating his life as a recently housed man.
The way this book unfolded, the incidents and deaths that followed and then the shocking plot twist after twist - had me completely unprepared for what I was finding out. I was in real shock the last 8% of the book. If I could yell at and shake anybody, it would be Grimes. Like stand UP!!!
I received a copy of this ALC from NetGalley.
Now, this book had my stomach in knots. Victor and Oscar are investigating the death of a homeless man, who also happens to be a friend. As Victor tried to dedicate his time to this chase, Kasper and Zofia are forced into taken on Novak as a client. Novak is on a mission to find out WHO murdered his sons. Zofia and Kasper have conflicting clients. Victor is navigating his life as a recently housed man.
The way this book unfolded, the incidents and deaths that followed and then the shocking plot twist after twist - had me completely unprepared for what I was finding out. I was in real shock the last 8% of the book. If I could yell at and shake anybody, it would be Grimes. Like stand UP!!!
I received a copy of this ALC from NetGalley.
April 16, 2026
A fast-paced read that grabs you on the first page. The author has created a wonderfully crafted story with well developed and compelling characters; it has twists and turns that keep you on the edge of your seat right to the last page.
The author’s wonderfully developed characters, that you will love or otherwise love to hate, make this a riveting read. This is a well-written, suspenseful, edge-of-your-seat thriller that will leave you breathless at times in anticipation of the next twist in the plot. This story is a dark, twisted, disturbing and riveting psychological thriller told through creative language and descriptive settings. The characters are believable and likeable for the most part; although none of them are whom they appear to be.
Thank you to NetGalley and Brilliance Audio who provided me with a copy of this book. I am voluntarily leaving an honest review.
The author’s wonderfully developed characters, that you will love or otherwise love to hate, make this a riveting read. This is a well-written, suspenseful, edge-of-your-seat thriller that will leave you breathless at times in anticipation of the next twist in the plot. This story is a dark, twisted, disturbing and riveting psychological thriller told through creative language and descriptive settings. The characters are believable and likeable for the most part; although none of them are whom they appear to be.
Thank you to NetGalley and Brilliance Audio who provided me with a copy of this book. I am voluntarily leaving an honest review.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Hunted by D.E. Beckler is the second installment in the City Streets Mysteries series. After finishing the first book, I was excited to see the sequel released just a few months later—I couldn’t wait to reconnect with Victor, Oscar, Kasper, and Zofia.
The premise feels fresh and distinctive, and I found the story thoroughly engaging. The characters are richly developed, and I especially valued how Beckler portrays the homeless community with empathy and humanity.
The audiobook narration by Simon Mattacks is once again exceptional, adding depth and energy to the story. Combined with the high production quality, it makes for a truly immersive listening experience.
Thank you to NetGalley & Brilliance Publishing | Brilliance Audio for letting me read this ARC.
The premise feels fresh and distinctive, and I found the story thoroughly engaging. The characters are richly developed, and I especially valued how Beckler portrays the homeless community with empathy and humanity.
The audiobook narration by Simon Mattacks is once again exceptional, adding depth and energy to the story. Combined with the high production quality, it makes for a truly immersive listening experience.
Thank you to NetGalley & Brilliance Publishing | Brilliance Audio for letting me read this ARC.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
I really wanted to get into this audiobook, but unfortunately, the narrator just wasn’t for me. The way he delivered the story didn’t match my vibe at all, and it made it hard to stay engaged.
The plot itself had potential—there’s a gritty, emotional investigation at the center, with a lot of depth in the setting and characters. I liked the idea of Victor digging into his past and trying to uncover the truth behind his friend’s death. It definitely felt like it could have been a powerful story.
But the narration just pulled me out of it too much. Because of that, I couldn’t fully connect with the story or get invested the way I wanted to.
Overall, this one just didn’t work for me, mostly due to the narration.
The plot itself had potential—there’s a gritty, emotional investigation at the center, with a lot of depth in the setting and characters. I liked the idea of Victor digging into his past and trying to uncover the truth behind his friend’s death. It definitely felt like it could have been a powerful story.
But the narration just pulled me out of it too much. Because of that, I couldn’t fully connect with the story or get invested the way I wanted to.
Overall, this one just didn’t work for me, mostly due to the narration.
Review of advance copy received from Author
Thank you to David for providing an advance copy of this book for me to review. As always I will leave the plot synopsis to one side as it is at the top of the page anyway!
This book, quite literally, begins with a bang and throws you straight into the story. There is then no let up in pace. The book covers a couple of days and the story moves at a frenetic rate. There are some scenes which are quite gruesome and plenty of dog bites! It reads as a tortured account of life on the streets and in the darker parts of major cities.
It is a follow on from Book 1 in the series with plenty of references back to what happened in book 1 but it can be read as a standalone book.
It is well written and if you like gritty thrillers is worthy of a read.
This book, quite literally, begins with a bang and throws you straight into the story. There is then no let up in pace. The book covers a couple of days and the story moves at a frenetic rate. There are some scenes which are quite gruesome and plenty of dog bites! It reads as a tortured account of life on the streets and in the darker parts of major cities.
It is a follow on from Book 1 in the series with plenty of references back to what happened in book 1 but it can be read as a standalone book.
It is well written and if you like gritty thrillers is worthy of a read.
April 24, 2026
Unusual characters who do come together when you realize who is who. I do recommend that you read the books in order. Great timely story of bad guys and murder with the PI firm consisting of Kasper and Zofia Dabrowski, Victor, who was formerly homeless, and, best of all, Victor’s dog, Oscar, who is also a PI (and seems to be able to converse with Victor) on the trail. Really enjoyed the twists and turns, especially when Victor brings in a a homeless Jodi into the group to help with the investigation. I found that the characters have a great interaction and am looking forward to other books in this series.
April 26, 2026
This is a great murder mystery. The storyline grabbed my attention from the first page.
Victor an ex homeless man is suddenly thrown into investigating a murder from the homeless community.
Him and his faithful dog Oscar, and Oscar can talk to Victor. Yup I giggled a few times at Oscars snarky quips throughout the story.
Loved the suspense, the characters are great. Tensions are high. Truths and half truths to muddle through. Money, power, survival.
I highly recommend this book. It's a very enjoyable read.
This is my first book by this author. And I look forward to reading more of his books.
Victor an ex homeless man is suddenly thrown into investigating a murder from the homeless community.
Him and his faithful dog Oscar, and Oscar can talk to Victor. Yup I giggled a few times at Oscars snarky quips throughout the story.
Loved the suspense, the characters are great. Tensions are high. Truths and half truths to muddle through. Money, power, survival.
I highly recommend this book. It's a very enjoyable read.
This is my first book by this author. And I look forward to reading more of his books.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
This is the second book in the City Streets Mystery series. It’s best to read Book 1 to understand the storyline. I enjoyed “Missing”, and I was keen to listen to Hunted. Now I’m looking forward to Book 3.
Book 2 is fast-paced and entertaining. Victor and his (talking) dog Oscar are working with private investigators Kasper and Zofia Dabrowski. Victor investigates the death of homeless man Sawney, who he knew when he himself was on the streets.
The audiobook narration by Simon Mattacks is good and engaging, ensuring easy listening. Recommend
Book 2 is fast-paced and entertaining. Victor and his (talking) dog Oscar are working with private investigators Kasper and Zofia Dabrowski. Victor investigates the death of homeless man Sawney, who he knew when he himself was on the streets.
The audiobook narration by Simon Mattacks is good and engaging, ensuring easy listening. Recommend
April 16, 2026
Keep going Mr. Beckler! You have a way with your words and your wonderful characters that it’s so hard to put your stories down. They definitely keep you on the edge of your seat and immersed in the story. I would definitely recommend your stories to everyone I know, they are that good. I can’t wait to see what you are going to bring us next in this series.
I received an advance copy from the author and this is my honest and voluntary review.
I received an advance copy from the author and this is my honest and voluntary review.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
A well written murder investigation with a good storyline and well-developed believable characters. Victor and Oscar make a very good team. Very enjoyable story with plenty of action, lots of suspense, and some humorous parts. A page turning read that I highly recommend. Bring on more adventures with Victor and Oscar.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
This was a 3.5 star read.
It had a good story line. I will say I wasn’t a big fan of having a talking dog and having a British narrator was hard to follow along with. The authors writing was good though.
It had a good story line. I will say I wasn’t a big fan of having a talking dog and having a British narrator was hard to follow along with. The authors writing was good though.
Did Not Finish
April 5, 2026pub date: april 15, 2026
thank you netgalley and brilliance publish for this ALC! i
really appreciate being able to listen to this before anyone else! with that being said, the audiobook fell flat for me. i wanted to love this SO MUCH, it was just really hard for me to connect with the story.
thank you netgalley and brilliance publish for this ALC! i
really appreciate being able to listen to this before anyone else! with that being said, the audiobook fell flat for me. i wanted to love this SO MUCH, it was just really hard for me to connect with the story.
May 11, 2026
Review of Hunted (City Streets Mysteries Book 2)
I won this book from Goodreads after reading I am to review. This book is about homeless men that are being killed. I have mixed feelings about this book.
I won this book from Goodreads after reading I am to review. This book is about homeless men that are being killed. I have mixed feelings about this book.
April 15, 2026
Loved the first book.... this one got a bit confusing at time. alot of people!
Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews