The Echo

Minette Walters takes on the Oedipus question with this book. I found it a haunting story that I couldn't seem to put down once I began. I love the characters in this story! I loved the plot, and I loved the idea. Ms. Walters combines the past and present-day in a truly compelling way. This is one of those books that stays with you long after you close the covers. The book examines betrayal and murder so closely that it's almost uncomfortable because Ms. Walter puts her readers right there in the middle of the action. Ms. Walters examines closely the lives of people who live on the streets, and points out the various personalities and the power struggles that occur within that environment. She then juxtapositions that with the lives of show more the elite when she has a derelict homeless man die in the garage of a wealthy society woman. And why did Billy Blake's story consume the lives of so many peeople as they try to determine who he was and why he let himself starve to death in this garage? You have to read to find out, and to unravel the many convolutions in his story. show less

I usually like Minette Walters, but this one did not sit well. What follows does not address any specific plot points, but it does concern general themes in the book: in other words, potential spoilers.

The characterization in this novel was sometimes trite (Terry), sometimes uninteresting (Dalton), and often vaguely offensive (all the women). Be reminded that an author of any character can write something that's misogynistic, and that is what I sensed, over and over, in this extremely convoluted novel.

The Oedipus complex themes probably don't need discussing: we all know the problems with that, right? It's alive and well in this book, though. Amid frequent discussions of the "red-blooded male" (a recurring phrase) are some very nasty show more portraits of women. Much is made of women "[screaming] rape" when a rape has not occurred, and there is a tremendously unpleasant insinuation that women claim to be raped when they were not, as a way of exacting leverage over men. Deacon, the protagonist, asserts that "Most women dial nine-nine-nine the minute their attacker walks out the door" (p. 311). Deacon is purportedly a journalist, so there's not much of an excuse for this patently false statement: most rapes are unreported. Women are also depicted as buyable (to be silenced). The upshot: women will find a way to benefit, materially or otherwise, from rape.

The novel itself is one of Walters' weaker efforts; it's convoluted and full of loose ends. The ongoing insinuations sink it, though. show less

A woman asks a reporter to track the identity of a homeless man she found dead of starvation in her garage. Mike Deacon, the reporter, has his own problems: two ex-wives, a dysfunctional family situation, a love of alcohol, and a career in the toilet. Enthralled by the woman, Amanda Powell, he pursues the investigation and along the way, befriends a homeless teen, an elderly retired lawyer, and the odd photo expert at the newspaper he writes for. Soon, he comes to realize that the dead man, Billy, could be one of two missing men, both of whom had reasons to vanish. Billy was obsessed with redemption and in pursuing the truth of Billy's life, Mike finds redemption of his own.

But this story does not have the pat endings of some of show more Walters' books, where all the pieces fall into place. This one ends with some ambiguity, the way life tends to be. I love all her characters because they're so well-rounded and realistic, especially the truth seekers, but possibly Mike, at his irascible best, is my favorite even if the book isn't. (It's hard to choose a favorite book, but Acid Row, Fox Evil, and The Breaker are right up there.)

All the elements that make her books special are here: psychological intrigue, secrets, lies, deception, plot twists, indelible characters, literary writing. If you haven't read her, try one. I'll bet you won't be able to stop with just the one. show less

The plot seems to be going in all directions for a good part of the book but this is Minette Walters, the master at ambiguous characters and story lines. She pulls it off with panache and style. This ia a classic Walters where everyone is good, bad and all shades of gray.

"The Echo" by Minette Walters was a satisfying mystery.
I couldn't stop listening and finished it in two days.

It is surprisingly similar to "The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo." It has a journalist in the center, long character, tight locations, and multiple plots. The difference is that Girl 10x everything Echo is, so I recommend a notepad before reading it.

I also recommend reading "The Echo" and any book written by Minette Walters.

A homeless man dies of starvation in a garage next to a freezer full of food. Why did he pick that garage and why didn't he eat any of the food he had access to? As journalist Michael Deacon looks into the story, he unravels a complex plot linking 2 unsolved disappearances in the past.

Always a problem when I wait too long to write about a book. What I remember about this one:

Billy, long time homeless, is found dead inside the garage of a woman who denies knowing him. Just found a place to get out of the weather and died there. As the police investigate, however, they find more complications than were originally apparent.

As with many other of her books, Walters makes use of newspaper articles and other documents to fill in blanks, but they don't constitute a large part of the book. It's a complex story with many interesting characters.