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The Echo

Minette Walters

Buch

deutsch

Walters, Minette (Verfasser/-in) DNB

Pan Books

London [u.a.]

1997

428 S.

0-330-34680-6

978-0-330-34680-1

Walters is a gifted storyteller whose rich, dark tales of psychological suspense have led critics and fans to compare her favorably with Ruth Rendell. Her latest book, though, is as baffling and unsettling as wandering through an elaborate maze, with the attendant frustrations, wrong turns, and dead ends. But for readers who persevere, there's also the ultimate reward of arriving in the center of the maze and finally comprehending the ultimate logic of its layout. The story begins with the death of a homeless man, then jumps to an exploration of missing-persons cases. Back to the homeless man--one Billy Blake--the story tells of his death by starvation in the garage of a woman called Amanda Powell. The police are content to chalk Billy's death up to tragic coincidence, but journalist Michael Deacon isn't so sure. Readers are then led through a series of seemingly unconnected events and side plots, including the disappearance of Amanda's husband; Michael's friendship with a young delinquent; the suicide of Verity Fenton, wife of a missing diplomat; a building scam gone bust; and a 50-year-old event whose tragic repercussions reverberate throughout the story before finally revealing the surprising connections among the disparate pieces. There's plenty to like about Walters' latest--rich emotion, psychological intrigue, and deliciously tantalizing mystery--but the plot is looser, stranger, and slightly less compelling than her usual efforts. Still, it's a strong showing and one that's sure to be popular with readers who have grown to expect the unexpected from Walters.

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