The fifth novel from multi-award winning English crime writer Minette Walters.   Her first 5 books were all adapted by the BBC, this was done as a 2-part series in 1998 starring Clive Owen and Joely Richardson in the lead roles.


"The Echo" an uncorrected proof released by MacMillan, London ahead of planned 21 February 1997 publication date.  Standard size paperback, 343 pages.




Flat signed by the author at title page.  In overall very good condition, no other inscriptions, appears unread as no creasing to spine, slight wear/curl to corners, slight rippling to rear lower left part of wrapper. 



An uncommon proof generally, very uncommon bearing the author's signature.










" 'It was the smell that Mrs. Powell noticed first.  Slightly sweet.  Slightly unpleasant… It shocked her badly to find a dead man in the corner, his head slumped on his knees.'




When Billy Blake, a homeless alcoholic, is found dead of starvation in Amanda Powell’s private garage in the ritzy docklands area of London, the press arrives in force.  But Billy’s story is never told because Amanda refuses to comment, and interest in the unknown wino quickly flags.

Then, six months after Blake’s death, the journalist Michael Deacon discovers that Amanda has changed her tune.  Now she is suddenly eager to talk about Billy for Deacon’s feature article on poverty and the homeless.  More than eager – she seems obsessed with finding out the real identity of her dead visitor.  Deacon’s curiosity is piqued.  Why is Amanda taking Blake’s death so personally?  Why did he choose her garage to die in?  And why is she so anxious to discover his true identity?

The more he learns about Blake, the more Deacon can sense echoes of the homeless man’s life in his own.  Echoes so compelling that Deacon can’t let go of the story until he’s learned who Billy Blake really was – and why Amanda is almost certainly lying about her own interest in the dead man. "























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