Echo by Minette Walters

Set in 1996 London, a homeless man who called himself Billy Blake is found dead of starvation in the garage of an expensive home near London's Thames. A magazine journalist named Michael Deacon is intrigued by the case and wonders if perhaps Billy Blake might actually be a merchant banker, James Streeter, who disappeared in 1988 with 10 million pounds. Coincidentally, the woman who owns the home is Amanda Powell Streeter, wife of the missing banker.

As Deacon investigates the homeless populations he meets a young teenager named Terry who lives among the homeless of London and was the last person to see Billy alive. After some altercations Deacon takes Terry home for Christmas and suddenly his isolated home life becomes a magnet for other homeless (philosophy speaking) souls. One of which is Barry a photography archivist for the same newspaper that Deacon works for. But Barry is damaged, living with his domineering mother, is also isolated by his career and his lifestyle. When Barry becomes fixated on Deacon and then on Amanda Powell Streeter, he starts to stalk Amanda and is caught by police at her home. He too is adopted for the holidays by Deacon. Another lost soul is Lawrence, a retired Jewish lawyer, who had written to Deacon in the past about other stories he had done. Their paths cross by chance and both are forever changed.

But Deacon is no different than the homeless he is investigating as he has no contact with his family and lives in a rented flat that is sterile and isolated. Because of the contact with Terry he reconnects with his mother and sister. While Terry gets to connect with another male figure who isn't interested in sexually abusing him. Plus Deacon teaches Terry how to read.

Lots of references to William Blake, the poet, from both Deacon and Billy Blake and Terry. I always find these kind of things fascinating that people can quote or recognize a piece of poetry or work and find its association with real life.

This is a complicated story but Walters writes complicated suspenseful psychological mysteries. While it wasn't hard to figure out who the murderer was it was hard to know how the book would end. Walters is not for everyone but she makes a nice change of pace.