Johnny come home

 Jake Arnott

2006, 9780340818596

via P.

Enjoyable read covering 6 characters living in London in the early 70s - time of the Gay Liberation Front and Women's Liberation movements.
Novel looks at conflicts within each of the 6 characters - Nina, sexuality, O'Connell supporting the Angry Brigade and GLF but then turning informant and ultimately intentionally overdosing, his lover Pearson, artist, under O'Connell's thrall for a while and then makes his own statement by blowing up Playland amusement arcade.
Sweet Thing - male prostitute who develops a connection with Johnny Chrome glam-rock artist.
Police detective Walker, who enjoys being amongst the 'hippie lot' trying to understand them to find out who is at the root of the foment, conflicting with his duties.

Ends as police arrive at the squat for Pearson but Nina and Sweet Thing think it's for ST as he has accidentally? killed Johnny. 
Nina manages, we are led to believe, to talk ST down from roof top ledge as he finally acknowledges who he really is.

Good plot and novel reads well and was engaging. Perhaps a few too many 'issues'?