Bleeding Hearts

1994 novel by Ian Rankin

This article is about the novel. For the plant, see Dicentra spectabilis.

Bleeding Hearts

First edition

Author| Ian Rankin
(writing as Jack Harvey)
Language| English
Genre| Thriller
Publisher| Orion Books

Publication date

| 1994
Publication place| Scotland
Media type| Print (hardback & paperback)
Pages| 316 pages
ISBN| 0-7472-0999-5
OCLC| 46600414
Preceded by| Witch Hunt
Followed by| Blood Hunt

Bleeding Hearts is a 1994 crime novel by Ian Rankin, the second of his novels to be published under the pseudonym Jack Harvey.

## Plot summary

[edit]

Michael Weston is a professional assassin who suffers from haemophilia. The wealthy father of a girl he killed by mistake years ago has sworn vengeance, hiring a private detective (Hoffer) to track him down.

## Background

[edit]

Rankin has said that he wrote this book under the influence of Martin Amis's novel Money and that Weston was influenced by that novel's protagonist, John Self.[1]

## Reception

[edit]

The novel was not much reviewed on release, but gained more attention when re-released under the name of Ian Rankin in 2006.[2] Publishers Weekly compared it negatively to the Rebus books, whilst praising the "nonstop action, copious violence and arcane details about weaponry and forensics."[3]

## References

[edit]

1. ^ "Bleeding Hearts". www.mtv.com. Archived from the original on 5 April 2015.
2. ^ Moore, Natalie (19 November 2006). "Let It Bleed". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 14 April 2025.
3. ^ "Bleeding Hearts by Ian Rankin". www.publishersweekly.com. 14 April 2025. Retrieved 14 April 2025.

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Works by Ian Rankin

Novels|

* The Flood (1986)
* Knots and Crosses (1987)
* Watchman (1988)
* Westwind (1990)
* Hide and Seek (1991)
* Tooth and Nail (1992)
* Strip Jack (1992)
* The Black Book (1993)
* Witch Hunt (1993)
* Mortal Causes (1994)
* Bleeding Hearts (1994)
* Let It Bleed (1995)
* Blood Hunt (1995)
* Black & Blue (1997)
* The Hanging Garden (1998)
* Dead Souls (1999)
* Set in Darkness (2000)
* The Falls (2001)
* Resurrection Men (2002)
* A Question of Blood (2003)
* Fleshmarket Close (2004)
* The Naming of the Dead (2006)
* Exit Music (2007)
* Doors Open (2008)
* A Cool Head (2009, Quick Reads)
* The Complaints (2009)
* The Impossible Dead (2011)
* Standing in Another Man's Grave (2012)
* Saints of the Shadow Bible (2013)
* Even Dogs in the Wild (2015)
* Rather Be the Devil (2016)
* In a House of Lies (2018)
* A Song for the Dark Times (2020)
* The Dark Remains (2021; with William McIlvanney)
* A Heart Full of Headstones (2022)
* Midnight and Blue (2024)

Short story collections|

* A Good Hanging and Other Stories (1992)
* Beggars Banquet (2002)
* The Beat Goes On (2014)

Plays|

* Dark Road (2013)
* Long Shadows (2018)

Short stories|

* Death is Not the End (1998)

Related articles|

* Inspector Rebus

Authority control databases |

* MusicBrainz work

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