Westwind (novel)

Novel by Ian Rankin

Westwind

First edition

Author| Ian Rankin
Language| English
Genre| Thriller
Publisher| Barrie & Jenkins

Publication date

| 1990
Publication place| Scotland
Media type| Print (hardcover)
Pages| 224 pp
ISBN| 0-7126-3626-9

Westwind is a 1990 thriller novel written by Ian Rankin. It is one of the author's earliest works.

## Background

[edit]

Rankin has spoken of his early disillusionment with Westwind, saying that he had been asked to rework it so often that by the end he no longer felt like his work at all. Of this period he says: "I decided it would rest in a dark corner of my consciousness, never to see the light of day again." However, after re-reading the novel following praise from a fan, he decided to re-release it in 2019, with some small editing changes.[1]

## Plot summary

[edit]

The Zephyr computer system monitors the progress of the United Kingdom's only spy satellite. When this system briefly goes offline, the book's main characters Hepton and Dreyfuss (the sole survivor of a space shuttle crash) have the only key to the enigma that must be solved if both men are to stay alive.[2]

## Release details

[edit]

* 1991, UK, Ulverscroft Large Print Books Ltd; large print edition (September 1991) (ISBN 0708925057, ISBN 978-0-7089-2505-8); hardback (first edition); hardcover: 480 pages

The book was reissued, with slight modifications, in November 2019.[1]

## Reception

[edit]

The 2019 reissue of the novel was largely well-received, with reviewers commenting on the prescient theme. Kirkus Reviews called it: "A fast-paced blast from the past...and (who knows?) maybe the immediate future as well,"[3] although Publishers Weekly was less complimentary, considering it "strictly for Rankin completists."[4]

## References

[edit]

1. ^ a b Thorpe, Vanessa (10 November 2019). "Ian Rankin relaunches the novel he once hoped to bury". The Observer. Retrieved 10 February 2020.
2. ^ "Westwind by Ian Rankin". www.fantasticfiction.com. Retrieved 22 July 2022.
3. ^ WESTWIND | Kirkus Reviews.
4. ^ "Westwind by Ian Rankin". www.publishersweekly.com. 10 April 2025. Retrieved 10 April 2025.

## Bibliography

[edit]

* Rankin, Ian (1990). Westwind. Ulverscroft. ISBN 0-7089-2505-7.

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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

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