Novel- detective hunts hitman

[Hayleyoxford]

In this novel (possibly a penguin contemporary classic) a hitman kills some important woman, and is then pursued by a detective. The two characters are portrayed so that the hitman comes across as far more human and likeable than the detective. It transpires that the woman arranged her own death with the hitman, and ends with the detective slashing the hitman's face but not killing him.

This ring a bell with anyone?

[woofgang]

try this website, the booksleuth bit

http://www.abebooks.com

[BigMac]

Yes, it does. If memory serves, the hitman was a haemophiliac - hence the cutting at the end. I'll give you the title later today - the book's at home... and I'm not.

[Hayleyoxford]

Cheers BigMac, I think you're right about the haemophilia thing

[BigMac]

Hayleyoxford - I see you've gone to woofgang's recommendation; hope you've better luck there as I've mislaid my copy of the book.

I can give you more plot and some names, too, I think: High-profile print (soon to be TV) journalist interviews Social Security Minister about a religious cult from which the Minister's daughter had been rescued. No-one knows how the cult is financed. The journalist is shot on the hotel steps where the meeting took place, whilst leaving with the Minister and as a diplomat enters. There is doubt about the identitiy of the target.

This leads to the hitman identifying himself as The Demolition Man - so named because of his habit of setting off explosions in the vicinity of his kills to ease his escape - and saying that he had got the right target. The police arrive very quickly at the scene and he uses his haemophilia to get away by cutting himself and calling an ambulance, from which he escapes. He then needs to know who hired him for the hit and ends up tracking the cult, accompanied by the daughter of his arms-provider based in Yorkshire. [I think her name is Beth Harrison.]

The journey takes them to the USA, New York to begin with and then Texas where they meet up with Spike, another arms dealer. The action eventually moves to a national park in Seattle, where the cult is based, and there's a fairly major shoot-out.

Concurrently, The Demolition Man is himself being tracked by a private eye (ex NYPD, I think) who's effectively on a retainer from the father of one of The Demolition Man's earlier victims. This guy is a real sleaze, an immmensely unsympathetic character.

At the end, yes The Demolition Man does get cut by the private eye - but I won't spoil the full ending.

If the book turns up, I'll give you the title.

[Hayleyoxford]

Wow, you've remembered alot of details BigMac! I've worked out that it's Bleeding Hearts by Ian Rankin, and rediscovered it in my dad's book collection.

[BigMac]

Delighted you've found the answer. Enjoy the book.