First published in 1990, WESTWIND provides readers and longtime fans of Ian Rankin with a look at his writing style prior to his now-legendary series featuring Scottish Detective Inspector John Rebus. In fact, Rankin states that the original copies of the book probably could be found only on the dusty shelves of used bookshops or well-stocked libraries. At the time, he thought it would be a big flop and was actually surprised how insightful and entertaining it was upon revisiting it.

Rankin made a few updates to the text of WESTWIND, which has been re-released for all of us to enjoy as we take a step back in time with the author who Lee Child has dubbed “a genius.” It opens with a scene very different from anything we have seen from Rankin. An astronaut peers out of his spaceship at the British satellite Zephyr, which is the reason for the space trip we are witnessing. It is Martin Hepton with whom we are sitting alongside as he watches from British ground control headquarters. All eyes are focused on this high-profile mission, especially after the recent crash of an American space shuttle, in which the only survivor was British astronaut Mike Dreyfuss.

"WESTWIND is well worth the 30-year timespan it has taken for most readers to discover it. Thankfully, it has not lost any tarnish in translation and can stand up to nearly any spy game or espionage thriller currently on the market."

When Hepton loses connection with the satellite, he begins to think that something sinister is going on. Those suspicions are warranted, especially after one of his colleagues who had been quite vocal about the recent space mission disasters, Paul Vincent, dies under mysterious circumstances. The ruling is that he was a suicide victim having hung himself --- but Hepton is not convinced, and his thoughts lie elsewhere.

Hepton discovers that Vincent may have been eliminated by an infamous global hit man named Harry. Harry is actually short for Harriet, and she is not someone to be trifled with. What transpires from here is a story that fits more cleanly into Rankin's wheelhouse. WESTWIND is a well-done tale of espionage that harks back to the days of Agent 007 and MI6. In this situation, we are introduced to agents from both Europe and the U.S., making for a true global conflict.

The key to everything might be Zephyr, especially when Hepton indicates that it is an all-purpose satellite as versatile as they want it to be. The mystery revolves around its true purpose and who might want it shut down at any cost. Hepton is no James Bond, but the new allegiances he makes with the small handful of colleagues he can trust force him to step up to the plate in a big way. Of course, this will lead to an inevitable showdown with Harry, which will be worth the wait.

WESTWIND is well worth the 30-year timespan it has taken for most readers to discover it. Thankfully, it has not lost any tarnish in translation and can stand up to nearly any spy game or espionage thriller currently on the market. While reading anything from Rankin will always remind me of the stunningly complex John Rebus, it was a welcome diversion to spend some time with a few of his early creations in a work that ended up being an enjoyable, solid read.