BLEEDING HEART SQUARE
Book ID/图书代码： 12100007B19103
English Summary/英文概要： The year is 1934, and twenty nine year old Lydia Langstone is living with her father in his rented flat at number 7, Bleeding Heart Square. This is one of the shadier parts of London: the flat is cold and miserable, and Lydia’s father is an alcoholic who spends most of his time in the nearest pub. An Independent Woman
Lydia has no choice, however. She has left her husband Marcus, whose violent assualt on her forms the opening scenes of the novel, and must now find her way in life as an independent woman. Virginia Woolf’s A Room of One’s Own is proving harder to get through than she imagined, and she is forced to take a low-paying job with a legal firm in order to make ends meet.
It is not long, however, until Lydia finds herself involved with a mysterious case from the past. Philippa Penhow, the house’s former owner, disappeared four years ago, apparently running off to America with a lover to start a new life. For many, this version of events does not ring true, and foul play is suspected - why else would Mr Serridge, current owner of number 7, Bleeding Heart Square and former lover to Miss Penhow, be receiving parcels containing rotting hearts?
Rory Wentworth
Lydia is not alone in her quest to uncover the truth. Rory Wentworth, an unemployed journalist who lives in the top flat of the house, is also investigating what has befallen Miss Penhow, and he and Lydia eventually begin to work together to unlock the secrets of the past. Meanwhile, Lydia’s husband Marcus still looms menacingly over proceedings as a key figure in the British Union of Fascists, which has selected Bleeding Heart Square as the location for its meetings and recruitment drives.
A Dark Atmosphere
The novel is very strong on recreating the atmosphere in London at this time - the fear of a second world war, the uncertain position of a woman seeking divorce, and the undercurrent of violence stalking the dark and gloomy streets. The characters are convincing and the story is gripping - Taylor’s masterstroke is to stick to a rigid pattern in structuring the novel, with each chapter starting with an extract from Miss Penhow’s diary from 1930 before moving back to the present day events. This means that Miss Penhow’s presence is strongly felt throughout the novel, and the reader really cares about what may have befallen her as she strides blindly into a sexual relationship with Serridge.
Chinese Summary/中文概要： 伦敦没有Bleeding Heart Square，但有Bleeding Heart Yard，那是个发生在17世纪的故事，
交际花Elizabeth Hatton在舞会后翩翩归来，不幸遭遇谋杀，
人们在庭院里发现了她支离破碎的尸体，而她的心竟然依旧流血不止，浸透染红了鹅卵石。
小说Bleeding Heart Square的灵感便来源于此！ 故事发生在1934年，29岁的Lydia Landstone与父亲借住在Bleeding Heart广场的公寓的7号楼。这里是伦敦最阴暗的地方，公寓里冷飕飕的，令人不寒而栗。而Lydia的父亲是名酒鬼，他大部分的时间都挥霍在酒吧里。
一位独立的女人
Lydia实在是忍无可忍了，她无法忍受丈夫Marcus的家庭暴力，于是选择逃离，努力成为一个独立的女人。她无法理解弗吉尼亚•伍尔芙的作品A Room of One’d Own，但她为生活所迫不得不在正规公司从事一份薪水低得可怜的工作。
然而，不久之后，Lydia发现自己卷入了一桩历时已久的神秘案件中。公寓的原本主人Philippa Penhow四年前人间蒸发，据说是和情人远走到美国开始过新生活去了。但是，大部分人都不相信这种说法。更令人质疑的是，为什么现在的屋主Serridge先生，同时也是Penhow的前任爱人会收到装着腐烂心脏的包裹？
罗里•文特沃斯
Rory Wentworth是名无所事事的记者，他住在7号楼的最高一层。Rory一直在调查Penhow小姐到底出了什么事。不久之后，Rory和Lydia开始联手调查这桩尘封已久的案件。与此同时，Lydia的丈夫Marcus已是不列颠法西斯协会的重要头目，他选择了Bleeding Heart Square作为集会和招募的地点。
黑暗氛围
这部小说很好的重现了伦敦当时不安氛围—对于二战的恐惧，一位想要离婚的妇女变化不定的心情，以及黑夜街头上充斥着暴力的暗流。小说中的人物各个个性鲜明，故事铺设扣人心弦，构思巧妙。故事每一章的开头都摘自自1930年Penhow小姐的日记梗概，随后再回到叙述的故事情节中。这让我们强烈感觉到Penhow小姐的存在，于是开始怀疑她现在究竟身处何地，到底发生了什么事情，而这又和她的前任情人Serridge先生有何关联？(YM)
Awards/获奖情况：2009年度钻石匕首奖获奖作家
About the Author/作者介绍： Andrew Taylor has been writing full-time since 1981. He has written over twenty novels, mainly in the crime and thriller genres. They include the series featuring William Dougal, a detective of low moral fibre who occasionally commits murders as well as solves them; an espionage trilogy whose chronology stretches from the 1930s to the 1980s; psychological thrillers; and books for younger readers. His best-known book to date is the international bestseller, The American Boy, which has been translated into 11 languages. Andrew Taylor自1981年就开始当起全职作家。他著有20多本小说，主要是犯罪和惊悚小说。其中包括：William Dougal系列小说，讲述了一个道德低下的侦探时不时的杀人并破案的故事；时间跨度从20世纪30年代至80年代的间谍小说三部曲；心理惊悚小说；青少年读物等。
Andrew Taylor的国际畅销小说The American Boy被译成11种语言。
Format:
Rights Status/版权销售情况：Simplified Chinese/简体中文：AVAILABLE
Complex/Traditional Chinese/繁体中文：AVAILABLE
Sales in other countries/其他国家销售情况：
原文第一章内容：有
手稿：暂无
大纲：有