Gorki Park

'Martin Cruz Smith’s deftness of touch, lightness of humour and depth of knowledge are on display as ever in The Siberian Dilemma' Observer<BR><BR> 'Makes tension rise through the page like a shark's fin’ Independent<BR><BR>Investigator Arkady Renko, described as ‘one of the most compelling figures in modern fiction’ by USA Today, finds himself travelling deep into Siberia when journalist Tatiana Petrovna disappears on a case. Journalist Tatiana Petrovna has disappeared. Arkady Renko, iconic Moscow investigator and Tatiana’s on-off lover, hasn’t seen her since she left on a case over a month ago. No one else thinks Renko should be worried – Tatiana is known to disappear during deep assignments – but he knows her enemies all too well and the criminal lengths they will go to keep her quiet. Given the opportunity to interrogate a suspected assassin in Irkutsk, Renko embarks on a dangerous journey to Siberia to find Tatiana and bring her back. Renko finds Siberia to be a land of shamans and brutally cold nights, oligarchs wealthy on northern oil and sea monsters that are said to prowl the deepest lake in the world. With these forces at work against him, Renko will need all his wits about him to get Tatiana out alive. From the revered author of crime classic Gorky Park comes the brilliant ninth novel featuring the iconic Arkady Renko.<BR><BR>Praise for Martin Cruz Smith<BR><BR> 'The story drips with atmosphere and authenticity – a literary triumph' David Young, bestselling author of Stasi Child <BR><BR> 'One of those writers that anyone who is serious about their craft views with respect bordering on awe' Val McDermid<BR><BR> ‘Smith not only constructs grittily realistic plots, he also has a gift for characterisation of which most thriller writers can only dream' Mail on Sunday<BR><BR> 'Smith was among the first of a new generation of writers who made thrillers literary'  Guardian<BR><BR> 'Brilliantly worked, marvellously written . . . an imaginative triumph'  Sunday Times

The rivetingly tense and timely conclusion to the Arkady Renko series - an iconic character from a titan of the political crime thriller genre.<BR><BR>When Arkady Renko is charged with investigating the murder of Alexei Kazasky, the Deputy Minister of Defence, he knows he has to tread carefully. Alexei Kazasky is a high-profile politician and has a complicated relationship with Putin. This investigation clearly has Kremlin approval, but, as with everything in Russia, things are not always what they seem.<BR><BR>Already preoccupied with his developing Parkinson's, Arkady finds he has more to worry about. The war in Ukraine is gaining momentum, and his adopted son Zhenya has become involved with the Black Army, a Russo-Ukrainian group of hacktivists. Moreover, as Arkady digs deeper into Kazasky's murder, he realizes that the man's death may have been more politically motivated than he first assumed.<BR><BR>Now it seems that the people behind the killing have him firmly in their crosshairs - but this time Arkady's life is not the only one on the line.<BR><BR>PRAISE FOR MARTIN CRUZ SMITH:<BR><BR>'Does more on a page than most writers manage in a chapter. He is unique and irreplaceable' MICK HERRON<BR>'Among the first of a new generation of writers who made thrillers literary' GUARDIAN<BR>'One of those writers that anyone who is serious about their craft views with respect bordering on awe' VAL McDERMID¿<BR>'The undisputed master of the political crime thriller' ABIR MUKHERJEE<BR>'One of the finest writers of our age' CHARLOTTE PHILBY 

'The later Renko novels are stark, spare and beautiful, like trees in winter. Martin Cruz Smith does more on a page than most writers manage in a chapter. He is unique and irreplaceable' MICK HERRON<BR><BR>ARKADY RENKO IS BACK . . .<BR> <BR>Renko has been confined to a desk job by his superiors to keep him out of the way. Although he's more disillusioned with policing and the general state of Russia than ever, he feels an odd sense of hope. A rebellion is bubbling in the country, with new values butting heads against old-school regimes. People want change and politician Leonid Lebedev could be the man to do it.<BR> <BR>When Karina, a staunch supporter of Lebedev and member of the Forum, goes missing, Renko is asked by her father to find her. Soon after his investigation begins, Alex, a close friend of Arkady's son, is found dead. He was also a member of the Forum.<BR> <BR>The night before his murder, Alex sent Arkady a cryptic message, simply containing three pictures of Russian writers. The link between the pictures is there, if only Renko could see it.<BR> <BR>But Arkady has just been diagnosed with Parkinson's and the physical and psychological effects of the disease are taking their toll. This time, he must fight more than the impenetrable Russian regime to get answers - he will need to fight himself. <BR><BR>PRAISE FOR MARTIN CRUZ SMITH:<BR><BR>'Smith was among the first of a new generation of writers who made thrillers literary' Guardian<BR><BR>'One of those writers that anyone who is serious about their craft views with respect bordering on awe' Val McDermid<BR><BR>'Martin Cruz Smith writes with an immediacy, depth and lightness of touch that is rare in its combination, and impossible to resist . . . Independence Square is no exception, and further crystallises Cruz Smith as one of the finest writers of our age' Charlotte Philby ¿<BR><BR>'The undisputed master of the political crime thriller' Abir Mukherjee<BR><BR>'Renko started off investigating murders in Soviet Russia, now it's political corruption in Putin's Russia. And it's even more gripping than before' Gareth Rubin<BR><BR>'Cruz Smith's most powerful and engaging novel since Gorky Park' Paul Burke, CrimeTime FM

The rivetingly tense and timely conclusion to the Arkady Renko series - an iconic character from a titan of the political crime thriller genre.<BR> <BR>When Arkady Renko is charged with investigating the murder of Alexei Kazasky, the Deputy Minister of Defence, he knows he has to tread carefully. Alexei Kazasky is a high-profile politician and has a complicated relationship with Putin. This investigation clearly has Kremlin approval, but, as with everything in Russia, things are not always what they seem.<BR> <BR>Already preoccupied with his developing Parkinson's, Arkady finds he has more to worry about. The war in Ukraine is gaining momentum, and his adopted son Zhenya has become involved with the Black Army, a Russo-Ukrainian group of hacktivists. Moreover, as Arkady digs deeper into Kazasky's murder, he realizes that the man's death may have been more politically motivated than he first assumed. <BR> <BR>Now it seems that the people behind the killing have him firmly in their crosshairs - but this time Arkady's life is not the only one on the line.<BR><BR>PRAISE FOR MARTIN CRUZ SMITH:<BR> <BR>'Does more on a page than most writers manage in a chapter. He is unique and irreplaceable' MICK HERRON<BR>'Among the first of a new generation of writers who made thrillers literary' GUARDIAN<BR>'One of those writers that anyone who is serious about their craft views with respect bordering on awe' VAL McDERMID¿<BR>'The undisputed master of the political crime thriller' ABIR MUKHERJEE<BR>'One of the finest writers of our age' CHARLOTTE PHILBY