Arkado Renko, a Moscow police investigator, is introduced in this complex tale of murder, intrigue and Sable smuggling. Most of the action takes place in Moscow, where three mutilated bodies are discovered in Gorky Park. Renko wants the KGB to take over the case, as it may have state security implications, but a former nemesis, Major Pribluda, insists it is a job for Renko. As the investigation proceeds, it becomes clear that the authorities do not want any inconvenient findings, especially any revelation that foreigners may be involved. Renko’s marriage is failing, and he becomes obsessed with Irina, a witness in the case. Renko’s determination to investigate thoroughly - along with his failure to toe the party line - are endangering his career. However, it is his life (and those of his closest colleagues, and Irina) that is in the greatest danger, as mysterious and conflicting forces conspire to thwart the investigation. These include a New York policeman (related to one of the victims), a powerful American businessman and the KGB. As always, Cruz Smith’s research is meticulous, the background convincing, and the characters fascinating in this well crafted novel. ( )

Series: Arkady Renko #1
Published: 1981
First Line: All nights should be so dark, all winters so warm, all headlights so dazzling.

After three mutilated bodies are found in Gorky Park Chief Investigator Arkady Renko is called in to head the investigation, a job he doesn’t want, and one which he tries his best to hand over to the KGB. The strength of Smith’s novel is his fantastic recreation of the pre-perestroika Soviet Union with its vodka swilling corrupt officials and its deep rooted fear of foreigners. Renko is a typically flawed detective who has a failing marriage and no respect for the system which threatens not only the investigation but Renko’s own life. It is easy to see why the novels originality made it an instant success upon publication and spawned many imitations. ( )

Arkady Renko is a detective in Moscow that has to investigate the death of three people who have been found in Gorki Park. It is a great thriller which has the added attraction of offering an insight into the everyday life and 'politics' of Russia during the soviet era. The inclusion of a USA detective in the plot allows the author to draw interesting parallels between the two countries and to move the action to NY as well. The characters are complex and the plot is very engaging. Great fun. ( )

“Gorky Park” by Martin Cruz Smith is an incredibly well written Soviet-Era, dour, hard-boiled detective novel with reams of insight into the human character and the pain of simple existence in a world of blight and misery. Even though at times Mr. Smith’s dogged hero, Arkady Renko, is easily reminiscent of a Camus’ Mersault than a gritty noir detective, Mr. Smith balances this with femme fatales, evil men, espionage, conspiracy and murder. On the other hand, the final few scenes in New York just didn’t work for me, and came across as drawn out and lacking. ( )

Written in 1981, this book has had something of a cult status as one of the first popular entries in the international mystery/thriller genre. It is the first in the Arkady Renko series, the second being published much later, in 1988.

Arkady Renko is a chief investigator in the Moscow militia, the police section of the MVD. As opposed to the KGB, which investigates cases related to security, the militia are usually concerned with domestic violence, drunkenness and the occasional murder. Moscow, under communist rule, is ostensibly one of he safest cities in the world, since crimes that don’ fit the socialist definition of acceptable are merely defined out of sight. But Renko’s job is usually fairly dull.

Until 3 bodies, clearly homicides, are found in Gorky Park, a popular amusement center in Moscow’s heart. The KGB shows both an unusual interest and a complete lack of willingness to step in and investigate these murders, particularly odd since one of the victims is most likely a foreigner. Renko, who smells a rat, is determined to make a case that will force the KGB to take the case off his hands.

The plot is excellent, building up in tension and with enough twists to keep the interest high. Set in 1977, Russian life under Brezhnev was not as bad as in the Stalinist era, but was still highly regimented and repressive; dissent was not allowed, although the mass murders and purges of the Stalinist era were gone. But rigid allegiance to the party line was necessary for any kind of decent life, and obligatory for career advancement. Smith ,as part of the story, shows what daily life for Muscovites was like—the hardships, the lack of decent consumer goods, the regimentation—and it is very well done.

What is a very nice surprise is that 27 years later, the writing is still good—not dated, but taut and spare, portraying both the mood of the average Soviet citizen and the lives they were forced to lead and an excellent plot line. Even given the events over the past 3 decades, the story line does not seem outdated at all—merely a Russian police procedural set in a particular era, which I think is an achievement. His characters seem almost contemporary, and are well-drawn.

Almost 30 years old, this is still a good read. Highly recommended. ( )