Investigator Arkady Renko, the pariah of the Moscow prosecutor’s office, has been assigned the thankless job of investigating a new phenomenon: late-night subway riders report seeing the ghost of Joseph Stalin on the platform of the Chistye Prudy Metro station. The illusion seems part political hocus-pocus and also part wishful thinking, for among many Russians Stalin is again popular; the bloody dictator can boast a two-to-one approval rating. Decidedly better than that of Renko, whose lover, Eva, has left him for Detective Mikolai Isakov, a charismatic veteran of the civil war in Chechnya, a hero of the far right and, Renko suspects, a killer for hire. The cases entwine, and Renko’s quests become a personal inquiry fueled by jealousy. The investigation leads to the fields of Tver outside of Moscow, where once a million soldiers fought. There, amidst the detritus, Renko must confront the ghost of his own father, a favorite general of Stalin’s. In these barren fields, patriots and shady entrepreneurs—the Red Diggers and Black Diggers— collect the bones, weapons and personal effects of slain World War II soldiers, and find that even among the dead there are surprises.
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"There are no more Stieg Larssons out there. This series is just as good if not better. And you don't have to worry about bad translations as Mr Smith is a native American (wait! not a Native American-you understand the difference).Read and enjoy. " — Gary (5 out of 5 stars)
"There are no more Stieg Larssons out there. This series is just as good if not better. And you don't have to worry about bad translations as Mr Smith is a native American (wait! not a Native American-you understand the difference).Read and enjoy. "
“This masterful suspense novel casts a searing light on contemporary Russia.”
“This series has always been about the perils of digging: whether it’s bodies under the snow or radioactive facts that the powerful want to keep hidden, the treasures that Renko seeks always contain the seeds of his own destruction. But somehow digging his own grave is what keeps Renko alive—and keeps us reading.”
“In addition to a gripping mystery, readers will embrace the detailed, harrowing descriptions of the harshness and violence of life in the ‘New Russia.’”
" Audio Book. The hero gets shot in the head and lives. It kept my attention but I don't think it was anything special. "
" Arkasha, where are you? We miss you. "
" Great mystery book set in Russia. I wish I had the earlier entries in this series. "
" Still love the writing, love the characters.Cliffhanger ending is the only reason it doesn't get five stars. "
" Fantastic - I can't get enough of Arkady Renko. "
" Pretty good, but not great. Certainly doesn't leave one feeling warm & fuzzy about Russia. Too much corruption. "
" Cruz Smith normally gets 4 star review. I've always like his protagonist Arkady Renko. Unfortunately in this book Arkady is walking around like a zombie with a death wish. Very disappointing. "
" Can't read this one with the kids in the car! Pretty rough story - language, sex and violence; however, interesting sense of Russian history and politics. "
Martin Cruz-Smith is the bestselling author of several novels. In 2019 he was named an Edgar Award Grand Master. He is a two-time winner of the Hammett Prize from the International Association of Crime Writers and winner of Britain’s Golden Dagger Award and and of the Premio Piemonte Giallo Internazionale.
Henry Strozier is an actor with a forty-year career in numerous movies and television series. Also a voice-over artist, he has worked extensively in video games and audiobook narration, earning several AudioFile Earphones Awards.
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