Scan barcode
gossamerwingedgazelle's review against another edition
3.0
Well. That was interesting. The mystery part was great. I cared much less for the other parts. I kind of wonder how accurate the portrayal of Russia was. The only part that I'm positive was wrong was when the New York detective asks Renko if they have ice fishing in Russia, and Renko says that they do in Siberia. This is completely wrong. It is hugely popular around St. Petersburg, at least, and probably in Moscow region also. Also, I wonder about how much people in Siberia resent being in Siberia, as my friends there don't, but this is 40 years after the book was written. Anyway, I found the central romantic relationship to be strange and completely lacking in any sexual tension or romance. However, I feel like if the author got his knowledge of Russians from reading Dovlatov and The Master and Margarita, then it makes sense. It wasn't a bad book, and I'll read the next one. However, if you are looking for a traditional mystery, then you might want to skip it.
roter_koni's review against another edition
In den Weihnachts- und Faschingsferien, als ich den Thriller zur Hälfte oder fast durch hatte, habe ich mich durch Buchhandlungen geschleppt, weil ich wusste, ich will unbedingt die Sequels lesen. Das Bild der sowjetischen Gesellschaft, der sowjetischen Bürokratie und des Kalten Krieges malt Martin Cruz Smitch sehr anschaulich und weiß es, Spannung zu erzeugen.
tombennett72's review against another edition
5.0
A cracking read. Deep, curious, and in many ways very Russian.
I come to this particular party very late, and the era of the iron curtain seems so very long ago. And yet, I was on sixth form when the Berlin Wall fell and I remember some of the atmosphere that this books stirs up.
Well worth a read.
I come to this particular party very late, and the era of the iron curtain seems so very long ago. And yet, I was on sixth form when the Berlin Wall fell and I remember some of the atmosphere that this books stirs up.
Well worth a read.
stjernesvarme's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.25
bored_desperado's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
book_concierge's review against another edition
2.0
2.5**
As the snow begins to melt, three frozen bodies are found in Moscow’s Gorky Park. They’ve all been shot, and their bodies mutilated to hamper identification. Investigator Arkady Renko is brilliant, honest, and cynical, but he’s a professional and acknowledged, even by his enemies, as a stellar investigator. But to solve this case, he’ll have to battle the KGB, the FBI and the New York City police.
This is the first in a series, and Smith gives us an interesting cast of characters, including a dwarf who does reconstructive sculpture from bones to help identify crime victims, a mysterious young woman working with a film crew, a rogue NYC cop, and a rich, ruthless and well-connected American mogul. Renko, for all his skill and tenacity, is flawed, and suffering through the end of his own marriage.
The plot starts out with a bang, but Smith throws in so many side shows and plot twists, including considerable political intrigue, that I began to lose interest. And I found the ending somewhat anticlimactic. I doubt I’ll read more of the series.
As the snow begins to melt, three frozen bodies are found in Moscow’s Gorky Park. They’ve all been shot, and their bodies mutilated to hamper identification. Investigator Arkady Renko is brilliant, honest, and cynical, but he’s a professional and acknowledged, even by his enemies, as a stellar investigator. But to solve this case, he’ll have to battle the KGB, the FBI and the New York City police.
This is the first in a series, and Smith gives us an interesting cast of characters, including a dwarf who does reconstructive sculpture from bones to help identify crime victims, a mysterious young woman working with a film crew, a rogue NYC cop, and a rich, ruthless and well-connected American mogul. Renko, for all his skill and tenacity, is flawed, and suffering through the end of his own marriage.
The plot starts out with a bang, but Smith throws in so many side shows and plot twists, including considerable political intrigue, that I began to lose interest. And I found the ending somewhat anticlimactic. I doubt I’ll read more of the series.
sankitch87's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.75
splendidpanda's review against another edition
1.0
The first book in a very long time I have given up on!
Boring beyond belief and the Russian names confused me so much about who was who and what city was where! The murder opening was a promising start but the plot was so slow with detours about Russian politics, I can’t take it anymore!
Boring beyond belief and the Russian names confused me so much about who was who and what city was where! The murder opening was a promising start but the plot was so slow with detours about Russian politics, I can’t take it anymore!
martinbazoka's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0