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twistinthetale's review against another edition
2.0
Martin Cruz Smith is probably most known for "Gorky Park". It has been a long time since I read a Martin Cruz Smith book and I hadn't made the connection that the books I'd read were both parts of the "Arkady Renko" series. The book has good moments. Arkady is charged with investigating the sightings of Stalin's ghost at a train station. The investigation begins to reveal the seediest side of Russian life, past and present. Long stretches of the book build up to episodes of action which seemed rushed, to me. I found it quite a difficult book to engage with but was glad I persevered to the end.
arxchiell's review against another edition
3.0
3.5
A simp does everything to get his girl back Including finding evidence to a politician's war crimes
A simp does everything to get his girl back Including finding evidence to a politician's war crimes
tasmanian_bibliophile's review against another edition
4.0
Investigator Arkady Renko has been one of my fictional heroes since 'Gorky Park' was published in 1981. While 'Stalin's Ghost' isn't quite that good (in my mond) I thoroughly enjoyed it.
It's a mood thing: black and bleak worked for me this week. Seriously, though (and how can you be more serious than black and bleak?) the situations, the characters and Arkady's wonderful observations make this novel compelling.
Well, it worked for me.
It's a mood thing: black and bleak worked for me this week. Seriously, though (and how can you be more serious than black and bleak?) the situations, the characters and Arkady's wonderful observations make this novel compelling.
Well, it worked for me.
dasasquatch's review against another edition
4.0
The first book I've read for the series, it's also the first detective story I've read, and I must say it was really good. Not a huge twist ending or anything extravagant like that but a real realistic situation which I like because it made me feel as if I was physically following Detective Renko through the whole book. Overall great read!
jgwc54e5's review against another edition
3.0
Set in Moscow and Tver, Russian detective investigates murders he’s not supposed to and girlfriend leaves him for colleague involved in war coverup and politics. Yes the plot is confused and hard to get into to start with. I found it interesting for both location and historical facts.
bishop's review
adventurous
challenging
emotional
funny
informative
inspiring
mysterious
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
plantbirdwoman's review against another edition
4.0
I had read "Gorky Park" and "Polar Star" by this author and those books feature the same main character as this one, Arkady Renko. I found Arkady an enormously appealing character and so I was interested to read this latest adventure of his. My husband, who read the book first and recommended it to me, warned me that Arkady was "rough-handled" in the book. Rough-handled he certainly was, but nothing will stop him from doing what he considers the honorable thing. Not even the dishonorable society in which he lives.
Smith has a way of writing about modern-day Russia that really brings it alive to the reader. His characters seem thorough realistic and believable. None more so than Arkady Renko.
As Arkady delves into an incident at a bridge in Chechnya that happened during the insurrection there, he becomes more and more convinced that the incident is the motive behind certain suspicious deaths in Moscow. He follows the trail wherever it leads, even into the hostile territory of the Russian countryside. What he finds there is bound up in the tragic World War II history of Russia, then the Soviet Union, and the despicable acts perpetrated by Stalin.
The story is a page-turner and even though I found the ending just a bit disappointing, overall, the book was entertaining and perhaps even enlightening regarding the way Russian society and politics work today.
Smith has a way of writing about modern-day Russia that really brings it alive to the reader. His characters seem thorough realistic and believable. None more so than Arkady Renko.
As Arkady delves into an incident at a bridge in Chechnya that happened during the insurrection there, he becomes more and more convinced that the incident is the motive behind certain suspicious deaths in Moscow. He follows the trail wherever it leads, even into the hostile territory of the Russian countryside. What he finds there is bound up in the tragic World War II history of Russia, then the Soviet Union, and the despicable acts perpetrated by Stalin.
The story is a page-turner and even though I found the ending just a bit disappointing, overall, the book was entertaining and perhaps even enlightening regarding the way Russian society and politics work today.
slapshottechnology's review against another edition
2.0
Kind of off and on. Definitely did not like as much as the previous Arkady book. I spent 2/3 of this one figuring out if Eva was the one he saved from Pripyat or not, and then the Zhenya issues...blah.