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bizzerg's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
sandin954's review against another edition
5.0
A very good listen. Arkady Renko was as fascinating as ever and the plot, which revolved around "New Russians" who have made a killing with capitalism and site of the Chernobyl disaster, was both interesting and suspenseful. Listened to the audio version which was ably narrated by Henry Strozier.
petealdin's review against another edition
3.0
Didn't like this as much as the other 5 Renko novels I've read it. But anything with Renko in it is worth the read. Paricularly interesting was the information about Chernobyl.
pmosher16's review against another edition
5.0
Fantastic story. Well-written, compelling, poetic. The images of Russia and Ukraine are stirring, hypnotic, breathtaking.
liklak's review against another edition
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Such an enjoyable book! My first Arkady Renko story, and I will definitely check out the others. He's everything you want in a detective character; stubborn, human, and gets his sh*t kicked in on the regular.
Moderate: Sexual assault
Minor: Domestic abuse
Re sexual assult:jefecarpenter's review against another edition
3.0
The beginning is thrilling, and there is a wonderful section in the middle as you become enwrapped in the gallows humor and siege mentality of the action around Chernobyl. There's a good lead in to the femme fatal affair, and lots of promise, but it doesn’t come off as smoothly as I wish it could have.
mayawildgoose's review against another edition
5.0
My favorite of his books, largely because of such a bizarre setting...
jhbandcats's review
adventurous
challenging
dark
informative
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
I loved the first Arkady Renko book, Gorky Park, and kept reading till, at book four, I’d had enough. Wolves Eat Dogs is the fifth in the series. I had just read the nonfiction Midnight in Chernobyl (excellent) and so read this mystery because it’s based there.
I was disappointed. The author is always telling us how characters feel, and even then I can’t see it. “I thought so-and-so liked you.” “No, he’s mad at me because….” I hadn’t known either about the liking or the disliking. I never felt any emotion from the characters.
I didn’t find the mystery very compelling, and the motivation didn’t seem to warrant such a homicidal result. Since I’d just read about Chernobyl, I didn’t find the descriptions boring or complicated - one complained I’ve read - but that didn’t make me find the book any more readable.
I was disappointed. The author is always telling us how characters feel, and even then I can’t see it. “I thought so-and-so liked you.” “No, he’s mad at me because….” I hadn’t known either about the liking or the disliking. I never felt any emotion from the characters.
I didn’t find the mystery very compelling, and the motivation didn’t seem to warrant such a homicidal result. Since I’d just read about Chernobyl, I didn’t find the descriptions boring or complicated - one complained I’ve read - but that didn’t make me find the book any more readable.
Graphic: Cancer, Death, Infidelity, Suicide, Medical trauma, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, and Alcohol
jmeighan's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5