Scan barcode
kurtie's review against another edition
2.0
Loved the setting, imagery but ... not a great book. Visually would make a great film although the story could lead to a cheesy screen play. Huge plot twist at the end was unexpected. Smith, however, didn't seem to tie everything together as much as I would have liked. I understand the main character, Arkady Renko, is the main character in Smith's Gorky Park. Perhaps had I read this first and been acquainted with the character, Havana Bay may have flowed more smoothly.
vanessakm's review against another edition
5.0
I'm not expert but I read a fair amount of international mysteries, partly because it's learning world history and geography the sluggard's way. The male protagonists are inevitably divorced or widowed, haunted by the past and world weary. And while I like several series (Wallander and Rebus for example), my very favorite is Martin Cruz Smith's Arkady Renko. He leaps off the page like a real person. I can predict his reactions like someone I've known for years and I adore his utterly deadpan Soviet humor. Cruz Smith's writing is of literary fiction quality and his descriptions of locales are precise and vivid-I now feel like I've seen and smelled Havana. And his unique talent for getting into the mindset of citizens of various crumbling Socialist republics is the best crash course in political science you'll ever take. This is the fourth book in the series and is my favorite so far. Love, love, love this writer.
I prefer Renko when he is gloomy and I suppose the author does as well because in the interval between the third book, [b:Red Square|647683|Red Square (Arkady Renko, #3)|Martin Cruz Smith|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1176730538s/647683.jpg|2676712] and this one he has married his longtime love Irina only to see her die in a random Russian hospital clusterfuck. He has come to Havana to collect the body of his old frenemy Pribluda, whom the locals claim has died in a fishing accident when a body matching his description washes up in the bay. The local authorities claim he is a spy and are neither planning to investigate further nor happy to have a meddling Russian investigator in the mix. Renko meanwhile isn't sure that this really is his friend or that an old-school comrade like Pribluda would be caught fishing in an inner-tube Cuban style in the first place. Renko has also come to Havana intending to kill himself out of grief over Irina's death but fortunately his plans abruptly get changed and he gets sucked into the mystery of Pribluda's final hours. From there, he devotes himself to the task with his usual tenacity and gift for making enemies. What ensues is a tale of sugar cane, American expats, El Comandante, Santeria, sex tourism, rhino abuse, Cuban ballerinas and a Havana detective named Ofelia Osorio who is every bit as well-rounded and brilliant a character as Renko. If you can hear me Mr. Smith, mas Ofelia por favor.
I learned so much about Havana's history and the hard times that hit Cuba following the Soviet collapse-what Cubans officially call the Special Period. Meanwhile, one Soviet character blames the Soviet economy's collapse on keeping Cuba's "floating circus" alive. The story is a typical labyrinthine Cruz Smith tale and I can't say for sure that I understand exactly why everything happened as it did. But I don't care. While other reviewers complain that story ends abruptly-and it does-this is fitting as it's an abrupt conclusion for Renko too. Perfection.
I prefer Renko when he is gloomy and I suppose the author does as well because in the interval between the third book, [b:Red Square|647683|Red Square (Arkady Renko, #3)|Martin Cruz Smith|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1176730538s/647683.jpg|2676712] and this one he has married his longtime love Irina only to see her die in a random Russian hospital clusterfuck. He has come to Havana to collect the body of his old frenemy Pribluda, whom the locals claim has died in a fishing accident when a body matching his description washes up in the bay. The local authorities claim he is a spy and are neither planning to investigate further nor happy to have a meddling Russian investigator in the mix. Renko meanwhile isn't sure that this really is his friend or that an old-school comrade like Pribluda would be caught fishing in an inner-tube Cuban style in the first place. Renko has also come to Havana intending to kill himself out of grief over Irina's death but fortunately his plans abruptly get changed and he gets sucked into the mystery of Pribluda's final hours. From there, he devotes himself to the task with his usual tenacity and gift for making enemies. What ensues is a tale of sugar cane, American expats, El Comandante, Santeria, sex tourism, rhino abuse, Cuban ballerinas and a Havana detective named Ofelia Osorio who is every bit as well-rounded and brilliant a character as Renko. If you can hear me Mr. Smith, mas Ofelia por favor.
I learned so much about Havana's history and the hard times that hit Cuba following the Soviet collapse-what Cubans officially call the Special Period. Meanwhile, one Soviet character blames the Soviet economy's collapse on keeping Cuba's "floating circus" alive. The story is a typical labyrinthine Cruz Smith tale and I can't say for sure that I understand exactly why everything happened as it did. But I don't care. While other reviewers complain that story ends abruptly-and it does-this is fitting as it's an abrupt conclusion for Renko too. Perfection.
introvertedbear's review
2.0
"What did you think?" asked Goodreads. I answered, "I don't know."
The depictions of Cuban culture keeps me enthralled. That is definitely the most intriguing part of the book for me. I have no idea if it's accurate, but it does paint Cuba as lively and vibrant and also sad. On the other hand, the plot of the story makes me want to turn my kindle to the side and also slowly turn my head. Maybe a different angle will give me a better perspective.
I think it's one of the better mystery books I've read, but at the same time it was a little strange. Perhaps I am just unacquainted with this genre. I also feel like I missed a lot of the character's development because the author made references to previous events, which I assume happened in previous books. I think that if I had read the previous books and actually followed the character on his adventures, I'd be more likely to empathize with him more and like the book more also.
Now I am just going on a rant, but it seems that a lot of female characters in mystery novels with males as main characters are just there for sex appeal. I find Ofelia was sort of depicted in that way, but she was also depicted as a strong badass, for the lack of better words. I definitely found that to be an improvement. She might've gotten locked in a trunk, but she does some sharp shooting after that. The author should be applauded for combining femininity and strength in Ofelia.
The depictions of Cuban culture keeps me enthralled. That is definitely the most intriguing part of the book for me. I have no idea if it's accurate, but it does paint Cuba as lively and vibrant and also sad. On the other hand, the plot of the story makes me want to turn my kindle to the side and also slowly turn my head. Maybe a different angle will give me a better perspective.
I think it's one of the better mystery books I've read, but at the same time it was a little strange. Perhaps I am just unacquainted with this genre. I also feel like I missed a lot of the character's development because the author made references to previous events, which I assume happened in previous books. I think that if I had read the previous books and actually followed the character on his adventures, I'd be more likely to empathize with him more and like the book more also.
Now I am just going on a rant, but it seems that a lot of female characters in mystery novels with males as main characters are just there for sex appeal. I find Ofelia was sort of depicted in that way, but she was also depicted as a strong badass, for the lack of better words. I definitely found that to be an improvement. She might've gotten locked in a trunk, but she does some sharp shooting after that. The author should be applauded for combining femininity and strength in Ofelia.
jordie510's review against another edition
4.0
Just needed an easy murder mystery to de-stress. This hit the spot.
plantbirdwoman's review against another edition
3.0
I've always enjoyed Martin Cruz Smith's Arkady Renko series. I have read several of the books out of sequence and now I'm going back to pick up the ones I've missed. Thus, I came to read Havana Bay, the fourth in the series while on vacation last week. It was a good vacation read. Smith is a good writer who knows how to move a story along. He kept me interested and kept me turning pages.
This episode in the Renko saga takes Arkady out of Russia, which should be obvious from the title. It is the late '90s and the divorce between Cuba and Russia, formerly the Soviet Union, is just about final. Renko, the intrepid and cynical Moscow investigator, receives an anonymous message from someone in Havana that his friend Pribluda, who was in Havana for some unknown reason, was in trouble and needed Arkady's help. Arkady drops everything and flies to Havana, only to learn that a body on an innertube has washed up in the bay and that the body is believed to be that of his friend.
Arkady is skeptical - Arkady is ALWAYS skeptical - and he begins an investigation even though he is not authorized to do so. He meets Cuban investigator Ofelia Osorio who insists that Pribluda died of a heart attack while out on the bay fishing and there is nothing to investigate. Furthermore, both Ofelia and every other official that he meets seem to be of the opinion that the only good Russian is a dead Russian and so Pribluda is a very good Russian.
The body was in such a state when it was found that Arkady cannot even be sure that it is his friend. He tries to find a picture that will enable the pathologist, a certified genius, to check the bone structure against Pribluda's facial features to determine if, in fact, the body is Pribluda. But somebody seems to deeply resent Renko's searches and he appears to be in danger of losing his life before he discovers the solution to the mystery. What was Pribluda doing in Havana, and what is the Havana Yacht Club, anyway?
This was a fun read. Arkady Renko is a very appealing character and his relationship with his Cuban counterpart Ofelia makes for an interesting juxtaposition of investigative methods. Overall, the picture of Cuba is a society of strong people who make do with what they have and who are still devoted to their Revolution's heroes in spite of hardships.
This episode in the Renko saga takes Arkady out of Russia, which should be obvious from the title. It is the late '90s and the divorce between Cuba and Russia, formerly the Soviet Union, is just about final. Renko, the intrepid and cynical Moscow investigator, receives an anonymous message from someone in Havana that his friend Pribluda, who was in Havana for some unknown reason, was in trouble and needed Arkady's help. Arkady drops everything and flies to Havana, only to learn that a body on an innertube has washed up in the bay and that the body is believed to be that of his friend.
Arkady is skeptical - Arkady is ALWAYS skeptical - and he begins an investigation even though he is not authorized to do so. He meets Cuban investigator Ofelia Osorio who insists that Pribluda died of a heart attack while out on the bay fishing and there is nothing to investigate. Furthermore, both Ofelia and every other official that he meets seem to be of the opinion that the only good Russian is a dead Russian and so Pribluda is a very good Russian.
The body was in such a state when it was found that Arkady cannot even be sure that it is his friend. He tries to find a picture that will enable the pathologist, a certified genius, to check the bone structure against Pribluda's facial features to determine if, in fact, the body is Pribluda. But somebody seems to deeply resent Renko's searches and he appears to be in danger of losing his life before he discovers the solution to the mystery. What was Pribluda doing in Havana, and what is the Havana Yacht Club, anyway?
This was a fun read. Arkady Renko is a very appealing character and his relationship with his Cuban counterpart Ofelia makes for an interesting juxtaposition of investigative methods. Overall, the picture of Cuba is a society of strong people who make do with what they have and who are still devoted to their Revolution's heroes in spite of hardships.
hayesstw's review against another edition
3.0
I was looking for some light bedtime reading, and looked through our bookshelves and picked up some books that I wasn't sure if I had read or not, and then checked on my computer and found that I had read them, but they had proved to be rather forgettable. Then I picked up this book, which has been lying around for ages, but I hadn't read it.
It was quite an interesting read.
Russian investigator Arkady Renko goes to Cuba to find out what had happened to a dead Russian, a sugar attache at the Russian Embassy in Cuba, who was found dead after he had been missing for several days. Renko wants the Cuban authorities to investigate his death, but finds that they are reluctant to do so. Since the fall of the Bosheviks from power the Russians have downsized their embassy in Cuba and the remaining Russians are not very popular, and Russians investigating possible crimes on Cuban soil are even less so.
Renko soon finds that something big is going on, something bigger than he first suspected, and the more he discovers, the bigger it gets.
To say motre would reveal too much of the plot, but there is also lots of local colour, and some interesting sidelights on Afro-Caribbean religion, and the role that semi-religious secret societies like Abakua play in Cuban society.
It was quite an interesting read.
Russian investigator Arkady Renko goes to Cuba to find out what had happened to a dead Russian, a sugar attache at the Russian Embassy in Cuba, who was found dead after he had been missing for several days. Renko wants the Cuban authorities to investigate his death, but finds that they are reluctant to do so. Since the fall of the Bosheviks from power the Russians have downsized their embassy in Cuba and the remaining Russians are not very popular, and Russians investigating possible crimes on Cuban soil are even less so.
Renko soon finds that something big is going on, something bigger than he first suspected, and the more he discovers, the bigger it gets.
To say motre would reveal too much of the plot, but there is also lots of local colour, and some interesting sidelights on Afro-Caribbean religion, and the role that semi-religious secret societies like Abakua play in Cuban society.
imalwayswrite's review against another edition
3.0
The death of an old comrade (haha) brings Arkady Renko to Cuba to identify the body. But of course it isn't that easy. What I love about Renko is that he's imperfect. He may walk away from a fight, but the guy is always getting his ass kicked. He's no Elliot Stabler, that's for sure.
clairehargreaves01's review against another edition
3.0
Some fantastic descriptions of Cuba and an enthralling plot.
davidwemyers's review
3.0
Gruesome opening. Smith seems enamored with the idea of Cuba but I frankly didn’t get the impression that he understood it that well. Most of the Cuban characters feel a bit flat.
The mystery is okay, a subplot is introduced which hints that something really bananas may be coming, but it fizzles out and we get a fairly generic ending.
His prose, as always, is gripping and stark, and there are the usual throwaway lines about human nature that tell the reader Smith has insight into the soul.
Would recommend mostly for fans of the other Renko book.
The mystery is okay, a subplot is introduced which hints that something really bananas may be coming, but it fizzles out and we get a fairly generic ending.
His prose, as always, is gripping and stark, and there are the usual throwaway lines about human nature that tell the reader Smith has insight into the soul.
Would recommend mostly for fans of the other Renko book.
clambook's review
4.0
Easily the most entertaining of the Renko series, a fun read after a recent trip to Cuba. Ofelia's mother is a terrific character.