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ekeady's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.25
thain's review against another edition
4.0
I'd forgotten what a great character Arkady Renko is. I enjoyed his gloomy humor and the adventurous trek around the shores of Lake Baikal in Siberia, complete with marauding bears.
kjcox529's review
adventurous
funny
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
annarella's review against another edition
5.0
I don't think that Martin Cruz Smith could be able to write a bad book and this novel confirms my opinions.
It's gripping, fascinating and kept me on the edge till the end.
I was happy to meet again Arkady and was fascinated by the description of Siberia.
It was a great read, highly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher and Edelweiss for this ARC, all opinions are mine
It's gripping, fascinating and kept me on the edge till the end.
I was happy to meet again Arkady and was fascinated by the description of Siberia.
It was a great read, highly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher and Edelweiss for this ARC, all opinions are mine
shrutinaik's review against another edition
3.0
The Siberian Dilemma is the ninth book in the Arkady Renko series by Martin Cruz Smith and the book that introduced me to this author and these characters. Which makes me wonder if I would have enjoyed this book more had I been acquainted with these characters before.
Arkady is an investigator for the prosecutor's office in Moscow and one of the few honest officials who knows the extent of corruption in the Russian judicial system. He is sent to Siberia to indict a man, Aba Makhmud, for attempting to murder the prosecutor. But Arkady has a feeling that things don't add up. At the same time, Tatiana, a journalist and Arkady's lover who is also in Siberia, breaks all contact with him while trying to write an article on Russian oligarchs. After dealing with Aba, Arkady tracks her down and thus begins a story that involves bears, oil, shockingly trusting criminals and weird relationships.
This book didn't have much of a mystery nor was it much of a thriller if I'm being honest. Given that a character death is mentioned in the summary itself, you'd think that would be something that happens in the first fifty percent leaving the rest of the book to build up on the mystery surrounding the circumstances of the death, but it doesn't. It's one of the shocking elements that occurs much later and even though I knew it was coming, it was the only part of this book that I liked. That and the character of Rinchin Bolot, Arkady's factotum who you can't help but grow fond of.
I don't know if this book let me down only because I expected more from it but I genuinely did not enjoy it. I wouldn't recommend this one.
[I'd like to thank NetGalley, Simon and Schuster and Martin Cruz Smith for this ARC.]
Arkady is an investigator for the prosecutor's office in Moscow and one of the few honest officials who knows the extent of corruption in the Russian judicial system. He is sent to Siberia to indict a man, Aba Makhmud, for attempting to murder the prosecutor. But Arkady has a feeling that things don't add up. At the same time, Tatiana, a journalist and Arkady's lover who is also in Siberia, breaks all contact with him while trying to write an article on Russian oligarchs. After dealing with Aba, Arkady tracks her down and thus begins a story that involves bears, oil, shockingly trusting criminals and weird relationships.
This book didn't have much of a mystery nor was it much of a thriller if I'm being honest. Given that a character death is mentioned in the summary itself, you'd think that would be something that happens in the first fifty percent leaving the rest of the book to build up on the mystery surrounding the circumstances of the death, but it doesn't. It's one of the shocking elements that occurs much later and even though I knew it was coming, it was the only part of this book that I liked. That and the character of Rinchin Bolot, Arkady's factotum who you can't help but grow fond of.
I don't know if this book let me down only because I expected more from it but I genuinely did not enjoy it. I wouldn't recommend this one.
[I'd like to thank NetGalley, Simon and Schuster and Martin Cruz Smith for this ARC.]
directorpurry's review
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Loveable characters? No
2.0
nlgn's review against another edition
2.0
Very thin. Maybe I needed to have read earlier books in the series to care more for the main character?
tasmanian_bibliophile's review
3.0
‘Arkady was an Investigator of Special Cases, and if a bear running loose in the heart of Moscow was not a special case, he didn’t know what was.’
Arkady Renko is worried. His lover, journalist Tatiana Petrovna, has been on assignment for over a month, and doesn’t arrive home on her scheduled train from Irkutsk. Renko is convinced that something is wrong, but no-one else seems concerned. Could one (or more) of her numerous enemies have silenced her?
Renko’s boss Zurin wants him to go to Siberia to oversee the prosecution of a Chechen terrorist, who tried to kill the Moscow Prosecutor. Renko agrees: Zurin threatens harm to his stepson if Renko does not follow orders. He’s reluctant, until he learns that Tatiana might still be in Siberia doing a story on Mikhail Kuznetsov, the so-called ‘hermit billionaire’ who may run against Vladimir Putin at the next election. Kuznetsov, a wealthy oligarch, who has made his money in oil and is seen as a political dissident, is the first to pose any real threat to Vladimir Putin in over a decade. Could he be the perfect candidate to take on corruption in Russian politics?
It’s cold and dangerous in Siberia. Renko finds Tatiana, but can they survive?
I’ve been a fan of Arkady Renko since ‘Gorky Park’. This is the ninth book in the series, and I think that committed Renko fans will enjoy it. If you are new to this series, go back to ‘Gorky Park, where it all began.
Note: My thanks to NetGalley and Simon and Schuster (Australia) for providing me with a free electronic copy of this book for review purposes.
Jennifer Cameron-Smith
Arkady Renko is worried. His lover, journalist Tatiana Petrovna, has been on assignment for over a month, and doesn’t arrive home on her scheduled train from Irkutsk. Renko is convinced that something is wrong, but no-one else seems concerned. Could one (or more) of her numerous enemies have silenced her?
Renko’s boss Zurin wants him to go to Siberia to oversee the prosecution of a Chechen terrorist, who tried to kill the Moscow Prosecutor. Renko agrees: Zurin threatens harm to his stepson if Renko does not follow orders. He’s reluctant, until he learns that Tatiana might still be in Siberia doing a story on Mikhail Kuznetsov, the so-called ‘hermit billionaire’ who may run against Vladimir Putin at the next election. Kuznetsov, a wealthy oligarch, who has made his money in oil and is seen as a political dissident, is the first to pose any real threat to Vladimir Putin in over a decade. Could he be the perfect candidate to take on corruption in Russian politics?
It’s cold and dangerous in Siberia. Renko finds Tatiana, but can they survive?
I’ve been a fan of Arkady Renko since ‘Gorky Park’. This is the ninth book in the series, and I think that committed Renko fans will enjoy it. If you are new to this series, go back to ‘Gorky Park, where it all began.
Note: My thanks to NetGalley and Simon and Schuster (Australia) for providing me with a free electronic copy of this book for review purposes.
Jennifer Cameron-Smith
iainkelly_writing's review
5.0
Cruz Smith and Renko back doing what they do best. A must for fans of the series and a good standalone thriller for the uninitiated.
bishop's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
informative
inspiring
mysterious
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? No
4.25