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jayyenn's review
3.0
I received a copy of this book through a First Reads giveaway
I loved Gorky Park which is the only other Arkady Renko novel I've read. Tatiana is a much lighter read. It lacks the depth and complexity of Gorky Park leaving mostly just the trappings of a typical hard-boiled story. I thought there were too many tangents for such a short novel but that tends to happen in a series. That being said you don't need to read any of the previous books to get Tatiana.
The book provides a view of modern Russia through the eponymous subject of Renko's investigation and her reporting on corruption in finance and government. The character Tatiana is based on Anna Politkovskaya, a Russian journalist murdered in 2006. Tatiana's murder is officially ruled a suicide but Renko begins investigating when her body is lost. This leads him to discover her audio recordings of her coverage of events such as the Kursk submarine explosion and the Moscow theatre hostage crisis. Renko falls in love with the voice on the tapes and becomes obsessive in his investigation. A large part of the plot centers around a notebook written in code but this is mostly a macguffin. As a procedural it really didn't have enough actual investigation and I didn't get much of a sense of urgency. The resolution is very open-ended which I liked; this isn't a whodunnit to be solved by pointing a finger or killing someone.
Tatiana is an entertaining read and the dialogue and characters are fresh. I enjoyed going to Wikipedia to check references in the book such as the House of Soviets in Kaliningrad. (They really did just paint it blue for Putin's visit)
I loved Gorky Park which is the only other Arkady Renko novel I've read. Tatiana is a much lighter read. It lacks the depth and complexity of Gorky Park leaving mostly just the trappings of a typical hard-boiled story. I thought there were too many tangents for such a short novel but that tends to happen in a series. That being said you don't need to read any of the previous books to get Tatiana.
The book provides a view of modern Russia through the eponymous subject of Renko's investigation and her reporting on corruption in finance and government. The character Tatiana is based on Anna Politkovskaya, a Russian journalist murdered in 2006. Tatiana's murder is officially ruled a suicide but Renko begins investigating when her body is lost. This leads him to discover her audio recordings of her coverage of events such as the Kursk submarine explosion and the Moscow theatre hostage crisis. Renko falls in love with the voice on the tapes and becomes obsessive in his investigation. A large part of the plot centers around a notebook written in code but this is mostly a macguffin. As a procedural it really didn't have enough actual investigation and I didn't get much of a sense of urgency. The resolution is very open-ended which I liked; this isn't a whodunnit to be solved by pointing a finger or killing someone.
Tatiana is an entertaining read and the dialogue and characters are fresh. I enjoyed going to Wikipedia to check references in the book such as the House of Soviets in Kaliningrad. (They really did just paint it blue for Putin's visit)
halfpotato_halfcheese's review
4.0
Well research crime novel set in Russia, a different twist on the regular crime novel - it wasn't all Mafia bosses and guns, but they did feature. Character development could have been better, but that might have something to do with reading this novel as a stand alone book instead of in order of the series. I'll definitely be finding the first in the series.
deepakchecks's review
4.0
Although I have had Gorky Park with me for a long time, I haven't yet read it. Hence, Tatiana is the first Martin Cruz Smith work that I have read.
Tatiana Petrovna is the perfect heroine. She's a journalist, helps refugees and the poor, fights corruption and thus is a troublemaker in the eyes of the government and the big corporations. She is found dead in her apartment, a building that the developers want to raze, apparently having fell to death. Arkady Renko doesn't consider it to be an accidental death, and feels that the death of the oligarch Grisha Grigorenko has to do some links to it. The crux of this investigation lies in a notebook, apparently belonging to a translator, that has come into Tatiana's possession. It is written in a translator's code, and no one can make sense of it. The investigation takes Renko to Kaliningrad and this where the truths are revealed. A decent and engaging work.
Tatiana Petrovna is the perfect heroine. She's a journalist, helps refugees and the poor, fights corruption and thus is a troublemaker in the eyes of the government and the big corporations. She is found dead in her apartment, a building that the developers want to raze, apparently having fell to death. Arkady Renko doesn't consider it to be an accidental death, and feels that the death of the oligarch Grisha Grigorenko has to do some links to it. The crux of this investigation lies in a notebook, apparently belonging to a translator, that has come into Tatiana's possession. It is written in a translator's code, and no one can make sense of it. The investigation takes Renko to Kaliningrad and this where the truths are revealed. A decent and engaging work.
tasmanian_bibliophile's review
3.0
‘How does a man know when he becomes obsessive? Who can tell him except a friend?’
As the novel opens, two events have taken place. Grisha Grigorenko, a prominent billionaire is murdered (execution-style) in Moscow. His death is likely to spark a war as his son Alexi (and others) vie for control. Tatiana Petrovna, an investigative journalist whose confrontational style has made her some enemies, apparently fell from the sixth-floor of her Moscow apartment complex. Tatiana Petrovna’s death is ruled a suicide, meaning that an investigation is not required. Arkady Renko senses that there is more to Petrovna’s death, and starts his own investigation, with the help of Sergeant Victor Orlov. Renko’s investigation leads him to Kaliningrad, and a connection to the unsolved murder of Grigorenko.
Is the key to both murders in the notebook left behind by a translator murdered on the beach outside Kaliningrad? A number of people seem interested in this notebook, even though at first no-one is sure exactly how to make sense of it. But eventually, with the help of others, the hieroglyphics are decrypted and Renko discovers the truth.
Along the way, we meet some interesting people – some good and some bad – and discover that while a kinder more civilized Russia may be coming, it’s not here yet.
It’s been over thirty years since the first novel in the Arkady Renko series - ‘Gorky Park’ appeared. This is the eighth novel in the series, and continues to reflect contemporary political and social upheaval in Russia. The Russia portrayed by Martin Cruz Smith is a violent and volatile place. Soviet communism may have collapsed, but Moscow has new power brokers in the form of criminal billionaires. If not exactly thriving, Renko continues to survive. Arkady Renko remains one of the most interesting characters in crime fiction – almost perfectly suited in circumstance, place and time.
Some aspects of this story did not work as well for me as others, but overall I was pleased to reading the next instalment in the life and times of Arkady Renko. If you are new to Arkady Renko, start with ‘Gorky Park’. The story in this novel stands alone, but to really know and appreciate Arkady Renko, to understand his baggage and history requires reading the other novels.
Jennifer Cameron-Smith
As the novel opens, two events have taken place. Grisha Grigorenko, a prominent billionaire is murdered (execution-style) in Moscow. His death is likely to spark a war as his son Alexi (and others) vie for control. Tatiana Petrovna, an investigative journalist whose confrontational style has made her some enemies, apparently fell from the sixth-floor of her Moscow apartment complex. Tatiana Petrovna’s death is ruled a suicide, meaning that an investigation is not required. Arkady Renko senses that there is more to Petrovna’s death, and starts his own investigation, with the help of Sergeant Victor Orlov. Renko’s investigation leads him to Kaliningrad, and a connection to the unsolved murder of Grigorenko.
Is the key to both murders in the notebook left behind by a translator murdered on the beach outside Kaliningrad? A number of people seem interested in this notebook, even though at first no-one is sure exactly how to make sense of it. But eventually, with the help of others, the hieroglyphics are decrypted and Renko discovers the truth.
Along the way, we meet some interesting people – some good and some bad – and discover that while a kinder more civilized Russia may be coming, it’s not here yet.
It’s been over thirty years since the first novel in the Arkady Renko series - ‘Gorky Park’ appeared. This is the eighth novel in the series, and continues to reflect contemporary political and social upheaval in Russia. The Russia portrayed by Martin Cruz Smith is a violent and volatile place. Soviet communism may have collapsed, but Moscow has new power brokers in the form of criminal billionaires. If not exactly thriving, Renko continues to survive. Arkady Renko remains one of the most interesting characters in crime fiction – almost perfectly suited in circumstance, place and time.
Some aspects of this story did not work as well for me as others, but overall I was pleased to reading the next instalment in the life and times of Arkady Renko. If you are new to Arkady Renko, start with ‘Gorky Park’. The story in this novel stands alone, but to really know and appreciate Arkady Renko, to understand his baggage and history requires reading the other novels.
Jennifer Cameron-Smith
cwknudsen's review
adventurous
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
ellensbookishcollection's review
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
This was the first book I have read in this series, or by this author. I don't usually go for books with crime/police, but this was a nice "breath of fresh air".
I belive its the 8th book in the series about Russian police officer Arkady Renko but it reads very nicely as a standalone book. The story was captivating and interesting. I'm not sure that I will go out of my way to get more books in this series, but im not opposed to trying another one! If you like crime novels, or even just suspense/mysteries, then I think you will also get some enjoyment out of this book.
I belive its the 8th book in the series about Russian police officer Arkady Renko but it reads very nicely as a standalone book. The story was captivating and interesting. I'm not sure that I will go out of my way to get more books in this series, but im not opposed to trying another one! If you like crime novels, or even just suspense/mysteries, then I think you will also get some enjoyment out of this book.
tatib22's review
lighthearted
relaxing
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
2.0