New Releases by Martin Cruz Smith

Arkady Renko returns in this tense political thriller, from one of the undisputed masters of the genre. When Arkady Renko is charged with investigating the murder of Alexei Kazasky, the Deputy Minister of Defence, he knows he has to tread carefully. Alexei Kazasky is a high-profile politician and has a complicated relationship with Putin. This investigation clearly has Kremlin approval, but, as with everything in Russia, things are not always what they seem. Already preoccupied with his developing Parkinson’s, Arkady finds he has more to worry about. The war in Ukraine is gaining momentum, and his adopted son Zhenya has become involved with the Black Army, a Russo-Ukrainian group of hacktivists. Moreover, as Arkady digs deeper into Kazasky’s murder, he realizes that the man’s death may have been more politically motivated than he first assumed. Now it seems that the people behind the killing have him firmly in their crosshairs – but this time Arkady’s life is not the only one on the line. PRAISE FOR MARTIN CRUZ SMITH: ''Does more on a page than most writers manage in a chapter. He is unique and irreplaceable'' Mick Herron ''Among the first of a new generation of writers who made thrillers literary'' Guardian ''One of those writers that anyone who is serious about their craft views with respect bordering on awe'' Val McDermidu200b ''The undisputed master of the political crime thriller'' Abir Mukherjee ''One of the finest writers of our age'' Charlotte Philby

PRE-ORDER THE BRAND NEW NOVEL FROM MARTIN CRUZ SMITH, COMING 2025! ‘The later Renko novels are stark, spare and beautiful, like trees in winter. Martin Cruz Smith does more on a page than most writers manage in a chapter. He is unique and irreplaceable’ MICK HERRON ARKADY RENKO IS BACK . . . Renko has been confined to a desk job by his superiors to keep him out of the way. Although he’s more disillusioned with policing and the general state of Russia than ever, he feels an odd sense of hope. A rebellion is bubbling in the country, with new values butting heads against old-school regimes. People want change and politician Leonid Lebedev could be the man to do it. When Karina, a staunch supporter of Lebedev and member of the Forum, goes missing, Renko is asked by her father to find her. Soon after his investigation begins, Alex, a close friend of Arkady’s son, is found dead. He was also a member of the Forum. The night before his murder, Alex sent Arkady a cryptic message, simply containing three pictures of Russian writers. The link between the pictures is there, if only Renko could see it. But Arkady has just been diagnosed with Parkinson’s and the physical and psychological effects of the disease are taking their toll. This time, he must fight more than the impenetrable Russian regime to get answers – he will need to fight himself. PRAISE FOR MARTIN CRUZ SMITH: ‘Smith was among the first of a new generation of writers who made thrillers literary’ Guardian ‘One of those writers that anyone who is serious about their craft views with respect bordering on awe’ Val McDermid ‘Martin Cruz Smith writes with an immediacy, depth and lightness of touch that is rare in its combination, and impossible to resist . . . Independence Square is no exception, and further crystallises Cruz Smith as one of the finest writers of our age’ Charlotte Philby u200b ‘The undisputed master of the political crime thriller’ Abir Mukherjee ''A moving portrayal of struggle against political and personal tides'' New York Times ''Renko started off investigating murders in Soviet Russia, now it''s political corruption in Putin''s Russia. And it''s even more gripping than before'' Gareth Rubin ‘Cruz Smith’s most powerful and engaging novel since Gorky Park’ Paul Burke, CrimeTime FM

From the award-winning, bestselling author of Gorky Park and Tatiana comes a breathtaking new novel about investigator Arkady Renko—“one of the most compelling figures in modern fiction” (USA TODAY)—who travels deep into Siberia to find missing journalist Tatiana Petrovna. Journalist Tatiana Petrovna is on the move. Arkady Renko, iconic Moscow investigator and Tatiana’s part-time lover, hasn’t seen her since she left on assignment over a month ago. When she doesn’t arrive on her scheduled train, he’s positive something is wrong. No one else thinks Renko should be worried—Tatiana is known to disappear during deep assignments—but he knows her enemies all too well and the criminal lengths they’ll go to keep her quiet. Renko embarks on a dangerous journey to find Tatiana and bring her back. From the banks of Lake Baikal to rundown Chita, Renko slowly learns that Tatiana has been profiling the rise of political dissident Mikhail Kuznetsov, a golden boy of modern oil wealth and the first to pose a true threat to Putin’s rule in over a decade. Though Kuznetsov seems like the perfect candidate to take on the corruption in Russian politics, his reputation becomes clouded when Boris Benz, his business partner and best friend, turns up dead. In a land of shamans and brutally cold nights, oligarchs wealthy on northern oil, and sea monsters that are said to prowl the deepest lake in the world, Renko needs all his wits about him to get Tatiana out alive. The Washington Post has said “Martin Cruz Smith is that rare phenomenon: a popular and well-regarded crime novelist who is also a writer of real distinction.” In the latest continuation of his unforgettable series, he brings us to the inside world of shadowy political figures and big wig oil oligarchs providing us with an authentic view of contemporary Russia, infused with his trademark wit.

From Martin Cruz Smith, the internationally bestselling author of Gorky Park, comes a reissue of Nightwing, the million-copy bestseller that Stephen King called “one of the best horror novels in the last twenty years.” As darkness gathers, the sky is filled with frantic motion and maddening murmurs. In an effort to end the world, an unhappy, aging Native American shaman invokes the Hopi god of death. Those around him remain skeptical, dismissing him as crazy old man. Then they discover his mutilated, bloody body and soon other similarly disfigured bodies begin to appear. Horses, sheep, cattle—no living thing is safe. But what is causing the horrible deaths? Deputy Sheriff Duran is called back to the reservation to investigate. Immediately, Duran recognizes the significance of the shaman’s spell and, with the help of two scientists, he works to combat the supernatural scourge—before there’s nothing left to save. Written “in the tradition of Stephen King” (Kirkus Reviews), Nightwing is part love triangle, part Native American case study, part supernatural thriller…and “genuinely horrifying” (The Washington Post Book World).

Moscú, años ochenta. Los moscovitas carecen de libertad e intentan sobrevivir como pueden. La dirigencia, rica y corrupta, está decidida a erradicar cualquier clase de iniciativa individual. Arkady Renko es un investigador de la milicia moscovita, que se esfuerzapor hacer su trabajo a pesar de las intromisiones del KGB. La aparición de tres cadáveres, desfigurados y sin huellas dactilares, bajo la nieve del Parque Gorki supondrá un desafío para Renko, pues cualquier descubrimiento que incomode al gobierno significará elfin de la investigación. ENGLISH DESCRIPTION A triple murder in Moscow: corpses found frozen in the snow, faces and fingers missing. The chief homicide investigator is brilliant, sensitive, honest, and cynical about everything except his profession. To identify the victims and uncover the truth, he must battle the KGB, FBI, and NYPD.

From “the master of the international thriller” (The New York Times) and the bestselling author of Tatiana and Gorky Park, Martin Cruz Smith’s first mystery novel—a classic crime whodunit with a shocking twist. One girl was dead, one girl was threatened, one girl was possessed. One girl was found horribly mutilated, the victim of a rite that no sane person believed could take place in the modern world. One girl lay trembling in her apartment, as the strange intruders forced open her bedroom door, and the waking nightmare began. And one girl discovered that her body and her soul were no longer her own.... A murder threatens to force the police into a confrontation with New York’s gypsy community. The cops are determined to pin the blame on a gypsy. But antique dealer Roman Grey knows there is more to the case than the convenient closing of a crime file, and he vows to bring the truly guilty to justice. You’ll never guess the secret of Gypsy in Amber.

Don''t miss the latest book in the Arkady Renko series, THE SIBERIAN DILEMMA by Martin Cruz Smith, ‘the master of the international thriller’ (New York Times) – available to order now! AN ARKADY RENKO NOVEL: #8 ''One of those writers that anyone who is serious about their craft views with respect bordering on awe'' Val McDermid ''Makes tension rise through the page like a shark''s fin’ Independent *** When the brilliant and fearless young reporter Tatiana Petrovna falls to her death from a sixth-floor window in Moscow in the same week that notorious mob billionaire Grisha Grigorenko is shot in the back of the head, Renko finds himself on the trail of a mystery as complex and dangerous as modern Russia itself. The body of an elite government translator shows up on the sand dunes of Kalingrad: killed for nothing but a cryptic notebook filled with symbols. A frantic hunt begins to locate and decipher this notebook. In a fast-changing and lethal race to uncover what this translator knew, and how he planned to reveal it to the world, Renko makes a startling discovery that propels him deeper into Tatiana''s past - and, at the same time, paradoxically, into Russia''s future. Praise for Martin Cruz Smith ''The story drips with atmosphere and authenticity – a literary triumph'' David Young, bestselling author of Stasi Child ''One of those writers that anyone who is serious about their craft views with respect bordering on awe'' Val McDermid ‘Cleverly and intelligently told, The Girl from Venice is a truly riveting tale of love, mystery and rampant danger. I loved it’ Kate Furnivall, author of The Liberation ‘Smith not only constructs grittily realistic plots, he also has a gift for characterisation of which most thriller writers can only dream'' Mail on Sunday ''Smith was among the first of a new generation of writers who made thrillers literary'' Guardian ''Brilliantly worked, marvellously written . . . an imaginative triumph'' Sunday Times ‘Martin Cruz Smith’s Renko novels are superb’ William Ryan, author of The Constant Soldier

Arkadi Renkos erster Fall Moskau, 1980: Im verschneiten Gorki Park werden zwei Männer und eine Frau erschossen aufgefunden. Die Identifizierung der Toten ist schwierig. Chefinspektor Arkadi Renko, ranghöchster Ermittler in der Sowjetmetropole, übernimmt den Fall – und ahnt noch nicht, in welche Lage ihn seine Ermittlungen zwingen werden. Denn je näher er der Wahrheit hinter den grausigen Morden kommt, desto heikler wird seine eigene Position. Was hat die geheimnisvolle Irina mit den Toten im Gorki Park zu tun? Obwohl Arkadi weiß, dass er seine Objektivität wahren muss, gibt er seinen Gefühlen nach und lässt sich auf eine Affäre mit Irina ein. Als er ihr schließlich zur Flucht außer Landes verhilft , riskiert er sogar seine eigene Karriere – und gelangt dabei selbst ins Ausland: Im Dschungel der New Yorker Großstadt wird der Jäger zum Gejagten.

Don''t miss the latest book in the Arkady Renko series, THE SIBERIAN DILEMMA by Martin Cruz Smith, ‘the master of the international thriller’ (New York Times) – available to order now! ''One of those writers that anyone who is serious about their craft views with respect bordering on awe'' Val McDermid ''Makes tension rise through the page like a shark''s fin’ Independent ? *** Hidden in Los Alamos, New Mexico, amongst a massive expanse of Native American reservations, soldiers and scientists alike work in secret to create a weapon that will alter the course of the world forever. Sergeant Joe Peña, a Native American historian and fighter, is recruited to assist three men looking for a location to test the first atomic weapon. In the middle of a blizzard, Peña leads physicist J. Robert Oppenheimer, General Leslie Groves and spy Emil Klaus Fuchs across a barbed-wire fence at Stallion Gate and into the future . . . Praise for Martin Cruz Smith ''The story drips with atmosphere and authenticity – a literary triumph'' David Young, bestselling author of Stasi Child ''One of those writers that anyone who is serious about their craft views with respect bordering on awe'' Val McDermid ‘Cleverly and intelligently told, The Girl from Venice is a truly riveting tale of love, mystery and rampant danger. I loved it’ Kate Furnivall, author of The Liberation ‘Smith not only constructs grittily realistic plots, he also has a gift for characterisation of which most thriller writers can only dream'' Mail on Sunday ''Smith was among the first of a new generation of writers who made thrillers literary'' Guardian ''Brilliantly worked, marvellously written . . . an imaginative triumph'' Sunday Times ‘Martin Cruz Smith’s Renko novels are superb’ William Ryan, author of The Constant Soldier

1922, Tokyo. Harry Niles is a ''wild child'', an American boy in a strange country, ignored by his missionary parents, he begins to lead his life in the Tokyo underworld. One night, he is charged with delivering a painting to an enigmatic figure, the samurai Ishigami. It is an encounter that will haunt Harry Niles forever... 1937, Nanking. China is under attack. The Japanese army is brutally and systematically murdering and raping the local population. In the midst of this horror, Harry finds himself face to face once again with Lieutenant Ishigami. But for the samurai warrior, their meeting leads to the greatest possible dishonour - public humiliation. 1941, Tokyo. With the attack on Pearl Harbour only days away, Japan is on the brink of war with the United States. Harry Niles has become a man of many faces. Allying himself with both sides, he treads a dangerous - but profitable - path between the fading glory of the Chrysantheum Club, where the city''s banking and industrial elite meet, and the shadowy Tokyo underworld.

Don''t miss the latest book in the Arkady Renko series, THE SIBERIAN DILEMMA by Martin Cruz Smith, ‘the master of the international thriller’ (New York Times) – available to order now! ''One of those writers that anyone who is serious about their craft views with respect bordering on awe'' Val McDermid ''Makes tension rise through the page like a shark''s fin’ Independent *** Not all secrets can stay buried. It''s 1872 and mining engineer John Blair wants nothing more than to return to Africa. So when his commissioner asks him to investigate a disappearance in the English coal mining town of Wigan, he jumps on the opportunity in the hopes that a successful undertaking will help fund his next trip. But in a town where the very rich and the very poor live and work side by side, Blair''s presence is mistrusted by many. And when he falls in love with Rose, a beautiful ''pit girl'', things start to turn deadly. In a place where life is brutish, short and covered in coal dust, Blair must solve a mystery that will force him to confront his own heart of darkness . . . Praise for Martin Cruz Smith ''The story drips with atmosphere and authenticity – a literary triumph'' David Young, bestselling author of Stasi Child ''One of those writers that anyone who is serious about their craft views with respect bordering on awe'' Val McDermid ‘Cleverly and intelligently told, The Girl from Venice is a truly riveting tale of love, mystery and rampant danger. I loved it’ Kate Furnivall, author of The Liberation ‘Smith not only constructs grittily realistic plots, he also has a gift for characterisation of which most thriller writers can only dream'' Mail on Sunday ''Smith was among the first of a new generation of writers who made thrillers literary'' Guardian ''Brilliantly worked, marvellously written . . . an imaginative triumph'' Sunday Times ‘Martin Cruz Smith’s Renko novels are superb’ William Ryan, author of The Constant Soldier

THE NOVEL THAT STARTED IT ALL - ARKADY RENKO NOVEL #1 ''One of those writers that anyone who is serious about their craft views with respect bordering on awe'' Val McDermid ''Makes tension rise through the page like a shark''s fin’ Independent *** Three bodies found frozen in the snow. And the hunt for the killer begins… It begins with a triple murder in a Moscow amusement center: three corpses found frozen in the snow, faces and fingers missing. Chief homicide investigator Arkady Renko is brilliant, sensitive, honest, and cynical about everything except his profession. To identify the victims and uncover the truth, he must battle the KGB, FBI, and the New York City police as he pursues a rich, ruthless, and well-connected American fur dealer. Meanwhile, Renko is falling in love with a beautiful, headstrong dissident for whom he may risk everything. A wonderfully textured, vivid look behind the Iron Curtain, Gorky Park is a tense, atmospheric, and memorable crime story. Praise for Martin Cruz Smith ''The story drips with atmosphere and authenticity – a literary triumph'' David Young, bestselling author of Stasi Child ''One of those writers that anyone who is serious about their craft views with respect bordering on awe'' Val McDermid ‘Cleverly and intelligently told, The Girl from Venice is a truly riveting tale of love, mystery and rampant danger. I loved it’ Kate Furnivall, author of The Liberation ‘Smith not only constructs grittily realistic plots, he also has a gift for characterisation of which most thriller writers can only dream'' Mail on Sunday ''Smith was among the first of a new generation of writers who made thrillers literary'' Guardian ''Brilliantly worked, marvellously written . . . an imaginative triumph'' Sunday Times ‘Martin Cruz Smith’s Renko novels are superb’ William Ryan, author of The Constant Soldier

Don''t miss the latest book in the Arkady Renko series, THE SIBERIAN DILEMMA by Martin Cruz Smith, ‘the master of the international thriller’ (New York Times) – available to order now! AN ARKADY RENKO NOVEL: #4 ''One of those writers that anyone who is serious about their craft views with respect bordering on awe'' Val McDermid ''Makes tension rise through the page like a shark''s fin’ Independent *** Former Inspector for the Moscow Militsiya, Arkady Renko, is summoned to Cuba to identify a liquefying corpse, dragged from the oily waters of Havana Bay. Renko finds himself in a decaying country, the final recess of Communism - a place where Russia is despised, exotic rituals take precedence and unexpected danger meets bewildering contradictions. After a harrowing experience that has left Renko on the verge of suicide, this new mystery leads him on a trail of deceit that reaches international proportions, and gives him a reason to relish his own life again. Praise for Martin Cruz Smith ''The story drips with atmosphere and authenticity – a literary triumph'' David Young, bestselling author of Stasi Child ''One of those writers that anyone who is serious about their craft views with respect bordering on awe'' Val McDermid ‘Cleverly and intelligently told, The Girl from Venice is a truly riveting tale of love, mystery and rampant danger. I loved it’ Kate Furnivall, author of The Liberation ‘Smith not only constructs grittily realistic plots, he also has a gift for characterisation of which most thriller writers can only dream'' Mail on Sunday ''Smith was among the first of a new generation of writers who made thrillers literary'' Guardian ''Brilliantly worked, marvellously written . . . an imaginative triumph'' Sunday Times ‘Martin Cruz Smith’s Renko novels are superb’ William Ryan, author of The Constant Soldier

Don''t miss the latest book in the Arkady Renko series, THE SIBERIAN DILEMMA by Martin Cruz Smith, ‘the master of the international thriller’ (New York Times) – available to order now! AN ARKADY RENKO NOVEL: #2 ''One of those writers that anyone who is serious about their craft views with respect bordering on awe'' Val McDermid ''Makes tension rise through the page like a shark''s fin’ Independent *** Arkady Renko, former Chief Investigator of the Moscow Town Prosecutor''s Office, made too many enemies and lost the favour of his party. After a self-imposed exile in Siberia, Renko toils on the ''slime line'' of a factory ship in the Bering Sea. But when an adventurous Georgian woman comes up with the day''s catch, the signs of murder are undeniable. Up against the Soviet bureaucracy in a complex international web, Renko must again become the obsessed, dedicated cop he once was. And in doing so, he discovers much more than he bargained for . . . Praise for Martin Cruz Smith ''The story drips with atmosphere and authenticity – a literary triumph'' David Young, bestselling author of Stasi Child ''One of those writers that anyone who is serious about their craft views with respect bordering on awe'' Val McDermid ‘Cleverly and intelligently told, The Girl from Venice is a truly riveting tale of love, mystery and rampant danger. I loved it’ Kate Furnivall, author of The Liberation ‘Smith not only constructs grittily realistic plots, he also has a gift for characterisation of which most thriller writers can only dream'' Mail on Sunday ''Smith was among the first of a new generation of writers who made thrillers literary'' Guardian ''Brilliantly worked, marvellously written . . . an imaginative triumph'' Sunday Times ‘Martin Cruz Smith’s Renko novels are superb’ William Ryan, author of The Constant Soldier

* Don''t miss the latest in the Arkady Renko series, THE SIBERIAN DILEMMA, by Martin Cruz Smith, a novelist ''that anyone who is serious about their craft views with respect bordering on awe'' (Val McDermid) * ''Martin Cruz Smith makes tension rise through the page like a shark''s fin’ Independent Once the Chief Investigator of the Moscow Militsiya, Arkady Renko is now a pariah of the Prosecutor''s Office and has been reduced to investigating reports of late-night subway riders seeing the ghost of Joseph Stalin. Part political hocus-pocus, part wishful thinking - even the illusion of the bloody dictator has a higher approval rating than Renko. After being left by his lover for a more popular and successful detective, Renko''s investigation becomes a jealousy-fuelled quest leading to the barren fields of Tver, where millions of soldiers fought, and lost their lives. Here, scavengers collect bones, weapons and paraphernalia off the remains of those slain, but there''s more to be found than bullets and boots. Praise for Martin Cruz Smith: ''The story drips with atmosphere and authenticity – a literary triumph'' David Young, bestselling author of Stasi Child ‘Smith not only constructs grittily realistic plots, he also has a gift for characterisation of which most thriller writers can only dream'' Mail on Sunday ''Smith was among the first of a new generation of writers who made thrillers literary'' Guardian ''Brilliantly worked, marvellously written . . . an imaginative triumph'' Sunday Times ''A wonderful surprise of a novel’ William Ryan, author of The Constant Soldier

Don''t miss the latest book in the Arkady Renko series, THE SIBERIAN DILEMMA by Martin Cruz Smith, ‘the master of the international thriller’ (New York Times) – available to order now! AN ARKADY RENKO NOVEL: #7 ''One of those writers that anyone who is serious about their craft views with respect bordering on awe'' Val McDermid ''Makes tension rise through the page like a shark''s fin’ Independent *** Investigator Arkady Renko has been suspended from the Moscow prosecutor''s office for smashing through the corruption of Russia''s underbelly to uncover unpleasant truths. Despite this, he strives to solve a final case: a young woman is found dead in a work shed on the perimeter of Moscow''s main rail hub, and Renko is the only one who recognises it to be more than a simple drug overdose. The case quickly unveils itself as an entangled web of murder, money and madness that stretches from the lowest of street urchins to the powerful billionaires, uncovering the extent of corruption and fear in an emergent Russia. Praise for Martin Cruz Smith ''The story drips with atmosphere and authenticity – a literary triumph'' David Young, bestselling author of Stasi Child ‘Smith not only constructs grittily realistic plots, he also has a gift for characterisation of which most thriller writers can only dream'' Mail on Sunday ''Smith was among the first of a new generation of writers who made thrillers literary'' Guardian ''Brilliantly worked, marvellously written . . . an imaginative triumph'' Sunday Times ‘Martin Cruz Smith’s Renko novels are superb’ William Ryan, author of The Constant Soldier

Stalin''s Ghost Investigator Arkady Renko, the pariah of the Moscow prosecutor''s office, has been assigned the thankless job of investigating a new phenomenon: late-night subway riders report seeing the ghost of Joseph Stalin. The illusion seems part political hocus-pocus and also part wishful thinking, for among many Russians Stalin is again popular; the bloody dictator can boast a two-to-one approval rating. Decidedly better than that of Renko, whose lover, Eva, has left him for Detective Nikolai Isakov, a charismatic veteran of the civil war in Chechnya, a hero of the far right and, Renko suspects, a killer for hire. The cases entwine, and Renko''s quests become a personal inquiry fueled by jealousy. Wolves Eat Dogs The death of one of Russia''s new billionaires leads Arkady Renko to Chernobyl and the Zone of Exclusion—closed to the world since 1986''s nuclear disaster. It is still aglow with radioactivity, now inhabited only by the militia, shady scavengers, a few reckless scientists, and some elderly peasants who refuse to relocate. Renko''s journey to this ghostly netherworld, the crimes he uncovers there, and the secrets they reveal about the New Russia make for an unforgettable adventure. Three Stations In Three Stations, Renko’s skills are put to their most severe test. Though he has been technically suspended from the prosecutor’s office for once again turning up unpleasant truths, he strives to solve a last case: the death of an elegant young woman whose body is found in a construction trailer on the perimeter of Moscow’s main rail hub. It looks like a simple drug overdose to everyone—except to Renko, whose examination of the crime scene turns up some inexplicable clues, most notably an invitation to Russia’s premier charity ball. Thus a sordid death becomes interwoven with the lifestyles of Moscow’s rich and famous, many of whom are clinging to their cash in the face of Putin’s crackdown on the very oligarchs who placed him in power.

Amid the imperialist fervor of late 1941 Tokyo, Harry Niles is a man with a mission -- self-preservation. But Niles was raised by missionary parents and educated in the shadows of Tokyo''s underworld -- making his loyalties as dubious as his business dealings. Now, on the eve of the attack on Pearl Harbor, Niles must decide where his true allegiances lie, as he tries to juggle his Japanese mistress and an affair with the wife of a British diplomat; avoid a modern-day samurai who is honor-bound to kill him; and survive the Japanese high command, whose plans for conquest may just dictate his survival. Set in a maelstrom of personal temptations and mortal enemies, with a remarkable anti-hero caught in a land he can never call his own, DECEMBER 6 is a triumph of imagination, history, and riveting storytelling.

A Moscow detective is sent to Chernobyl for a frightening case in the most spectacular entry yet in Martin Cruz Smith’s Arkady Renko series. In his groundbreaking Gorky Park, Martin Cruz Smith created an iconic detective of contemporary fiction. Quietly subversive, brilliantly analytical, and haunted by melancholy, Arkady Renko survived, barely, the journey from the Soviet Union to the New Russia, only to find his transformed nation just as obsessed with corruption and brutality as was the old Communist dictatorship. In Wolves Eat Dogs, Renko returns for his most enigmatic and baffling case yet: the death of one of Russia’s new billionaires, which leads him to Chernobyl and the Zone of Exclusion—closed to the world since 1986’s nuclear disaster. It is still aglow with radioactivity, now inhabited only by the militia, shady scavengers, a few reckless scientists, and some elderly peasants who refuse to relocate. Renko’s journey to this ghostly netherworld, the crimes he uncovers there, and the secrets they reveal about the New Russia make for an unforgettable adventure.

Chief Homicide Investigator Arkady Renko''s investigation of three mutilated bodies reaches to the highest levels of the Communist hierarchy.

"When Saint Stephen''s Crown (the Royal Crown of Hungary) is set for display at St. Patrick''s Cathedral before being returned to Budapest, church authorities, the NYPD, and the UN persuade antique dealer and goldsmith Roman Grey to assume responsibility for the priceless relic. He understands all too well why he was picked for the job: As a Gypsy with no powerful friends, he''s the perfect scapegoat should the crown disappear. Knowing that a group of fervent anti-Communist Hungarian-Americans and ex-Nazi art thief are equally intent on waylaying the crown, Roman demands that his personal friend, Police Sergeant Isadore, help with security. As he works to protect the priceless crown - a treasure that triggers the best efforts of forgers, counterfeiters, and a brutal killer - Roman uncovers a shocking secret that has laid dormant for centuries." --Dust jacket.