Martin Cruz Smith – författare

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

The rivetingly tense and timely conclusion to the Arkady Renko series – an iconic character from a titan of the political crime thriller 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 McDERMID​'The undisputed master of the political crime thriller' ABIR MUKHERJEE'One of the finest writers of our age' CHARLOTTE PHILBY

Rose is a wonderfully rich and intricate novel set in nineteenth-century Wigan, a town located in the coal country of Lancashire.  Its protagonist, Jonathan Blair, is a mining engineer who has been chased out of Africa for "stealing" from the missionaries'' Bible Fund in order to pay off the porter of his expedition into the interior of the Gold Coast; he is now down and out in London.Blair''s employer, Bishop Hannay, promises to send him back to Africa if he can find John Maypole, the curate who was engaged to his daughter, Charlotte Hannay, when he disappeared three months previously without explanation.  Charlotte herself is an ill-tempered young woman who takes an instant dislike to Blair when he tries to investigate her fiancé''s disappearance.  Other characters include assorted townspeople, miners at the Hannay family mine, and Rose Molyneux, a "pit girl" with whom Blair falls in love.Exceeding even the high expectations of Smith''s readers, Rose is richly detailed and compelling--his most accomplished and fascinating novel to date.From the Hardcover edition.

First published in 1970 and long out of print, The Indians Won is a stunning work of speculative fiction that imagines that, following the defeat of Custer and Benteen at the Little Bighorn in 1876, the many Indigenous tribes of America formed an alliance to sweep the whites out of the center of the country and form a new nation, bounded on both coasts by the United States. One hundred years later the two nations, having taken very different paths toward stewardship of the land and resources, are on the brink of war again, as the five hundred million wasichu of the United States eye the vast, open center of the continent, just as they had prior to their explusion in the nineteenth century. The difference is, now they are both nuclear powers.Imaginative, enthralling, rich in historical detail, and written from the perspective of a Native American writer, The Indians Won is an emotionally charged novel that asks the question: What if the Indians had won?

‘Forty years ago, Gorky Park established a new high-water mark for the thriller. It has yet to be surpassed’ Mick Herron‘One of the greatest detective novels of the 1980s’ Adrian McKintySOME CRIMESREFUSE TO BE FORGOTTENIt begins with a triple murder in a Moscow amusement park: three corpses found frozen in the snow, faces and fingers missing. Chief homicide investigator Arkady Renko is 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 and ruthless American fur dealer. Meanwhile, Renko falls in love with a beautiful, headstrong dissident for whom he may risk everything . . .READ THE NOVEL THAT INSPIRED A GENERATION‘One of the seminal books in the canon of crime fiction’ Abir Mukherjee‘Gorky Park remains a dazzling and incisive portrait of a terrifying political regime’ Kate Rhodes'A rich sumptuous feast of a novel, the sort of book you want to immerse yourself in' Russ Thomas‘A sumptuous and chilling depiction of life and lies in the Soviet Union’ Rory Clements'Gorky Park was my first real introduction to the immense possibilities of the crime novel as work that truly transcends its genre’ Jacob Ross‘An urgent, contemporary game changer forty years ago, now a historical classic’ Martyn Waites‘One of the greatest crime novels ever written’ Tim Baker‘A timeless thriller . . . Cruz-Smith delivers an absolute masterclass in tension' Caz Frear‘A true masterpiece’ Rod Reynolds‘Simply, why the thriller genre must exist. Brilliant’ Chris Hauty‘Martin Cruz Smith is the master and Gorky Park is his masterpiece’ William Ryan

‘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 HERRONARKADY 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 ​‘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

‘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 HERRONARKADY 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 ​‘The undisputed master of the political crime thriller’ Abir Mukherjee'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

‘Martin Cruz Smith does more on a page than most writers manage in a chapter. He is unique and irreplaceable’ MICK HERRON, author of Slow HorsesARKADY RENKO IS BACK . . . Confined to a desk job by his superiors to keep him out of the way, Arkady Renko is more disillusioned with the general state of Russia than ever. But, despite everything, he has hope. People want change, and politician Leonid Lebedev could be the man to do it. Tasked by a father with finding his missing daughter, a staunch Lebedev supporter and member of the Forum, Renko is thrown into the heart of a dangerous conspiracy when another member of the Forum is found murdered – Alex, a close friend of his own son. 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 he could see it. But Arkady has just been diagnosed with Parkinson’s and the disease is taking its toll. This time, he must fight more than the impenetrable Russian regime to get answers – he will also 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 ​‘The undisputed master of the political crime thriller’ Abir Mukherjee'A moving portrayal of struggle against political and personal tides' New York Times

The rivetingly tense and timely conclusion to the Arkady Renko series – an iconic character from a titan of the political crime thriller 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 McDERMID​'The undisputed master of the political crime thriller' ABIR MUKHERJEE'One of the finest writers of our age' CHARLOTTE PHILBY

The rivetingly tense and timely conclusion to the Arkady Renko series – an iconic character from a titan of the political crime thriller 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 McDERMID​'The undisputed master of the political crime thriller' ABIR MUKHERJEE'One of the finest writers of our age' CHARLOTTE PHILBY

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 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: #3'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 has returned to Moscow from his exile in the darkest reaches of the Soviet Union. He is reinstated as an Investigator in the Moscow Militsiya, only to find the home he once knew so well is crumbling under a new world order - the Russian mafia. After the brutal murder of a black-market banker, Renko finds himself wrapped in the rich, ruthless and highly powerful underworld of the new elite. The case will take Renko on an international journey that will lead him to someone he thought was lost to him forever - defector Irina Asanova.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

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: #5'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***The iron curtain has fallen and a screen of nouveau capitalism stands in its place. Though the New Russia is foreign to Renko, the corruption and brutality that he encounters are all too familiar. The seeming suicide of one of Russia's new billionaires leads Arkady Renko to Chernobyl and the Zone of Exclusion, the still radioactive site of great catastrophe - a spectral netherworld populated by the corrupted, the obstinate and the reckless . . .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

* 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’ IndependentOnce 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

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.