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Gorky Park

By: Martin Cruz Smith
Narrated by: Henry Strozier
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Summary

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
©2013 Martin Cruz Smith (P)2019 Simon & Schuster UK
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What listeners say about Gorky Park

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Classic Old School Thriller

It's a great story that is superbly read. A touch long in parts but really engaging. Highly recommended.

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  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
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good book, poor narrator

odd that the narrator had no idea of the Russian language. it did get better

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2 people found this helpful

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still the best

the yardstick by which all Soviet crime novels are measured and still the best. thoroughly recommend. narrator would not have been my first choice, but his voice was quite good and in keeping with the atmosphere. cruz smith has captured the era brilliantly here, though I found all his subsequent books featuring the same detective disappointing.

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1 person found this helpful

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    5 out of 5 stars
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Fantastic

A downtrodden antihero detective, way before Scandi-Noir had them appearing everywhere. Gripping from beginning to end.

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Fantastic Thriller

Detailed thriller, full of twists and turns. So atmospheric and graphic description of life in Russia where no one is safe and everyone is a spy. I loved this. Great narration too. The length of the book shows it’s age, but it does engage because of the this

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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Masterpiece

I literally held my breath at the end. Martin Cruz Smith is a true genius.

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    4 out of 5 stars
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Good story let down by performer

Big fan of the movie, and read the book about 15 years ago.

If you have seen the movie, the first 1/3 of the book is pretty faithful, before the rest of the book goes in a totally different direction.

The only thing that lets it down is Henry Strozier… he puts no real effort in (apart from giving Osbourne a Lee Marvin voice, he makes little effort for most the book, and this gets very confusing in places where 2 or 3 people are having a conversation.

Also the audiobook has been very poorly edited…. Times you can hear Henry reaching for a glass or water, or pages being turned, and in the last 1/4 there suddenly appears some sharp and jarring edits where they have joined together two separate takes.

All in all, good story let down by the performance

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1 person found this helpful

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Fabulous, literary and brimming with relentless twists and turns.

Gorky Park, published in 1981, is illuminative about Russian life at the time, politically sophisticated and wonderfully crafted. Full of tragic moments, philosophical thoughts and hope.

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3 people found this helpful

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    5 out of 5 stars
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Gorky park

a excellent story and very well read and one that I enjoy listening to time and time again.

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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars

Brilliant insight into soviet life

Really good story with interesting and complex characters, and a very good narration. Amazing insight into soviet life in the 80s.

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