Red Square - (Arkady Renko) by Martin Cruz Smith (Paperback)

Book Synopsis

NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER - A NEW YORK TIMES NOTABLE BOOK - Arkady Renko's triumphant return to Moscow quickly turns into a waking nightmare in this "crackling suspense thriller" (The Boston Globe) from the author of Gorky Park.

"What ultimately sets the Renko books apart is the careful writing, and, more importantly, the knowledge of the human heart that is carried through it, through them, first to last."--Chicago Tribune

Back from exile in the hellish reaches of the Soviet Union, homicide investigator Arkady Renko discovers that his country, his Moscow, even his job, are nearly dead. But his enemies are very much alive, and foremost among them are the powerful black-market crime lords of the Russian mafia. Hounded by this terrifying new underworld, chased by the ruthless minions of the newly rich and powerful, and tempted by his great love, defector Irina Asanova, Arkady can only hope desperately for escape. But fate has something else in store.

Review Quotes

"Gripping . . . Vividly capture[s] the essence of the new Russia . . . The climax of Red Square takes place in Moscow during the hard-line coup attempt of August 1991. The texture of that remarkable time is captured quite adeptly: The moment is simultaneously tense and festive, bizarre and ordinary, grave and absurd. It's Mr. Smith at his best."--The Wall Street Journal

"A crackling suspense thriller."--The Boston Globe

"Fascinating . . . powerful."--The Philadelphia Inquirer

"Absorbing."--The New York Times

"Extraordinary."--Time

"Welcome home, Arkady Renko. The hero of Gorky Park and Polar Star returns to Moscow in a thriller so dense with observation and atmosphere, it rivals John le Carré. . . . Renko [is] the most touching character to grace the pages of a novel since The Spy Who Came in from the Cold."--Cosmopolitan

About the Author

Martin Cruz Smith's novels include Gorky Park, Stallion Gate, Polar Star, Stalin's Ghost, Rose, December 6, Tatiana, Havana Bay, Red Square, and The Girl from Venice. He is a two-time winner of the Hammett Prize, a recipient of Britain's Golden Dagger Award, and a winner of the Premio Piemonte Giallo Internazionale. He passed away in 2025.