Stalin's Ghost: An Arkady Renko Novel

Written by Martin Cruz Smith

Narrated by Ron McLarty

Detective Arkady Renko returns to Moscow in the internationally bestselling series about Russian crimes, broken hearts, and the mysteries of the soul.

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 on the platform of the Chistye Prudy Metro station. 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.

The investigation leads to the fields of Tver outside of Moscow, where once a million soldiers fought. There, amidst the detritus, Renko must confront the ghost of his own father, a favorite general of Stalin's. In these barren fields, patriots and shady entrepreneurs -- the Red Diggers and Black Diggers -- collect the bones, weapons and personal effects of slain World War II soldiers, and find that even among the dead there are surprises.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Simon & Schuster Audio
• Release date: Jun 12, 2007
• ISBN: 9780743561204

Martin Cruz Smith

Martin Cruz Smith’s novels include Gorky Park, Stallion Gate, Nightwing, Polar Star, Stalin’s Ghost, Rose, December 6, Tatiana, The Girl from Venice, and The Siberian Dilemma. He is a two-time winner of the Hammett Prize, a recipient of the Mystery Writers of America’s Grand Master Award and Britain’s Golden Dagger Award, and a winner of the Premio Piemonte Giallo Internazionale. He lives in California.

Reviews for Stalin's Ghost

[stahl2ricco · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

First off, a warning - do NOT read the summary on the back of this paperback edition! I think it gives too much away! As for the inside, another good tale involving Arkady Renko, full of mystery and adventure. Though I am disturbed at how much physical damage he continues to go through. Not a big fan of his love interest or the boy in his "charge", but I love his partner and it's a good story!

[hanneri_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Moscow Inspector Arkady Renko, who made his first appearance more than twenty years ago in Gorky Park, has lived through all the political since the fall of communism. Sadly, Renko's current Russia is every bit as bleak as his old one. Understandably, Renko is not a happy man. In Stalin's Ghost, the sixth Renko novel, riders on Moscow's Metro are convinced that the ghost of Stalin, still a hero and savior in the eyes of many, has been making appearances in the station he once visited while alive. When Renko attempts to discover what's really happening, he steps, quite literally, into a minefield.Stalin's Ghost is well worth reading. There's a doggedness about Renko that's admirable, even heroic, as against his better judgment, he can't stop pushing for justice, even when it nearly kills him. There's also a sense of hopefulness as the book draws toward its conclusion, and it may be that his life may be about to undergo a long overdue change for the better.

[hagelstein_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

A well executed thriller set in Moscow and Tver with tantalizing glimpses of life in modern post-Soviet Russia. Perhaps not as engaging as Gorky Park or Polar Star, but fleshed out with well realized characters.

[blnq-1 · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

I love Arkady Renko but this just never got up to speed. Gave up after about 3/4 of the way through.

[ectopicbrain · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

Cruz Smith normally gets 4 star review. I've always like his protagonist Arkady Renko. Unfortunately in this book Arkady is walking around like a zombie with a death wish. Very disappointing.

[tmph_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This one isn't totally fabulous, but I love Arkady and it was still a treat nonetheless.

A Ural motorcycle figures into the story modestly, along with it's modestly interesting background; wiki which see.

The very next day, I see one the street.
The very next day.

[kerns222 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Moves fast. Bleak. Lots of vodka. A touch of compassion. A fistful of All-American marketing. A city full of snow. Good Chess. Bad cops. A war or two. No redemption at all.

But one question--Why don't the bad guys just plug Arkady? Why do the two sides run into each other so often and both survive?

I guess you have to eyeball each other a couple times to make a story.

[michaelhodges · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Great Read and historical background of post Stalin years

[condorena · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

In this book for the first time we get glimpses in Arkady Renko's childhood. A very worth while read.

[crayne_2 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I wish I'd understood that Stalin's Ghost was part of a series, though perhaps not in the most strict of interpretations. I find myself captivated by books utilizing Stalin's Russia, independent of genre, setting or timeframe ever since I read Tim Powers' Declare. Smith's Arkady Renko pursues a murder investigation even though he's taken off the case by his superiors. The leads he has seem to take him closer to an ugly truth, one that more patriotic elements of Russia's upcoming political movements seem to want to bury as deeply as possible. In the end, does chasing the truth make losing your life worthwhile? Smith writes well, though the narrative seems to be stretched out a bit at times, drawing out events that might have been handled more succinctly. In the end it's a good read and a fascinating look into Russian politics and patriotism. Perhaps not accurate, but fascinating none the less.

[bjmitch_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I discovered this book in a bag of goodies from a friend and was glad of the chance to get reacquainted with Investigator Arkady Renko of the Moscow prosecutor's office. Poor Renko has really gotten the shaft, for lack of a better term, from the powers-that-be. He just doesn't let well enough alone, doesn't play politics, and he ignores "unwritten rules." Now, just to top everything off, his lover Eva has left him for a rising star, Detective Nikolai Isakov, who is a veteran of the Chechnyan civil war.Obviously, I'm fond of Renko and love mysteries set in that part of the world, so I was doubly disappointed that I wasn't fond of this novel. This may be my fault as there has been a lot going on in my life, but I was confused throughout the story. There were a few too many convenient coincidences along the way as well for my taste.I'm not saying this isn't a good book by any means. I don't think Martin Cruz Smith is capable of writing a bad book, but perhaps he presumed readers were more knowledgeable about Russia than I am. I don't know enough about the history in Chechnya, for instance, to catch on to much of the story. I'm not knowledgeable either about elections in Russia and in this novel Isakov is a candidate for office who is not shy about using devious methods to get more attention by the press.At the beginning of the book Renko, always in disfavor, has been assigned to investigate what's really happening when people swear they are seeing the ghost of Stalin at a certain railroad station at night. How far he has fallen, he thinks, but the ghost sightings lead him into a deep investigation of Isakov. Is he doing this because there is a real crime, or is it simply jealousy over Eva? You'll have to read the book to find out.

[mojacobs · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Another Arkady Renko novel. This time there is trouble with ex-soldiers who served in Chesnia. It took a while before the story gripped me, and Renko is becoming a bit too formulaic to my liking. I prefer the previous books.

[jrtanworth · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Another wonderful entry into a terrific series. Stalin's Ghost is perhaps the best of all. There is plenty of action, a unique plot, well-developed characters, and an ironic and surprising conclusion that makes use of 60-year old Russian history and modern Russian politics. There is also a terrific description of a fast-moving chess tournament that is echoed in the final scenes of the book when Renko "pins" his enemy.

[loveseabooks · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

A Real Winner! Mr. Smith's novels are one of the few that I must have the day it is released and I believe that "Stalin's Ghost" is one of his best. Gorky Park is my favorite. It is rare for an author of a series to be so reliably outstanding but Smith does it in style. The story with the main character Arkady Renko is solid and the author doesn't disappoint. Again, Smith demonstrates in this novel that he is a master at having separate scenarios taking place, (3 in this novel) and blending them seamlessly.

[louiseclaire217 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

An Arkady Renko novel but not the best one to start with if you haven't read the earlier novels.

[clara53_1 · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

Very grim writing...Not my cup of tea. Dialogues seem predictable; except for the names of the characters, there is not much Russian-ness about the book, even though the events play out in Moscow.

[bruderbane · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

“Stalin’s Ghost” by Martin Cruz Smith reverentially captures what I regard as the factual flavor or rather the modus Vivendi of Russia as a cold, harsh and depressing land. Incidentally, this pathos lends itself perfectly to a noir detective novel. That Mr. Smith is able to accomplish this and add extensive layers of depth and drama to such a bleak landscape is a sign of a true artist at work. From cover-to-cover Mr. Smith fills his Russian world with chills, thrills, stylistic noir and bleak Slavic death. I was so entranced by this thrilling novel that I picked up one of Mr. Smith’s other novels “Gorky Park” before I even finished this one.

[edwardsgt · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Another excellent Arkady Renko story, set in contemporary Moscow and Tver, on the Volga. Cruz Smith appears to write a very accurate reflection of life in modern Moscow, although as I've never been, I leave that to others to judge. The story reflects the juxtaposition of a new modern iPod, cellular phone society with the ghosts from Russia's often painful history, the Stalin of the title. This follows on from his Wolves Eat Dogs story, with one character from that story but can be read stand-alone.

[norinrad10 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Good solid book in a good solid series. Shows an amazing glimpse into modern Russia.

[bookmarque · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I think this is one of the bleakest Renko novels I have read. At times it was overwhelming to read and I had to take a break. In the past, Arkady has always had at least one ally. This time, however, he’s been abandoned by all. But not by his inability to let things lie. He still has to investigate everything, even to the detriment of all. He just can’t let things lie even when given a direct order to do so. He is bent on self-destruction. I root for him, but I don’t think he’d want me to.

[doondeck · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

As usual, this story is as dark as the Russian soul. Renko tackles the worst of the new Russia, but through it all maintains his humor and humanity.