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Independence Square

Arkady Renko in Ukraine
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( 3,656 ratings, 371 reviews)
Book Hero Magic crafted this summary to help describe this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Summary
Independence Square by Martin Cruz Smith is a gripping crime thriller set in an atmospheric post-Soviet landscape. The story follows Arkady Renko, a detective navigating the turbulent political climate as he unravels a complex case involving corruption and intrigue. As April breezes through Moscow, Renko finds himself entangled in a conspiracy that leads him into the heart of an evolving Russia, seeking justice against formidable odds.
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Book Hero Magic created this recommendation. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! IS THIS YOUR NEXT READ?

You might enjoy this book if you are intrigued by the complexities of political intrigue and espionage set against a backdrop of Eastern European tension. The story weaves a gripping narrative that combines elements of suspense, international affairs, and richly detailed settings, perfect for fans of crime and thrillers.

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Arkady Renko is back . . .

‘One of those writers that anyone who is serious about their craft views with respect bordering on awe’ Val McDermid



 

Book Hero Magic formatted this description to make it easier to read. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Description
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 Independence Square: 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 ‘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

Book Hero Magic summarised reviews for this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! HOW HAS THIS BEEN REVIEWED?

Independence Square by Martin Cruz Smith is lauded for its immediacy, depth, and skilful blend of contemporary world politics with timeless human nature. The protagonist, Arkady Renko, navigates a tense and gripping narrative engrossed in Russian politics and corruption, making it a testament to Cruz Smith's prowess in political crime thrillers. The book's atmosphere, authenticity, and engaging plot are highlighted as key strengths, echoing the acclaim received by the author's earlier works like Gorky Park.

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Book Details

INFORMATION

ISBN: 9781398510432

Publisher: Simon & Schuster Ltd

Format: Paperback / softback

Date Published: 11 May 2023

Country: United Kingdom

Imprint: Simon & Schuster Ltd

Edition: Export/Airside

Audience: General / adult

DIMENSIONS

Spine width: 17.0mm

Width: 153.0mm

Height: 234.0mm

Weight: 250g

Pages: 272

About the Author

Martin Cruz Smith’s novels include Gorky Park, Stallion Gate, Nightwing, Polar Star, Stalin’s Ghost, Rose, December 6, Tatiana, The Girl from Venice, The Siberian Dilemma, and Independence Square. 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.

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    PRE-ORDER HOTEL UKRAINE, THE BRAND NEW ARKADY RENKO NOVEL FROM MARTIN CRUZ SMITH, COMING SUMMER 2025! ‘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 Horses ARKADY RENKO IS BACK . . . Confined to a desk job by his superiors to keep him out of...
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  • Gorky Park
    The Arkady Renko book that started it all: the #1 bestseller Gorky Park, an espionage classic that begins the series, by Martin Cruz Smith, "the master of the international thriller" (The New York Times). It begins with a triple murder in a Moscow amusement centre: three corpses found frozen in the snow, faces and fingers missing. Chief homicide investigator Arkady...
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  • Gorky Park
    ‘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 McKinty Some Crimes Refuse to Be Forgotten It begins with a triple murder in a Moscow amusement park: three corpses found frozen in the snow, faces and fingers missing....
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  • The Siberian Dilemma
    Martin Cruz Smith’s deftness of touch, lightness of humour and depth of knowledge are on display as ever in The Siberian Dilemma Observer 'Makes tension rise through the page like a shark's fin’ Independent Investigator Arkady Renko, described as ‘one of the most compelling figures in modern fiction’ by USA Today, finds himself travelling deep into Siberia when journalist Tatiana...
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  • Tatiana
    In his groundbreaking Gorky Park, Martin Cruz Smith created one of the iconic investigators of contemporary fiction, Arkady Renko. In Tatiana, Smith delivers his most ambitious and politically daring novel since. 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...
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  • The Girl From Venice
    Venice, 1945. The war may be waning, but the city known as La Serenissima is still occupied, and the people of Italy fear the power of the Third Reich. One night, under a canopy of stars, a fisherman named Cenzo finds a young woman’s body floating in the lagoon and soon discovers that she is still alive and in trouble....
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