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Wolves Eat Dogs (Arkady Renko Novels)

Simon & Schuster

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Average customer rating: 4 stars

Entertaining

Bought the audio book to help with a long drive & was not disappointed. The story kept my interest; fascinated with people living in "Black Zones" of Chernobyl & how they eke out a day to day existence. Liked it.

Excellent Picture of the New Russia

In this selection of the Arkady Renko series, Martin Cruz Smith paints a very vivid portrait of post-Communist Russia. Russia is now dominated by gangsters and young wealthy corporate executives. The hero, Renko, who is now a senior investigator, begins asking too many questions about the death of a Russian business man. To keep Renko from snooping around, the prosecutor sends him on a related case to the Ukraine, the "Dead Zone" where in 1986, a nuclear meltdown occurred at a facility in Chernobyl.

One of my favorite things about Martin Cruz Smith is how he can paint a setting, and make the reader think he is there. Polar Star (fishing boat on the Bering Sea and Havana Bay (Cuba) are two great examples. Smith details abandoned villages occupied by criminals, squaters and the elderly unable to flee. The area is also occupied by scientists studying the contamination of the area. The suspense is great and the book is a page turner like other parts of the series. It is rich in detail about post meltdown Chernobyl. This book is highly recommended.

Sturdy Renko returns

I was glad to follow along once again with my sturdy investigator Arkady Renko, and to be able to return for a Russian history lesson. I thought this was a complex story that I had to read carefully, but Martin Cruz Smith ensured that all the parts were pulled together to make for an exciting read. I wouldn't rate Wolves as one of Mr. Smith's best novels, but it still was a fantastic read. Highly recommend to all Martin Cruz Smith fans.

Unmatched

Martin Cruz Smith never lets me down!!!! I would not call it one of his best, however very satisfied and enjoyed the read very very much!!! Have recommended this book to many MCS's fans, and would recommend it to anyone who is looking for one of the best, exciting reads!!

2 1/2 stars -- Hoped for better

Last year, I read Smith's Havana Bay and found it lacking. As I approached Wolves Eat Dogs, I was sincerely hoping that it would be closer to Gorky Park than Havana Bay. Alas, it was not. Perhaps it is not fair to compare all of Smith's works with my 25-year memory of Gorky Park, which I thought was fantastic. Renko's sense of melancholy and the depressing portrayal of life in Chernobl was simply too much for me. The usual zip simply was not present. I have Stalin's Ghost on the bookshelf. Hopefully it will prove to be closer to Gorky Park that this was. If not, I will have to pass on Smith's future works.