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Arkady Renko returns in a new mystery about crime and corruption in the cold, dark, impenetrable landscape of modern day Moscow.
User reviews
LibraryThing member ehines
Arkady Renko may be my favorite fictional detective. Wry, long-suffering, stubborn, quietly principled, philosophical, observant, hesitant, a bit of a schlemiel. And the late/former Soviet Union has been an excellent setting to let his sensibility play out.
This latest installment in his series is
Not to say that there is nothing left to the series. Smith is a very good writer, and the changing historical situation of Russia brings new opportunity for Smith to observe the curiosities of human and institutional nature. But the novels are no longer energized by the sense of discovery. They have become a lot more generic--plots are resolved with cliche cinematic scenes (as in the climactic car chase in Three Stations) and the new themes (here: child exploitation of various sorts) seem rather imposed.
But, as I say, Smith is a fine writer. The understated wit won a few out-loud laughs from this reader, and he keeps the novel short and fast-moving, so none of the faults mentioned above has to be suffered with for very long. And Renko is always good company.
Another upside for fans of the series: one can easily imagine this novel being filmed, and, to some extent, I think it may have been written with that in mind. Done right, Renko might make a great film protagonist. Let's hope.
This latest installment in his series is
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welcome and is an enjoyable read, but in some ways is sad for a fan of Renko's. Like all things on this earth, detective series are mortal and the signs of decay are pretty apparent in this series by now: Renko has now acquired a young sidekick, and the novels are now driven largely by setting.Not to say that there is nothing left to the series. Smith is a very good writer, and the changing historical situation of Russia brings new opportunity for Smith to observe the curiosities of human and institutional nature. But the novels are no longer energized by the sense of discovery. They have become a lot more generic--plots are resolved with cliche cinematic scenes (as in the climactic car chase in Three Stations) and the new themes (here: child exploitation of various sorts) seem rather imposed.
But, as I say, Smith is a fine writer. The understated wit won a few out-loud laughs from this reader, and he keeps the novel short and fast-moving, so none of the faults mentioned above has to be suffered with for very long. And Renko is always good company.
Another upside for fans of the series: one can easily imagine this novel being filmed, and, to some extent, I think it may have been written with that in mind. Done right, Renko might make a great film protagonist. Let's hope.
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LibraryThing member timjones
Another strong entry in the Renko series. Arkady Renko is back in his familiar stamping ground of Moscow, embroiled in cases of child prostitution and human trafficking. As has been the case with recent Renko books, the mystery is a little perfunctory, but the rich and, in this case, surprisingly
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moving characterisation makes up for it. It would be nice to have one Renko book which doesn't open with him having lost his wife/girlfriend and include him finding a new one, though. Show Less
LibraryThing member Alinea
Smith's seventh Arkady Renko novel (after Stalin's Ghost) falls short of his usual high standard. The Russian police detective, now a senior investigator, is seriously considering quitting the force because his boss, state prosecutor Zurin, refuses to assign him any cases. Renko seizes the chance
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to buck Zurin by finding the truth behind the death of a prostitute found in a workers' trailer parked in Moscow's seedy Three Stations (aka Komsomol Square). While the young woman, who Renko guesses is 18 or 19, apparently took a fatal drug overdose, he believes she was murdered. A subplot centering on a mother whose infant is stolen on a train detracts from rather than enhances the main investigation. This disappointing entry does only a superficial job of bringing the reader inside today's Russia. Hopefully, Smith and Renko will return to form next time. Show Less
LibraryThing member Doondeck
Another insightful adventure with Renko. The descriptions of Moscow life are so interesting. But why would anyone want to live there.
LibraryThing member bfister
As always, Arkady Renko is about to lose his job, is a witness to the lunacy of the New Russia, and is insisting on solving a crime that has already been conveniently closed. The case involves a young woman who is not the drug addicted prostitute she might appear; at the same time his young friend
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Zhenya has met a runaway whose baby has been kidnapped. The scenes involving street kids and the vivid snapshots of modern Russia almost make up for the unusually underdeveloped plot. Disappointing after Stalin's Ghost, but only because the bar is set so high. Show Less
LibraryThing member repb
Excellent! One of his best efforts in my opinion. Inspector Arkady again comes to the rescue against all odds! A wonderful insight into semi-modern day Moscow.
LibraryThing member dougb56586
I like the author's style of writing. But it seems like there is a fairly regular pattern to the Arkady Renko novels. I wish the author would break out of that.
LibraryThing member datrappert
It's good to see Smith back on form in this seventh entry in the Arkady Renko series. Shorter than its predecessors, it provides a much more focused story without as much extraneous background info thrown in (see Wolves Eat Dogs for the worst example of this). Renko remains one of the great
As usual, the book has a few too many coincidences and all the threads tie up a little too nicely at the end, but the joy is in the dark ride through the alleys and stations and forgotten places of Moscow in the company of Renko, a 15-year old mother looking for her baby, some sub-teen runaways scratching out their existence, and Zhenya, the chess-hustling teenager introduced in a previous book who maintains a tenuous relationship with Renko.
This will not do a lot for Moscow tourism, however.
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characters in fiction. An unfailingly honest police detective who lives by his own code even if the world is falling apart around him, Renko trudges through a morass of murder, corruption, and indifference to get to the heart of a Moscow killing.As usual, the book has a few too many coincidences and all the threads tie up a little too nicely at the end, but the joy is in the dark ride through the alleys and stations and forgotten places of Moscow in the company of Renko, a 15-year old mother looking for her baby, some sub-teen runaways scratching out their existence, and Zhenya, the chess-hustling teenager introduced in a previous book who maintains a tenuous relationship with Renko.
This will not do a lot for Moscow tourism, however.
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LibraryThing member Eyejaybee
A clever idea but somehow unnecessarily unsavoury.
LibraryThing member RGazala
"Three Stations" is author Martin Cruz Smith's latest installment featuring Russian prosecutorial investigator Arkady Renko, though it's not the greatest. That honor remains firmly in the grip of Smith's exceptional 1981 thriller "Gorky Park," which first introduced Renko to the literary world.
Or had it? As he has with all the novels in his Renko series, Smith artfully imbues the stories and the characters that fill them with a certain brand of uniquely vodka-drenched Russian discontent and world-weariness that has thrived unabated for generations. It's clear Smith and Renko see Russia's current sociopolitical and economic oligarchical hierarchy as fundamentally far more the same than different from its Soviet and Tsarist predecessors in all but name.
The plot in "Three Stations" is straightforward, anchored to a rural teenage prostitute named Maya's frantic search for her stolen baby in the bleak and dangerous Moscow neighborhood from which the novel takes its name, while Renko tracks a serial killer of young women. The book directs at least as much focus on Maya's travails as on Renko's, which has disappointed some of this book's reviewers. That said, it's clear the principal character in "Three Stations" isn't Maya, or even Renko, so much as it is present-day Moscow. Viewed from that perspective, "Three Stations" is a very good book; Smith's eye for detail and his talent for unveiling the crushing and seemingly insurmountable disparities between Moscow's privileged elite and downtrodden masses are no less sharp than they were in "Gorky Park." Smith's deft touch with dialogue, in particular, is just as brilliant as it has ever been in succinctly conveying modern Muscovites' daily tribulations. Moscow is a massive city of 11.5 million people that lately finds itself drowning in cash wrenched as much via the country's deeply imbedded corruption and criminality as from rampant exploitation of Russia's vast natural resources. The brutish effects of that money's savagely inequitable distribution inflame the novel's every page. Russia is a very old country, and whether ruled by Tsar, Secretary General, or President, Smith's premise is that Russia's internal monologue has stayed remarkably unchanged in many ways for many centuries.
Though it's not hard to tell both author and character have grown somewhat tired in the past 30 years, nevertheless they've done so gracefully. Fans of Smith and Renko, and those who find modern Russia fascinating, will appreciate "Three Stations" as a knowledgeable thriller author's newest postcard from an unvarnished Moscow.
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"Three Stations" is the seventh novel in the Renko series. Smith wasn't quite 40 years old when "Gorky Park" came out, and the Soviet Union still had a decade of life left in it. Smith was nearly nearly 70 when "Three Stations" was published in 2010, by which time the Soviet Union that Smith and Renko grew up with had been dead and gone for almost 20 years.Or had it? As he has with all the novels in his Renko series, Smith artfully imbues the stories and the characters that fill them with a certain brand of uniquely vodka-drenched Russian discontent and world-weariness that has thrived unabated for generations. It's clear Smith and Renko see Russia's current sociopolitical and economic oligarchical hierarchy as fundamentally far more the same than different from its Soviet and Tsarist predecessors in all but name.
The plot in "Three Stations" is straightforward, anchored to a rural teenage prostitute named Maya's frantic search for her stolen baby in the bleak and dangerous Moscow neighborhood from which the novel takes its name, while Renko tracks a serial killer of young women. The book directs at least as much focus on Maya's travails as on Renko's, which has disappointed some of this book's reviewers. That said, it's clear the principal character in "Three Stations" isn't Maya, or even Renko, so much as it is present-day Moscow. Viewed from that perspective, "Three Stations" is a very good book; Smith's eye for detail and his talent for unveiling the crushing and seemingly insurmountable disparities between Moscow's privileged elite and downtrodden masses are no less sharp than they were in "Gorky Park." Smith's deft touch with dialogue, in particular, is just as brilliant as it has ever been in succinctly conveying modern Muscovites' daily tribulations. Moscow is a massive city of 11.5 million people that lately finds itself drowning in cash wrenched as much via the country's deeply imbedded corruption and criminality as from rampant exploitation of Russia's vast natural resources. The brutish effects of that money's savagely inequitable distribution inflame the novel's every page. Russia is a very old country, and whether ruled by Tsar, Secretary General, or President, Smith's premise is that Russia's internal monologue has stayed remarkably unchanged in many ways for many centuries.
Though it's not hard to tell both author and character have grown somewhat tired in the past 30 years, nevertheless they've done so gracefully. Fans of Smith and Renko, and those who find modern Russia fascinating, will appreciate "Three Stations" as a knowledgeable thriller author's newest postcard from an unvarnished Moscow.
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LibraryThing member rexmedford
I found this book entertaining...I am a Martin Cruz Smith fan and rather like his character Arkady Renko. Like other reviewers, I found this book a bit under developed, but it did not fail to grip me as a page turner. The series continues to be good reading. I would love for Smith to produce
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another epic novel with Renko.... Show Less
LibraryThing member adpaton
Arkady Renko is one of the most engaging fictional detectives of our time, but if you have not already made his acquaintance, Three Stations is not the book in which to do it. Once again Renko is suspended and his warning of a serial killer ignored: one would think after six books his superiors
Set in today’s Moscow, the book is not a patch on the previous ones yet Arkady continues to charm in his quietly obstinate manner as he investigates a series of corpses laid out in the positions of the classic ballet as well as helping find the baby of a runaway prostitute, with whom his ward - a chess hustler and truant on the fringes of gang culture - has fallen in love. Verdict? Quick and good in parts.
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would have learned to listen to him, but apparently not. Set in today’s Moscow, the book is not a patch on the previous ones yet Arkady continues to charm in his quietly obstinate manner as he investigates a series of corpses laid out in the positions of the classic ballet as well as helping find the baby of a runaway prostitute, with whom his ward - a chess hustler and truant on the fringes of gang culture - has fallen in love. Verdict? Quick and good in parts.
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LibraryThing member maritimer
Three Stations reads like an early draft that still needs much work to raise it to the level of works like Gorky Park, Wolves Eat Dogs, and Polar Star. It lacks the rich texture and sense of place that permeates those early Renko novels. Renko is lightly drawn - his implacable and improbable moral
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presence that drives this series is largely missing. I hope Mr. Smith gets his groove back for the next Renko book. Show Less
LibraryThing member GWTyson
Let me begin by admitting my bias: I think that Martin Cruz Smith is one of the best novelists out there today. What has often been said of David Cornwell (a.k.a. John LeCarre)also goes for Martin Cruz Smith: he may write popular fiction but it's also great literature. If you want a sample of what
"Three Stations" is the latest chapter in the life and career of Arkady Renko, Smith's wise and somewhat world-weary Moscow detective who is forced to suffer fools, corruption, and social depravity in the course of his job. Renko is a complex and appealing man and just listening to his thinking is a treat in itself. However,the real treat is Smith's ability to bring you right onto the streets beside Detective Renko. Indeed, Smith has a way with his descriptions and dialog that's almost cinematic. (My 12th grade English teacher used to talk about a "language of vision" and that's something that Smith has really nailed.)
This story and its characters - particularly the children - will almost break your heart. Indeed, there are few writers of popular fiction who can portray children with no future in such an unflinching and yet compassionate manner. Fortunately, the book ends on a note of affirmation: there are still tattered pieces of hope for the legions of people who are the victims of modern Russia.
Even if you're not at all a fan of detective/mystery stories, the works of Martin Cruz Smith are still worth a look. Great literature always is.
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I mean, just read the final page or even just the final line of "Three Stations." (Although it's best if you read the rest of it first.)"Three Stations" is the latest chapter in the life and career of Arkady Renko, Smith's wise and somewhat world-weary Moscow detective who is forced to suffer fools, corruption, and social depravity in the course of his job. Renko is a complex and appealing man and just listening to his thinking is a treat in itself. However,the real treat is Smith's ability to bring you right onto the streets beside Detective Renko. Indeed, Smith has a way with his descriptions and dialog that's almost cinematic. (My 12th grade English teacher used to talk about a "language of vision" and that's something that Smith has really nailed.)
This story and its characters - particularly the children - will almost break your heart. Indeed, there are few writers of popular fiction who can portray children with no future in such an unflinching and yet compassionate manner. Fortunately, the book ends on a note of affirmation: there are still tattered pieces of hope for the legions of people who are the victims of modern Russia.
Even if you're not at all a fan of detective/mystery stories, the works of Martin Cruz Smith are still worth a look. Great literature always is.
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LibraryThing member maneekuhi
Disappointing. I have been a fan of this series since Gorky Park opened it in the early 80's. I thought each of the first 5 books spread over 25 years or so was terrific. Number 6 was Stalin's Ghost which I did not enjoy, nor Three Stations which to me felt like Martin Cruz Smite Lite. It was a
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short book, bad guys were dispatched conveniently. It was entertaining, a good movie script or made for TV two parter but it didn't compare to the first five. I feel like the series has just run out of gas and MCS is quite sure how to end it, what to do with Arkady Renko. The usual snappy dialog was there, along with Renko's perpetual "180 degrees from what is expected" comebacks, but it seemed like the dialog style had spread to a number of characters like some kind of disease. An engaging, but simple plot. Ho-hum, please don't do a number 8. Show Less
LibraryThing member amaraki
Liked the previous arkady renko novels a lot more.
LibraryThing member SoulFlower1981
"Three Stations"
By Martin Cruz Smith
3 Stars
There are times when you start reading a book and you have to question that if your own train of thought is disjointed or if it the way that the author tells the story. I recognized while reading "Three Stations" that Cruz Smith's writing at times did feel
"Three Stations" is a police procedural mystery book that starts with the abduction of a baby. This is, however, not the main plot though. It is about a body found by the investigator. This takes the story on a disjointed rump where you are left wondering what one scene had to do with the last one. Often in books this doesn't work because the reader is left wondering where the heck the book is going, but for some reason it works with "Three Stations." You do not want to put it down because you recognize it is a rather short read and you want to know how the child will reunited with the character of Maya. I won't reveal if the child ever does because you need to read it for yourself.
If you are a mystery enthusiast I would recommend this book, but for those of you wanting something a little more light-hearted I don't think this is the book for you. There are scenes of violence, explosions and cursing that feels a bit overdone at times. For me, a mystery fan, it was the right cup of tea. To each their own and I recognize that. You really need to go into this particular novel knowing that it isn't a fluff "The Notebook" type of book, but one that is disconnected, violent, and a damn good read for seeing how an author can craft a story.
The mystery aspect of the book felt a little bit predictable, but I think when you start reading mystery over and over again you start to see the basic formula naturally. He does however throw in enough side characters that could have done it that you are left wondering if you could be way off base on what your assumptions are. Then you recognize that some of the side characters are actually a side story, which adds a bit to the depth of the story. It makes it feel more organic and like it is set in the real world because for most people they have multiple things going on at once instead of a normal story that focuses so heavily on the one particular plot.
The three stars for this novel is mainly because of the disjointed storytelling, but also because there are moments where you are suddenly thrust with characters that you have no idea why they are being showcased. It isn't until the end of the chapters that you find out why they are being mentioned and in this particular book it just doesn't work the way that Cruz Smith wanted. Outside of those things this is a worthwhile book to read.
By Martin Cruz Smith
3 Stars
There are times when you start reading a book and you have to question that if your own train of thought is disjointed or if it the way that the author tells the story. I recognized while reading "Three Stations" that Cruz Smith's writing at times did feel
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disjointed, but it works for his particular brand of storytelling. He sets the story in Russia and this disjointed nature contributes to the feeling of it being authentic. "Three Stations" is a police procedural mystery book that starts with the abduction of a baby. This is, however, not the main plot though. It is about a body found by the investigator. This takes the story on a disjointed rump where you are left wondering what one scene had to do with the last one. Often in books this doesn't work because the reader is left wondering where the heck the book is going, but for some reason it works with "Three Stations." You do not want to put it down because you recognize it is a rather short read and you want to know how the child will reunited with the character of Maya. I won't reveal if the child ever does because you need to read it for yourself.
If you are a mystery enthusiast I would recommend this book, but for those of you wanting something a little more light-hearted I don't think this is the book for you. There are scenes of violence, explosions and cursing that feels a bit overdone at times. For me, a mystery fan, it was the right cup of tea. To each their own and I recognize that. You really need to go into this particular novel knowing that it isn't a fluff "The Notebook" type of book, but one that is disconnected, violent, and a damn good read for seeing how an author can craft a story.
The mystery aspect of the book felt a little bit predictable, but I think when you start reading mystery over and over again you start to see the basic formula naturally. He does however throw in enough side characters that could have done it that you are left wondering if you could be way off base on what your assumptions are. Then you recognize that some of the side characters are actually a side story, which adds a bit to the depth of the story. It makes it feel more organic and like it is set in the real world because for most people they have multiple things going on at once instead of a normal story that focuses so heavily on the one particular plot.
The three stars for this novel is mainly because of the disjointed storytelling, but also because there are moments where you are suddenly thrust with characters that you have no idea why they are being showcased. It isn't until the end of the chapters that you find out why they are being mentioned and in this particular book it just doesn't work the way that Cruz Smith wanted. Outside of those things this is a worthwhile book to read.
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LibraryThing member AltheaAnn
I really should've read this one before 'Tatiana,' which I just read earlier this month - but I couldn't find it, and the other book had an impending library due date.
Investigator Arkady Renko is in disfavor with his boss, and under threat of dismissal. However, he just can't stop investigating,
Meanwhile, a runaway prostitute is in search of her stolen infant. Renko's ward, Zhenya, is willing to help, but the world of teens around the Three Stations area is pretty rough...
The book is compelling reading. I found myself staying up late and caring about the fates of the characters.
However, from a purely logical/structural viewpoint, there are some issues here. There are too many coincidences for events to be fully believable. There are extra crimes brought in too close to the end, nearly skipped over, and the 'bad guys' motivations remain mysterious - and a little eyebrow-raising.
Investigator Arkady Renko is in disfavor with his boss, and under threat of dismissal. However, he just can't stop investigating,
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even when instructed not to. When his alcoholic colleague discovers a young woman's body in an abandoned trailer, he's compelled to find out who she was and how she died...Meanwhile, a runaway prostitute is in search of her stolen infant. Renko's ward, Zhenya, is willing to help, but the world of teens around the Three Stations area is pretty rough...
The book is compelling reading. I found myself staying up late and caring about the fates of the characters.
However, from a purely logical/structural viewpoint, there are some issues here. There are too many coincidences for events to be fully believable. There are extra crimes brought in too close to the end, nearly skipped over, and the 'bad guys' motivations remain mysterious - and a little eyebrow-raising.
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LibraryThing member gmmartz
Three Stations is another police procedural set in Moscow starring the remarkable investigator Arkady Renko. He's remarkable for a number of reasons; competence, brilliance, non-linear thinking, but most importantly because he's almost always in trouble with his higher-ups, which in Russia can be a
The first Arkady Renko novel, Gorky Park, was a fine book and what I considered to be a great movie. The film starred William Hurt in the Renko role (with Lee Marvin as the villain), and he did such a mannered performance that I literally hear him speak all of Renko's dialog in my mind in every subsequent book in the series. Very strange.
One thing I really like about this series is how it paints a vivid picture of what life is like in the former Soviet Union. Corruption, alcoholism, drug use, shortages, rampant gangsterism.... it makes it seem like the picture a lot of Americans have of Moscow as the beautiful city with the onion-domed cathedrals is just a facade, and that under the surface is all this other unseemly stuff.
This is a good, not great, novel, but it's relatively short and can be a good introduction to the writer. However, I'd really recommend starting with Gorky Park so that you can be introduced in a little more detail to the wonderful character Arkady Renko.
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very bad thing. Without getting into the details, there were a couple key sub-plots that were tied off very satisfactorily at the end, and Arkady lives to investigate another day.The first Arkady Renko novel, Gorky Park, was a fine book and what I considered to be a great movie. The film starred William Hurt in the Renko role (with Lee Marvin as the villain), and he did such a mannered performance that I literally hear him speak all of Renko's dialog in my mind in every subsequent book in the series. Very strange.
One thing I really like about this series is how it paints a vivid picture of what life is like in the former Soviet Union. Corruption, alcoholism, drug use, shortages, rampant gangsterism.... it makes it seem like the picture a lot of Americans have of Moscow as the beautiful city with the onion-domed cathedrals is just a facade, and that under the surface is all this other unseemly stuff.
This is a good, not great, novel, but it's relatively short and can be a good introduction to the writer. However, I'd really recommend starting with Gorky Park so that you can be introduced in a little more detail to the wonderful character Arkady Renko.
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LibraryThing member DrLed
Synopsis: A young girl with a baby is traveling by train to escape her life as a call girl and to protect her child. She falls asleep and the baby is stolen. Once at the Three Stations, she begins the long search for the child. Meanwhile, the body of a upper class woman is found, dressed as a
Review: This story is a bit confusing, partly because of the disparate story lines and partly because of the setting. Not one of my favorites.
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hooker and left in an abandoned trailer near Three Stations. Renko thinks there is something wrong with the murder scene, but his investigation is hampered by the 'powers that be' since it leads to an influential family. These two cases are intertwined by location and by the crime families that operate in Moscow.Review: This story is a bit confusing, partly because of the disparate story lines and partly because of the setting. Not one of my favorites.
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LibraryThing member edwardsgt
Renko is fighting for his job, as usual and decides to help an alcoholic colleague investigate a potential serial killer, whilst his errant son Zhenya is trying to help a young mother find her stolen baby in and around 3 Stations. As usual captures a strong sense of what life must be like in
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Putin's Moscow which seems authentic but I can't judge if it is. Show Less
LibraryThing member Daftboy1
This is an Inspector Arkandy Renko novel set in his home city of Moscow.
Renko is on the verge of a suspension when he comes across the suspicious death of a young lady near one of the 3 major railway stations.
At the same time his young on off companion Zhenya assists a young girl who is looking for
Lots of dodgy strange characters and a few deaths later, Renko is reinstated and the baby is returned to her mother.
Not the best Renko novel but ok.
Renko is on the verge of a suspension when he comes across the suspicious death of a young lady near one of the 3 major railway stations.
At the same time his young on off companion Zhenya assists a young girl who is looking for
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her baby.Lots of dodgy strange characters and a few deaths later, Renko is reinstated and the baby is returned to her mother.
Not the best Renko novel but ok.
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LibraryThing member joannemonck
Back to Moscow and his usual cast of Russian criminals and detectives This one is about a run away girl (15) and her infant daughter who is stolen from her. The prostitution ring she was working for are after and she is after her daughter Interesting read.
LibraryThing member LaurieGienapp
Disjointed, disappointing. Interesting story, I think... but it felt like big chunks had been left out.
LibraryThing member ChristopherSwann
Say three-and-a-half stars. Arkady is in his usual form, although he's clearly aged. Sometimes this book felt as if it had been rushed, and the plot is muddled by multiple POVs among other things. But Martin Cruz Smith still knows how to write a sentence and pace a story, and in Arkady Renko the
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author has one of the great detective characters of modern times. Show Less