Call number
MYST SMI
Collection
Genres
Series
Publication
Simon & Schuster (2013), Edition: First Edition, 304 pages
Description
"In Tatiana, Martin Cruz Smith, 'the master of the international thriller' (The New York Times) creates the most compelling heroine of his career and the most realistic, damning portrait of modern Russia in contemporary literature. One of the iconic investigators of contemporary fiction, Arkady Renko -- cynnical, analytical, and quietly subversive -- has survived the cultural journey from the Soviet Union to the New Russia, only to find the nation as obsessed with secrecy and brutality as was the old Communist dictatorship. In Tatiana, Martin Cruz Smith's most ambitious novel since Gorky Park, the melancholy hero finds himself on the trail of a mystery as complex and dangerous as modern Russia herself. The fearless investigative reporter Tatiana Petrovna falls to her death from a sixth-floor window in Moscow the same week that a mob billionaire, Grisha Grigorenko, is shot and buried with the trappings due a lord. No one makes the connection, but Arkady is transfixed by the tapes he discovers of Tatiana's voice, even as she describes horrific crimes hidden by official versions. The trail leads to Kaliningrad, a Cold War "secret city" and home of the Baltic Fleet, separated by hundreds of miles from the rest of Russia. Arkady delves into Tatiana's past and a surreal world of wandering dunes and amber mines. His only link is a notebook written in the personal code of a translator whose body is found in the dunes. Arkady's only hope of decoding the symbols lies in Zhenya, a teenage chess hustler. More than a mystery, Tatiana is a story rich in character, black humor, and romance, with an insight that is the hallmark of Martin Cruz Smith" -- "In Tatiana, Smith delivers his most ambitious and politically daring novel since Gorky Park. When the brilliant and fearless young reporter Tatiana Petrovna--based on the real-life journalist Anna Politkovskaya--falls to her death from a sixth-floor window in Moscow in the same week that notorious mob billionaire Grisha Grigorenko is shot in the back of the head, Renko finds himself on the trail of a mystery as complex and dangerous as modern Russia itself. The body of an elite government translator shows up on the bleak sand dunes of Kalingrad and the possession he was killed for is nothing but a cryptic notebook with drawings of animals and symbols. A frantic hunt begins to locate and decipher this notebook, a copy of which falls into the hands of Zhenya, the closest thing Renko has to a son--who does not realize that the document will put his life in grave danger. In a fast-changing and lethal race to uncover what this translator knew, and how he planned to reveal it to the world, Renko makes a startling discovery that propells him deeper into Tatiana's past--and, at the same time, paradoxically, into Russia's future. In Tatiana, "the master of the international thriller" (New York Times) draws on his four decades of experience to create the most compelling heroine of his career and the most accurate, damning portrait of modern Russia in contemporary literature, one in which the courageous are never safe, and the corrupt are never content, no matter which side they're on"--… (more)
User reviews
LibraryThing member GarySeverance
Tatiana by Martin Cruz Smith is an international thriller that was inspired by the life and death of Russian activist Anna Poltikovskaya. She was a Russian journalist reporting from Chechnya, and a human rights activist opposed to the Chechen conflict and the policies of President Vladimir Putin in
In the novel, Tatiana is a Russian journalist reporting on the Russian mafia and corruption in the Russian government. She has apparently committed suicide by jumping from her 6th story apartment balcony. Protesters do not believe it was a suicide and attempt to focus attention on what they suspect was a murder. Inspector Arkady Renko is a participant observer of the protest and is injured when his fellow Russian police officers put a violent end to the event because the protesters have no permit.
Arkady investigates the murder of a Moscow mafia boss and the shake-up in leadership of the criminal organization. He soon discovers that Tatiana's reporting of mafia/government collusion and her "suicide" were related to an illegal deal worth billions of rubles made by mafia and government leaders. Arkady's investigation thread involves a freelance interpreter who loves word games and bicycling, an internationally known alcoholic poet, the corrupt city of Kaliningrad famous for amber mining, an ultra-luxury mafia-owned yacht docked at Moscow's Kremlin pier, brilliant teenage chess players, and a very valuable missing notebook filled with almost indecipherable code sought by both police and criminals.
The last Arkady Renko novel I read was Gorky Park in 1981, and I remember the personality descriptions of the interesting character. It was good to read about the development of the character over the years and to see Mr. Smith focus on contemporary Russian society with its problems related to widespread corruption and the dangers of investigative journalism in Russia.
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the region. Politkovskaya was found dead in the elevator of her block of flats in central Moscow on 7 October 2006. She had been shot twice in the chest, once in the shoulder, and once in the head at point-blank range.In the novel, Tatiana is a Russian journalist reporting on the Russian mafia and corruption in the Russian government. She has apparently committed suicide by jumping from her 6th story apartment balcony. Protesters do not believe it was a suicide and attempt to focus attention on what they suspect was a murder. Inspector Arkady Renko is a participant observer of the protest and is injured when his fellow Russian police officers put a violent end to the event because the protesters have no permit.
Arkady investigates the murder of a Moscow mafia boss and the shake-up in leadership of the criminal organization. He soon discovers that Tatiana's reporting of mafia/government collusion and her "suicide" were related to an illegal deal worth billions of rubles made by mafia and government leaders. Arkady's investigation thread involves a freelance interpreter who loves word games and bicycling, an internationally known alcoholic poet, the corrupt city of Kaliningrad famous for amber mining, an ultra-luxury mafia-owned yacht docked at Moscow's Kremlin pier, brilliant teenage chess players, and a very valuable missing notebook filled with almost indecipherable code sought by both police and criminals.
The last Arkady Renko novel I read was Gorky Park in 1981, and I remember the personality descriptions of the interesting character. It was good to read about the development of the character over the years and to see Mr. Smith focus on contemporary Russian society with its problems related to widespread corruption and the dangers of investigative journalism in Russia.
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LibraryThing member Stahl-Ricco
The 8th Arkady Renko novel! And a good one to boot! Arkady is still himself. His partner Victor is too! A great pair of characters if there ever was one! This time, Arkady tangles himself up with an investigation into Tatiana's "suicide"! This leads him to rap stars, mafia bosses, and a journey to
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Kaliningrad. It is a fast paced, tightly written journey that I gobbled up quickly! And now I sit idly, waiting for #9! Show Less
LibraryThing member annbury
As another reviewer notes, this series has its ups and downs, but in my view this is one of the downs. It's still a good crime reading and fans should not pass it by. Renko remains Renko, always entertaining and always interesting, and the Kaliningrad setting is interesting as well. But I don't
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think it is up to several other titles in the series, particularly not to the early ones. Still, I look forward to Renko's next outing. Show Less
LibraryThing member maneekuhi
As I scanned Amazon reader reviews I noted that a lot readers shared my view that the series has been uneven - a number of excellent books, but too many clunkers as well. But there doesn't seem to be agreement on which were which. My own viewpoint is that the early ones were 5 star and too many of
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the recent ones have been 2-3 star. At times I felt Smith was bored with the series. I think "Tatiana" is one of the better ones. The smirky one-liners are back sharp as ever ("Don't you think Grisha Grigerenko had a dignified funeral service?" Well, yes, Arkady thought. Except for the bullet hole in the back of his head.) Journalist Tatiana is killed before the story starts. She had been annoying every mobster boss in Russia for too long, so there are many suspects. Smith does a very nice job of refreshing us on major storylines from the past, including the death of his wife Irina and the adoption of his son. Along the way we learn all kinds of interesting things about Pushkin, chess, amber, Kaliningrad. Think of Alan Arkin at the peak of his career as Renko, da? Looking forward to #9 but hope it won't be a three year wait. Show Less
LibraryThing member mamzel
Arkady Renko is one of the rare honest people in Russia. He is a police detective who gets no support from his department and takes on investigations without orders and follows them to the end against orders. He is fighting, not only the graft and corruption ubiquitous in the government, but true
The investigation takes him to Kaliningrad, a port on the Baltic Sea and the Curonian Spit where people comb the beach for precious pieces of amber. But the case has little to do with the amber. Along the way he finds links to an interpreter, his notebook and expensive Italian bicycle.
He also has to deal with Zhenya, the son of a man Arkady shot and has kind of adopted. Zhenya is a chess genius and hustles games in parks for a little income. He has decided that he wants to enlist in the Red Army, a choice that Arkady can't approve of.
In the vein of police stories, Arkady is the typical hero, bucking the tide of office politics and on his own in his investigation. Along the way he utilizes acquaintances and meets new ones that help him unearth the most amazing plots.
Highly recommended for readers who enjoy the darker and more uncomfortable mysteries.
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criminals. In this book he feels that the suicide of a young woman reporter who jumped from her window deserves a second look.The investigation takes him to Kaliningrad, a port on the Baltic Sea and the Curonian Spit where people comb the beach for precious pieces of amber. But the case has little to do with the amber. Along the way he finds links to an interpreter, his notebook and expensive Italian bicycle.
He also has to deal with Zhenya, the son of a man Arkady shot and has kind of adopted. Zhenya is a chess genius and hustles games in parks for a little income. He has decided that he wants to enlist in the Red Army, a choice that Arkady can't approve of.
In the vein of police stories, Arkady is the typical hero, bucking the tide of office politics and on his own in his investigation. Along the way he utilizes acquaintances and meets new ones that help him unearth the most amazing plots.
Highly recommended for readers who enjoy the darker and more uncomfortable mysteries.
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LibraryThing member Doondeck
Another good story about Renko. Cleverly crafted with the usual set of unusual characters.
LibraryThing member Bookmarque
Arkady is true to form even this far into the series. He’s alone against the world (basically) pursuing a non-case in the interest of judgement and because he has a hunch. And as before, the hunch turns out to be correct. Through hunches, deduction, wild leaps of logic and luck, Arkady finds the
There’s that name again; Renko. As before, the specter of the General looms in Arkady’s subconscious. He dreams of the General and they are nightmares. He also dreams of women, this time Anya and Tatiana, but Irina makes an appearance. Still concentrated dregs of sadness over that particular death.
Tone and feel are a big part of why I enjoy these books so much. There are odd characters, yes, but none are too cartoonish and I noticed this time around that someone usually tells odd jokes to illustrate their point or attitude. This time it was Victor, but Arkady gets in one or two as well -
Maxim asks why they are in Kaliningrad, the dead end of Russia on the Baltic sea. “We’re here because both Joseph Bonnafos and Tatiana came here. They weren’t in Moscow.”
“So.”
“So if you drop your house keys at the back door, do you search for them at the front door because the light is better?”
The denouement, as always, is violent and hinges on betrayal and timing. These people don’t know Arkady and the futility of trying to push him. To scare him. To make him care about his own fate. He’s been resigned to it for so long it’s no longer an issue. You can’t scare a man who thinks he’s already dead.
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links in the chain that bring resolution. It’s amazing that the feel of his process and the way revelations are made to the reader are exactly the way they were in Gorky Park. There’s a dogged quality to his prescience that is distinctly of these books. No one else is Arkady Renko. The very final scenes are darkly magical and fans will immediately recognize the atmosphere.There’s that name again; Renko. As before, the specter of the General looms in Arkady’s subconscious. He dreams of the General and they are nightmares. He also dreams of women, this time Anya and Tatiana, but Irina makes an appearance. Still concentrated dregs of sadness over that particular death.
Tone and feel are a big part of why I enjoy these books so much. There are odd characters, yes, but none are too cartoonish and I noticed this time around that someone usually tells odd jokes to illustrate their point or attitude. This time it was Victor, but Arkady gets in one or two as well -
Maxim asks why they are in Kaliningrad, the dead end of Russia on the Baltic sea. “We’re here because both Joseph Bonnafos and Tatiana came here. They weren’t in Moscow.”
“So.”
“So if you drop your house keys at the back door, do you search for them at the front door because the light is better?”
The denouement, as always, is violent and hinges on betrayal and timing. These people don’t know Arkady and the futility of trying to push him. To scare him. To make him care about his own fate. He’s been resigned to it for so long it’s no longer an issue. You can’t scare a man who thinks he’s already dead.
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LibraryThing member Kathy89
I didn't like it but I'm tired of Russian thugs, mafia, KGB and soldiers. This was recommended on a TV show "Well Read" that if you like Lee Child's, Jack Reacher, than Arkady Renko is a good read. The story is about what happened to Tatiana but I found Arkady's ward, Jenko trying to decypher her
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notebook the most interesting part, why Arkady is talking to her neighbors, sister, and Milan bike manufacturers. This was my first Renko novel maybe if I had read some of the others i would have found him more interesting. Show Less
LibraryThing member ehines
A bit thin. But the plot elements are in control (young sidekick, particularly). And the tone's about right for the series, but it really seemed there was a lot more meat on the bones in the early Renkos . . . now it seems a lot of the book is a countdown to the unsuccessful martyr scene.
LibraryThing member cabbyrne
A most enjoyable opening line: "It was the sort of day that didn't give a damn." But the book's initial promise falters in the first chapter before rebounding. Given the brilliance of Gorky Park I will give Martin Cruz Smith a chance to redeem himself further as I immerse myself into this 2013
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thriller. Show Less
LibraryThing member tom471
I gave this book 4 out of 5 stars. Martin Cruz Smith's books are enjoyable mysteries. His police investigator Arkady Renko is a determined man in investigating a death already ruled a suicide. Tatiana was a crusading reporter and fell to her death off a balcony. Somehow Renko connects her death to
One quote from the book that made me laugh: "Judges can be expensive...
They should put an ATM in the courtroom and eliminate the middleman."
A minor quibble--one of the characters drives from Moscow to Kaliningrad, and has to go through Lithuanian and Polish customs. This book is set in 2012, after Poland and Lithuania joined the Schwengen agreement--meaning only 1 customs check.
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a murder of an organized crime figure. His investigation takes him to Kaliningrad, a part of Russia that used to be Koeingsberg, Germany, prior to 1945. It is now an enclave of Russia, bordered by Poland and Lithuania.One quote from the book that made me laugh: "Judges can be expensive...
They should put an ATM in the courtroom and eliminate the middleman."
A minor quibble--one of the characters drives from Moscow to Kaliningrad, and has to go through Lithuanian and Polish customs. This book is set in 2012, after Poland and Lithuania joined the Schwengen agreement--meaning only 1 customs check.
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LibraryThing member edwardsgt
Renko tries to solve the mystery of an interpreter's notebook, killed in Kaliningrad which in some way is connected to a Moscow mafia family. As always a byzantine plot of corruption, where rarely is anything what it seems. Recommended.
LibraryThing member viking2917
Arkady continues his trek through post-modern, Putin-era Russia. I'm always down for a visit with Arkady, he's one of the most interesting fictional detectives I know. In Tatiana, he's less clever than usual and even more human. Not the strongest of the Renko novels, but you can't go wrong with
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Martin Cruz Smith. Show Less
LibraryThing member joeydag
I enjoy Smith's noir evocation in the former USSR and there are plot twists galore in this but as his protagonist Renko contemplates retirement, it may be time to let the series run out.
LibraryThing member malcrf
I had wondered if Cruz Smith and Renko had lost their way with Three Stations, but Tatiana, whilst not his best, is a worthy return to form. Easy evocative prose, great characterization and a fascinating setting................welcome back!
LibraryThing member malcrf
I had wondered if Cruz Smith and Renko had lost their way with Three Stations, but Tatiana, whilst not his best, is a worthy return to form. Easy evocative prose, great characterization and a fascinating setting................welcome back!
LibraryThing member Dream24
I received an ARC through Goodreads.
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This is the first book of the Arkady Renko series that I have read.
The first 2 chapters captured my attention and left me intrigued. However, as the story goes on, I found parts of it to be abrupt and very one dimensional. I felt like more of the storyline like I wanted an all out gun fight or an ultimate take down of the villains instead of the death of Alexi while the rest of the bad guys walk away from this plan and off to another .
As for some of the characters, at first I enjoyed reading about Tatiana and how she constantly put herself in the line of danger in order to expose the truth about everyone. However, when we finally meet Tatiana in person (yeah I know shocker that she is alive due to a case of mistaken identity), the real Tatiana felt like a let down compared to how everyone described and built up of her. I really don't see how Tatiana lasted so long in Russia.
And honestly the overall investigation into Tatiana's past was more like a passing interesting that somehow captured Renko, leaving him to obsess over every single detail. And the villain(s) really didn't do much in this story besides some pretty tame mafia stuff.
The highlights were the cryptic notes, it was interesting and quite the challenge trying to de-code it and Maxim is an interesting character.
Overall, it was an OK quick read.
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This is the first book of the Arkady Renko series that I have read.
The first 2 chapters captured my attention and left me intrigued. However, as the story goes on, I found parts of it to be abrupt and very one dimensional. I felt like more of the storyline
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could have been explored and further developed. Especially the climax, which was so anti-climatic that it was rather boring, As for some of the characters, at first I enjoyed reading about Tatiana and how she constantly put herself in the line of danger in order to expose the truth about everyone.
And honestly the overall investigation into Tatiana's past was more like a passing interesting that somehow captured Renko, leaving him to obsess over every single detail. And the villain(s) really didn't do much in this story besides some pretty tame mafia stuff.
The highlights were the cryptic notes, it was interesting and quite the challenge trying to de-code it and Maxim is an interesting character.
Overall, it was an OK quick read.
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LibraryThing member cygnet81
A pleasant surprise.
LibraryThing member AltheaAnn
I'm a fan of this series - I've read them all except the one right before this one (#7).
The mystery is involving: after a secret business meeting an interpreter is killed, leaving behind an enigmatic notebook.
Around the same time, a crime boss is also murdered, and an intrepid reporter ('Tatiana')
Renko is off-duty, recuperating from being shot - but Tatiana's death captures his investigative curiosity, and the more he looks into her death, the more questions arise. Meanwhile, at home, his foster son has become a sullen teenager with his heart set on joining the army.
'Tatiana' is not the strongest in the series. I tried to consider if skipping one was an issue, but I don't think it was. I felt like the book was a bit too short for the story. At just under 300 pages, I wanted more details in many parts which were hurriedly sketched over.
Don't get me wrong - it was still good. I really like Renko as a character, and Martin Cruz Smith is great at conjuring up an authentic-feeling vision of Russia.
The mystery is involving: after a secret business meeting an interpreter is killed, leaving behind an enigmatic notebook.
Around the same time, a crime boss is also murdered, and an intrepid reporter ('Tatiana')
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known for her hard-hitting journalistic exposes, is reported to have committed suicide. Renko is off-duty, recuperating from being shot - but Tatiana's death captures his investigative curiosity, and the more he looks into her death, the more questions arise. Meanwhile, at home, his foster son has become a sullen teenager with his heart set on joining the army.
'Tatiana' is not the strongest in the series. I tried to consider if skipping one was an issue, but I don't think it was. I felt like the book was a bit too short for the story. At just under 300 pages, I wanted more details in many parts which were hurriedly sketched over.
Don't get me wrong - it was still good. I really like Renko as a character, and Martin Cruz Smith is great at conjuring up an authentic-feeling vision of Russia.
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LibraryThing member caslater83
This is a nice gentle read. Tatiana is a rambunctious ten-year-old girl who is very spoiled, but has a wonderful zest for life. She has yet to be tamed by her two older sisters. Her father simply indulges her. Despite the harsh feelings of others in her community, Tatiana takes bold steps to
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befriend a young boy who is labeled as a half-breed. He finds her deeply annoying at first, but later appreciates the gift of her friendship. As she grows up, she learns the importance of forgiveness towards those she has wronged and towards those who have wronged her. It's a reoccurring theme throughout the book. Show Less
LibraryThing member kerns222
If you want edge of the seat reading, then Cruz Smith is your guy. Crazy plot (I won't tell) but it moves fast and you don't notice. Plan on staying up late if you start this one at night.
LibraryThing member citizencane
A professional interpreter is murdered on a beach in Kaliningrad on the Baltic Sea coast. A Russian Mafia gang leader is murdered in Moscow and a muckraking female journalist commits suicide by jumping out a window from her sixth story apartment. Her body subsequently disappears from the morgue,
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but her sister has identified the remains from a photograph of the body provided by Russian police. Arkady Renko decides to investigate the disappearance of her corpse and we are off an running in another Renko investigation that tries to figure out the significance of a notebook that was in the reporter's possession at the time of her death. But the notebook consists of several pages of undecipherable figures and symbols. How are these events related? What is the meaning of the notebook and why do so many sinister types care so much about it? Martin Cruz Smith has written another high quality detective story that pulls back even further, if possible, the veil of corruption endemic to Russia in the age of Putin. This is not quite his best effort but is a great read with enough plot twists to keep the reader engaged. Well worth it for both the general reader and the devotees of the Renko series. Show Less
LibraryThing member tmph
More wonderful Arkady Renko. The last for now. A small snapshot of the fight against corruption in modern Russia. Just great characters; great settings and scenes; fascinating history; very good endings.
Awards
Pages
304
ISBN
1439140219 / 9781439140215