Hotel Ukraine : the final Arkady Renko novel / Martin Cruz Smith.

Enhanced descriptions from Syndetics:

Detective Arkady Renko--"one of the most compelling figures in modern fiction" ( USA TODAY )-- returns in this tense thriller set amid the backdrop of Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

In the latest installment of Martin Cruz Smith's celebrated Arkady Renko series, the legendary Moscow investigator seeks to solve the murder of a diplomat as Russia's invasion of Ukraine wears on and the effects of Renko's Parkinson's Disease worsen. Helped by his lover, journalist Tatiana Petrovna, Renko traces the murder to a Russian paramilitary group aided by a government official who also used to be a romantic partner of Renko. Before long, those responsible for the killing look to similarly dispatch Arkady and Tatiana--all of it leading to a thrilling and action-packed climax. Hotel Ukraine upholds Martin Cruz Smith's reputation as a master of modern detective fiction and Arkady Renko's standing as one of the genre's most complex protagonists.

Reviews provided by Syndetics

Publishers Weekly Review

Moscow investigator Arkady Renko tackles a murder case just as Russia begins its 2022 assault on Ukraine in Smith's stellar sequel to Independence Square. With Putin's regime making it illegal to call the military operation a "war," a Parkinson's-stricken Renko is concerned about the safety of his adopted son, Zhenya, a vocal dissenter. As he wrestles with that anxiety, he's assigned a politically sensitive homicide: deputy defense minister Alexei Kazasky has been stabbed and bludgeoned to death at the Hotel Ukraine, near a wall where the number two was written in blood. The victim's government position, and the attack's timing in the opening hours of the war, draws intense scrutiny from Renko's superiors at the FSB intelligence agency. Renko's former lover, Marina Makarova, is assigned to assist him--though Renko soon suspects that she's more intent on applying political pressure in favor of the Kremlin than solving the murder. Smith draws immense pathos from Renko's struggles with Parkinson's, and he smoothly adapts the investigator's signature dedication to truth to Russia's current political climate. This long-running series remains as vital as ever. Agent: Andrew Nurnberg, Andrew Nurnberg Assoc. (July)

Booklist Review

As Russia's invasion of Ukraine plunges both countries into turmoil, the Russian deputy minister of defense is murdered. Arkady Renko, the veteran investigator, is assigned to investigate. Methodically following the trail of evidence and clues, Renko zeroes in on a paramilitary group operating out of Russia. But he doesn't anticipate the shocking revelation of who is behind this group's activities. Renko's investigation is hampered, too, by his Parkinson's disease, with which he was diagnosed in Smith's previous novel (the tenth in the Renko series), 2023's Independence Square. Smith, who himself was diagnosed with Parkinson's in 1995--and kept it a secret for many years--does a masterful job of giving the reader a vivid, even tactile sense of what it is like to navigate daily life with the disease. Arkady Renko is one of modern crime fiction's greatest creations, a man who will suffer anything--professional failure, ridicule, heartbreak, and now Parkinson's--in his pursuit of the truth. As a whole, the Renko series is among the genre's most consistent and compelling. [High-Demand Backstory]: The Arkady Renko books are very popular, and references to current events and the author's own experiences will boost interest from readers.

Kirkus Book Review

The 11th and final installment in the Arkady Renko series that began withGorky Park in 1981. The Russian homicide detective has lived under communism, witnessed its fall, and now lives during Vladimir Putin's reign. As Russia launches its "special military operation" against Ukraine, Renko must investigate the brutal murder of the deputy minister of defense in Moscow's Hotel Ukraine. Apparently, two people bashed his head in using two different types of weapons. Adding to the challenge, Renko suffers from Parkinson's disease, making it increasingly difficult to function. He knows it will only get worse, though he insists he's not an invalid. His adopted son says, "Even with Parkinson's you're the best they've got." Meanwhile, he's in love with Tatiana Petrovna, a Moscow-based correspondent for theNew York Times who hates injustice and is "constitutionally incapable of seeing a bear without poking it." She wants to report on Bucha, a Ukrainian city that suffered horrific destruction at the hands of the Russians. Renko's investigation takes him there as well. Is the killing tied in with the invasion? Renko and Petrovna take extraordinary risks for the sake of finding the truth. The unseen presence above it all is Putin, and anyone who threatens him might as well drink tea mixed with heartbreak grass, a deadly poison said to have been used on some of his enemies. Renko and Tatiana both face that threat as they peer into the abyss of death. Aside from the action scenes, Renko offers interesting observations. He is "Russian to his core," although love of country does not extend to love of its leaders. He thinks the only book that explains his beloved country isAlice in Wonderland. And he opines on the "fundamental truth" about love, that it means wanting what's best for the other over yourself. Given their tribulations and given that this book finishes the series, the ending could be tragic or hopeful. Either way, Arkady Renko's career is complete. Author Martin Cruz Smith has had Parkinson's for decades and says this is his last book. A rewarding read and a fine finale for the Smith-Renko team. Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.