Havana Bay - (Arkady Renko) by Martin Cruz Smith (Paperback)

Book Synopsis

When the corpse of a Russian is hauled from the oily waters of Havana Bay, Arkady Renko comes to Cuba to identify the body. Looking for the killer, he discovers a city of faded loneliness, unexpected danger, and bewildering contradictions. His investigation introduces him to a beautiful Cuban policewoman; to the rituals of Santeria; to an American fugitive and a group of ruthless mercenaries. In this place where all things Russian are despised, where Hemingway fished and the KGB flourished, where the hint of music is always in the air, Arkady finds a trail of deceit that reaches halfway around the world-and a reason to relish his own life again.

Review Quotes

"Compelling . . . dazzling."--The New York Times Book Review

"Irresistible . . . plenty of twists . . . The climax is wonderfully paced. . . . [Havana Bay sizzles] with an authenticity that is rare indeed."--USA Today

"If you are fond of thrillers, put Havana Bay at the top of your reading list. . . . Smith is the American literary equivalent of Britain's master thriller writer, John le Carré. . . . An episode admirers of Smith's Renko should not miss."--Minneapolis Star Tribune

"Ripe with the rhythms and tropical heat of modern-day Cuba . . . another fine entry in an enjoyable series of spy novels."--The Wall Street Journal

"A superbly written thriller."--The Denver Post

"Stylish, evocative."--Chicago Sun-Times

"A richly intricate mystery . . . There might be no other city in our time as simultaneously intoxicating and heartbreaking as Old Havana. . . . His earnest unsentimentality and calm tenaciousness on the hunt are what make Renko one of the most interesting detectives in modern fiction. What a clever stroke for Smith to dispatch him to Havana, where sentimentality and passion are in rare abundance."--The New York Times Book Review

"Arkady Renko is one of the memorable creations of Cold War fiction, as clever, guilt-ridden, and self-effacing as any George Smiley."--Newsweek

"Engaging . . . Havana Bay evokes the colors, rhythms, and crumbling grandeur of the steamy city while exploring the complexity and contradictions of post-Soviet Cuban life."--San Francisco Chronicle

"Worthwhile reading . . . As readers of the previous books well know, Mr. Smith has been extremely adept at summoning up the seedy, melancholy Russian milieu in which Arkady operates. In Havana Bay, he does something similar for post-Soviet Cuba."--The New York Times

About the Author

Martin Cruz Smith is the author of Gorky Park, as well as Stallion Gate, Polar Star, and Rose, among other novels. He lives in California with his wife and three children.