Wolves Eat Dogs

An Arkady Renko Novel

By: Martin Cruz Smith

Narrated by: Henry Strozier

Length: 11 hrs and 21 mins

Publisher's summary

In Wolves Eat Dogs, beloved detective Arkady Renko enters the privileged world of Russia's new billionaire class. The grandest of them all, a self-made powerhouse named Pasha Ivanov, has apparently leapt to his death from the palatial splendor of his ultra-modern Moscow condominium. While there are no signs pointing to homicide, there is one troubling and puzzling bit of evidence: in Ivanov's bedroom closet, there's a mountain of salt.

Ivanov's demise ultimately leads Renko on a journey through Chernobyl's netherworld. The crimes he uncovers and the secrets they reveal about the New Russia, make for a tense, unforgettable adventure.

Solve another case with Arkady Renko.

©2004 Martin Cruz Smith (P)2011 Simon & Schuster

Critic reviews

"Martin Cruz Smith is a master of the international thriller." ( The New York Times)

sarcophagus speaks

Another good investigator Renko story, 20 years after the Chernobyl disaster. Strozier’s narration is spectacular, adjusting his voice and accent for the many different character. This was the first Renko book I listened too versus physically read. Not seeing the printed names, it took me a little time to distinguish and separate the characters.

Thrilling; genuinely Russian. Cruz Rules!

For those of you already familiar with Arkady Renko, this book will not disappoint. He is a unique creation in fiction, and I cannot wait for Martin Cruz Smith to re-create him. Henry Strozier is also a great narrator. The combination will provide you with many hours of entertainment. Being in Renko's company is like seeing the world through the eyes of a master detective, cynical on the surface, romantic underneath, masterful in skill. To set this novel in Chernobyl reflects the author's courage. Cruz Smith's research and attention to detail is unknown in this genre: the truly real historical fiction but-really-not-fictional mystery. He takes you to places you've never been (unless you are a real Russo-phile) and he shows you how the people live in a way that is unmistakably true. Renko stumbles into a substitute father-son relationship with Zhenya, a master teenage chess ace, who lives on the streets and hustles chess for a living. He likewise stumbles into a chaotic romantic relationship with Dr. Yva Casca, a resident of "The Zone" (the hyperdestructive radioactive circle around the collapsed nuclear reactor in Chernobyl). Their relationship is triangulated with a character I will not mention. There are several subplots. The final scene is a work of true genius. Once you read it, you may never again feel the same about novels in general. Cruz Smith has been a master for decades. I hope he lives to be 100. Enjoy!

A radioactive amusement park

I listened to this book immediately after listening to Stalin's Ghost.They are clearly woven by the same hand but in many ways different. Mr Cruz Smith has become a tour guide for Soviet catastrophes and abominations. In Wolves Eat Dogs it is the disaster from the fallout of the explosion at Chernobyl. In Stalin's Ghost it is the mass executions at the killing fields of Tver. In either case he makes the history and its exposition fascinating.
Most of the story in Wolves eat Dogs occurs in the exclusion Zone around Chernobyl, where assorted characters, doctors and scientists reside in a radioactive wonderland. Animals thrive and plants thrive despite the radioactivity because there are no humans, a much greater threat to their survival. Mammoth cities constructed before the explosion remain abandoned and uninhabited, just as would occur in an Armageddon scenario. And what remains, human, animal and plant is from an alien Universe.Into this setting stumbles Arkhady Renko, a Moscow investigator, whose sole preoccupation is to discover the truth, which makes him laughable because he is completely out of step with everyone else who is driven by lust, avarice and revenge. These include an American mobster masquerading as a Hassidic jew, a radioactive Russian doctor and many, many more. The murder mystery itself is not nearly as interesting as the zone, the explanation for how Chernobyl occurred and the bungled aftermath of the explosion, and finally the creation of this netherworld. This is one of the most creative and off beat books I have read. I highly recommend it.

Overwhelming

What made the experience of listening to Wolves Eat Dogs the most enjoyable?

Arcady Renko never disappoints and this book is one of the best!! Set in post-meltdown Chernoble, it is stark, disturbing and oh so beautiful.

What other book might you compare Wolves Eat Dogs to and why?

Unlike some of the other more recent Renkos, this book is set outside the grime of cities. For a real experience, go to the author's website - he has photographs there of his own trip to Chernoble, which he has painted in lush richness for us in words. How can something be at once lush and stark?? I don't know but MCS does it.

Which scene was your favorite?

The ruined amusement park, reminiscent of the ferris wheel scene in Gorky Park, is particularly evocative.

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

The setting, and Arkady's equally bleak, resigned, but still vitally alive response to it, are the most moving aspects of this book. As with all these books, the plot is intricate and satisfying in both its complexity and its economy. Every detail is significant. And in this book we meet Yeva, and with her a new opportunity for Arcady to try to construct a meaningful inner life for himself.

Any additional comments?

I cannot think of a better way to immerse yourself in Arcady Renko's world than with this audiobook. Arcady's personality emerges so intensely thru the expert reading by the narrator, Henry Strozier. Any reader who has not experienced this series of books has an incredible experience awaiting him!!!

Weak reader, interesting story.

Probably the least compelling of all the Renko novels. Wolves eat dogs is an awkward sequel, something that feels phony compared to his better works.

Reader here was terrible. Little expression, quiet voice, no punch,

Listened to it Twice

What an outstanding piece of work. He wraps the history of Chernobyl into a police procedural. Who knew of the pogrom in the '20's - the Jewish population wiped out?
Thanks for a great story and narration .

Got this book free on my first reader and didn't

Would you listen to Wolves Eat Dogs again? Why?

Yes, because I like it.

Did the plot keep you on the edge of your seat? How?

Yes, and the book was full of information that was very interesting.

Which character – as performed by Henry Strozier – was your favorite?

Arkaty

If you were to make a film of this book, what would the tag line be?

Tag line?

Any additional comments?

I'm thinking I'll buy a hard copy.

True to form

Would you listen to Wolves Eat Dogs again? Why?

Probably not although it is worth it. I only have so much time left to read and there are so many books to read

Who was your favorite character and why?

Arkady of course. He is such a cool character

What about Henry Strozier’s performance did you like?

Clarity, excellent pacing. Not overly theatrical.

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

The descriptions of Chernobyl were startling.

Such a great read until last chapter

Completely unnecessary for the story and made me lose sympathy/empathy for several of the characters. It was such a great book up to that point. There's nothing Martin Cruz Smith could do to make betrayal of a trusting animal and making sport of killing it seem like an acceptable social activity. And really, what does it say about that kid, that he really seemed to enjoy it all? That's hardly something one should put in the mind of a child at an impressionable age. I didn't need it in my mind, either.

A classic

I forgot how good this is. Fascinating look at Chernobyl disaster. Great characters. Good twist at the end.