The Siberian Dilemma

By: Martin Cruz Smith

Narrated by: Jeremy Bobb

Length: 6 hrs and 7 mins

Publisher's summary

From the award-winning, best-selling author of Gorky Park and Tatiana comes a breathtaking new novel about investigator Arkady Renko - “one of the most compelling figures in modern fiction” (USA Today) - who travels deep into Siberia to find missing journalist Tatiana Petrovna.

Journalist Tatiana Petrovna is on the move. Arkady Renko, iconic Moscow investigator and Tatiana’s part-time lover, hasn’t seen her since she left on assignment over a month ago. When she doesn’t arrive on her scheduled train, he’s positive something is wrong. No one else thinks Renko should be worried - Tatiana is known to disappear during deep assignments - but he knows her enemies all too well and the criminal lengths to which they’ll go to keep her quiet.

Renko embarks on a dangerous journey to find Tatiana and bring her back. From the banks of Lake Baikal to rundown Chita, Renko slowly learns that Tatiana has been profiling the rise of political dissident Mikhail Kuznetsov, a golden boy of modern oil wealth and the first to pose a true threat to Putin’s rule in over a decade. Though Kuznetsov seems like the perfect candidate to take on the corruption in Russian politics, his reputation becomes clouded when he’s implicated in the murder of Boris Benz, his business partner and best friend. In a land of shamans and brutally cold nights, oligarchs wealthy on Northern oil, and sea monsters that are said to prowl the deepest lake in the world, Renko needs all his wits about him to get Tatiana out alive.

The Washington Post has said “Martin Cruz Smith is that rare phenomenon: a popular and well-regarded crime novelist who is also a writer of real distinction”. In the latest continuation of his unforgettable series, he brings us to the inside world of shadowy political figures and bigwig oil oligarchs providing us with an authentic view of contemporary Russia, infused with his trademark wit.

©2019 Martin Cruz Smith (P)2019 Simon & Schuster

Critic reviews

"The longstanding Arkady Renko series has had its share of heavyweight narrators, and Jeremy Bobb, who debuts with the ninth installment, is among the best. He comes prepared, having narrated the Red Sparrow trilogy, and he provides the necessary modulation and tempo associated with Russian language speakers. More importantly, he conveys the pessimistic Russian subtext that makes the Renko books unique.... Fans of the series won't be disappointed, and newbies can jump right in without the need for backstory." (AudioFile Magazine)

Less detailed than previous works

I am a fan of Martin Cruz Smith and the Arkady Renko series. Unlike earlier works in the series, this book feels abridged. It lacks the detailed sense of place and circumstance that characterize earlier works, and seems to jump to new scenes without prelude. I miss that detail. Still, some elements of the book are good, especially the character of Arkady's "factotum." I am happy to have read the book and recommend it to you. Know, however, that it pales beside the plot, character development, and sense of place developed in his previous novels.

Greatly disappointed in this last Renko story.

Greatly disappointed in this Renko story. I've been an avid fan from the beginning with Gorky Park, and have loved every Arkady story until now. Sad to say the story was weak, uninspiring and a sad showing all around. The only good thing I can say is that is was brief. Seems Smith just phoned this one in.

Arkady Renko, ageless Soviet investigator, is BACK

Excellent story (though a bit short compared to all of the other Arkady Renko novels), and excellently read by Jeremy Bobb (same man who narrated the Red Sparrow trilogy, another great espionage work by former CIA case officer Jason Matthews). My only qualm with this book is that is was on the shortv side, clocking in at under 10 hours. Also, what's the deal with the sudden helicopter crash, right after Zurin orders the hit, here are Kuznetzov, Tatiana, SVD the pilot out flying around when suddenly Tatiana calls to say they've having technical trouble, and yet Arkady shows up right away to extricate Tatiana, but lets Kuznetzov go under, and STILL didn't do anything for him even when he comes climbing out of the downed helo. I call shenanigans there

Good, not great Arkady Tenko

A little too tricky in its reliance on Putin and recent Russian history. Siberia figures large, which is a great feature, as is Renko. Tatiana less so, and the oligarchs are totally unbelievable in my opinion. So it is OK but not great.

Good Beginning. Lackluster End

Though beginning was all Renko and the middle was exciting the end was feh! Narrator was good.

Nice to have something clear and exciting from this author.

Very hard to visit Russia with a modern novelist. Cruz Smith is the best in that business

I expected better…

I’ve read all of the books in this series. I love the new characters in this book, but I just felt like the story didn’t go deep enough. Six hours feels like an essay versus the books I have been reading that are 16 hours.

Martin Cruz Smith's worst book.

This is not a mystery novel or a spy novel or anything resembling what I at minimum expect from a Arkady Renko novel. The focus of the book is; first ,whether his girlfriend, Tatiana, is two-timing him with a wealthy oligarch and second bear hunting. On the second issue I can't tell whether men are hunting for bears or bears are hunting for men. Either way Mr. Smith and his editor know so little about bears they may be doing a disservice to man and bear.

I have read all the books in this series and the stories vary in quality. Gorky Park stands out as a star and all the others are easy reads. However this is unacceptable and the last Martin Cruz Smith novel I will purchase.

Disappointing.

Weak, contrived story, shallow, inconsistent, unbelievable, characters. Renko is almost a parody of himself, more a wise-cracking adolescent than the morose, cynical but insightful Russian depressive we've come to know from his earlier work. If you're a MC Smith fan, as I am, you can skip this one.

Not his best work

When I was done listening I had to see if I had just heard an abridged version of the book. There were times, too many times, when the chapters abruptly ended. Had the feeling that the author was just going through the motions.