Wolves Eat Dogs: An Arkady Renko Novel

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!

Based on many of the reviews, I thought this would be a good book. Argh. Even on double time, I could hardly wait for the book to end. Honestly, there were times I thought I had missed whole sections. Disjointed, uninteresting, etc., etc. Not worth your time or money. I was in the USSR soon after the Chernobyl disaster (there were no vegetables except cucumbers - I've never forgotten) so I thought that would hold additional interest for me...but no. Sorry to bag on this book, but it's not a good one.

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.

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.

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

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.

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!!!