Martin Cruz Smith, Stalin's Ghost

Stalin's Ghost

Martin Cruz Smith

Simon & Schuster, Jun 2007, $26.95

ISBN 0743276728

Moscow Police Department Senior Investigator Arkady Renko is horrified by the path that the clues of his current investigation take him as he looks into an apparent murder for the "firm." The evidence stacks up that the killers have employed two former Black Beret Chechnya War heroes turned police detectives, Nikolai Isakov and Marat Urman.

That murderer for hire case is bothersome because of the apparent killers being his peers. However, the second case is more bewildering as Renko investigates accounts by seemingly reputable witnesses who claim they have seen STALIN'S GHOST in the subways. Finally he also inquires into the sudden deaths of Black Berets who served with Isakov. As he works his three cases, Arkady sees the tie between them is Isakov, who is an untouchable as he runs for public office. Still, Renko, in spite of threats warning him to back off or join the growing morgue population, seeks proof that will hang even the powerful Isakov.

This is an excellent Russian police procedural that will provide acclaim to Martin Cruz Smith as he excels with this deep look at the forces manipulating contemporary Moscow. The storyline is classic sleuthing as Arkady methodically works one clue at a time on his three cases. His efforts serve as the focus keeping the investigations moving forward and coherent. Readers will enjoy his sixth outing as STALIN'S GHOST will be considered one of the sub-genre's top tales of 2007.

Harriet Klausner