Like many mystery lovers, I first encountered Arkady Renko 30+ years ago, when Gorky Park came out. I think I may have actually seen the film first, then sought out the book, and been impressed with the author’s style. Here we are, all a few years older and many of us still love reading mysteries, particularly when they are done by a writer as skilled as Martin Cruz Smith. 

Thanks to Simon & Schuster and NetGalley, I received an advance copy of Smith’s latest, Independence Square, in exchange for this honest review. The story takes place in 2021, right before the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Arkady is dealing with multiple issues at once: his longtime love, Tatiana Petrovna, has left him (although it is unclear if the cause was more her work or a  relationship with a reporter), his boss is being a jerk (assigning him to a boring desk job), and he has been diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease (which Smith himself has). 

Someone asks Arkady to find his daughter, Karina, an anti-Putin activist who has disappeared. In the course of the investigation, well…things happen. 

The story gives a look at contemporary Russia and Ukraine, and the whole mess in the region. The inclusion of Smith’s autobiographical story as he relates the situation encountered by a newly-diagnosed PArkinson’s patient is fascinating. 

I hope Smith continues the series, as I’m a big fan of political mystery/thrillers. Four enthusiastic stars for this one. Might have been five, but I’m slightly overwhelmed by the world situation, so I didn’t enjoy the story as much as I expected. But I recommend it for fans of Smith, Renko, and mysteries set outside the U.S.