Customer Reviews: Read 6 more reviews...
 Grimly descriptive March 16, 2008
I read Gorky simply because I ran out of reading material and this was all that was on the shelf at the time but I am so glad I did. It led me to want to read more of this man's brilliance so I bought Polar Star. I cannot deny the storyline was difficult to keep up with at times but that is because it is written to successfully keep us on our toes - it almost forces us to check our memory as we go along otherwise we could be mistaken in thinking bits don't quite make sense. A tactic used often by writers and, thankfully, in this case it worked well. The descriptions he uses to put images of the ship, the environment, his feelings, for example when on land for the first time in 10 months, all make for an excellent read. I hate to use a cliche but you really could almost smell the rotting fish! One of the finest moments was grim but slightly funny at the same time. A slime eel escaped from a dead woman's belly and then continued to slime its way around the room before being chopped up. More poignantly the way the Russian people are taught to recite, and believe, the party slogans in everything they do reminded me just how tough their lives must have been under communist rule. The 'hero' of the book, Arkady, once a well respected investigator describes his downfall, his torture and how he finally ended up in the bowels of a Russian factory ship gutting fish on the 'slime line'. The relationship between the Russian and American sea workers appeared as strained as much at that one-to-one level as it was from country to country. A very thought provoking murder novel superbly written and hugely recommended.
 Better than Gorky Park March 2, 2008
I prefer this to Gorky Park because it evokes a much stronger image of the life of Soviet workers in the 80s.
It's a murder-mystery, with a bit of politics and espionage thrown into the mix. It is a well-paced thriller, that I honestly couldn't put down without difficulty.
I look forward to reading the other Renko books.
Poetic July 10, 2007
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
I love this book and have read it so many times, not because of the plot which I do not find that interesting but
because everything else about the book is so well described: The crew, the descriptions of the ship and fishing. Akardy Renko is wonderful as always as a character and his romance with Susan, the American, is poetic.
Nowhere to run... August 30, 2006
6 out of 6 found this review helpful
Gorky Park was righly acclaimed as a great novel, but its sequel, Polar Star, which sees the ongoing trials and tribulations of Arkady Renko is even greater. While the first book had a theme of escape and breaking free while running away from the dark forces lurking around every corner, Polar Star has an almost unbearable claustrophobia about it where Renko must not only resurrect his detective skills but he must fight to stay alive aboard the eponymous vessel.
I found this book more approachable than Gorky Park and as there has never been a film made of it I never ceased to be taken by surprise as the body stack up and Renko is drawn ever deeper into the dark secrets of the ship. As such, I found it a more rewarding read.
This book has got to be a must-read for anyone who has read Gorky Park, but it would be just as easily accessible by someone starting their first Renko novel. You might miss some of Renko's background story, but you'll soon grow to like him. His sardonic take on the Soviet dream makes him seem very human and provides a welcome light relief from the grisly murders.
Compared to some more recent novels the murders and subsequent pathology might seem rather tame (but hey, we're all pathologists these days) but that's part of the charm and it makes you realise that the real strength of this book is the depth of the characters. A first rate chiller thriller.
Vigilance Abroad August 15, 2006
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
Martin Cruz Smith is a former journalist and magazine editor. "Polar Star" was first published in 1998 and is the second of his books - after "Gorky Park" - to feature Arkady Renko.
Renko was once the Chief Homicide Investigator for Moscow's militia - more or less the 'standard' police force, which saw Renko dealing with the 'everyday'. (The KGB dealt with the really interesting cases). However, following the investigation outlined in "Gorky Park", Renko's life and career has taken a major nosedive. He's been dismissed from the Prosecutor's Office, dismissed from the Party for a lack of 'political reliability' and sentenced to a life in Siberia - but only after being kept for psychiatric 'observation'. He's found it difficult to make a new life for himself, as his past has always caught up with him. Usually, that costs him whatever job he happened to be doing. He now works as a Seaman (Second Class) on the Polar Star, a factory ship working in American waters between Siberia and Alaska. The operation is a joint Soviet - American venture : the smaller ships, American trawlers, catch the fish, while the Polar Star processes the catch. The Soviets take the fish, while the Americans take the money.
Four months out of Vladivostock, the nets return a little more than the usual catch : the body of Zina Patiashvili. Zina, a pretty blonde who worked in the cafeteria, was well-known onboard. Slava Bukovsky, the ship's third mate, is put in charge of the investigation into Zina's death. However, despite his lack of political reliability, Renko is appointed Bukowsky's assistant by the ship's captain, Viktor Marchuk. The captain makes it absolutely clear he wants no suggestion of a cover-up or a lack of a proper investigation. Things are made a little complicated, however, by the American fishermen : many of them were onboard the night Zina died, attending a dance in the cafeteria.
While Marchuk doesn't appear too bother with Renko's lack of political reliability, the ship's first mate, Volovoi, isn't quite so forgiving, Volovoi is no sailor, despite his position : he holds his rank as the ship's Political Officer. Therefore, he's responsible for morale and discipline and reports directly to the KGB. It's clear to Renko that Zina was murdered, though it appears that some of the officers would prefer a verdict of suicide. Contrary to the captain's orders, Volovoi wants to be in absolute control : he wants no information to be passed to the Americans and to be briefed before any report is made to Marchuk. Volovoi's duties include writing a report on every crew member for the KGB. He makes it clear that Arkady's only hope of ever setting foot on dry land again rests on a very positive evaluation in that report. Trapped on a ship with conflicting orders from the senior officers and the strong possibility that the murderer is a fellow sailor, this is going to be a difficult investigation.
I enjoyed "Polar Star" a great deal - even more, I think, than "Gorky Park". However, I would recommend starting with "Gorky Park", as there are several nods to Renko's past. Definitely recommended.
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