Unbelievably good!

This may be the best detective story I've ever read. The plot is so intricate and full of twists and turns that it keeps you on the edge of your seat from beginning to end. The author has done an amazing job of creating a vivid and engaging world, filled with complex characters and mysterious clues.

As you read, you can't help but try to solve the mystery along with the detective. The story is paced perfectly, with just the right amount of action and suspense to keep you hooked.

Every time you think you've figured something out, there's another surprise waiting for you around the corner. It's truly a masterclass in detective fiction.

I would highly recommend this story to anyone who loves a good mystery. It's a must-read for fans of the genre and will leave you wanting more.

Gorky Park

It has reminded me a great deal of "Child 44" by Tom Rob Smith, but "Gorky Park" is quite a bit earlier, so I attribute the merit to Martin Cruz. It is the first book in the Arkady Renko series, and for now, the only one I have read.

Despite the many years since it was published, the novel can still be read with interest, although I don't consider it a classic of the genre either (I still prefer John LeCarré). The author seems to know the ground he is treading very well, and the description of the Soviet Union of those years has seemed very believable to me. Perhaps it has a few clichés, and the narrative pace is not always maintained attractively, but overall, it has seemed to me a more than decent work, with a protagonist who becomes endearing.

I don't see it as a propagandistic pamphlet, as some readers opine, because Renko states without hesitation that not only in his country "they cook beans", although he also assumes that with a capitalist system he could live better.

Against it, we know too soon who committed the crimes, and that makes the novel seem a bit long.

This is a Boy Book.

That is to say, it is filled with elements such as spies, guns, high-speed chases, and men in dark-coloured overcoats. However, it has precisely no insight into the psyche of its female characters. There are three female characters in the book, and all of them attempt or threaten suicide at some point during the course of the story.

Despite this shortcoming, I am mostly in favour of Boy Books. I found great enjoyment in the black and white me-against-the-world running around 1970s Moscow. The fast-paced action and the sense of adventure in that era were truly captivating. It was like being transported back in time and experiencing the excitement and danger firsthand.

Overall, while the lack of understanding of the female characters is a drawback, the Boy Book still manages to offer an engaging and thrilling read.

I read this many years ago, when it was first released. At that time, I was completely engrossed in it, almost in a state of suspended animation while rushing to the conclusion. The story was so captivating that it held my attention firmly until the very end.

I have a strong desire to read it again so that I can follow the series. I firmly believe that this book is so much better than most espionage books published before or since its release. The plot is intricate, the characters are vivid, and the writing style is engaging.

It stands out among its contemporaries and has left a deep impression on me. I look forward to re-immersing myself in this thrilling world of espionage and experiencing the excitement all over again.