The Siberian Dilemma

By: Martin Cruz Smith

Narrated by: Jeremy Bobb

From the award-winning, bestselling author of Gorky Park and Tatiana comes a breathtaking new novel about investigator Arkady Renko—“one of the most compelling figures in modern fiction” (USA TODAY)—who travels deep into Siberia to find missing journalist Tatiana Petrovna.

Journalist Tatiana Petrovna is on the move. Arkady Renko, iconic Moscow investigator and Tatiana’s part-time lover, hasn’t seen her since she left on assignment over a month ago. When she doesn’t arrive on her scheduled train, he’s positive something is wrong. No one else thinks Renko should be worried—Tatiana is known to disappear during deep assignments—but he knows her enemies all too well and the criminal lengths they’ll go to keep her quiet.

Renko embarks on a dangerous journey to find Tatiana and bring her back. From the banks of Lake Baikal to rundown Chita, Renko slowly learns that Tatiana has been profiling the rise of political dissident Mikhail Kuznetsov, a golden boy of modern oil wealth and the first to pose a true threat to Putin’s rule in over a decade. Though Kuznetsov seems like the perfect candidate to take on the corruption in Russian politics, his reputation becomes clouded when Boris Benz, his business partner and best friend, turns up dead. In a land of shamans and brutally cold nights, oligarchs wealthy on northern oil, and sea monsters that are said to prowl the deepest lake in the world, Renko needs all his wits about him to get Tatiana out alive.

The Washington Post has said “Martin Cruz Smith is that rare phenomenon: a popular and well-regarded crime novelist who is also a writer of real distinction.” In the latest continuation of his unforgettable series, he brings us to the inside world of shadowy political figures and big wig oil oligarchs providing us with an authentic view of contemporary Russia, infused with his trademark wit.

wry humor

love this character and the stories plus the investigation elements. great writing by a great author and storyteller.

Good Beginning. Lackluster End

Though beginning was all Renko and the middle was exciting the end was feh! Narrator was good.

Nice to have something clear and exciting from this author.

Very hard to visit Russia with a modern novelist. Cruz Smith is the best in that business

Greatly disappointed in this last Renko story.

Greatly disappointed in this Renko story. I've been an avid fan from the beginning with Gorky Park, and have loved every Arkady story until now. Sad to say the story was weak, uninspiring and a sad showing all around. The only good thing I can say is that is was brief. Seems Smith just phoned this one in.

Arkady Renko, ageless Soviet investigator, is BACK

Excellent story (though a bit short compared to all of the other Arkady Renko novels), and excellently read by Jeremy Bobb (same man who narrated the Red Sparrow trilogy, another great espionage work by former CIA case officer Jason Matthews). My only qualm with this book is that is was on the shortv side, clocking in at under 10 hours. Also, what's the deal with the sudden helicopter crash, right after Zurin orders the hit, here are Kuznetzov, Tatiana, SVD the pilot out flying around when suddenly Tatiana calls to say they've having technical trouble, and yet Arkady shows up right away to extricate Tatiana, but lets Kuznetzov go under, and STILL didn't do anything for him even when he comes climbing out of the downed helo. I call shenanigans there