- Mass Market Paperback: 384 pages
- Publisher: Ballantine Books; Reissue edition (Dec 1993)
- Language English
- ISBN-10: 0345367650
- ISBN-13: 978-0345367655
- Product Dimensions: 17.3 x 10.7 x 2.5 cm
- Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars See all reviews (21 customer reviews)
- Amazon Bestsellers Rank: 2,793,822 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
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More About the Author
Product Description
Product Description
Arkady Renko has made too many enemies and now he toils in obscurity on a Russian factory ship in the middle of the Bering Sea. But when a female crew member is picked up dead with the day's catch, Arkady becomes obsessed with the case and once again discovers more than he wants to know and certainly more than he bargained for....
Book Description
"Renko," Volovoi read, as if familiarizing himself with a problem. "Chief Investigator. Dismissed. Expelled from the Party. Psychiatric rehabiliation. You see, I have the same file as the captain has. Assigned to labour in the eastern section of the Russian Republic. Siberia." Arkady Renko is exiled on Polar Star, a Soviet factory ship which trawls the freezing waters from Siberia to Alaska: current status seaman (second class), his movements shadowed by those who know his past. Then Renko is given a chance to reclaim his freedom – by investigating a lonely and very mysterious death . . . 'Polar Star is not merely the work of our best writer of suspense, but one of our best writers, period' New York Times ‘Splendid . . . the reader will be kept guessing to the end’ Evening Standard ‘Cruz Smith’s ability is to tell both a thriller and a novel at once, without losing either strand. There are whispers of Conrad and Graham Greene in this novel’ Sydney Morning Herald
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
13 of 13 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
This book marks the return of Arkady Renko, Cruz Smith's hero of the original novel Gorky Park. No longer a Moscow investigator, Renko has been in hiding in the depths of Russia for the last two years or so and has finally found himself at the bottom of the worst place in the world that you might possibly be.
Where the first novel seemed to meander a bit after a fantastic first half, this novel seems to work better almost as a self-contained unit, although undeniably part of a sequence. The book combines some excellent literary references (in my view, and everyone should check out Anna Akhmatova's poem THE GUEST) and some nice black humour ("There is no unemployment in Russia.")
An excellent "Murder Mystery" novel which has been nicely researched and written.
9 of 9 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
What can I say that other more talented reviewers have not? All I can say is that this book is, perhaps, one of Martin Cruz Smith's finest works. Personally I read it before I got hold of a copy of Gorky Park but the plot is presented in such a way that the reader does not feel any loss. I found the descriptions of the ship, the fishing methods and seascape complimented the plot fantasically. But what I really enjoyed was the depth of research that the author has put into the text, not only on matters of seamanship but also what it must have been like to be Russian under the Soviet system. A fantasic read, like all his books, Polar Star is certainly one of his most visually stunning.
6 of 6 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
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.
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.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
Excellent Regional Novel
Not only does Cruz write an entertaining novel, but he sets the story in and around the Aleutians. I used to work on a salmon processing ship in those islands, and I thought the... Read more
Published 6 months ago by Roger Weston
Polar Star review - top class fiction
Polar Star sees Arkady Renko back in action: our favourite Russian detective is again facing seemingly insurmountable odds in a hostile climate. Read more
Published 9 months ago by Mrs A Pleven
Maritime investigation
Second in the short Arkady Renko series set on a Soviet factory ship in the Bering Sea following Arkady's dramatic fall from grace. Read more
Published 9 months ago by Officer Dibble
If you only ever read one Cruz Smith, make it this one!
The Arkady Renko books are the mainstay of Martin Cruz Smith. Although I eagerly await each book, the quality can be somewhat erratic. Read more
Published 12 months ago by Phil
Excellent
I rate Martin Cruz Smith very highly, particularly his Renko books. This is undoubtedly one of his best. Read more
Published 20 months ago by Blyth
Polar Star puts Gorky Park in the Shade
After reading Gorky Park, I learned that there were sequels to this book, Polar Star and Red Square. I thought the sequels would be a hard act to follow. I was wrong. Read more
Published on 11 Nov 2009 by Glen1975
exciting and gripping
Another gripping and atmospheric thriller featuring Arkady Renko.
Looking forward to the next one.
Looking forward to the next one.
Published on 31 Oct 2009 by CPPB
Renko Returns
After being disgraced for allowing his lover to escape at the end of Gorky Park, Arkady Renko is banished to investigate a murder on the Russian whaling fleet. Read more
Published on 11 Oct 2009
A good high seas murder mystery in Soviet times....
Chief Investigator Arkady Renko has been banished from duties and expelled from the Party. He eventually finds himself as a seahand on a Soviet fishing ship (Polar Star) which... Read more
Published on 30 Nov 2008 by johnverp
Best book I have read this year
Surpasses Gorky Park. I prefer the neatness of keeping the plot based nearly entirely on the ship. The background details of life on the factory ship itself are fantastic, and... Read more
Published on 9 Sep 2008 by E. Ay
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