Final Arkady Renko Novel Exposes the Hidden Human Toll Behind Russia’s Political Shadows

Martin Cruz Smith’s latest—and last—Arkady Renko novel, Hotel Ukraine, marks a powerful end to a detective series that has long peeled back the layers of Russian corruption and brutality. This time, Renko isn’t just battling the murky criminal underworld; he is fighting his own deteriorating health as Parkinson’s disease steals his strength and sharpness.The story unfolds amid the ongoing war in Ukraine, casting a spotlight on Russia’s unrelenting internal decay. When a high-ranking Russian defense official is found murdered inside Moscow’s imposing Stalin-era Hotel Ukraine—a symbolic backdrop for the Kremlin’s iron-fisted control—Renko must navigate a labyrinth of lies and shadowy...