Latest news with #MartinCruzSmith
The Advertiser
a day ago
- Entertainment
- The Advertiser
Acclaimed Gorky Park author Martin Cruz Smith dies
Martin Cruz Smith, the best-selling mystery novelist who engaged readers for decades with Gorky Park and other thrillers featuring Moscow investigator Arkady Renko, has died aged 82. Smith died on Friday "surrounded by those he loved," according to his publisher, Simon & Schuster. Further details were not immediately available, but Smith revealed a decade ago that he had Parkinson's disease, and he gave the same condition to his protagonist. His 11th and final Renko book, Hotel Ukraine, will be published this week. Among Smith's honours were being named a "grand master" by the Mystery Writers of America, and winning the Hammett Prize for Havana Bay and a Gold Dagger award for Gorky Park. He had been a published novelist for more than a decade before he broke through in the early 1980s with Gorky Park. His book came out when the Soviet Union and the Cold War were still very much alive and centred on Renko's investigation into the murders of three people whose bodies were found in the Moscow park cited in the title. Gorky Park, praised as a compelling and informative take on the inner workings of the Soviet Union, topped The New York Times' fiction bestseller list and was later made into a movie starring William Hurt. "Gorky Park is a police procedural of uncommon excellence," Peter Andrews wrote in the Times in 1981. "Martin Cruz Smith has managed to combine the gritty atmosphere of a Moscow police squad room with a story of detection as neatly done as any English manor-house puzzlement. I have no idea as to the accuracy of Mr Smith's descriptions of Russian police operations. But they ring as true as crystal." Smith's other books include science fiction (The Indians Won), the Westerns North to Dakota and Ride to Revenge, and the Romano Grey mystery series. Besides Martin Cruz Smith - Cruz was his maternal grandmother's name - he also wrote under the pen names Nick Carter and Simon Quinn. Smith's Renko books were inspired in part by his own travels in the Soviet Union and he would trace the region's history over the past 40 years, whether the Soviet Union's collapse (Red Square), war in Chechnya (Tatiana), or the rise of Russian oligarchs (The Siberian Dilemma). Martin Cruz Smith, the best-selling mystery novelist who engaged readers for decades with Gorky Park and other thrillers featuring Moscow investigator Arkady Renko, has died aged 82. Smith died on Friday "surrounded by those he loved," according to his publisher, Simon & Schuster. Further details were not immediately available, but Smith revealed a decade ago that he had Parkinson's disease, and he gave the same condition to his protagonist. His 11th and final Renko book, Hotel Ukraine, will be published this week. Among Smith's honours were being named a "grand master" by the Mystery Writers of America, and winning the Hammett Prize for Havana Bay and a Gold Dagger award for Gorky Park. He had been a published novelist for more than a decade before he broke through in the early 1980s with Gorky Park. His book came out when the Soviet Union and the Cold War were still very much alive and centred on Renko's investigation into the murders of three people whose bodies were found in the Moscow park cited in the title. Gorky Park, praised as a compelling and informative take on the inner workings of the Soviet Union, topped The New York Times' fiction bestseller list and was later made into a movie starring William Hurt. "Gorky Park is a police procedural of uncommon excellence," Peter Andrews wrote in the Times in 1981. "Martin Cruz Smith has managed to combine the gritty atmosphere of a Moscow police squad room with a story of detection as neatly done as any English manor-house puzzlement. I have no idea as to the accuracy of Mr Smith's descriptions of Russian police operations. But they ring as true as crystal." Smith's other books include science fiction (The Indians Won), the Westerns North to Dakota and Ride to Revenge, and the Romano Grey mystery series. Besides Martin Cruz Smith - Cruz was his maternal grandmother's name - he also wrote under the pen names Nick Carter and Simon Quinn. Smith's Renko books were inspired in part by his own travels in the Soviet Union and he would trace the region's history over the past 40 years, whether the Soviet Union's collapse (Red Square), war in Chechnya (Tatiana), or the rise of Russian oligarchs (The Siberian Dilemma). Martin Cruz Smith, the best-selling mystery novelist who engaged readers for decades with Gorky Park and other thrillers featuring Moscow investigator Arkady Renko, has died aged 82. Smith died on Friday "surrounded by those he loved," according to his publisher, Simon & Schuster. Further details were not immediately available, but Smith revealed a decade ago that he had Parkinson's disease, and he gave the same condition to his protagonist. His 11th and final Renko book, Hotel Ukraine, will be published this week. Among Smith's honours were being named a "grand master" by the Mystery Writers of America, and winning the Hammett Prize for Havana Bay and a Gold Dagger award for Gorky Park. He had been a published novelist for more than a decade before he broke through in the early 1980s with Gorky Park. His book came out when the Soviet Union and the Cold War were still very much alive and centred on Renko's investigation into the murders of three people whose bodies were found in the Moscow park cited in the title. Gorky Park, praised as a compelling and informative take on the inner workings of the Soviet Union, topped The New York Times' fiction bestseller list and was later made into a movie starring William Hurt. "Gorky Park is a police procedural of uncommon excellence," Peter Andrews wrote in the Times in 1981. "Martin Cruz Smith has managed to combine the gritty atmosphere of a Moscow police squad room with a story of detection as neatly done as any English manor-house puzzlement. I have no idea as to the accuracy of Mr Smith's descriptions of Russian police operations. But they ring as true as crystal." Smith's other books include science fiction (The Indians Won), the Westerns North to Dakota and Ride to Revenge, and the Romano Grey mystery series. Besides Martin Cruz Smith - Cruz was his maternal grandmother's name - he also wrote under the pen names Nick Carter and Simon Quinn. Smith's Renko books were inspired in part by his own travels in the Soviet Union and he would trace the region's history over the past 40 years, whether the Soviet Union's collapse (Red Square), war in Chechnya (Tatiana), or the rise of Russian oligarchs (The Siberian Dilemma).
1News
a day ago
- Entertainment
- 1News
Martin Cruz Smith, acclaimed author of Gorky Park, dies
Martin Cruz Smith, the best-selling mystery novelist who engaged readers for decades with Gorky Park and other thrillers featuring Moscow investigator Arkady Renko, has died at age 82. Smith died Friday at a senior living community in San Rafael, California, 'surrounded by those he loved,' according to his publisher, Simon & Schuster. Smith revealed a decade ago that he had Parkinson's disease, and he gave the same condition to his protagonist. His 11th Renko book, Hotel Ukraine, was published this week and billed as his last. 'My longevity is linked to Arkady's,' he told Strand Magazine in 2023. 'As long as he remains intelligent, humorous, and romantic, so shall I.' Smith was often praised for his storytelling and for his insights into modern Russia; he would speak of being interrogated at length by customs officials during his many trips there. The Associated Press called Hotel Ukraine a 'gem' that 'upholds Smith's reputation as a great craftsman of modern detective fiction with his sharply drawn, complex characters and a compelling plot.' Smith's honours included being named a 'grand master' by the Mystery Writers of America, winning the Hammett Prize for Havana Bay and a Gold Dagger award for Gorky Park. ADVERTISEMENT Born Martin William Smith in Reading, Pennsylvania, he studied creative writing at the University of Pennsylvania and started out as a journalist, including a brief stint at the AP and at the Philadelphia Daily News. Success as an author arrived slowly. He had been a published novelist for more than a decade before he broke through in the early 1980s with Gorky Park. His novel came out when the Soviet Union and the Cold War were still very much alive and centred on Renko's investigation into the murders of three people whose bodies were found in the Moscow park that Smith used for the book's title. Gorky Park, cited by the New York Times as a reminder of 'just how satisfying a smoothly turned thriller can be,' topped the Times' fiction bestseller list and was later made into a movie starring William Hurt. "Russia is a character in my Renko stories, always," Smith told Publishers Weekly in 2013. "Gorky Park may have been one of the first books to take a backdrop and make it into a character. It took me forever to write because of my need to get things right. You've got to knock down the issue of 'Does this guy know what he's talking about or not?'' Smith's other books include science fiction (The Indians Won), the Westerns North to Dakota and Ride to Revenge, and the Romano Grey mystery series. Besides Martin Cruz Smith — Cruz was his maternal grandmother's name — he also wrote under the pen names Nick Carter and Simon Quinn. The morning's headlines in 90 seconds, including Trump's deadline for Russia, legal action against a supermarket giant, and an unusual marathon record. (Source: Breakfast) Smith's Renko books were inspired in part by his own travels and he would trace the region's history over the past 40 years, whether the Soviet Union's collapse (Red Square), the rise of Russian oligarchs (The Siberian Dilemma), or, in the novel Wolves Eats Dogs, the 1986 Chernobyl disaster. By the time he began working on his last novel, Russia had invaded Ukraine. The AP noted in its review of Hotel Ukraine that Smith had devised a backstory 'pulled straight from recent headlines,' referencing such world leaders as Volodymyr Zelensky of Ukraine,Vladimir Putin of Russia and former President Joe Biden of the US. ADVERTISEMENT Smith is survived by his brother, Jack Smith; his wife, Emily Smith; three children and five grandchildren.
CBS News
a day ago
- Entertainment
- CBS News
Martin Cruz Smith, bestselling author of "Gorky Park" and other thrillers, dies at 82
Martin Cruz Smith, the bestselling mystery novelist who engaged readers for decades with "Gorky Park" and other thrillers featuring Moscow investigator Arkady Renko, has died at age 82. Smith died Friday at a senior living community in San Rafael, California, "surrounded by those he loved," his publisher, Simon & Schuster, said in a statement. Smith revealed a decade ago that he had Parkinson's disease, and he gave the same condition to his protagonist. His 11th Renko book, "Hotel Ukraine," was published this week and billed as his last. "My longevity is linked to Arkady's," he told Strand Magazine in 2023. "As long as he remains intelligent, humorous, and romantic, so shall I." Smith was often praised for his storytelling and for his insights into modern Russia; he would speak of being interrogated at length by customs officials during his many trips there. The Associated Press called "Hotel Ukraine" a "gem" that "upholds Smith's reputation as a great craftsman of modern detective fiction with his sharply drawn, complex characters and a compelling plot." Smith's honors included being named a "grand master" by the Mystery Writers of America, winning the Hammett Prize for "Havana Bay" and a Gold Dagger award for "Gorky Park." Born Martin William Smith in Reading, Pennsylvania, he studied creative writing at the University of Pennsylvania and started out as a journalist, including a brief stint at the AP and at the Philadelphia Daily News. Success as an author arrived slowly. He had been a published novelist for more than a decade before he broke through in the early 1980s with "Gorky Park." His novel came out when the Soviet Union and the Cold War were still very much alive and centered on Renko's investigation into the murders of three people whose bodies were found in the Moscow park that Smith used for the book's title. "Gorky Park," cited by the New York Times as a reminder of "just how satisfying a smoothly turned thriller can be," topped the Times' fiction bestseller list and was later made into a movie starring William Hurt. "Russia is a character in my Renko stories, always," Smith told Publishers Weekly in 2013. "'Gorky Park' may have been one of the first books to take a backdrop and make it into a character. It took me forever to write because of my need to get things right. You've got to knock down the issue of 'Does this guy know what he's talking about or not?'" Smith's other books include science fiction ("The Indians Won"), the Westerns "North to Dakota" and "Ride to Revenge," and the "Romano Grey" mystery series. Besides "Martin Cruz Smith" — Cruz was his maternal grandmother's name — he also wrote under the pen names "Nick Carter" and "Simon Quinn." Smith's Renko books were inspired in part by his own travels and he would trace the region's history over the past 40 years, whether the Soviet Union's collapse ("Red Square"), the rise of Russian oligarchs ("The Siberian Dilemma"), or, in the novel "Wolves Eats Dogs," the 1986 Chernobyl disaster. By the time he began working on his last novel, Russia had invaded Ukraine. The AP noted in its review of "Hotel Ukraine" that Smith had devised a backstory "pulled straight from recent headlines," referencing such world leaders as Volodymyr Zelenskyy of Ukraine,Vladimir Putin of Russia and former President Joe Biden of the U.S. Smith is survived by his brother, Jack Smith; his wife, Emily Smith; three children and five grandchildren.
Perth Now
a day ago
- Entertainment
- Perth Now
Acclaimed Gorky Park author Martin Cruz Smith dies
Martin Cruz Smith, the best-selling mystery novelist who engaged readers for decades with Gorky Park and other thrillers featuring Moscow investigator Arkady Renko, has died aged 82. Smith died on Friday "surrounded by those he loved," according to his publisher, Simon & Schuster. Further details were not immediately available, but Smith revealed a decade ago that he had Parkinson's disease, and he gave the same condition to his protagonist. His 11th and final Renko book, Hotel Ukraine, will be published this week. Among Smith's honours were being named a "grand master" by the Mystery Writers of America, and winning the Hammett Prize for Havana Bay and a Gold Dagger award for Gorky Park. Born Martin William Smith in Reading, Pennsylvania, and a graduate of the University of Pennsylvania, where he studied creative writing, Smith started out as a journalist, including a brief stint at the Associated Press. He had been a published novelist for more than a decade before he broke through in the early 1980s with Gorky Park. His book came out when the Soviet Union and the Cold War were still very much alive and centred on Renko's investigation into the murders of three people whose bodies were found in the Moscow park cited in the title. Gorky Park, praised as a compelling and informative take on the inner workings of the Soviet Union, topped The New York Times' fiction bestseller list and was later made into a movie starring William Hurt. "Gorky Park is a police procedural of uncommon excellence," Peter Andrews wrote in the Times in 1981. "Martin Cruz Smith has managed to combine the gritty atmosphere of a Moscow police squad room with a story of detection as neatly done as any English manor-house puzzlement. I have no idea as to the accuracy of Mr Smith's descriptions of Russian police operations. But they ring as true as crystal." Smith's other books include science fiction (The Indians Won), the Westerns North to Dakota and Ride to Revenge, and the Romano Grey mystery series. Besides Martin Cruz Smith - Cruz was his maternal grandmother's name - he also wrote under the pen names Nick Carter and Simon Quinn. Smith's Renko books were inspired in part by his own travels in the Soviet Union and he would trace the region's history over the past 40 years, whether the Soviet Union's collapse (Red Square), war in Chechnya (Tatiana), or the rise of Russian oligarchs (The Siberian Dilemma).
Japan Today
a day ago
- Entertainment
- Japan Today
Martin Cruz Smith, acclaimed author of 'Gorky Park,' dies at 82
Martin Cruz Smith, the best-selling mystery novelist who engaged readers for decades with 'Gorky Park' and other thrillers featuring Moscow investigator Arkady Renko, has died at age 82. Smith died Friday 'surrounded by those he loved,' according to his publisher, Simon & Schuster. Further details were not immediately available, but Smith revealed a decade ago that he had Parkinson's disease, and he gave the same condition to his protagonist. His 11th and final Renko book, 'Hotel Ukraine,' will be published this week. The Associated Press praised it as a 'gem' that 'upholds Smith's reputation as a great craftsman of modern detective fiction with his sharply drawn, complex characters and a compelling plot.' Among Smith's honors were being named a 'grand master' by the Mystery Writers of America, and winning the Hammett Prize for 'Havana Bay' and a Gold Dagger award for 'Gorky Park.' Born Martin William Smith in Reading, Pennsylvania, and a graduate of the University of Pennsylvania, where he studied creative writing, Smith started out as a journalist, including a brief stint at the AP. He had been a published novelist for more than a decade before he broke through in the early 1980s with 'Gorky Park." His book came out when the Soviet Union and the Cold War were still very much alive and centered on Renko's investigation into the murders of three people whose bodies were found in the Moscow park cited in the title. 'Gorky Park,' praised as a compelling and informative take on the inner workings of the Soviet Union, topped The New York Times' fiction bestseller list and was later made into a movie starring William Hurt and Lee Marvin. ″'Gorky Park' is a police procedural of uncommon excellence," Peter Andrews wrote in the Times in 1981. 'Martin Cruz Smith has managed to combine the gritty atmosphere of a Moscow police squad room with a story of detection as neatly done as any English manor-house puzzlement. I have no idea as to the accuracy of Mr. Smith's descriptions of Russian police operations. But they ring as true as crystal.' Smith's other books include science fiction ("The Indians Won"), the Westerns 'North to Dakota' and 'Ride to Revenge,' and the 'Romano Grey' mystery series. Besides 'Martin Cruz Smith' — Cruz was his maternal grandmother's name — he also wrote under the pen names 'Nick Carter' and 'Simon Quinn.' Smith's Renko books were inspired in part by his own travels in the Soviet Union and he would trace the region's history over the past 40 years, whether the Soviet Union's collapse ('Red Square'), war in Chechnya ("Tatiana"), or the rise of Russian oligarchs ("The Siberian Dilemma"). The AP noted in its review of 'Hotel Ukraine' that Smith had devised a backstory pulled straight from recent headlines, referencing such world leaders as Volodymyr Zelenskyy of Ukraine,Vladimir Putin of Russia and former President Joe Biden of the U.S. © Copyright 2025 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.
