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51 of 53 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
The Weakest of the Arkady Renko Series, August 21, 2010
Though still an enjoyable novel, I found this to be the weakest book in the Renko series which started with the ground-breaking "Gorky Park". Not coincidentally, this is also the thinnest book physically of the series; compared to the rest of the books, it's a novelette. It lacks the plotting complexities of Smith's earlier works; it's a pretty straightforward procedural. Though it evidently attempts to weave two "parallel" story lines, it fails because in the end, the resolution depends on pure chance rather than the true efforts of lead character Renko. Essentially, Renko finds himself trying to solve a murder in Moscow. Meanwhile, a teen from the Russian sticks has her baby kidnapped from her while on the train to Moscow. Do these two events seem unrelated? Well... that's the problem with this book. They are, in virtually every way except for that chance overlap I mentioned earlier, which pushes all bounds of credibility, and only serves to provide an ending to the story. I still give it three stars because in Smith's hands Renko is such an appealing character. But this book falls WAY short of the bar set by all the previous books.
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30 of 30 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Arkady Renko's latest adventure-descending into Moscow's rings of hell, August 20, 2010
This is a very fast-paced and character-heavy novel that has Russian police detective Arkady Renko in the thick of a serial murder case that nobody wants to acknowledge and may cause him to lose his job. Long portrayed as a kind moral icon in this long-running series of excellent stories, Renko has become far too incorruptible and committed to justice to comfortably fit into the Moscow police force that has long since headed in the opposite direction. Renko's status as a paragon was never more clearly sketched than in this novel that very quickly plunges into the lowest depths of contemporary Russian society. The action--and much of it is starkly brutal and unrelenting--takes place mostly in the Three Stations neighborhood of Moscow--a kind of latter-day Times Square. It's a garish and squalid place that attracts every kind of criminal activity, but ironically, serves as a haven for the displaced and disadvantaged too. Those already victimized souls are further exploited mercilessly by the heavies in charge of the area's crime. Child prostitution, drugs, theft, and forgery abound, surrounded by high-end nightclubs that offer more sophisticated and expensive forms of distraction for the newly wealthy of the city. Renko is pulled into the Three Stations when the body of a young woman is discovered and the Inspector's sidekick, Victor Orlov is despatched to the crime scene. As usual, Victor is too intoxicated to investigate on his own, so Arkady helps out. The murder is unwelcome in the neighborhood that depends on tourists and other visitors, and Renko's efforts to shed light on who killed the girl are not appreciated. The first murder is followed by other killings and it gradually becomes apparent that a kind of serial murderer is at work. Several other story lines emerge and cross. The plight of "thrown-away", homeless children is an important part of the novel. The story of Maya, a 15-year girl forced into prostitution by her parents, becomes central when her two-week old baby is stolen from her as she flees to Moscow from her provincial town. She is followed by the gangsters who "own" her and plan to punish her severely for her flight. The plights of other homeless children are threaded through Maya's saga as author Martin Cruz Smith hammers home the point that newly rich Russia is creating a large underclass that is officially and publicly ignored and abused by the government and better-off citizens. A NOTE OF WARNING--some of the abuse is extremely graphic and violent. "Three Stations" does end on a note of justice and redemption for several of the characters, notably Arkady Renko himself. His integrity stands out and is celebrated in a modest way, giving some hope that the excesses of the new Russian society will eventually fade. A very good action crime novel. There are a few loose ends, but it doesn't detract from the very engaging plot.
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79 of 88 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Brave New World, August 17, 2010
It is a rare and wonderful thing to be able to follow the adventures of a literary character for thirty years. And the author's evident skill in portraying the shifting fortunes of Russian society make for a most interesting setting. Three Stations is a police procedural set in contemporary Moscow centered upon events that converge in a modern crossroads frequented by over a million subway travelers each day; crimes take place that most are unwilling to see, including those with the responsibility to protect society. There is no need to be familiar with the series to enjoy what is an excellent self-contained story, well-paced, well-plotted and among the best of its genre; however, to read the Renko stories merely as detective stories, is to miss the point that despite omnipresent corruption and vice an individual with honor and integrity can still make a difference. Renko is a survivor, but he survives without taking from others--in fact, he gives of himself at great personal cost. As such, the reader is not only looking for justice for the victims but also for Renko, who can't seem to ever catch a break. This book, like its predecessors, does not spare its descriptions of the failings of modern civilization; it can be a tough read and presents doses of tough language but does not gratuitously dwell on the negative. Apparently modern Russia is competing with Victorian England in its ability to produce Dickensian squalor. Yet, like Mr. Dickens, Mr. Smith rewards his faithful and innocent characters in a manner that gives hope that eventually society may come to its senses and recognize the need to clean things up. A respected English Professor of mine once opined that the value of fiction lies in its ability to provoke readers to action by virtue of vicarious experience. Thus the value of Mr. Smith's works is evident as they not only provide good reading, they should provoke anyone to be less tolerant of vice and more interested in protecting the rule of law; private acts have public consequences. I am grateful for modern authors willing to tackle moral issues; Arkady Renko is no saint, but he does the right thing in a society intent on punishing anyone who takes a stand against evil.
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