Polar Star by Martin Cruz Smith

I just finished Polar Star which is the sequel to the bestselling Gorky Park. I can see why GP was such a smash hit. Polar Star is compelling also. Actually, the mystery itself kind of lost me but I very much enjoyed the vivid descriptions of life on a Soviet fishing ship, and the several episodes where Arkady Renko feels his life in danger. The walk across the ice from one ship to another is amazing and frightening. What an eerie and unearthly corner of the world Smith evokes. I would never have imagined that salty ocean water would freeze to the extent that it might be possible to walk from one ship to another. Ice floes with polar bears riding around on them, sure, I can imagine that. But this was just amazing.

The characters are well drawn and it was an entertaining book. For some odd reason I wasn't all that excited or impressed when the murderer was exposed. I was more interested in Arkady and whether he would escape with his life.

Now I suppose I'll have to backtrack and read Gorky Park.