On the same day as the funeral of a Russian gangster, Investigator Arkady Renko hears of the death of Tatiana, a journalist noted for tackling corruption in Moscow. The two events don't seem entirely coincidental to Renko and, as usual, he decides to ask a few questions.

Martin Cruz Smith has long been a favorite author of mine--starting with Gorky Park right on until Wolves Eat Dogs. However, he had lost his way with his next two novels, and so I approached Tatiana with apprehension. What I got was a slightly better story, but it felt like Martin Cruz Smith-lite. The narrative is lighter and the subject matter is less weighty and less thought-provoking. Part of this can be explained by his recent revelation that he has been suffering from Parkinson's disease for almost two decades and that the last several years have been quite difficult for him. However, the novel is what it is: a shadow of his former greatness.

We get a more interesting setting this time round--Kaliningrad, a Russian oblast physically cut off from the rest of the country. We learn about the area, the buildings, the birdwatchers, and the amber--none of which play much of a part in the plot, but interesting to learn about nonetheless. The plot has devolved into too much coincidence and taken a boring tangent again by featuring Arkady's pseudo-adopted ward, Zhenya, as his unwilling sidekick of sorts. Most of the events occur in the novel with little note of significance, even though we know they should be either important or suspenseful.

Not as dreadful as his two preceding novels, this one still pales in comparison to Gorky Park and Rose.