I have read a few of the Arkady Renko thrillers. I especially enjoyed Gorky Park and re-read before going to the USSR in 1989. Smith has a knack for depicting the fabric of society as well as the setting. This book deals with contemporary Russia and grand corruption. I found the story difficult to follow on account of the huge number of characters--I'd say it's stuffed with characters and I didn't relate to very many of them.