.gif)
Havana Bay (novel)
Encyclopedia
Havana Bay is a crime novel
by Martin Cruz Smith
, set in Cuba
. It is the fourth novel to feature Investigator Arkady Renko
, and it won the 1999 Hammett Prize
. Cruz Smith has stated the book allowed him to explore America's "insane" relationship with Cuba, and led to some criticism of him in the U.S.
, which she was allergic to, and didn't give her an adrenalin shot in time to save her life. He is called to Havana
to identify the body of his old friend, Pribluda, now a colonel in the SVR
, staying on from the old KGB
.
The novel begins with Arkady at the tip of Havana Bay as the sun begins to rise on what promises to be a hot day in Cuba. He was diverted here right from the airport. The Cuban militia has what they believe is a dead Russian and since Arkady is a Senior Investigator from Moscow and the dead man's friend he can help them get this complication (a dead Russian in Havana is a complication) off the books. The locals make a mess of recovering the body and the officer in charge blames Arkady for making his men nervous simply by being there and watching.
In a decaying Cuba, filled with cars and houses that were built in the 1950s and are now falling to pieces, he stumbles on a plot to defraud Russia of $250 million in a shady sugar purchase scam, and solves a murder.
Crime
Crime is the breach of rules or laws for which some governing authority can ultimately prescribe a conviction...
by Martin Cruz Smith
Martin Cruz Smith
Martin Cruz Smith is an American mystery novelist.-Early life and education:Born Martin William Smith in Reading, Pennsylvania, he was educated at the University of Pennsylvania, located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and received a Bachelor of Arts degree in creative writing in 1964...
, set in Cuba
Cuba
The Republic of Cuba is an island nation in the Caribbean. The nation of Cuba consists of the main island of Cuba, the Isla de la Juventud, and several archipelagos. Havana is the largest city in Cuba and the country's capital. Santiago de Cuba is the second largest city...
. It is the fourth novel to feature Investigator Arkady Renko
Arkady Renko
Arkady Renko is a fictional detective who is the central character of seven novels by the American writer Martin Cruz Smith.-Character timeline:...
, and it won the 1999 Hammett Prize
Hammett Prize
The Hammett Prize is awarded annually by the International Association of Crime Writers, North American Branch to a Canadian or US citizen or permanent resident for a book in English in the field of crime writing...
. Cruz Smith has stated the book allowed him to explore America's "insane" relationship with Cuba, and led to some criticism of him in the U.S.
Plot
Renko is depressed because his wife Irina is dead, the victim of an incompetent nurse and doctor, who give her ampicillinAmpicillin
Ampicillin is a beta-lactam antibiotic that has been used extensively to treat bacterial infections since 1961. Until the introduction of ampicillin by the British company Beecham, penicillin therapies had only been effective against Gram-positive organisms such as staphylococci and streptococci...
, which she was allergic to, and didn't give her an adrenalin shot in time to save her life. He is called to Havana
Havana
Havana is the capital city, province, major port, and leading commercial centre of Cuba. The city proper has a population of 2.1 million inhabitants, and it spans a total of — making it the largest city in the Caribbean region, and the most populous...
to identify the body of his old friend, Pribluda, now a colonel in the SVR
Foreign Intelligence Service (Russia)
The Russian Foreign Intelligence Service is Russia's primary external intelligence agency. The SVR is the successor of the First Chief Directorate of the KGB since December 1991...
, staying on from the old KGB
KGB
The KGB was the commonly used acronym for the . It was the national security agency of the Soviet Union from 1954 until 1991, and was the premier internal security, intelligence, and secret police organization during that time.The State Security Agency of the Republic of Belarus currently uses the...
.
The novel begins with Arkady at the tip of Havana Bay as the sun begins to rise on what promises to be a hot day in Cuba. He was diverted here right from the airport. The Cuban militia has what they believe is a dead Russian and since Arkady is a Senior Investigator from Moscow and the dead man's friend he can help them get this complication (a dead Russian in Havana is a complication) off the books. The locals make a mess of recovering the body and the officer in charge blames Arkady for making his men nervous simply by being there and watching.
In a decaying Cuba, filled with cars and houses that were built in the 1950s and are now falling to pieces, he stumbles on a plot to defraud Russia of $250 million in a shady sugar purchase scam, and solves a murder.