Rating: 
Summary: Your satisfaction will depend upon what you are expecting.
Review: O.K., the combination of Martin Cruz Smith and Arkady Renko pretty much generates two stars by default. The intriguing setting gets another (although Havana is rendered with considerably less authority than Moscow was...or even a fishing trawler), but the author struggled with much of the rest. The cast of characters was weak. New Renko readers will particulary suffer from a sketchy portrait of the (dead) Pribluda. Renko's actions lack motive, and something more creative should have been done with the narrative to bring their relationship back to life. The love interest seems to be thrown in as an after thought. (The climate seems to generate most of the steaminess despite myriad references to, and descriptions of, nubile Cuban women.) Again, those who missed the original depiction of Irena will wonder about what kind of nut would constantly wear a cashmere coat in the Carribean. I didn't struggle with the plot as much as others, but the "peeling the layers of an onion" feeling was not rewarded by the conclusion. It was literally an anticlimax. On the other hand, if you read Smith for fireworks, you're missing most of the pleasure anyway. This book is not really a mystery; still less is it a thriller. It's a novel set in an exotic local with an archtypal Russian detective. Read it for the mix of familiar (Arkady) and exotic (Havana), plus some high grade commercial prose, and you won't be disappointed...but if you are not already a friend of Renko, read Gorky Park and be utterly captivated instead.
Rating: 
Summary: Finally another installment in the life of Arkady Renko
Review: I have waited long for another installment, well worth the wait, putting Arkady in yet another setting. You may want to re read polar star, gorky park and red square before taking this on if it has been a while since you visited Arkady
Rating:
Summary: The Best So Far!
Review: It seems many people have forgotten that the classics of spy and detective fiction weren't just instant gratification. The true masters of suspense kept us wondering and waiting, not just hopping through chase scenes and car bombings. Havana Bay is a classic suspense novel in the true sense of the word: it makes you think while keeping you on the edge of your seat. Keep up the good work, Mr Smith!
Rating: 
Summary: Disappointing from such a good writer
Review: Although the writing, characterizations and creating of atmosphere are flawless in this book, and demonstrate how much talent Cruz Smith has, the most important element of any work of fiction is a plot. A plot that can be understood by the reader. This is where this book fails terribly. At the end, I still wasn't quite sure what went on. Perhaps this was the author's intent, but I like to know what a story was about by the time I finish a book.
Rating:
Summary: You'll feel like your in Cuba!
Review: Renko is so real. He is not a super-detective, he is normal - flawed, average to maybe above-average intelligence, and complete with his own personal problems. You may not even be certain that you like him, but you will want to know what happens to him. The author takes you to Cuba with Renko, who has one week to solve the crime, or give up, you're never quite sure which he is going to do. And there is a certain satisfaction you feel at the end of the book. Martin Cruz Smith delivers just enough, not too little and not too much, just the right amount of a good story well told.
Rating:
Summary: BETTER THAN GORKY PARK!
Review: This is one of the most intriguing books you'll ever read. As always with Martin Cruz Smith, it gives us a whole new take on what we had believed was a "Cold War" genre. He brings scrupulous research and fascinating detail to all his books. I enjoyed this one more than Gorky Park.
Rating:
Summary: True to Form
Review: It was a wonderful experience, feeling the emotional attachement for Renko, in the first thirty pages. We've missed him, he's back and causing trouble, but this time he is emotionally battered. Cruise Smith's formula usually has Renko being being beaten up in the early part of a novel...creating sympathy. This doesn't always work for me...but this time it did. A number of other things work or me: The character's are consistant and entertaining, the story is not remotely predictable, and finally, Cruise Smith weaves music, dance, and religion deftly into an already engrosing story. A masterwork. I had set it down maybe 20 times times while reading it just to reflect on my sheer enjoyment. Thank you, Martin Cruise Smith...keep it up, please!
Rating:
Summary: Another Renko Adventure
Review: You'll either love it or hate it!!! Arkady Renko is a character that is hard to warm up to but as you get into the story it's obvious that he's got a grasp of what is going on in Cuba but doesn't show his trump card so to speak. It's a non-stop adventure on this island with the local population who seemingly have a distrust of all Russians. A great read for the summer before I go back to the classroom.
Rating:
Summary: A huge disappointment
Review: I found the plot of this book boring and very slow moving. This was no thriller as in the previous 'Renko' books - I struggled to get through it, hoping that it would improve but was disappointed when it didn't. Renko was worn out and it showed with this dull book!
Rating:
Summary: Best Read Of The Summer
Review: Extremely well developed characters. Excellent imagery. Intriguing plot. Fascinating history. What more could you ask for. It went by much too fast. Cruz is an extremely creative and original writer.
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