Gorky Park - Martin Cruz Smith

They lay peacefully, even artfully, under their thawing crust of ice, the centre one on its back, hands folded as if for a religious funeral, the other two turned, arms out under the ice like flanking emblems on embossed writing paper. They were wearing ice skates.

Pribluda shouldered Arkady aside. "When I am satisfied questions of state security are not involved, then you begin."

It did indeed become a triple murder investigation for Chief Investigator Arkady Renko. Three corpses had been found in Moscow. But why the horrific mutilations? And why had they been buried in the snows of Gorky Park?

'The thriller of the 80s' Time

'Straight to the top of the international thriller class' Guardian

'Brilliantly worked, marvellously written . . . a genuinely frightening, genuinely original vision . . . an imaginative triumph' Sunday Times