Crime novelist Martin Cruz Smith is the bestselling author of Gorky Park, Book One of an eight-novel series starring the Russian investigator Arkady Renko. The book earned him a Gold Dagger Award from the British Crime Writers’ Association. Other series include The Inquisitor Series and the Romano Grey Series. He originally wrote under the name "Martin Smith" but added the middle name "Cruz," after his paternal grandmother, to distinguish his books from those of other authors.