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Martin Cruz Smith (né Martin William Smith) was born in Reading, Pennsylvania, in 1942. He originally wrote under the name Martin Smith only to discover there were other writers with the same name. His agent Knox Burger asked Smith to add a third name and Smith chose Cruz, the shortest name in his family. (In other words, no publisher, no ethnic calculation.) Smith was educated at the University of Pennsylvania, and received a Bachelor of Arts in Creative Writing in 1964. From 1965 to 1969 he worked as a journalist, and began writing fiction in the early 1970s. His first mystery, featuring a Gypsy art dealer in New York named Roman Grey, Gypsy in Amber (1971), was nominated for an Edgar Award. His second book, Nightwing, was his breakthrough novel and was made into a movie.

Smith is best known for his novels featuring the Russian Investigator, Arkady Renko. In 1981, Smith wrote Gorky Park, which was called the "thriller of the '80s" by Time Magazine. It became a bestseller and won a Golden Dagger Award from the British Crime Writers Association. Renko has appeared in five other novels by Smith, Polar Star, Red Square, Havana Bay, Wolves Eat Dogs, as well as Stalin's Ghost (due for release in June 2007).

Back in the 1970s, Smith wrote two Slocum adult action westerns, under the pen name Jake Logan. Smith also wrote a number of other paperback originals, including a series about a character named 'The Inquisitor,' who can be described as a James Bond-type agent employed by the Vatican.

Martin Cruz Smith now lives in San Rafael, California with his wife and three children.

• The Indians Won (1970)
• Gypsy in Amber (1971)
• Canto for a Gypsy (1972)
• Analog Bullet (1972)
• Inca Death Squad (1972) (As Nick Carter)
• The Devil's Dozen (1973) (As Nick Carter)
• The Devil in Kansas (1974) (The Inquisitor Series #1) (As Simon Quinn)
• The Last Time I Saw Hell (1974) (The Inquisitor Series #2) (As Simon Quinn)
• Nuplex Red (1974) (The Inquisitor Series #3) (As Simon Quinn)
• His Eminence, Death (1974) (The Inquisitor Series #4) (As Simon Quinn)
• The Midas Coffin (1975) (The Inquisitor Series #5) (As Simon Quinn)
• The Human Factor (1975) (As Simon Quinn)
• The Wilderness Family (1975) (As Martin Quinn)
• Last Rites for the Vulture (1975) (The Inquisitor Series #6) (As Simon Quinn)
• Nightwing (1977)
• Ride for Revenge (A Slocum western) (as Jake Logan)
• Gorky Park (1981) (The Arkady Renko Series #1)
• Stallion Gate (1986)
• Polar Star (1989) (The Arkady Renko Series #2)
• Red Square (1992) (The Arkady Renko Series #3)
• Rose (1996)
• Havana Bay (1999) (The Arkady Renko Series #4)
• December 6 (2002) (also published as Tokyo Station)
• Wolves Eat Dogs (2004) (The Arkady Renko Series #5)
• Stalin's Ghost (2007) (The Arkady Renko Series #6)

• Official Site
• Audio interviews with Martin Cruz Smith - RealAudio