CWA KAA Gold Dagger
1 appearances
-
Edition 27 (1981) Winner
Martin Cruz Smith
マーティン・クルーズ・スミス
Martin Cruz Smith
Aliases:
Martin William Smith / Martin Smith
Pen Names:
Ted Irish（Pseudonym used for some early works）,
Dr. Emile Korngold（Pen name used mainly for paperback originals）,
Sol Roman（Temporarily used pseudonym）,
Nick Carter（House name for contributions to the Nick Carter-Killmaster series）,
Jake Logan（House name used for Slocum western novels）,
Martin Quinn（Temporarily used pseudonym）,
Simon Quinn（Pen name used for The Inquisitor series）,
Martin Smith（Wrote under his birth name before adding a middle name to distinguish himself）
Profile
- Gender
- Male
- Born
- 1942-11-03 （Reading, Pennsylvania, U.S.）
- Died
- 2025-07-11 （San Rafael, California, U.S.） age 82
- Nationality
- United States
- Languages
- English
- Residence History
- Reading, Pennsylvania (birthplace) → Philadelphia (education, early career) → San Rafael, California (later residence)
Career
- Occupations
- novelist, screenwriter, journalist
- Active Years
- 1970-2025
- Nominations
- Canto for a Gypsy — Edgar Award nominee, Nightwing — Edgar Award nominee
Education
| Institution | Faculty | Department | Degree | Period | Country |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Germantown Academy | — | — | — | 〜1960頃 | United States |
| University of Pennsylvania | College of Arts and Sciences (Creative Writing) | Creative Writing | Bachelor of Arts | 1960–1964 | United States |
Germantown Academy
Period:
〜1960頃
Country:
United States
Completed secondary education. Exact graduation year not specified.
University of Pennsylvania
College of Arts and Sciences (Creative Writing)
/ Creative Writing
Degree:
Bachelor of Arts
Period:
1960–1964
Year of Graduation:
1964
Country:
United States
Received a BA in creative writing in 1964.
Awards
| Year | Award | Work | Category | Organization | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1981 | Gold Dagger | Gorky Park | — | Crime Writers' Association | 受賞 |
| 1996 | Dashiell Hammett Award | Rose | — | International Association of Crime Writers (North American Branch) | 受賞 |
| 1999 | Dashiell Hammett Award | Havana Bay | — | International Association of Crime Writers (North American Branch) | 受賞 |
Gold Dagger
1981
Work:
Gorky Park
Organization:
Crime Writers' Association
Result:
受賞
Dashiell Hammett Award
1996
Work:
Rose
Organization:
International Association of Crime Writers (North American Branch)
Result:
受賞
Dashiell Hammett Award
1999
Work:
Havana Bay
Organization:
International Association of Crime Writers (North American Branch)
Result:
受賞
Awards & Nominations
Hammett Prize
3 appearances
-
Edition 6 (1996) Winner
-
Edition 9 (1999) Winner
-
Edition 17 (2007) Nominee
Edgar Allan Poe Awards
3 appearances
-
Edition 0 (2019) Winner
Works
Major Works
Gorky Park
1981 Mystery / CrimeA brutal murder in Moscow draws investigator Arkady Renko into a web of corruption and power. Set against the backdrop of the Soviet Union in the early 1980s, the novel blends police procedural with political suspense.
corruptionpower and justiceindividual vs. state
Adaptations
- [Film] Gorky Park (film/visual adaptations exist)
Polar Star
1989 Mystery / ThrillerArkady Renko confronts a complex case set on a Soviet polar research vessel, where survival, intrigue and political machinations collide.
isolationpolitical conspiracysurvival
Nightwing
1977 Horror / MysteryA horror-tinged mystery centered on bats and human obsession; elements were adapted into a feature film.
fearnature vs. humanityobsession
Adaptations
- [Film] Nightwing (film) (1979)
Independence Square
2023 Political suspense / MysteryA later Arkady Renko novel dealing with post-Soviet political turmoil as Renko faces new conspiracies.
post-Soviet societypolitical corruptionjustice
Hotel Ukraine
2025 Mystery / Political suspenseThe 2025 Arkady Renko novel set against the backdrop of events in Ukraine, exploring international tensions and personal conflicts.
international conflictpower strugglesethics
The Indians Won
1970 Science fiction / Native American speculative fictionAn early piece of Native American speculative fiction incorporating Indigenous perspectives; considered notable in the genre's development.
Indigenous perspectivedecolonial themesspeculative futures
Bibliography
- Gypsy in Amber
- Canto for a Gypsy
- The Indians Won
- The Analog Bullet
- Nightwing
- Gorky Park
- Polar Star
- Red Square
- Havana Bay
- Wolves Eat Dogs
- Stalin's Ghost
- Three Stations
- Tatiana
- The Siberian Dilemma
- Independence Square
- Hotel Ukraine
- Rose
- December 6 (also published as Tokyo Station)
- The Girl from Venice
Adaptations
- Nightwing (1979 film adaptation)
Style & Themes
- Literary Style
- Detailed, realist descriptive styleNarrative that integrates political and social backgrounds
- Recurring Motifs
- corruption and justiceindividual versus stateblurred boundaries (national, ethical)
Health
-
Parkinson's disease1995–2025Diagnosed in 1995 but kept it private for many years while continuing to write. The disease progressed in later years and he died in 2025.
Legacy
Renowned for international and politically informed suspense novels, particularly the Arkady Renko series, which rendered the complexities of the Soviet and post-Soviet world. Recipient of multiple international awards and widely translated.
Academic Societies
- International Association of Crime Writers (North American Branch) related organisations
Quotes
-
I want to be judged for my writing rather than my disease.
Source: 2013 interview (2013)
Trivia
- Wrote under many pseudonyms (e.g. Martin Smith, Simon Quinn, Jake Logan).
- Added the middle name 'Cruz' from his paternal grandmother's surname.
- Reportedly of Pueblo, Yaqui and Spanish ancestry.