From its first publication, Gorky Park was controversial for its portrayal of Soviet society. Although Smith developed the story out of an interest in the Soviet technique of reconstructing faces of dead victims, he includes many details of supposedly everyday Soviet life. Now that the Soviet Union no longer exists, Smith's portrayal of Soviet society may seem to be primarily of historical interest, and discussion group may find that a good way for starting a discussion would be to ask whether Smith's criticisms of Soviet society still have any meaning for modern readers. In addition, Renko's investigation takes place in a society without the Bill of Rights; a comparison of what he is allowed to do, restricted as he is by the social elite, and what an American police detective can do, restricted as he is by the Constitution, could generate a heated discussion about how...