A very long time ago, my grandfather, who walked out of Belarus after WWI, asked me to read a book. It was one that had impressed him by how true it felt to him. The book was the first of the Arkady Renko series of detective novels by Martin Cruz Smith called Gorky Park, and it dealt with a Soviet detective trying not only to bring a murderer to justice, but also dealing with the Soviet infrastructure. A very good book.
Years have passed, as has my grandfather, but Smith continued to write books in this series. I haven't gotten back to it in some years, but yesterday I finished reading Havana Bay; Renko was called in because a friend who was assigned to the Russian Embassy in reference to sugar purchases is missing. Smith sets the scene very entertainly, and much of the tale relates to Cuban folkways. I found it very enjoyable, and I don't intend to wait so long until I pick up another of these books to read!