Smith is best known for his novels featuring Russian investigator Arkady Renko whom Smith introduced in "Gorky Park" (1981). The novel, which was called the "first thriller of the '80s" by "Time", became a bestseller and won a Gold Dagger Award from the British Crime Writers' Association. Renko has since appeared in eight other novels by Smith. "Gorky Park" debuted at No. 2 on the "New York Times" bestseller list on April 26, 1981 and hung onto the top spot for another week. It stayed in the No. 2 position for over three months, beaten only by James Clavell's "Noble House". It stayed in the top 15 through November of that year. "Polar Star" also claimed the No. 1 spot for two weeks on August 6, 1989. It subsequently held the No. 2 spot for over two months.