Yes, that's a perfect trope! (I feel like both NMandalorian and Last of Us fall into that as well, don't they?)

So glad you liked Gorki Park, and I'm seconding/thirding the film (it's aged but I think that's not a bad thing bc the country it describes doesn't exist anymore!)

And now I think I may look up the other books in that series! :) [I finally finished my Will Trent hate read. I'm always amazed by my on inability to stop hatereading/watching. So 11 books later, I still really dislike the author!!! And I can finally quit her, bc I finished the4 series...for now]