Two new adventures for Boris Akunin's well-loved, inimitable hero in which Erast Fandorin faces two very different adversaries: one, a deft, comedic swindler and master of disguise, whose machinations send ripples spreading through the carefully maintained calm of Moscow in 1886, and the other a brutal serial killer, driven by an insane, maniacal obsession, who strikes terror into the heart of the Moscow slums in 1889 - and who may have more in common with London's own Jack the Ripper than simply a taste for women of easy virtue.
Peopled by a cast of eccentric characters, and with plots that are as surprising as they are inventive, Fandorin's 'Special Assignments' will delight Akunin's many thousands of fans, while testing their gentleman sleuth's powers of detection to the limit.
Immensely readable ... the beguiling, super-brainy, sexy, unpredictable Fandorin is a creation like no other in crime fiction (The Times)
Extraordinarily readable, full of incident and excitement, swift-moving and told with a sparkling light-heartedness which is impossible to resist (Evening Standard)
Intricate, incredible, pleasurable (Literary Review)
Hugely entertaining, cunningly plotted detective novels ... clever, witty, wry page-turners to be commended to anyone with a taste for crime fiction (Daily Telegraph)
Intricate, incredible, pleasurable. (Jessica Mann LITERARY REVIEW)
Fandorin is a delightful creation - a quirky gentleman sleuth who cuts an impeccably groomed dash through the courts and political intrigues of 19th century Russia...With an eccentric cast of supporting characters and a fleeting romance, Akunin's whodunit formula is irresistible. (EASY LIVING (February))
a double treat for fans. (Omer Ali TIME OUT (10-17 January))
Akunin brilliantly ratchets up the tension...and Fandorin's unveiling of the clues will keep you enthralled. (Richard Mead FQ (January/February))
an excellent read. (Laura Wilson GUARDIAN (13.1.07))
This...demonstrates Akunin's underlying seriousness of purpose in writing the Fandorin novels, whose clever devices and mischievous tricks disguise a determination to strip bare the extremes of human behaviour. (Joan Smith SUNDAY TIMES (14.1.07))
The perfect Sunday afternoon read. (Kath Murphy SCOTLAND ON SUNDAY (21.1.07))
ingenious and craftily plotted exploits. (GOOD BOOK GUIDE (February))
this elegantly written book is fast-moving, witty and compulsively readable...The story packs a surprisingly powerful emotional punch, proving there's more to Akunin than jolly pastiche. Highly recommended. (GLOSS MAGAZINE (March 2007))
Whether in skittish or sombre mood, Akunin is immensely readable (and excellently translated by Andrew Bromfield); the beguiling, super-brainy, sexy, unpredictable Fandorin is a creation like no other in crime fiction. (Marcel Berlins TIMES (10.2.07))
Fandorin [is] a debonair combo of Sherlock Holmes, D'Artagnan and most of the soulful heroes of Russian literature...Andrew Bromfield's translation is key to maintaining the entertaining period pastiche...Fandorin is very much a figure from the time of his creation: an all-knowing yet taciturn functionary with a past in espionage and a love of Japanese martial arts working in a Russia beset by internal division. (Roger Perkins SUNDAY TELEGRAPH (19.2.07))
