Fandorin returns in a swashbuckling tale of abduction and intrigue, set during the build-up to the coronation of Tsar Nicholas II.
A novel as crammed with delights as the Tsarina's jewel box
Akunin's brilliance lies in taking the elements of a classic detective story and imbuing them with a poignant emotional complexity
Lively characters and a sinuous plot amply explain why Akunin's Fandorin thrillers have sold in their millions
Erast Fandorin lives to fight another day, and for his many aficionados that can only be a good thing
If you like your crime thrillers cosy and nostaligc, then this is for you.
BORIS AKUNIN is the pseudonym of Grigory Chkhartishvili.
He has been compared to Gogol, Tolstoy and Arthur Conan Doyle, and his Erast Fandorin books have sold over forty million copies around the world.
He lives in London.