-




Hilary | 2/19/2014
" Fun. Makes more sense to start from the beginning of the Fandorin books than to start in the middle -- they really are sequential and include character development. "
-




Clare | 2/13/2014
" Can't help but feel this has lost something in translation. It should be charming, quaint and a lot of fun. Sadly it just comes across a bit silly and the pacing is slightly strange. I don't think I will read others in the series. "
-




Amanda | 2/11/2014
" Very cute, fast read, but at points the narrative and characters are dishearteningly naive. "
-




Bookworm | 1/30/2014
" A good read. The mystery follows young Russian detective, Erast Fandorin as he investigates a suicide and then discovers an international conspiracy. I'll read more books by Boris Akunin. "
-




Sandra Strange | 1/30/2014
" This mystery feels Russian, with its bleak psychological focuses and historically accurate, oppressive social hierarchy. I'm sure it gives the reader an accurate picture of what czarist Russia was like, with its strangling, bored bureaucracy and ineffectual social conventions. I hated the ending of this (up to the ending) intriguing puzzle. "
-




Amelia | 1/8/2014
" Clever, clever mystery. Didn't love the ending. "
-




White-orchids | 1/5/2014
" Hey! It's russian mystery. End of 19th century russian mystery! What more do you need? Eraste Fandorine's also a very interesting and complex character... Perfect mix. "
-




Rachael | 12/7/2013
" I loved this book! A Russian Mystery, it was very intriguing, even if it was a little hard to grasp at parts. There are many more books by this author, in this series, and I have loved them all, except for one. "
-




Maura | 11/24/2013
" The first in a series of mysteries with a young Russian guy as the least character. Good but at times predictable. However, the ending was not. This Russian writer doesn't seem to like happy endings or even one that has a clear conclusion. "
-




Monica Copeland | 6/9/2013
" This book suprised me, being a mystery I actually enjoyed. I liked the quirky humor of it. "
-




Akemi | 2/14/2013
" Fandorin is quite an endearing protagonist, which really made this book for me. The plot took a few unexpected twists and turns, so you're on your toes right to the end. Sadly, I don't have the next book of the series on hand, but I strongly advise that you do if you enjoy reading the first one. "
-




Linda | 11/3/2012
" This mystery was written in Russian and translated for the English speaking market. Fun reading a whodunnit from another perspective. "
-




Alex | 10/26/2012
" Feather-light faux-nineteenth century pastiche. Ye Olde Mother Russia, if you will. Leonid Yuzefovich does it better. "
-




Pat | 9/26/2012
" An engaging story, though I found the part I liked the most was the name of the main character: Erast Fandorin. What a great name! "
-




Flora | 8/23/2012
" Splendid. A Russian girlfriend recommended this author. What a great mystery! I love the descriptions of Moscow. Am planning to visit St. Petersburg and the book sets up the rivalry between the two cities nicely. This has whet my appetite for more Erast Fandorin mysteries. "
-




John | 6/13/2012
" Very good mystery. Ending was a bummer. This is the third Erast Fandoran mystery I have read. "
-




Patricia Powell | 2/6/2012
" This was a wonderful story told in beautiful prose. It's being made into a movie. "
-




Paula Broderick | 1/9/2012
" Finding those long Russian names a bit of a struggle but I am enjoying the story more and more "
-




Suziqoregon | 9/22/2011
" My blog post about this book is here. "
-




Vaashti | 9/14/2011
" A charming mystery with a not so charming ending. "
-




Jonfaith | 6/14/2011
" I had read Turkish Gambit just before and I appreciated the layered intrigue. This was a steampunk kettle of revisionist bullshit. I loathed this book. "
-




David | 6/8/2011
" Competent but the faux 19th Century style was a little tedious.
"
-




Maura | 5/15/2011
" The first in a series of mysteries with a young Russian guy as the least character. Good but at times predictable. However, the ending was not. This Russian writer doesn't seem to like happy endings or even one that has a clear conclusion.
"
-




Morgan | 4/17/2011
" Cute fluffy mystery/adventure. Good for a very light read, without feeling like you are reading something totally vapid.
"
-




Ken | 2/20/2011
" An interesting book but I have to say that the ending disturbed me. If you like 19th period mystery, you should give it a try.
"
-




David | 2/13/2011
" Not really my thing. Very linear plot, no investigating, just bumbling from one really simple clue to the other. No sense of danger, as you knew the main character had a series to complete. I steal from a book club reviewer, 'I never thought being a detective would be so easy'. Dull.
"
-




Elena | 2/9/2011
" a nice quick read, very entertaining, like watching a movie
"
-




Jen | 2/7/2011
" Fun little mystery in czarist Russia and an adorably naive, yet intuitive and effective, young police investigator named Fandorin. I'd definitely read more in this series.
"
> Hide All