'[Farndorin is] surely the most engagingly diffident detective since Sherlock Holmes. The descriptive details is wonderful, too, bringing to life a range if military types who would not be out of place in War and Peace.' -- Christina Koning TIMES (1.10.05) 'an exciting gallop through 19th-century Europe complete with parodic characters and outrageous moustaches. Derring is done and buckles swashed, while at the book's heart lies a melancholic and believable detective - and it works. Fandorin is a fascinating character and this is an excellent read.' TELEGRAPH (15.10.05) 'great entertainment.' OBSERVER 'Boris Akunin's famous detective,Erast Fandorin, combines the elegance of Lord Peter Wimsey, the sangfroid of James Bond and the uncanny intellect of Sherlock Holmes.' SUNDAY TELEGRAPH (20.11.05) 'Turkish Gambit is an excellent historical pastiche...Akunin sets and maintains a cracking pace, and the result - intricately plotted, full of chicanery, and genuinely funny - is hugely entertaining.' -- Laura Wilson GUARDIAN (3.12.05)
