"Fandorin delights with his silken ironies and smart manoeuvres... this latest case shows a crime star of all the Russias still blazing bright" -- Boyd Tonkin INDEPENDENT "Boris Akunin really brings his characters alive in this cat-and-mouse story set in the heart of Russia... a thoroughly compelling read" TELEGRAPH & ARGUS "All the usual Akunin fingerprints are here -- wonderful period settings, delirious plotting and that wry, understated sense of humour" GOOD BOOK GUIDE
