Special Assignments: The Further Adventures of Erast Fandorin

The book arrived a bit late, but the seller was really nice when I contacted them

Knowing that I love a good mystery and enjoy all things Russian, a friend gave me Special Assignments: The Further Adventures of Erast Fandorin by Boris Akunin for my birthday. This book is one of the most original and creative mysteries that I have read. Special Assignments takes place in Moscow during the late 1800s. Erast Petrovich Fandorin is the deputy for special assignments to the governor-general of Moscow. In creating Fandorin, Akunin gives us a cross between Sherlock Holmes and James Bond (without the high-tech gadgets). Fandorin is handsome, intelligent, and debonair, speaks several languages, engages in martial arts and is a master of disguise. Special Assignments also has a host of quirky and interesting secondary characters including Fandorin's assistant, Anisii Tulipov, and his Japanese servant, Masa. This book is actually two separate stories--The Jack of Spades and The Decorator. In the Jack of Spades, a shrewd con-man is swindling many Moscow residents out of enormous sums of money. The thief received this name because he leaves a Jack of Spades playing card at the scene of every crime. Even Fandorin becomes one of his victims. How the deputy catches the Jack of Spades is simply ingenious and delightful. The second story, The Decorator, is just as good but less amusing and much darker. A Jack the Ripper-type character is working the streets of Moscow, brutally murdering and butchering unfortunate victims (mostly prostitutes). There is some question that this might actually be the work of the English Jack the Ripper. Fandorin has some suspects, but needs to go underground in his efforts to catch the serial killer. As Fandorin gets closer to discovering the killer's identity, the "decorator" changes his usual pattern and starts killing those involved with the investigation. The ending came as a complete shock. There are many things about this book (and series) that appeal to me. First, creating a mystery series that takes place in 19th Century tsarist-Russia is definitely a first. Deputy Erast Fandorin is one of the most delightful and unusual protagonists of any modern series. And finally, I am amazed that this series is written by Moscow writer Boris Akunin (the pen name of Grigory Chkhartishvili) and superbly translated by Andrew Broomfield. When I "discover" a writer who really impresses me, I tend to read everything they have written. I will definitely be reading more of Akunin and Fandorin.

i'm a big fan of the fandorin stories, and these two were incredible! the first one was playful and clever- it was nice to see that our unflappable hero can be outdone now and again. but the second one blew me away- i was not expecting the ending. it was hard to read emotionally, but from a writer's point of view, it was so in line with what had to happen to make it believeable. just incredible! the way the story shifted back and forth between fandorin and his adversary was well-written and scary. it made you uncomfortable! after reading these, i'm willing to pay for the hardback of the new one instead of waiting for the softcover. i must know what befalls of our hero next! :)

Boris Akunin shows his range of depth in these two astonishingly different tells of mayhem and murder. Mayhem is represented by the Jack of Spades, a twisty, delightful comic romp that causes Fandorin no small amount of discomfort and considerable delight for the reader. Jack the Ripper is the complete opposite. Dark, chilling and at times truly heartwrenching, Akunin shows not just depth of ability but an authentic storyteller's gift for following the tale to its logical conclusion and not indulging in sentiment or bathos. Two first class novellas from one of the best crime series I have had the pleasure to read.

This latest work about Erast Fandorin gives the reader two shorter tales of his investigations. The first one, in which his new assistant is introduced, is more of an amusing story, even though it involves crimes, of a sort. The second tale, however, is grim and grisly, with murders, vivisections, and just plain awful things happening. Oddly enough, both stories involve miscreants named "Jack", which is about all that I will say on that score. Where the first tale ends in farce, the second ends in tragedy and sorrow. Erast has really changed from the callow youth we first met in "The Winter Queen", and now he appears more like Sherlock Holmes, aloof and cerebral, rather than the more human side we learned to admire. I actully prefer the younger Erast, but time goes on and people age and mature, so we now have this "new" Erast, and will go down his future paths of investigation with him, as I know there are at least another six Erast novels written.