Turkish Gambit, The (2nd Of Erast Fandorin Mysteries)

Description:
The Russo-Turkish war is at a critical juncture, and Erast Fandorin, broken-hearted and disillusioned, has gone to the front in an attempt to forget his sorrows. But Fandorin's efforts to steer clear of trouble are thwarted when he comes to the aid of Varvara Suvorova - a 'progressive' Russian woman trying to make her way to the Russian headquarters to join her fiance. Within days, Varvara's fiance has been accused of treason, a Turkish victory looms on the horizon, and there are rumours of a Turkish spy hiding within their own camp. Our reluctant gentleman sleuth will need to resurrect all of his dormant powers of detection if he is to unmask the traitor, help the Russians to victory and smooth the path of young love.

Review:
'[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)

Author Biography:
Boris Akunin is the pseudonym of Grigory Chkhartishvili. He translated Japanese texts before the worldwide success of his Fandorin series. He lives in Moscow.