The Winter Queen

The first book in the Erast Fandorin series of historical detective stories is “The Winter Queen,” written by Boris Akunin. The story which takes place in 1870s Russia, opens with a beautiful noblewoman witnessing the suicide of a university student. The student will bequeath his wealth to the recently established Astair House Moscow branch, a global network of institutions catering to the needs of orphan boys.

Erast Fandorin, a 20-year-old rookie detective conducts an investigation and discovers a global conspiracy. He discovers the strange term “Azazel” and a mystery assassin with white eyes as he digs deeper. Russia in the nineteenth century is beautifully brought to life by this intriguing story.