In 1900 Moscow is abuzz with a rash of suicides, and rumours that a suicide club is in operation somewhere in the city. The Lovers of Death, a group of misfits under the charismatic leadership of a man named Prospero, meet weekly to discuss which of them will be the next to meet the long-desired embrace of death. Erast Fandorin joins the Lovers of Death in the guise of a Japanese prince and attempts to get to the bottom of it all.

The story is told from the points of view of two of the Lovers: Columbine, an impressionable girl from the country and an unnamed informer who is writing reports for the police. There are the usual twists and turns, although the ending was a little drawn-out and implausible. Akunin's next book in the series is He Lover of Death, which tells the same story from a different point of view, and I'm keen to see where he goes with that. ( )

This is a strange mystery, a sort of mock Sherlock Holmes adventure with a little Chesterton mixed in. Someone is convincing people to commit suicide, and Fandorin decides to find out how this could be. A bit more hysterical than most of the series. I wonder where Akunin is going? ( )

This was the first Erast Fandorin novel I've read, and maybe it would have helped to read them in order. As it was, I wonder if the translation was off a little, as the word choices were often pretty strange. I could tell that the author was going for a 1900 feel to the language, but I don't think it came across well in translation. As for the plot - it was pretty thin.

Between the strange stylization and less than engaging story, I'll not be likely to try the other Akunin books.

( )

I bought this book on the ferry from the UK to the Netherlands, bit of a spontaneous thing. No regrets whatsoever.
It's a strange story, but I enjoyed it. The characters are interesting. Also, the switching between someone's diary, the newspapers and someone's letters keeps things interesting. You see the whole thing from various angles and it keeps you on your toes. ( )