Special Assignments

In Boris Akunin's 'Special Assignments,' the celebrated gentleman sleuth Erast Fandorin confronts two vastly different and equally compelling challenges in late 19th-century Moscow. The first assignment plunges Fandorin into the vibrant, yet unsettling, world of a comedic swindler and master of disguise whose cunning machinations threaten the carefully preserved tranquility of Moscow in 1886. Fandorin must navigate a labyrinth of trickery and deceit to apprehend this elusive and flamboyant criminal. The second, far darker, tale transports Fandorin to the grim Moscow slums of 1889, where he faces a brutal serial killer whose maniacal obsession and gruesome methods evoke chilling comparisons to London's infamous Jack the Ripper. As terror grips the city, Fandorin must delve into the depths of human depravity to unmask a killer whose trail of victims and psychological complexity test his formidable powers of detection to their absolute limit. Rich with eccentric characters and unexpected twists, these two novellas offer thrilling investigations that delight fans and showcase Akunin's inventive storytelling.