Special Assignments
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Review
'Intricate, incredible, pleasurable.' (Jessica Mann LITERARY REVIEW )
'Fandorin is a delightful creation - a quirky gentleman sleuth who cuts an impeccably groomed dash through the courts and political intrigues of 19th century Russia...With an eccentric cast of supporting characters and a fleeting romance, Akunin's whodunit formula is irresistible.' (EASY LIVING (February) )
'a double treat for fans.' (Omer Ali TIME OUT (10-17 January) )
'Akunin brilliantly ratchets up the tension...and Fandorin's unveiling of the clues will keep you enthralled.' (Richard Mead FQ (January/February) )
'an excellent read.' (Laura Wilson GUARDIAN (13.1.07) )
'This...demonstrates Akunin's underlying seriousness of purpose in writing the Fandorin novels, whose clever devices and mischievous tricks disguise a determination to strip bare the extremes of human behaviour.' (Joan Smith SUNDAY TIMES (14.1.07) )
'The perfect Sunday afternoon read.' (Kath Murphy SCOTLAND ON SUNDAY (21.1.07) )
'ingenious and craftily plotted exploits.' (GOOD BOOK GUIDE (February) )
'this elegantly written book is fast-moving, witty and compulsively readable...The story packs a surprisingly powerful emotional punch, proving there's more to Akunin than jolly pastiche. Highly recommended.' (GLOSS MAGAZINE (March 2007) )
'Whether in skittish or sombre mood, Akunin is immensely readable (and excellently translated by Andrew Bromfield); the beguiling, super-brainy, sexy, unpredictable Fandorin is a creation like no other in crime fiction.' (Marcel Berlins TIMES (10.2.07) )
'Fandorin [is] a debonair combo of Sherlock Holmes, D'Artagnan and most of the soulful heroes of Russian literature...Andrew Bromfield's translation is key to maintaining the entertaining period pastiche...Fandorin is very much a figure from the time of his creation: an all-knowing yet taciturn functionary with a past in espionage and a love of Japanese martial arts working in a Russia beset by internal division.' (Roger Perkins SUNDAY TELEGRAPH (19.2.07) ) --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
'Fandorin is a delightful creation - a quirky gentleman sleuth who cuts an impeccably groomed dash through the courts and political intrigues of 19th century Russia...With an eccentric cast of supporting characters and a fleeting romance, Akunin's whodunit formula is irresistible.' (EASY LIVING (February) )
'a double treat for fans.' (Omer Ali TIME OUT (10-17 January) )
'Akunin brilliantly ratchets up the tension...and Fandorin's unveiling of the clues will keep you enthralled.' (Richard Mead FQ (January/February) )
'an excellent read.' (Laura Wilson GUARDIAN (13.1.07) )
'This...demonstrates Akunin's underlying seriousness of purpose in writing the Fandorin novels, whose clever devices and mischievous tricks disguise a determination to strip bare the extremes of human behaviour.' (Joan Smith SUNDAY TIMES (14.1.07) )
'The perfect Sunday afternoon read.' (Kath Murphy SCOTLAND ON SUNDAY (21.1.07) )
'ingenious and craftily plotted exploits.' (GOOD BOOK GUIDE (February) )
'this elegantly written book is fast-moving, witty and compulsively readable...The story packs a surprisingly powerful emotional punch, proving there's more to Akunin than jolly pastiche. Highly recommended.' (GLOSS MAGAZINE (March 2007) )
'Whether in skittish or sombre mood, Akunin is immensely readable (and excellently translated by Andrew Bromfield); the beguiling, super-brainy, sexy, unpredictable Fandorin is a creation like no other in crime fiction.' (Marcel Berlins TIMES (10.2.07) )
'Fandorin [is] a debonair combo of Sherlock Holmes, D'Artagnan and most of the soulful heroes of Russian literature...Andrew Bromfield's translation is key to maintaining the entertaining period pastiche...Fandorin is very much a figure from the time of his creation: an all-knowing yet taciturn functionary with a past in espionage and a love of Japanese martial arts working in a Russia beset by internal division.' (Roger Perkins SUNDAY TELEGRAPH (19.2.07) ) --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
Review
"Pure escapist fun that has, in Russia, outsold Harry Potter" London Review of Books
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
Although this consists of two shorter books, The Jack fo Spade and The Decorator, the two stories follow the introduction of the Tulipov character who blossoms as a character over the two stories rather like Fandorin does in The Winter Queen. Akunin has the knack of quickly sketching whole rounded characters whilst still keeping the narrative flowing and the reader on the edge of his/her seat.
The Jack of Spades is a slightly more light hearted battle of wits between Fandorin and the eponymous swindler. It manages the neat trick of turning the readers sympathies around in the middle of the story.
The Decorator is a much darker affair and whilst the previous stroy has pace and a satisfying conclusion, its greater function in this context is as a prelude to this second story. A serial killer stalks Moscow and Fandorin along with his young pupil Tulipov are out to catch him/her(?)
This is crime writing at its very best, what anyone could be wanting more than this from a crime novel is beyond me. This pairing of books is almost perfect.
The Jack of Spades is a slightly more light hearted battle of wits between Fandorin and the eponymous swindler. It manages the neat trick of turning the readers sympathies around in the middle of the story.
The Decorator is a much darker affair and whilst the previous stroy has pace and a satisfying conclusion, its greater function in this context is as a prelude to this second story. A serial killer stalks Moscow and Fandorin along with his young pupil Tulipov are out to catch him/her(?)
This is crime writing at its very best, what anyone could be wanting more than this from a crime novel is beyond me. This pairing of books is almost perfect.
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
Unlike some other reviewers, I found 'The Decorator' to be a literary triumph. I'm not giving the game away by saying that it references the Jack the Ripper case to some extent - but more than that, it echoes the activities of the Russian serial killer Michael Pichuskin - the chessboard killer. Some of the motivations of the antagonist in the Akunin story echo those given by Pichuskin in his own defence. But of course, this is a fiction and the parallels can only be drawn so closely - the story is also a masterpiece of construction, of sleight-of-hand developments in the plot, unexpected but predictable if you know where to look.
If 'The Decorator' is the darkest of Akunin's stories so far, albeit leavened with his usual humour, then 'Jack of Spades' is one of his lightest - a delightful romp telling the tale of a conman and his wonderful assistant, who I for one desperately hopes will appear in a future episode.
Boris Akunin affirms himself once again as one of the world's greatest living writers in any language.
If 'The Decorator' is the darkest of Akunin's stories so far, albeit leavened with his usual humour, then 'Jack of Spades' is one of his lightest - a delightful romp telling the tale of a conman and his wonderful assistant, who I for one desperately hopes will appear in a future episode.
Boris Akunin affirms himself once again as one of the world's greatest living writers in any language.
Format:Paperback
Boris Akunin's Special Assignments (Weidenfeld & Nicolson) narrates two episodes in the life of that talented detective and stammerer Erast Fandorin. The first, Jack of Spades, is a mad-cap and rollicking cat-and-mouse adventure, with Fandorin pitting his wits against a clever swindler, who appears to be able to con enormous amounts of money even from the most cynical, such as Fandorin's boss, Prince Dolgorukoi. Accompanied by a trusting sidekick, Fandorin gets involved with beautiful women who may or may not be entirely genuine, dons several disguises, and has Inspector Clouseau-like fights with his Japanese servant Masa. The second story, The Decorator, is altogether darker and pitiless. Fandorin suspects Jack the Ripper has returned to Russia to continue his murderous spree, and has to go undercover to unearth the killer. But the tables are quickly turned on Fandorin when the killer realises he is being chased, and suddenly Fandorin's friends and loves are targeted in a bitter vendetta. The gore escalates and mood of the book becomes ever darker, and there is no redemption at all for anyone at the end. Akunin has stated several times that he intends to cover every genre of crime writing in his Fandorin series, and in this tale, he executes the serial killer motif superbly.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
A misstep in an excellent series
Boris Akunin's 'Erast Fandorin' sries are amongst my few must-buy reads. Akunin is a tremendous writer who has managed to create an extremely interesting and likable character in... Read more
Published on 16 Jun 2008 by Davywavy2
Brilliant entertainment - 'That is two'!
In general, I'm not keen on novellas, but prefer full-length novels that you can get your literary teeth into. Read more
Published on 2 April 2008 by Friendlycard
Extra-special assignments
If you've loved the preceding instalments of the Erast Fandorin adventures, as I have, then you'll not be disappointed with these two. Read more
Published on 29 Dec 2007 by SAP
A Real Treat
Hmm, Russia, Tsarist days, special investigator, translated from the Russian, I was hesitant to take this book. Read more
Published on 24 Nov 2007 by Laura D
More faces of Akunin
Akunin keeps trying out new styles and new genres as he shoehorns two completely different stories into one tidy package. Read more
Published on 28 Oct 2007 by SM
Minor Fandorin adventures
Special Assignments consists of two shorter stories where Akunin's detective Court Counsellor Erast Fandorin is called upon to solve two very different cases that threaten to cause... Read more
Published on 8 Jun 2007 by Keris Nine
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