Murder on the Leviathan (Paperback)

For me, the book had only one bad point, this being the incredible stupidity of Gauche, which sometimes pulled me out of the story. Overall, however, Murder on the Leviathan comes highly recommended from me. And does Fandorin remind anyone else of Phileas Fogg?

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This is the third Erast Fandorin novel - the second to be translated into English (Turkish Gambit, the real 2nd, is scheduled for publication in December). Here, we see less of Fandorin than we did in TWQ, or it certainly seems like it. This is partly because Leviathan is told from five different perspectives. One is that of French "Investigator of Especially Important Cases", Gustav Gauche (who definitely lives up to his name); the remaining four perspectives are those of four main suspects in a murder inquiry (two of these are told in the 3rd person, two in the 1st). Thus we see Fandorin through only their eyes, making him a decidedly enigmatic and intriguing detective.

The crime being investigated is the murder, in Paris, of Lord Littleby, collector of fine things, and nine members of his staff. (Yes, nine.) Due to a clue left at the crime scene (in the form of a badge shaped as a golden whale), Gauche deduces that the murderer will be one of the passengers on the steamship Leviathan - newly built and embarking upon its maiden voyage to Calcutta. He boards the ship and begins his enquiries, trying to sift out the murder from the 142 first-class passengers (yes, 142.)

As evidenced partly by the ridiculous number of suspects and murder victims (in the end it totals 11), Akunin is clearly having a good time pointing fun at the traditions of the detective genre. And he does it very well indeed. Leviathan is an excellent detective story in its own right, while all the while it gently makes fun of itself and the genre - as TWQ did with espionage fiction. It is a hilarious novel at times; a brilliant, incredibly clever pastiche.

Akunin's main source here is, of course, Agatha Christie. The set-up is immediately recognisable as almost classic Christie, a la Murder on the Orient Express or Death on the Nile. He even manages to work in Cards on the Table and The Clocks (particularly hilariously!) among others, and that is on top off the usual Russian literary influences. For example, one of the periphery characters mentioned is named "Marcel Prout".

Leviathan is an absolutely excellent novel. I would recommend it to anyone. It is not necessary to have read The Winter Queen, and I'd probably advise that you just jump straight in here. Akunin's 2nd novel in translation is an incredibly sharp, teasing, funny, and ingenious mystery, with a great set of characters. A Japanese passenger, one of the four main suspects, is particularly wonderful. Certainly, it was his sections of the book I enjoyed most of all, highlighting fascinatingly the class of 19th century cultures. Plus, his sections of narrative are the only time I have ever come across a book that is part-written in what I can only describe as "landscape".

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The reader should note that this is actually the third book in the Erast Fandorin series but only the second published in English. Murder on the Leviathan does contain a couple of references to Fandorin's adventures in Turkey, that formed the basis of the second book, but those references do not have any impact on the reader's ability to enjoy this book standing on its own.

It is no insult to advise the reader that Murder on the Leviathan is a highly structured, formulaic mystery that is written within the clear guidelines established for genre-mysteries in the Agatha Christie tradition. The enjoyment to be gained from reading books of this sort is derived from the writer's ability to work within that structure in an entertaining and exciting way. Akunin accomplishes this task with ease and, in the process, also manages to add a few new wrinkles to the genre.

The story centers on a gruesome mass murder carried out in connection with the commission of a brazen robbery of a priceless Indian shawl in Paris in 1878. The investigation is led by a less than stellar Parisian detective, the aptly named Inspector Gauche. Like Christies' Murder on the Orient Express, the initial investigation leads Inspector Gauche to a restricted setting with a limited number of suspects. In this case the setting is the S.S. Leviathan, making its initial voyage from Southampton, England to Calcutta,India via the Suez Canal.

Inspector Gauche boards the ship in Southampton after determining that the murderer will be on the vessel. Suspects are readily identified. Those suspects are a diverse bunch. They include an upper-class Englishman of dubious sanity, an apparently delicate young Swiss woman in the middle of her first pregnancy, a mysterious Japanese army officer whose knowledge of things military seems a bit sparse, and a professor who just happens to specialize in ancient Indian artifacts of the sort found missing in Paris.

Everyone has, or appears to have a motive. As the story unfolds the reader is provided with any number of clues and red herrings as is common of this sort of mystery. The story races to its inevitable and dramatic conclusion. It would be unfair to reveal more.

As noted earlier, the success of a book of this type centers on the ability of the author to work well within the established formula for these sorts of parlor mysteries. Akunin handles the formula with aplomb and grace and even breathes some fresh life into this venerable category of mystery books.

It should be noted that Leviathan does not consist of a straightforward narrative written in one voice. Rather, each chapter is written in the voice of one of the characters in the book, whether Inspector Gauche, one of the suspects or our own Erast Fandorin (more on his role in a bit). The story is advanced in each chapter but the change in voice adds a different perspective and insight. It also leads the reader to wonder whether he was reading the words of a guilty or innocent party. This structure added a layer of interest to the story and also served to paint the characters with a deeper, fuller brush.

Also, Erast Fandorin, although arguably the `hero' of these stories plays a somewhat minor yet very critical role in the development of the story and the ultimate solution of the crime(s). Fandorin does not join the ship until it has made at least one port of call. Fandorin does not take charge of the investigation. The bumbling, pompous Inspector Gauche remains firmly (or so he thinks) in charge of the investigation. Fandorin only interjects himself into the action when it becomes clear that Gauche is about to veer dramatically off course. When Fandorin does talk - people listen - and the reader pays attention. For example, it is Fandorin, alone amongst the passengers who has some understanding of the manner and way of thinking of the mysterious Japanese passenger. In fact, Akunin in real life speaks Japanese fluently and at one point in his life worked as a Russo-Japanese translator.

Keeping Fandorin off center stage also allowed the other passenegrs room to develop as characters as the story progresses. It was not all about Fandorin and the greater development of the other passengers' characters made for a more compelling read.

Fandorin's role also happens to be the books primary weakness in my opinion. I purchased Murder on the Leviathan in part because I was drawn to the character of Fandorin that Akunin had set out so masterfully in Winter Queen. The conclusion of Winter Queen left me wanting to see Fandorin grow and survive. I did not see that in Leviathan except for one section where Fandorin looks into the tortured soul of one of his fellow passengers with great empathy and understanding. This minor disappointment was outweighed though by the story itself and by the way Akunin told the story. I do look forward to seeing more of Fandorin in future volumes of the series.

I did like this book. I think anyone who likes this type of mystery genre will like Leviathan. First, Akunin shows respect for the structure. Second, Akunin's respect for the form did not prevent him from writing a highly entertaining and fresh piece of work. I only add that reading Winter Queen is not a prerequisite to enjoying or understanding Murder on the Leviathan. It would, however, enhance the reading experience.

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