Erast Fandorin's return to Moscow is marred by the death of his war-hero friend, The White General - Mikhail Sobolev. Although the apparent cause is an unexpected heart-attack, Fandorin, exercising his unusual observation skills suspects foul play. As he investigates the circumstances, it seems he's correct, but nobody is willing to acknowledge the reality. Fandorin, in fact, sees any support for his seeking the truth not only whither away, but become outright hostile. This is a very political crime, indeed. In an excruciatingly twisted and seemingly endless story, Akunin has again demonstrated the skills that have made him one of Russia's most popular contemporary writers.

Unlike some of the Fandorin books, such as "The Turkish Gambit" where our hero often seems limited to almost cameo roles, the "collegiate assessor" - his innocuous-sounding official title - is more present and accounted for in this story. He even demonstrates his skills at disguise to enter one of Moscow's less salubrious evening entertainment establishments in search of information for his quest. Although the politicians fail to provide Erast with any support, the "registrar's" time in the Orient enabled him to gain a helpmeet. Masahiru, who bears an interesting resemblance to Peter Sellers' "Kato" in the Inspector Clouseau films, has interesting tastes in both food and women. A samurai, he's taught Erast much, but is seriously challenged in adapting to the West. Still, it's a team with amazing potential. Akunin has a talent for giving us only a partial view of Fandorin. Even after four introductions, we remain uncertain of with whom we are dealing. Which certainly doesn't detract from the story.

In this tale, a new prose style and an unexpected element appear as a departure from the rest of the series. The style is slightly more open and there are flashes of humour rarely present in Akunin's work - if you set aside ironies. In many ways, this is the most "readable" of the Fandorin tales. Subtle differences from the rest of the series - it is less "imitative" than the previous books -providing it with a characteristic flavour. The element is to set aside over a third of the book to a [seemingly] new character - Achimas. Akunin develops this man in exquisite detail, weaving a compelling, if disturbing narrative around the forming of a dedicated killer. Known as Aksahir - the "White Wizard" - Achimas moves through Russia and into Europe building a reputation. With so much space dedicated to Achimas' story, it's clear that a confrontation with Fandorin is inevitable. Its resolution, of course, will have surprising twists. After all, this is Akunin! [stephen a. haines - Ottawa, Canada]

The author writes beautifully & this is well-translated.

The pages fly by. Terrific story, wonderful plot with twists & turns. Highly enjoyable.

i ordered this one and the 'special assignments' book at the same time and read them both back to back. the way that 'achilles' slips from fandorin's view to achimas's view is seamless and well crafted. the story moves quickly, and the internal politics between the different departments are just as interesting as the battle between our hero and his main adversary. i liked very much that akunin gives the antagonist a human side (as much as possible for a professional killer). the fact that fandorin is not entirely perfect, and he's not entirely invulnerable makes him so much more believable. this book is well worth your time if you loved earlier fandorin mysteries.

This is the fourth Fandorin story to be translated (with kudos to Andrew Bromfield for a great job) of the eleven stories that Akunin has written. It would be great if the publishers could get moving and get more than one book translated each year. Much of this book is a continuation of the story line from the "Winter Queen" and the conflict between Erast and the assassin Achimas.

The book itself has an inventive structure. The first part (which is divided into chapters) deals with Erast and the 'Death of Achilles' (aka General Sobelev) who was a hero to most of Russia. We learn that the General was planning a 'coup d'etat' and that he planned to set himself up as Tsar. He dies though, inflagarante and this is just the beginning of the story. Erast is certain that the General was murdered but he is not sure why, how or on whose orders. As he works his way through the maze of misinformation, double and triple agents, just as he is about to confront Achimas, the first part ends.

The second part (where chapters are headlined by names) is the biography or history of Achimas. How he came to be an assassin for hire and his training and background. We even see how he first encounters Erast. In the end we follow him through the murder of Sobelev and fill in some of the information left out in the first part. Again this section ends as he is about to be confronted by Erast.

The third part is the short (only twenty pages, two chapters) where the two antagonists square off and we learn the identity of the man who has ordered the 'Death of Achilles' and why.

Though I would have preferred to read more about the six years that Erast spent in Japan (I assume there will be flashbacks in future novels) the background on Achimas is entertaining reading.

A remarkable series to say the least , with an incredible backdrop of Russia towards the end of the period of the Tsars. The one thought which crossed my mind when I put down the novel was , just where was Boris Akunin all this while. Erast Fandorin , a 24 carat hero, is one of the best sleuths that you will encounter in literature.
The setting is 19th century Russia flirting with enlightenment , with significant tension simmering with imperial neighbors. The nation is rocked with the death of its favourite general in rather suspicious circumstances, conveniently in the same hotel where Erast Fandorin is lodged. What follows is a remarkable story of unravelling layers of intrigue .Every murder seems to indicate an acceptable closure to the mystery , but a never say die pursuit by the detective takes you deeper into the darker forces involved. Fandorin has a remarkable Japanese man friday which tends to deviate from the usual diet of dumb counterfoils to brilliant detectives. Fandorin is Holmes with Zen nay a Bond with restraint. There's much more than just Fandorin to savor here. The rather brutal rural Russian setting gives rise to a diabolical assassin who almost proves too much for out hero.
Its a great commentary on Russian society during the 19th century, much as the pipe smoking Holmes characterises Britain. Never a dull moment , this is a book to savor.

Fandorin is back in Russia from Japan with Masa, his manservant, and immediately encounters the mysterious death of General Sobolev, his colleague from "Turkish Gambit". Other reviews have detailed the plot, so I won't elaborate, but as someone once said "the beauty is in the details"; they are in abundance in this book. One of Akunin's strengths is that he creates villains as interesting and complex as his hero Fandorin, and this book contains a very worth match for the intrepid Erast Petrovich. The last third of the book elaborates upon the life of this villain and his motives, essential to the plot and evoking details from "The Winter Queen, aka Azazel", my second favorite Fandorin novel. As usual, Akunin includes well-drawn, intelligent and beautiful femme fatales to add some spice to the mix.

This book would translate nicely to the screen. I have read that Azazel will be refilmed in 2008 by an American director. Perhaps then Fandorin will have a larger, well-deserved world-wide audience.

Strongly recommend to all lovers of mystery who enjoy an occasional mental exercise :)

The Death of Achilles is a return to form for Akunin, with keenly drawn characters more reminiscent of Winter Palace than his later books. Not high art, but a fun summer read.

My mother never cooked pot roast the same way twice even though she made it every Friday night for years. It tasted different every time despite the fact that the basic ingredients remained the same. However, she managed to vary the ingredients and their mixture enough so that each Friday it tasted like a new dish. As a result I never grew tired of it.

The same is true of Boris Akunin's Erast Fandorin mysteries. Each one contains the same basic ingredients: the brilliant, handsome yet emotionally scarred Russian detective Erast Fandorin; charming yet dangerous women; a murder or series of murders which typically have or could have a political impact on mother Russia in the last quarter of the 19th-century; and a villain or villains who test Fandorin's physical and mental skills. Yet, in each one Akunin manages to mix and match the ingredients enough to make each one in the series seem fresh. The fourth in the series, "Death of Achilles", is as fresh as the first (the wonderful "Winter Queen) and was great fun to read.

The plot is relatively straightforward. Fandorin has returned from Japan to Moscow in order to assume the position of Deputy for Special Assignments to Prince Vladimir Dolgoruski, the Governor of Moscow. At his very first meeting with the Prince Fandorin is saddened and astonished to hear that that his friend and mentor General Sobolev, known to his millions of admirers throughout Russia as Achilles, has been found dead in his room. Fandorin is told that Sobolev has died of a heart attack while sleeping alone in his hotel room. Fandorin quickly determines that not only did Sobolev not die in his room but that he died in the midst of a passionate embrace with a well-known German woman of easy virtue. Fandorin next determines that Sobolev's death was not a heart attack but by poisoning and sets out to unravel the crime and reveal the killers.

Fandorin is faced with no easy task. Prince Dolgoruski and the Russian ruling elite (the Royal family) want the matter disposed of quickly with no hint of foul play. Sobolev's comrades at arms have reasons aplenty (some of them quite politically charged) to keep the nature of Sobolev's lurid end from coming to light. Further, Moscow's violent criminal underworld has been tasked with using any means necessary to stop the investigation in its tracks. In other words, for Fandorin an untimely death lurks around every corner.

Although the odds are stacked against him Fandorin can rely on the martial arts skills he acquired while in Japan. He also has some added protection from Masahiro Shibata, a member of the Japanese warrior class who owes his life to Fandorin. This particular aspect of the plot is perhaps the weakest element of Death of Achilles. It does stretch the imagination a bit to believe that a Russian detective has returned from Japan with martial arts expertise and a warrior bodyguard. It is not quite so far fetched as it may sound based on Fandorin's experience with Japan in earlier volumes in the series but it does require more than the normal suspension of disbelief used in most detective novels.

If Fandorin's martial arts skills are the plot's weakest element, they are more than made up for by the starring role accorded to Fandorin's nemesis, Achimas. Achimas is a brutally efficient and intelligent killing machine. He has a mind like a chess master and is Fandorin's equal both in physical and mental skills. As such he is the perfect foil for Fandorin and Akunin does a masterful job of bringing Achimas to life. Akunin provides us with a sharply drawn portrait of Achimas' life. It makes for compelling reading and vests the villain with more subtlety and nuance than is usually the case in such stories.

The Death of Achilles will not disappoint fans of the Erast Fandorin mysteries. It should also be enjoyed by people who are new to Akunin's work. It stands up well on its own and can be enjoyed by people who have not read the earlier book. Having said that, I think the reading experience would be enhanced by reading Akunin's earlier three books in the series. First, they are each excellent in their own right. Second, they provide the reader with background information on Fandorin that does make some of his actions here a bit easier to grasp. In many ways this series is similar to Martin Cruz Smith's series of books involving another Russian detective (about 100 years later) Arkady Renko. Each volume is good by itself but the sum is far greater than its individual parts.

Enjoy! L. Fleisig

I love this author. Not only do you have a 'whodoneit' but the dry sense of humour is wonderful. I will read every book he writes.

This is my 4th Fandorin novel and I like it as much as the first, Winter Queen. It is fast-moving and complex. I have now learned to pay attention to all the details and it is fun to look for characters from the previous books (readers new to the Fandorin series should read the books in sequence: 1. Winter Queen 2. Turkish Gambit 3. Leviathan 4. Achilles). What I really liked was just as they get down to business solving this mystery, the author stops and embarks on a seemingly unconnected story about some "Achimas". This book within a book is Russian story-telling at its very best and allows you to catch your breath before Akunin dives back into the main plot and puts together all the pieces from two perspectives. Simply wonderful. As there are no more English translations, I will continue with this series in German.

Boris Akunin's, The Death of Achilles is the fourth in the Fandorin mystery series. It is unique and interesting because the story is told in two parts. Part one is from the perspective of detective Erast Petrovich Fandorin, and in part two, we are drawn into the life of Fandorin's nemesis, Achimas.

In 1882, Fandorin, returns to Moscow from Japan where he has been for several years. The detective is to take the position of Deputy for Special Assignments. But when he arrives in Moscow, Fandorin learns that his friend and national hero, General Mikhail Sobolev has died of a heart attack.

Fandorin suspects that the death of Sobolev was not a heart attack and he intends to learn the truth. The trail leads to a beautiful woman of ill repute with whom Fandorin believes was with Sobolev when he died.

It is in the best interest of Prince Dolgoruski and the criminal underworld that the investigation is stopped. It is not something Fandorin intends to do. Consequently danger and possible death lurk around every corner.

Akunin's hero is fascinating and mystery aficionados will see a bit of Sherlock Holmes in Fandorin. His love life is reminiscent of James Bond and his Japanese sidekick and bodyguard, remind one of Dr. Watson.

I've never read anything written by Boris Akunin but I will search for his previous novels. While there were portions of the book in which the reader is required to suspend their belief system a bit, it is overall a fast-paced and exciting read.

Armchair Interviews says: The Death of Achilles is filled with a brilliant and handsome hero, a brutal and vicious bad guy, beautiful women, dangerous situations and a plot that is truly unique. In other words, it has it all.

The fourth installment of the Erast Fandorin series is hands down the best. I loved the first two Akunin novels, but thought The Turkish Gambit was not quite up to that standard. Here, Akunin adds to his literary magic.

The Fandorin character now has more dimensions - six years have passed since the last book, and he's just returned from a commission in Japan, having learned the ways of the Samurai and with a Japanese manservant. He also has new technology, like the telephone, at his disposal.

The typical Fandorin style is here -- a modern take on the breathless florid prose of the 19th Century. Akunin's wit and use of language (I know it's a translation, but could it read even better in Russian) is sharper than ever. The mystery elements of these books, as usual, aren't quite as important as the well drawwn characters, and Akunin has come up with two great ones in the temptress Wanda and the villain, Achimas.

Achimas is what makes this book so great. Not only is he a worthy advesary for Fandorin, but a lot of the book is written from his perspective. Here, Akunin gets to show off his abiilty to write in a completely different style. It all leads up to what I believe is the most heart stopping conclusion amongst the four books that have been translated into English. Great stuff.

We just need to get Andrew Bromfield to work even faster -- there are still seven or so Fandorins that need to be translated.

After an absence of six years, Erast Fandorin returns to Moscow, and is immediately caught up in the death of his old friend from the Balkans, General Sobolev, the "Russian Achilles". Nothing appears to be the way it seems, and there are red herrings aplenty. The book is essentially in two parts, one concentrating on Fandorin, and the other giving the life story of the murderer of the general. Both parts are extremely interesting, and the ending is an action-packed group of pages. I look forward eagerly to each new Fandorin book, and knowing that there are still six more to be translated and published here makes me very happy!

Renowned Russian war hero General Sobolev is found dead in his room at Moscow's Dusseaux Hotel, a victim of a heart attack. Prince Fandorin, just back from six years of diplomatic duty in Japan to take the job of Deputy for Special Assignments, is stunned to learn of the death of his friend.

Even more shocking is that he learns that the "Russian Achilles" as the General was affectionately known had not died in the room where the body was found and he was in the throes of passion so had not been alone. Fandorin obtains reluctant permission from his superior the Governor of Moscow Prince Vladimir Andreevich Dolgoruski to investigate. With his Japanese manservant Maso assisting him, Fandorin makes inquires into the final days of his mentor only to find himself pitted against a diabolical opponent with no scruples and the strong backing of the leaderships of government, the military and the underworld to stonewall him.

THE DEATH OF ACHILLES is a fabulous Russian historical police procedural that besides entertaining the reader will stun fans as the key viewpoint shifts from Fandorin to the killer about half way into the exciting story line. The mystery is first rate, the deep look at late nineteenth century Moscow is superb, Fandorin is his usual amusing aside self and the killer first rate. The translation of Boris Akunin's excellent thriller is a winner.