The Winter Queen by Boris Akunin

The Winter Queen

Boris Akunin

Meet Erast Fandorin. This could be habit-forming. And I bet he is the only hero of a swashbuckling police novel whose life is saved because he wears corsets.

Extract
The main point of doubt is that Zurov is not the kind of man who would use someone else to kill for him. However, information from our agents indicates that he is constantly surrounded by all sorts of shady characters, so this scenario actually appears quite promising.
Parallels
  • The Hound of the Baskervilles by Arthur Conan Doyle
  • Gorky Park by Martin Cruz Smith
  • Aberystwyth Mon Amour by Malcolm Pryce