Murder on the Leviathan

In 1878, a horrible murder shakes Paris; Lord Littleby's skull has been cracked open, a precious statue is missing, and seven servants and two children in the household lie supine, dispatched by poison. Blustery "Papa" Gauche deduces that the killer will board the Leviathan, a luxurious cruise ship making its maiden voyage to India, and he arranges passage. In short order, he collects suspect passengers in a salon and attempts to entrap them, only to be quietly shown up by a young Russian diplomat named Erast Fandorin. Yes, Fandorin, star of The White Queen, Akunin's scintillating English-language debut, has returned in good form. This is another intelligent and deftly plotted work by Russian philologist/mystery writer Akunin, perhaps a bit more traditional in approach than The White Queen (as the publicity suggests, it's obviously an homage to Agatha Christie) but still full of surprises and incisive in its characterization and psychological depth.