This was the first Erast Fandorin novel I've read, and maybe it would have helped to read them in order. As it was, I wonder if the translation was off a little, as the word choices were often pretty strange. I could tell that the author was going for a 1900 feel to the language, but I don't think it came across well in translation. As for the plot - it was pretty thin.

Between the strange stylization and less than engaging story, I'll not be likely to try the other Akunin books.