Pelagia and the White Bulldog: The First Sister Pelagia Mystery - Tapa dura

His remarkable historical knowledge coupled with his irresistible writing style make his books compulsive reading...Set in provincial Russia at the tail end of the 19th century, Akunin's novel is full of unexpected twists and turns, glorious historical details and, best of all, lots of quirky elements that make it a joy to read....It's the kind of book that convinces you that a new crime-writing star is on the block and makes you impatient for his next novel. (WATERSTONE'S BOOKS QUARTERLY)

Akunin is a wonderful writer, fluent, inventive, fun-loving and confident. (Toby Clements DAILY TELEGRAPH (29.4.06))

... the plot is lively and full of twists, the characters are strong, the denouement is exciting. And the not very nunnish nun is immensely appealing. (Marcel Berlins TIMES (6.5.06))

...Pelagia's family likeness to Father Brown and Miss Marple is marked, and reading about her supplies a similarly decorous pleasure. (Jessica Mann LITERARY REVIEW (May 2006))

...it's a lighthearted affair, reminiscent of Agatha Christie or even, bizarrely, PG Wodehouse, with characters from high society sitting in parlours discussing the mysterious events. Pelagia is a likeable focus, and she, along with Akunin's assured yet mischievous narrative style, makes for a quaint yet entertaining murder mystery. (SCOTLAND ON SUNDAY (7.5.06))

[a] delightfully observed first entry introduces us to a welcome new protagonist whose character is developed quite as inventively as the quirky, baffling mystery she is involved in. (GOOD BOOK GUIDE (1.6.06))

this delightfully observed first entry introduces us to a welcome new protagonist whose character is developed quite as inventively as the quirky mystery she is involved in. (Eve Tan Gee CRIME TIME (1.8.06))

"[A] remarkable achievement: not only to link The Brothers Karamazov to Agatha Christie, but to develop in considerable detail the grounds on which Dostoevsky's tragedy and Christie's escapist puzzles meet." (KIRKUS REVIEWS)