Murder on the Leviathan
| Company type | Novel |
|---|---|
| Industry | Literature |
| Founded | 1998 |
| Founder | Boris Akunin |
| Products | Historical detective fiction |
Murder on the Leviathan (Russian: Левиафан; known as Leviathan in the UK edition) represents the third installment in the historical detective series featuring Erast Fandorin, authored by Russian writer Boris Akunin. It was the second title from the series to be rendered into English. Labeled as a герметический детектив ("hermetic detective"), Akunin crafted the Fandorin novels to explore various subgenres of detective fiction. In this volume, Leviathan adopts a style reminiscent of Agatha Christie, incorporating an exotic locale, a group of enigmatic individuals, and a puzzling homicide.
Plot summary
The narrative is set in 1878 and opens with the killing of Lord Littleby, his seven household staff members, and two children of servants in Paris. While all victims were poisoned, Lord Littleby himself suffered fatal blows inflicted by an ancient Indian relic—a golden statue of Shiva—which was taken alongside an antique Indian shawl.
Leading the inquiry is French investigator Gustave Gauche, who boards the passenger liner Leviathan. He hypothesizes that the culprit is among the first-class travelers, as a distinctive golden badge belonging to that class was discovered in Littleby's quarters. The list of suspects includes a Japanese Army officer, a peculiar English nobleman, a married Swiss woman, and a keen young Russian diplomat destined for Japan. This diplomat, Erast Fandorin, disputes Gauche's erroneous deductions and eventually assumes control over unraveling the mystery.
Awards and nominations
- At the 2005 Gumshoe Awards, Leviathan received a nomination for Best European Crime Novel.
BBC Radio Adaptation
The BBC adapted the story into its Saturday Play series, featuring Simon Robson as Fandorin and Stephen Moore portraying Gauche. This broadcast first aired on 3 December 2005.
Television
A television version was also produced for Poland's Teatr Telewizji (Television Theater) series, which premiered on 8 March 2021 with Piotr Zurawski in the role of Fandorin.
External links
- Complete Russian text of the novel available on Boris Akunin's official site.
- Concise New York Times review
- Archived TimesOnline review