The Winter Queen

When the English translation of Akunin's first "Erast Fandorin" mystery arrived on bookshelves last year, it was touted among the literati of the salon crowd as required reading. Such praise can be great for sales but can also be the kiss of death by raising the bar of expectation unrealistically high. THE WINTER QUEEN, which introduces Fandorin of the Moscow CID, evokes the glamour of Czarist Russia (not to mention Victorian London) of the late 1800s. But the translation is pedantic, interrupted by frequent footnotes, interpretations, and translations of foreign expressions. Michael Kramer's pronunciation is inconsistent, and his reading is as dry as last year's caviar. S.E.S. (c) AudioFile 2004, Portland, Maine

Erast Fandorin, a government clerk turned detective, makes for an unlikely but gifted sleuth in late nineteenth-century Russia. The latest Akunin mystery spans the European continent and involves a major conspiracy. Campbell Scott reads with a composed and collected voice befitting the protagonist's calm and intellect. As Scott subtly alters his voice, his even pace and enthusiasm bring each character to life. His low-key reading is the perfect pairing for the character of Fandorin, bringing to light the hero's na•veté and indignation over the crimes committed and the people involved. Even Akunin's sly humor is highlighted through Scott's rendition, bringing to the U.S. a welcome introduction to the Russian sleuth. H.L.S. (c) AudioFile 2004, Portland, Maine