Erast Fandorin Mysteries books in order

Q: "How many books are in the Erast Fandorin Mysteries series?"

"There are sixteen books in the Erast Fandorin Mysteries series, published between 1998 and 2023."

Q: "What is the first book in the Erast Fandorin Mysteries series?"

"The first book in the Erast Fandorin Mysteries series is The Winter Queen, published in 1998."

Q: "Do the Erast Fandorin books need to be read in order?"

"Reading in publication order is recommended, as Fandorin ages and develops across the series and later books reference earlier events. The Winter Queen (1998) is the correct starting point. Some books in the middle of the series can be read more independently, but the early and late entries benefit from sequential reading."

Reading order

#	Title	Published	Author	Buy on Amazon
1	The Winter Queen	1998	Erast Fandorin	Buy
2	The Turkish Gambit	1998	Erast Fandorin	Buy
3	Murder on the Leviathan / Leviathan	1998	Erast Fandorin	Buy
4	The Death of Achilles	1998	Erast Fandorin	Buy
5	The Jack of Spades	2007	Erast Fandorin	Buy
6	The State Counsellor	2008	Erast Fandorin	Buy
7	The Coronation	2009	Erast Fandorin	Buy
8	She Lover of Death	2009	Erast Fandorin	Buy
9	He Lover of Death	2010	Erast Fandorin	Buy
10	The Diamond Chariot	2011	Erast Fandorin	Buy
11	All The World’s a Stage	2017	Erast Fandorin	Buy
12	Black City	2018	Erast Fandorin	Buy
13	Not Saying Goodbye	2019	Erast Fandorin	Buy
14	Just Masa	2020	Erast Fandorin	N/A
15	Pit	2023	Erast Fandorin	N/A
16	Special Assignmentsis the compilation of two separate novellas,The Jack of SpadesandThe Decorator, and they are listed individually above.	2007	Erast Fandorin	N/A

The Erast Fandorin Mysteries is a series of historical detective novels by Boris Akunin (pen name of Grigory Chkhartishvili), spanning sixteen entries from The Winter Queen (1998) to Pit (2023). The series follows Erast Petrovich Fandorin, a young Russian civil servant who becomes one of the Empire’s most skilled investigators, from his first case in Moscow in the 1870s through the tumultuous decades approaching the Russian Revolution.

Akunin structures each novel to evoke a different genre or literary tradition: one book is written as an epistolary novel, another as a play, others as straight detective fiction or espionage thriller. This formal variety keeps the series fresh across its long run while maintaining Fandorin as a consistent central figure. The historical detail is substantial – the books cover events including the Russo-Turkish War, the Russo-Japanese War, and the 1905 Revolution – and Akunin uses Fandorin’s investigations to illuminate specific moments in Russian history.

The series has been translated into many languages and is particularly well regarded in Europe. Note that Special Assignment, sometimes listed separately, is a compilation of two novellas (The Jack of Spades and The Decorator) that appear individually in the main sequence. The Winter Queen is the essential starting point, establishing Fandorin’s character and the series’ tone.

Frequently Asked Questions

How many books are in the Erast Fandorin Mysteries series?

There are sixteen books in the Erast Fandorin Mysteries series, published between 1998 and 2023.

What is the first book in the Erast Fandorin Mysteries series?

The first book in the Erast Fandorin Mysteries series is The Winter Queen, published in 1998.

Do the Erast Fandorin books need to be read in order?

Reading in publication order is recommended, as Fandorin ages and develops across the series and later books reference earlier events. The Winter Queen (1998) is the correct starting point. Some books in the middle of the series can be read more independently, but the early and late entries benefit from sequential reading.

Reading order#

Frequently Asked Questions

Reading order