“Azazel” is the first novel in Boris Akunin’s historical detective series about the investigator Erast Fandorin. The action takes place in the Russian Empire at the end of the 19th century. Young police official Erast Fandorin investigates a series of mysterious suicides, which lead him to uncover an international conspiracy involving the secret organization “Azazel.” The novel combines an engaging detective plot with historical authenticity.