The Coronation: The Further Adventures Of Erast Fandorin (Erast Fandorin 7)

Fandorin returns in a swashbuckling tale of abduction and intrigue, set during the build-up to the coronation of Tsar Nicholas II. Grand Duke Georgii Alexandrovich arrives in Moscow for the coronation, with three of his children. During an afternoon stroll, daughter Xenia is dragged away by bandits, only to be rescued by an elegant gentleman and his oriental sidekick. The passing heroes introduce themselves as Fandorin and Masa, but panic ensues when they realise that four-year old Mikhail has been snatched in the confusion. A ransom letter arrives from an international criminal demanding the handover of the Count Orlov, an enormous diamond on the royal sceptre which is due to play a part in the coronation. Can the gentleman detective find Mikhail in time? Moscow 1896. The city is alive with music and pageantry as crowds gather for the coronation of Russia's Tsar. Grand Duke Georgii Alexandrovich arrives with his children for the celebrations. Yet no sooner have the family settled in than they are ambushed by bandits. Despite the well-timed intervention of an elegant gentleman and his oriental sidekick, one of the Grand Duke's children is snatched. The Duke's party is infiltrated by the master criminal Doctor Lind, and Fandorin is plunged into a race against the clock. As old grudges and mistaken identities conspire against our hero it seems that either a child's life or the magnificent coronation diamond, the Count Orlov, will have to be sacrificed "The city is alive with musisc and pageantry as crowds gather for the coronation of Russia's Tsar. Grand Duke Georgii Alexandrovich arrives with his children for the celebrations. Yet no sooner have the family settled in than they are ambushed by bandits."--Page 4 of cover Ernst Fandorin and a race against time just before the coronation of Tsar Nicholas II as one of the Grand Duke's childrenis kidnapped and a ransom note arrives - from Fandorin's nemesis, Doctor Lind.