Azazel by Boris Akunin, summary Automatic translate

Boris Akunin’s (Grigory Shalvovich Chkhartishvili, Georgian: გრიგოლ შალვას ძე ჩხარტიშვილი) novel "Azazel" was published in 1998. The book opens a series about the adventures of Erast Petrovich Fandorin. The young detective serves the Russian Empire in the late 19th century. The action begins in Moscow on May 13, 1876. The plot revolves around a secret network of orphanages. Behind the façade of charity, the organizers conceal a dangerous spy network. The book sets the stage for the protagonist’s biography. The publication launched a series that included The Turkish Gambit, Leviathan, The Death of Achilles, Special Assignments, The State Counselor, Coronation, Death’s Mistress, Death’s Lover, The Diamond Chariot, The Whole World’s a Stage, and other works.

Incident in the garden

In the Alexander Garden, a young man shoots himself in full view of the public. Pyotr Kokorin was a wealthy heir to a fortune. He studied law at Moscow University. Before dying, the student spins the revolver’s cylinder, as if tempting fate. Police find a cynical suicide note in the dead man’s pocket. The text mentions a leather blotter. An eyewitness reports the suicide’s words:
"Gentlemen, pay attention to this curious experiment!"

The investigation is formally led by Ksavery Feofilaktovich Grushin, a bailiff in the Detective Department. He delegates the practical work to his clerk, Erast Fandorin. The nineteen-year-old orphan recently joined the service after his father’s bankruptcy and death. In Kokorin’s apartment, the young detective finds a will. The deceased bequeathed his entire fortune to the English Baroness Margaret Esther (Lady Esther). This renowned philanthropist opened orphanages for boys in Russia. These institutions are called "esternatas." On Kokorin’s desk stands a photograph of an unknown beauty with the inscription, "Once in love, don’t renounce!"

Fandorin interviews witnesses. Governess Emma Pfuel and her ward, Elizaveta von Evert-Kolokoltseva, share details. The detective learns of a strange, stooped student wearing pince-nez. This man observed the incident from a distance. Investigators gather testimony from various eyewitnesses, including landowner Spitsyna and clerk Kukin. Bailiff Grushin analyzes Kokorin’s route. The police officer establishes the fact of a deadly game. Kokorin played roulette with a revolver several times a day before the final shot.

The investigation reaches a new level

While searching for the stooped student, Fandorin comes across Nikolai Akhtyrtsev. He was a friend of Kokorin’s and one of the executors of his will. The trail leads to the mysterious beauty Amalia Bezhetskaya. The detective found her photograph on the deceased. Fandorin and Akhtyrtsev meet, but they are attacked. Akhtyrtsev is killed by a hitman with strange white eyes. The case takes on a political tinge. State Councilor Ivan Frantsevich Brilling from the Third Section joins the investigation. Brilling is investigating the case of an underground organization.

The experienced Brilling brings the young collegiate registrar into his orbit. His superior uses the young man for an undercover operation. Fandorin is taught how to play shtoss and introduced to card houses. Count Ippolit Zurov operates there. This gambler has a reputation as a dangerous brawler. Investigators suspect Zurov of having ties to Bezhetskaya. Fandorin begins following the count. The detective witnesses some intense scenes and becomes embroiled in a brutal game of cat and mouse with the murderers.

The London Trail and the Mystery of Lady Esther

Amalia Bezhetskaya’s trail leads to England. Brilling sends Fandorin there to conduct covert investigative operations. Under the assumed name "Erasmus von Dorn" , the detective arrives in London. Fandorin tracks Bezhetskaya. Surveillance of the beauty nearly costs the young man his life. Amalia’s henchmen capture the detective. At a critical moment, Count Zurov comes to the rescue. Breter kills the kidnappers and saves Fandorin’s life. Before fleeing, Bezhetskaya mails her blue briefcase containing encrypted messages to Russia.

Fandorin returns to Moscow and rushes to Brilling. The detective reports the situation. At that moment, Erast realizes the terrible truth. Ivan Frantsevich himself is a member of the secret organization "Azazel." Brilling attempts to kill his young subordinate. A brutal fight ensues. Brilling accidentally falls out of a window and dies. A stunned Fandorin studies the decrypted documents.

The detective makes a shocking discovery. Lady Esther’s charitable orphanages are a disguise for a system of raising gifted orphans. The children are trained as loyal agents for a global spy network. Graduates infiltrate the highest echelons of power in various countries.
Some students become the brains of the organization.
Others serve as blind instruments for eliminating undesirables.
The killer with the white eyes was precisely such an instrument.

Confrontation in the esternate

The hero travels to Lady Esther’s main mansion. The hostess orders her assistants to seize the intruder. The doorman and assistant capture Fandorin. Professor Blank steps in. The mad physicist is preparing an experiment. He plans to perform brain surgery on the prisoner. The purpose of the procedure is to suppress the young man’s will and re-educate him. Erast Petrovich finds himself in a desperate situation.

The detective miraculously frees himself from his bonds. He knocks out Professor Blanc. Fandorin threatens the doorman with a revolver and demands to be taken to the Baroness. In the library, Lady Esther confesses the scale of the conspiracy. She calls the young man a threat to her adopted children. Lady Esther pronounces:

You are a small stone in my path, Erast Petrovich. But I will not allow you to destroy my work.

Return and tragic ending

The novel’s finale takes the reader to Moscow several months later. The elite of society gathers in the elegant Zlatoust Church. The wedding of Erast Petrovich Fandorin and Elizaveta von Evert-Kolokoltseva is celebrated on a grand scale. The groom has already received the Order of Vladimir. The social elite is discussing his rapid career advancement. The true details of the victory over "Azazel" are strictly classified by the police. The guests rejoice over the happy newlyweds.

After the wedding, the couple heads to the hotel. A heavy package is delivered to their room. The bellhop announces a gift from a high-ranking well-wisher. Liza approaches the package first. She curiously removes the wrapping paper. Fandorin turns away for a second. He hears a strange ticking sound inside the box. The detective screams and rushes to his wife. The detonator detonates.

The explosion destroys the room and shatters the windows onto the street. The shock wave throws Erast Petrovich aside. He suffers a severe concussion. Liza dies instantly from terrible wounds. The young man crawls toward the body of his murdered fiancée. The hero realizes the brutal revenge of the surviving members of the secret organization. The agents of "Azazel" dealt a fatal blow on the happiest day of his life.

Shock forever changes the twenty-year-old’s appearance. His temples turn white. A noticeable stutter appears in his speech. Tragedy shatters his ability to openly express his feelings. The death of his wife leaves a deep scar on his soul. Erast Petrovich transforms into a cold-blooded crime fighter.