Murder on the Leviathan - SPOILER Thread - (Erast Fandorin #3) (Jan/Feb 25)

[Susan]

Welcome to our Jan/Feb 25 buddy read of Murder on the Leviathan The third book in the Erast Fandorin series was published in 2004.

On 15th March 1878 Lord Littleby, an English eccentric and collector, is found murdered in his Paris house together with nine members of his staff. A gold whale in the victim's hand leads Erast Fandorin to board the Leviathan, the world's largest steamship, as the murderer is one of the 142 first class passengers.

Commissioner Gauche of the French police has narrowed down the suspects to ten, and they are forced to eat together at every meal time in the ship's Windsor Suite until 'the Crime of the Century' is solved. But is the murderer really at the table, and can Erast Fandorin discover his or her identity before Gauche? As more passengers are murdered and the Leviathan heads towards Calcutta, Fandorin needs all his investigative skills to find the truth.

Please feel free to post spoilers in this thread.

[Sandy]

Hmmm.... I thought the ending weaker than the rest of the book. Maybe the author is setting up an ongoing villain to be met later.

I liked that the clock and Japanese karate both saved Fandorin's life. I hope the troubled young man finds peace in Tahiti.

Was there a hint that Fandorin is going to spend time with Clarissa? I will look at the synopsis of the next book.

[Pamela]

I’ve got a bit behind with the Buddy Reads but I’m glad I kept on with this one. I really enjoyed it, there’s quite a lot of humour but he’s not afraid to put a dark twist in (poor old Papa Gauche!)

The plot was rather convoluted but I liked it, the characters were all eccentric so I didn’t get them mixed up (different nationalities helped!) and I didn’t mind the ending. I thought that last chapter was just so sad though, poor man.