A fix of high comedy from a writer who provokes almost as much as he entertains

As I raced to the end, I found myself applauding Elton. This is a tough subject tackled with courage and commitment

Packed with Elton's trademark sharp wit and biting social commentary.. colourful and thought-provoking

Extraordinarily absorbing... will have you on the edge of your seat

A wonderful tale of the Imperial Russia court in all its glittering glory. Eva Stachniak vividly brings to life the early years of the meek young bride who would become the terrifying, fascinating Catherine the Great

Fantastic, bold, colourful, assured and wonderful writing - and what a story! An outstanding book, magical, beautiful with writing as crisp and fine and breathtaking as a Russian winter

Luxuriant... baroque and intimate, worldly and domestic, wildly strange and soulfully familiar

A whirlwind saga of intrigue, shifting allegiances and illicit liaisons, this engrossing story really captures the imagination

A wonderfully majestic and evocative tale of 18th century Russia at a key moment in history

An intensely written, intensely felt saga of the early years that shaped the 18th century's famous czarina, Catherine the Great. Her survival in the treachery of the Russian court was an amazing feat, and Eva Stachniak captures the fluidity and steeliness that propelled Catherine from a lowly German duchess to one of the towering figures of the century

A riveting reconstruction of a crucial era in Russian history… shows iconic figures of the period as real people

Covering the twenty years that turned Catherine the Great from a young bride on approval to the legendary Empress of Russia, Eva Stachniak's novel gives a magical insight into the hopes and fears that haunted the corridors of the St Petersburg palace. It brings alive the very tastes and textures of the mid-eighteenth century

An intimate portrait of 18th century girl-power

A wry moral tale exploring the little evasions and compromises of everyday life. Translator Agnes Scott does justice to Solstad’s measured voice

This short-but-striking novel quickly reveals itself to be…crime fiction, yes, but also a subtle and deeply introspective consideration of the inertia of lonely middle-age, its philosophy existentialist in the manner of Jean Paul Sartre, Ingmar Bergman and certain novels of Georges Simenon. The result is a highly complex and accomplished work

Intriguing tale… Solstad expertly navigates the bizarre mind of a clever but lonely man locked in an existentialist nightmare

This is no straightforward crime novel…an exploration of guilt, inaction and moral quandaries