My thoughts

A list of the characters for those who, like me, get a little confused with all the names. The Winter Queen or Azazel DRAMATIS PERSONAE Collegiate Registrar Erast Petrovich FANDORIN , a young new employee of the  Criminal Investigation Division of the Moscow Police Pyotr Alexandrovich KOKORIN , a student who kills himself in the park Nikolai Stepanich  AK HTYRTSEV , an acquaintance and rival of Pyotr Kokorin Elizaveta VON EVERT-KOLOKOLTSEVA , a witness to the suicide of the above Lady ASTAIR , a philanthropist who runs charitable institutions for children, including the Moscow Astair House Superintendent Xavier Feofilaktovich GRUSHIN , a senior  detective of the Criminal Investigation Division of the Moscow Police Ivan Prokofievich - a "scrawny, lanky veteran" of the police Amalia Kazirimovna BEZHETSKAYA , or "Cleopatra", a sensuous dark-haired woman Count  Hippolyte  Alexandrovich  Z UROV , a hot-head...

A list of the characters I compiled for myself, because I was getting confused. The State Counsellor DRAMATIS PERSONAE State Counsellor Erast Petrovich FANDORIN - Deputy for Special Assignments to His Excellency the Governor-General of Moscow Prince Vladimir Andreevich DOLGORUKOI - long-standing Governor-General of Moscow Frol Grigorievich VEDISHCHEV - the influential old personal servant of Prince Dolgorukoi Adjutant General Ivan Fyodorovich KHRAPOV - a senior government official, travelling at the beginning of the story to his new appointment as governor-general of Siberia. Staff Captain SEIDLITZ - an officer on the staff of Khrapov Colonel  Stanislav  Filippovich SVERCHIN SKY - acting commander of the Gendarmerie in Moscow Lieutenant Colonel Pyotr Ivanovich BURLYAEV  - the head of Moscow's Department for Public Security Titular Counsellor S ergei  Vitalievich ZUBTSOV -  the young senior operations officer for Burlyaev,...