Erast Fandorin was born in about 1856 to the wealthy Fandorin family. While he never knew his mother, his father was his companion in early years until he died leaving his son with nothing but debts due to his gambling problems. This forced Erast to leave the University of Moscow and join the police force as a clerk. When the reader meets him, Erast is about 20 years old an inexperienced. Throughout the novel, he is shown to be the stereotypical "young" and "naive." As the series progresses, so does Erast's character, developing his talents for deductions and moving around from job to job. In books later than the "Winter Queen" the story moves on from being told first person by Erast to other minor characters. Each book from then on is also expressed in a different genre showing him in a different light. Erast has also interacted with, in certain books, Sherlock Holmes and Arsene Lupin.