The Queen's Gambit: A Leonardo da Vinci Mystery

by Diane A. S. Stuckart

Overview

“A welcome way to spend an adventurous time in Renaissance Italy.”—Margaret Frazer

As Court Engineer to the Duke of Milan, Leonardo DaVinci turns his superior mind to a variety of pursuits—from advances in painting to the invention of war machines. And with his favorite apprentice Dino to aid him, his keen intellect is perfect for sleuthing. . . .
 
1483. Milan, province of Lombardy. On a royal whim, Ludovico Sforza, the Duke of Milan, orders a living chess game to be enacted by members of his court. DaVinci conjures the spectacle in a single night, but his latest success turns bitter when one of the “pieces” is murdered.
 
With even the Duke’s closest advisors suspect to treachery, DaVinci is the only man Sforza can trust to conduct the investigation. With his scrupulous eye for detail, DaVinci uncovers a vile nest of secrets—and danger—but the most surprising secret of all may be the true identity of his most talented, most trusted apprentice. . . . 
 
“Impressive . . . Vivid.”—Publishers Weekly (starred review)
 
“Readers can expect plenty of intrigue and danger in this refreshing new series.”—Mystery Scene Magazine

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781101207642
Publisher:	Penguin Publishing Group
Publication date:	01/02/2008
Sold by:	Penguin Group
Format:	eBook
Pages:	336
Sales rank:	253,907
File size:	709 KB
Age Range:	18 Years

About the Author

Diane A. S. Stuckart is the award-winning author of the Leonardo da Vinci Mystery series from Berkley Prime Crime. Writing as Ali Brandon, she is the New York Times bestselling author of the Black Cat Bookshop Mystery series, also from Berkley. She began her publishing career writing critically acclaimed historical romance for Pinnacle Books and Zebra Books under the names "Alexa Smart" and "Anna Gerard." A native Texan with a degree in journalism from the University of Oklahoma, Diane now lives in South Florida, though she's still a Westerner at heart. She's a member of Mystery Writers of America and the Cat Writers Association.

Editorial Reviews

Leonardo da Vinci, the epitome of the Renaissance man, turns to solving mysteries in Stuckart's impressive debut. Ludovico Sforza, the duke of Milan, asks Leonardo to organize an elaborate live chess game to settle a dispute between the duke and the French ambassador to Milan. All goes well until the duke's ambassador to France, who was playing a white bishop, is found murdered by the duke's knife. Fearing severe political repercussions and possible threats from within the court, the paranoid duke commands Leonardo, one of the few outsiders he trusts, to investigate. The mystery unfolds with vivid details of 15th-century Milanese royal life, the political intrigues of the time and the elaborate preparations for Leonardo's frescos. Narrated by Dino, an apprentice who serves as a rather excitable Watson to Leonardo's coolly analytical Holmes, the mesmerizing plot moves swiftly to a dramatic conclusion that will leave readers eagerly awaiting the next volume. (Jan.)

Copyright 2007 Reed Business Information

Publishers Weekly

Capturing the essence of 15th-century Milan, Stuckart's mystery debut introduces a new detective: Leonardo da Vinci. He and his apprentice Dino must solve the stabbing death of the Conte di Ferrara, cousin of Ludovico Sforza, acting Duke of Milan, while a live chess game is being enacted. Using the chess theme as a springboard, Stuckart details life in a castle, the routine tasks assigned to the apprentices of a maestro of art, and the court intrigues that eventually lead to murder. Stuckart also writes under the names Alexa Smart and Anna Gerard.

—Jo Ann Vicarel

Library Journal