Crib Notes-Check & Mate

If, like a gazillion Netflix watchers, you found yourself riveted by The Queens Gambit, I thought you might enjoy a literary foray into the world of Chess. No board or opponent required.

THE EIGHT - Katherine Neville

A bejeweled chess set that belonged to Charlemagne has been buried in an abbey for a thousand years. As the bloody French Revolutions rages in Paris, the nuns dig it up and scatter its pieces across the globe because, when united, the set contains a secret power that could topple civilizations. To keep it from falling into the wrong hands, two young nuns embark on a global adventure. One of my all-time favourite books!!

If You Liked…The Da Vinci Code, The Judas Strain

FLANDERS PANEL - Arturo Perez-Reverte

A young art restorer discovers a peculiar inscription hidden in the corner of a painting by a master that is about to be auctioned off.  Who killed the knight?  In the painting the Duke of Flanders and his knight are locked in a game of chess and a dark lady lurks mysteriously in the background. As our main character tries to solve the mystery, people in the art world begin to turn up brutally murdered.

If You Liked…The Art Forger, Bel Canto

THE GIRL WHO PLAYED GO - Shan Sa

A young Japanese girl distracts herself from the onslaught of adulthood by playing the game of go with strangers in a public square.  Unbeknownst to the girl, her most worthy and frequent opponent in a soldier in disguise.  Captivated by her beauty as much as her strategic approach to the game, he finds his loyalties challenged.

If You Liked…The Nightingale, The Joy Luck Club

PRODIGIOUS SAVANT - J.J. White

Gavin survives a dreadful explosion, endless hours of brain surgery and thirty days in a coma to awake possessing not just one savant talent, but several.  Including art, music, mathematics and memory with no head trauma remaining.  The question becomes can he survive the conflicts that arise with all the remarkable brilliance that these talents bring with them.

If You Liked…Curious Incident Of The Dog & The Nighttime, Zero Sum Game