Synopsis from the cover ...
St Petersburg, 1914. Dr Otto Spethmann, a famous psychoanalyst, is implicated in a murder. But he is preoccupied with two disturbing new patients: Anna Petrovna, the troubled society beauty with whom he is inappropriately falling in love, and Avrom Rozental, the brilliant chess master who is due to play the most important competition of his life but is on the verge of a breakdown. With the city rife with speculation and alarm, Spethmann must rely on his wits if he wants to save those he loves an escape from a Zugzwang of passion and politics.
I really enjoyed this book. For some reason I am attracted to Russia as a setting for novels. Great writing, nice and tight. It was a real thriller set in a time of mistrust and on the edge of revolution where no one could trust anyone and loyalty was bought and sold. The Zugzwang refers to the chess move and with a chess game going on through the game there was a clever relationship between it and the action on the page.
I would recommend this book to anyone who likes a good murder and/or if you are wanting to read something interesting and thought provoking. A good solid read.
1 comment:
Went to buy on iTunes and can only get a Spanish version!!! Gotta laugh. Think the library is a callin me.
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