Reviews

The Queen's Gambit by Diane A.S. Stuckart

enutzman's review

3.0

This was a quick read with Leonardo Da Vinci as the detective.

libraryowl's review

4.0

Never judge a book by its cover. How many times had I heard that before. Yet, as I grabbed this book for its diminutive size..easily carried in a purse while headed out on a vacation, I was sure I wouldn't like it. I was wrong. Surprisingly, I enjoyed this book very much. It was a very pleasant read and had more depth than I expected of this novel. This is a mystery combined with historical fiction. What really grabbed my attention to begin with was the point of view this book is told from. We follow Leonardo da Vinci on a quest to solve a mystery through the eyes of one of his apprentices. Dino is an apprentice of Leonardo's who is an interesting character because of Dino's own secret that is harbored. Leonardo is asked by the Duke of Milan to find out who the killer of the Duke's cousin might be. There are many suspects in the tale. I appreciated the way we see into the world of Leonardo. In this novel, the reader sees into some of his inventions as well as his artistic creations. It was a fun way to read a mystery and learn a little about what Leonardo might have been like at the same time. I would absolutely read another book by this author.

julieputty's review

3.0

I'm not sure why people insist on turning historical characters into sleuths.

***

The real problem with using an actual person in a mystery is that you are completely boxed in by reality. This is a perfectly okay historical mystery, but it didn't actually need Leonardo in it and would potentially have been better with a different character even if he were recognizable as a take off on Leonardo himself.