Book Review

Zugzwang (2007)

EW's GRADE
B

Details Release Date: Oct 30, 2007; Writer: Ronan Bennett; Genres: Fiction, Mystery and Thriller; Publisher: Bloomsbury

Russia, 1914: a country on the cusp of revolution. A string of murders in St. Petersburg leads authorities to the office of famed psychoanalyst Otto Spethmann.

Movie Pitch
An enterprising shrink-sleuth goes to work in the Russia of Dr. Zhivago— with a bit of chess thrown in.

Lowdown
Light on historical detail, but long on strong characters and effective plot twists, Ronan Bennett's mystery-thriller, Zugzwang offers a satisfying endgame.

Originally posted Nov 01, 2007 Published in issue #963 Nov 09, 2007 Order article reprints

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