The Flanders Panel - Tapa blanda

A fifteenth-century Flemish painting depicts two noblemen playing chess. One of the men depicted was later to be murdered – and in his painting the artist leaves a pointer towards the culprit.

In late twentieth-century Madrid a picture-restorer commissioned to clean the painting for auction teams up with a chessplayer and an antiquarian to crack the ancient mystery – only to find their own lives under threat as an unknown player continues the moves in the game.

A murder mystery with a totally new twist.

“Chess, art and murder are skilfully woven together in this classy and enthralling Euro-thriller.”
ESQUIRE

“In its intellectual background detail it is reminiscent of Umberto Eco’s novels, but Pérez-Reverte’s plotting is much tighter and his narrative is more exciting ... hard to stop reading.”
MICHAEL EAUDE, 'T.L.S.'

“One of the best books I have read this year, original in concept, and immaculate in execution.”
EDWARD FRENCH, 'Books'

“Pérez-Reverte plays a good game with his readers ... It’s superb. I enjoyed it at least as much as 'The Name of The Rose'; it’s every bit as clever and written with a lighter touch. As chess fiction, it must be either the best ever written or second only to Stefan Zweig’s 'The Royal Game'.”
CHESS MONTHLY