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

As court engineer to the Duke of Milan, Leonardo da Vinci turns his superior mind to a variety of pursuits -- from advances in painting to the invention of war machines. And with his favorite apprentice Dino to aid
hint, his keen intellect is perfect for sleuthing...

1483. Milan, province of Lombardy. On a royal whim, Ludovico Sforza, the Duke of Milan, orders a living chess game to be enacted by members of his court. Da Vinci conjures the spectacle in a single night, but his latest success turns bitter when one of the "pieces" is murdered.

With even the duke's closest advisers suspected of treachery, da Vinci is the only man Sforza can trust to conduct the investigation. Using his scrupulous eye for detail, da Vinci uncovers a vile nest of secrets -- and danger -- but the most surprising secret of all may be the true identity of his most talented, most trusted apprentice...