Born of the weekly serialisation of the novel, as it was being written, in the ObserverA thriller for fans of Shadow of the Wind, The Interpretation of Murder and RestlessRonan also now has a chess column in the Guardian

Shortlisted for Hughes & Hughes Irish Novel of the Year Award 2008.

'A clever and exciting thriller ... a crime novel that's both literary and gripping, a rare treat' Daily Mail 'Brilliant ... atmospheric, ingenious and perfectly paced' Independent on Sunday 'Full of murder, political intrigue and moral dilemmas, and, everywhere, there are lies and betrayal ... Zugzwang is a thriller with ambitions. It has echoes of Graham Greene, Brian Moore and Alan Furst ... Zugzwang is an entertaining and serious work of fiction' TLS 'This classy, literate thriller is about chess, psychoanalysis, Russian skullduggery, history, mystery, romance - and more' The Times

Ronan Bennett was brought up in Belfast. He is the author of four novels, including the hugely acclaimed The Catastrophist (shortlisted for the Whitbread Novel Award) and Havoc, in Its Third Year (winner of the Hughes & Hughes Irish Novel of the Year and longlisted for both the Booker Prize and the IMPAC award). He has also written screenplays for film and television. Zugzwang was serialised weekly in the Observer in 2006. Ronan Bennett lives in London with his family.