3.5 stars 
 I loved the beginning of this book with the argument of how draughts (checkers) requires more reflective intellect than chess. I adore this type of out of the box thinking and Poe makes a good case! 
 I also enjoyed the murder story all the way up to when it was solved. I didn't care for the ending otherwise this would have been 4 stars for me. It's definitely worth a read.