The Man Who Kept Losing on Thursdays

Mara Bennett has spent years keeping her grandfather's Philadelphia bookstore alive. On Thursday nights, she gives the neighborhood one more reason to come inside: chess. Then a stranger in a dark coat sits down across from her, and she beats him in front of everyone. The stranger is Luca Moretti, a powerful man with a reputation for getting his way. He returns the following Thursday for a rematch. And the next. Mara enjoys making him work for every move, but Luca came to the store for a reason he hasn't told her: a missing employee was seen there before disappearing with a trail of suspicious company records. When a stranger starts watching the bookstore and an old chess manual goes missing, Mara must decide what Luca knows, what he's hiding, and whether to let him help. Luca is used to protecting people by taking control. Mara has fought too hard for her store and her independence to become another piece on anyone's board. Their Thursday games draw them closer. The truth behind Luca's first visit could end them before either is ready to walk away.