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Shakespeare created the myth of the Macbeths as indefensible murderous conspirators. But now internationally bestselling author Val McDermid drags the truth out of the shadows, exposing the patriarchal prejudices of history.
Britain's reigning "Queen of Crime" (The Scotsman), Val McDermid has ensnared audiences worldwide for over thirty years with her thrilling and masterfully plotted crime oeuvre. A radical, rip-roaring counternarrative drawing on the historical record, Queen Macbeth delivers an illuminating portrait of Shakespeare's most famous villain, and the treacherous pursuit of ambition that made her legendary.
A thousand years ago in an ancient Scottish landscape, a woman is on the run with her three companions – a healer, a weaver, and a seer. The men hunting her will kill her – because she is the only one who stands between them and their violent ambition. She is no lady: she is the first queen of Scotland, married to a king called Macbeth. As the net closes in, what unfurls is a tale of passion, forced marriage, bloody massacre, and the harsh realities of medieval Scotland. At the heart of it is one strong, charismatic woman, who survived loss and jeopardy to outwit the endless plotting of a string of ruthless and power-hungry men. Her struggle won her a country. But now it could cost her life.
Immersive and utterly riveting, Queen Macbeth is an electric reimagining of one of Shakespeare's most celebrated tragedies and reaffirms McDermid as one of the preeminent writers of our day.
"McDermid manages twists and turns that not only show her chops as a mystery novelist, but upend the cultural stranglehold Shakespeare's antiheroine has on our understanding of this intriguing real-life woman. A love letter to Scotland via a fast and fresh look at one of its monumental—and monumentally misunderstood—figures." —Kirkus Reviews
"The curtain rises on a masterful production...McDermid offers a sympathetic look at a woman who views herself as a mere game piece in an oppressive patriarchal society and makes a life for herself among the ubiquitous blood feuds and treachery of her time...All fans of The Bard will enjoy this." —Booklist
"Terse, atmospheric, and superbly reimagined, McDermid's latest ... perfectly captures the terror of living in a medieval Scotland riven by violence. Scottish history enthusiasts will enjoy." —Library Journal
"Sharp ... a pushy, playful rewriting of Shakespeare and Scottish history in the context of the hurly-burly present." —The Conversation
"It is Thelma and Louise with crossbows. The three companions are delightfully skilled, fast, furious, and deadly in battle ... a terrific novella." —West Highland Free Press
"A historical romance seen from the perspective of a strong and determined woman fighting for life and love." —Mail on Sunday
"A page-turning tale of adversity and adventure, laughter and love, death and defiance." —The Scotsman (UK)
"McDermid plunges into medieval Scotland. Overturning Shakespeare's propaganda, the reader will encounter a new Lady Macbeth amidst a web of vicious intrigue." ―Good Reading Magazine (Australia)
This information about Queen Macbeth was first featured
in "The BookBrowse Review" - BookBrowse's membership magazine, and in our weekly "Publishing This Week" newsletter. Publication information is for the USA, and (unless stated otherwise) represents the first print edition. The reviews are necessarily limited to those that were available to us ahead of publication. If you are the publisher or author and feel that they do not properly reflect the range of media opinion now available, send us a message with the mainstream reviews that you would like to see added.
Any "Author Information" displayed below reflects the author's biography at the time this particular book was published.
Val McDermid's bestselling novels have won the Los Angeles Times Book of the Year Award, and the Crime Writers' Association's Gold Dagger and Cartier Diamond Dagger Award for outstanding achievement. She is also a five-time finalist for the Edgar Award, including for the Fact Crime nominee Forensics and most recently the Sue Grafton Memorial nominee Past Lying. She lives in Scotland.
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