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Rizzio

Darkland Tales
By Denise Mina
Series: Darkland Tales
0.0 (0 reviews)
3.86 goodreads logo

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Check link for latest rating. ( 4,852 ratings, 682 reviews)
Book Hero Magic crafted this summary to help describe this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Summary
Set on 9 March 1566, Rizzio brings to life the dramatic night when Mary, Queen of Scots, six months pregnant, hosts a supper party unaware that assassins are approaching to murder her trusted secretary, David Rizzio. Denise Mina vividly explores the charged sexual dynamics and brutal political manoeuvrings within the royal court, weaving a tense narrative of love, power, and betrayal in a meticulously researched but accessible historical setting.
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Format: Hardback
$2999
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Book Hero Magic created this recommendation. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! IS THIS YOUR NEXT READ?

Rizzio is perfect for readers who enjoy historical fiction with a gripping, suspenseful plot and rich characterisation. Fans of political intrigue, historical dramas centred on royalty, and expertly woven crime elements will find this novel especially rewarding. It suits those interested in 16th-century Scottish history and the complex dynamics of power and gender.

Book Hero thinking about your next read

From the multi-award-winning Denise Mina comes a radical new take on one of the darkest episodes in Scottish history the bloody assassination of David Rizzio in Mary, Queen of Scots' chambers in Holyrood Palace.

Book Hero Magic formatted this description to make it easier to read. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Description

'a tour de force work of art' The Wall Street Journal, Best Books of the Year

It's Saturday evening, 9 March 1566, and Mary, Queen of Scots, is six months pregnant. She's hosting a supper party, secure in her private chambers. She doesn't know that her Palace is surrounded and that, right now, an army of men is creeping upstairs to her chamber. They're coming to murder David Rizzio, her friend and secretary, the handsome Italian man who is smiling across the table at her. Mary's husband, Lord Darnley, wants it done in front of her, and he wants her to watch it done...

Denise Mina brilliantly portrays the sexual dynamics and politics of power between men and women, monarch and subjects, master and servants. The period is masterfully researched yet lightly drawn, the characterisation quick, subtle, and utterly convincing. This breathtakingly tense work is a tale of sex, secrets and lies, one that explores the lengths that men and women will go to in the search for love and power.

Series: Darkland Tales

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Book Hero Magic summarised reviews for this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! HOW HAS THIS BEEN REVIEWED?

Rizzio has been praised as a "tour de force work of art" by The Wall Street Journal and described as "guaranteed to keep you invested" by The Radio Times. Stuart Kelly of Scotland on Sunday highlights its vital role in retelling history, while the New York Times recognises Denise Mina as a major voice in crime fiction. The Daily Telegraph calls her possibly "Britain's finest living crime novelist." Reviewers commend the book’s suspense, vivid imagery, and compelling characterisation, making it both a gripping historical thriller and a rich exploration of power and intrigue.

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Book Details

INFORMATION

ISBN: 9781846975677

Publisher: Birlinn General

Format: Hardback

Date Published: 02 September 2021

Country: United Kingdom

Imprint: Polygon An Imprint of Birlinn Limited

Audience: General / adult

DIMENSIONS

Spine width: 10.0mm

Width: 132.0mm

Height: 206.0mm

Weight: 214g

Pages: 128

Collections

Crime & Thriller Denise Mina Fiction General Fiction Historical Crime & Mystery Historical Fiction Series: Darkland Tales

About the Author

Denise Mina was born in East Kilbride in 1966. Her first book, Garnethill, won the CWA Dagger for Best First Crime Novel. She has won the Theakstons Old Peculier Crime Novel of the Year twice, and the MacIlvanney Prize twice. She is a presenter of TV and radio programmes, and appears regularly in the media.

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