Reviews with content warning for Injury/Injury detail - Rizzio

I thoroughly enjoyed this! I am quite fascinated by Mary Queen of Scot's story so it was cool to focus on one particular moment in her wild history. I felt that Denise Mina did an astounding job in the short word count that she had. You definitely need to know a little bit about Mary & this story to get fully invested and involved in this novella. There is a bit of world-building and you can go in blind, but I think I would have been so hyperfixated on the history if I didn't previously know the story. Instead, I got to enjoy the delicious, poetic writing, the eerie setting, the "real-time" pacing, wandering through Edinburgh with Yair, the references of Mary's past and future, and of course, witnessing this horrific murder once again.

I think if you've seen any film or read anything about Mary Stuart's life, you will enjoy this book. It's short, it's emotional, it's gory, it's bloody, and it's unlike anything else I've read.

Content Warnings

monarchgirl's review against another edition

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dark tense fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.75

This was really very good. Denise Mina crafted a murder mystery plot about the murder of a trusted servant of Mary Queen Of Scots - David Rizzio. She creates new angles about what happened that night and how it shaped who Mary became and how she got herself in so much trouble that in the end caused her death. Denise Mina's writing kept me hooked and for such a short book really packed a punch.

Content Warnings