"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."

Because I know, like me, you've always wondered about the truth of Lady Macbeth...

I enjoy Shakespeare, and the retellings can be a fun way to revisit the story, but this was extremely dry in the storytelling. I tried desperately, but nothing was keeping my attention.

Val McDermid definitely did her research! I loved reading about Lady (Queen) Macbeth as a powerful and fierce woman. That said, I found this novella very dry and at times hard to follow. Overall, I think this book’s abbreviated length stifled its potential. It seemed McDermid had more to say and skimmed over exciting scenes that could have gone a long way for reader engagement and interest.

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for giving me the opportunity to read an ARC.

In this short novel – it’s almost a novella, really – McDermid revisits the story of Macbeth. She is interested in telling Queen Macbeth’s story in a way that is closer to the historical record than the version made famous by Shakespeare.

I feel that a plot summary is barely necessary – you all know the story of Macbeth, right? But this version is slightly different, told from the point of view of Gruoch, also known as Queen Macbeth. It tells of how the two came together, became rulers of Scotland, and of the jealousies, feuds, and fighting that came after.

Far from the scheming and ambitious woman presented to the popular imagination by Shakespeare, Gruoch is a young woman whose primary ambition is to be with the man she loves. Unfortunately, in an era when women got to explicitly make few choices, Gruoch has little option but to turn to scheming and plotting to achieve her goals.

McDermid depicts Gruoch in a way that humanises her and rounds out her character. We see her strong bonds with her women, her love for Macbeth, her strengths and her weaknesses. She’s a much more sympathetic character than the one likely lodged in your imagination. McDermid shows that she is much more than the famous play would have it.

I was also fascinated by the historical setting. It’s well researched and well depicted, and makes clear how much of Gruoch’s character and actions are shaped by the society she lives in. Although in some ways a simpler time, there are political and social considerations most of us don’t have to deal with.

I really enjoyed this. If you love McDermid’s crime novels, this is a bit of a change – the subject matter is very different. But it’s equally well written, with her strengths in characterisation and plotting on full display. Even if you have little interest in Shakespeare, this is worth reading for the way it shakes up your perspective.

This was a great book but the back and forth might be a bit for some readers. It goes back and forth between the past where Macbeth met his Queen to the future where she is on the run from Malcom and others who want the throne of Scotland. Very entertaining and a fun read.

I was drawn to this book because of the author and because the synopsis was intriguing. The idea of the tale of Macbeth, from the viewpoint of Macbeth's, unnamed, wife, certainly must be fascinating.

The book didn't disappoint. The tale of these four women, surviving the challenges of the this brutish violent world, displaying each of their varied abilities was excellent. The ending was absolutely unexpected.

If I had one suggestion, for the US audience and others, placing the glossary in the front of the ebook might be useful. I tried looking up bannock in an online dictionary, with no result. I was so pleased to find the answers in the glossary.

Sorry cannot read. Not in Kindle format. So sad, really wanted to read this too.
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Set in the middle ages, Queen Macbeth (2024) by Val McDermid is the story of what happens after the death of Macbeth. Gruoch (Lady Macbeth) is in exile, hiding from Malcolm’s soldiers who are out for revenge. Gruoch and her three consorts are hiding away in a monastery by a Scottish lake. They are forced to flee when 2 stangers arrive at the abbey, forcing them on the run and needing to avoid local bandits as they head west for safety. A novella, Val McDermid has reimagined the middle ages and the characters of Macbeth sketched in Shakespeare’s play. With richly drawn characters, its a believable tale of Lady Macbeth’s life and enduring love. It's an enjoyable tale, requiring little knowledge of the play, that has a four stars read rating. With thanks to Grove Atlantic and the author, for an uncorrected advanced review copy for review purposes. As always, the opinions herein are totally my own, freely given and without any inducement.

Unfortunately, a few things disturbed me while I was reading. The novella is split in two timelines, and I did enjoy the present timeline. I did not like the past timeline at all, though. And I felt like this timeline took more space than the other, so that bothered me.
Also, in the past timeline, I felt like Queen Macbeth was not the main character, that we had a story of et son through her eyes instead. And I hated that. It was not interesting to me at all. I wanted the past timeline to be focused on her instead — as it should have, given the title.
Not enough Queen Macbeth for me.

Thank you to Netgalley for an ARC in exchange for a honest review.

This is not a retelling of the Shakespeare play - instead, it’s a reimagining of the historical story of Macbeth and Gruoch. We get a dual timeline narrative between the current timeline of Gruoch and her maids hiding out from those that want her dead now that Macbeth and her son are dead, and the past timeline of how she and Macbeth met and how they ended up married when she was married to another.

While just a novella, McDermid uses her words wisely. The writing style is beautiful and poetic, mixing in quite of bit of Scots (not to worry, there is a glossary). And while Gruoch may not be the scheming villainess of the play, she still has her ambition and cunning. There’s a few fun nods to Shakespeare as well. I thought this was quite well done as a retelling, as well as an ode to Scotland. Would highly recommend if you’re looking for a Macbeth retelling.

Thanks to #GroveAtlantic for the digital arc

This short story packs a punch. Taking both the Shakesperean play and the real life of Queen Gruoch, QUEEN MACBETH is a tale of the realities of women in medieval Scotland and the dangers of being a queen that wants the best for her country. It kept me on the edge of my seat and I finished it in one sitting.

This book - Queen Macbeth - was written as part of a series called The Darkland Tales in Scotland. The idea behind this project is an attempt to write the real stories of Scottish history. There are a lot of myths prevalent about the Past of Scotland. These myths have been converted to stories with as much historical accuracy as was possible and research available. The author Val McDermid, has termed her work as a 'charmingly plausible' recounting of a possible history of the Macbeths. They ruled over Scotland for seventeen years and made a long trip to Rome when they handed over the reins to a regent in their absence.

You may or may not agree with this retelling of history but its a most enjoyable read. Queen Macbeth is a short read - short but action packed. The story of Queen Grouch and King Macbeth turns out to be not as bloody as we were led to believe by Shakespeare but it is a tale of romance, war, betrayal and trust as most royal histories are. Not just the love between the protagonists, the most striking is the bond among all the women.

The women characters who are companions to the queen are strong and loyal. They also serve as a healer, a weaver and a seer to the protagonist. The queen is in hiding and has to flee a safe haven to protect herself and perhaps finds her husband. Surrounded and protected by these women and other loyalists, she faces the violent times and enemies.

I found this book an easy read but with not as much drama and tension as is normal in other books by Val McDermid. I like the writing style where she toggles between the present and the past while giving us a complete narration of the queen's struggles and journey. I enjoy reading history specially written in this form, so I quite enjoyed the book.

I have to thank Netgalley and Grove Atlantic for providing me with an ARC of one of my favourite authors in exchange for an honest review.

Gruoch was my cousin as I also hail from Clan mac Alpín, we share a grandfather in Cináed (Kenneth II) mac Máel Coluim , King of Alba. I found this telling of her story only slightly less fanciful than Shakespeare's writing. It's hard to explain that thinking fully without spoilers, and it may be a little challenging for a reader to follow the story the way it's written without prior knowledge of or researching while reading about Gruoch and Macbethad (Macbeth) mac Findláech. Don't get me wrong, I enjoyed the read, it had the right amount of romance, drama, and tragedy, I've just never heard of the outcome in all my research.

A fantastic female centered retelling of Macbeth. The story gripped me from the start and I couldn't put it down!

Thank you to Net Galley and Atlantic Monthly Press for an early copy of Queen Macbeth by Val McDermid


"We were born into a land riven with petty feuds and ambition, and we united it under one banner and called it Scotland"

Author Val McDermid has created an intriguing alternate set of circumstances for the characters most of us know only through William Shakespeare: Macbeth, Lady Macbeth, Malcolm and Macduff. In this brief but compelling story of Scottish medieval lands, life is precarious and it will take the rule of Macbeth to bring peace to the country. Lady Macbeth will suffer the death of their son, the deaths of two close women allies and news of her husband's demise. Through all of this, she conducts herself with courage and the drive to live for better days.

The story Lady Macbeth narrates toggles between her past and her present and flows beautifully due to the change of text style for past and present. The use of authentic language adds to the genuineness of the text, and the author has included a glossary with many words of the Scottish of long ago.

Lady Macbeth is a traveler, both geographically and figuratively. Queen Macbeth will have readers investigating further Scotland's formation and early history.

I didn’t get invested in this book until 30% in which isn’t ideal considering it’s a novella. However, once I got invested, I really enjoyed the story. The novella was very well written, and I appreciated how much time the author covered even in such a short number of pages. Overall, would’ve preferred a book but still thought it was great.

Queen Macbeth captured my attention from the first page and it was a fascinating read about how Shakespeare's play Macbeth was all wrong according to history.

Val McDermid with her usual flair, presents the true story through the eyes of Lady Macbeth.

The story is well written and shows perfectly the Scotland as it was in the tenth century and how it was a place of war and all it takes is one battle and you have a new king.

Loyalty is a must.

Gruoch is on the run with her three companions all the while coming to terms with her past.

It certainly is a more accurate portrayal and my only complaint is that it was too short.

Highly recommend you pick up your copy and get immersed in the short story.

Thanks to NetGalley and Grove Atlantic/Atlantic Monthly press for the privilege of reading and reviewing Queen Macbeth.

Well written but I didn't expect any less from one of the greatest crime writers in the world. It was an interesting experience to read about the other side of Shakespear's MacBeth by the pen of McDermid. I will admit that it was a long time ago that I read the original tragedy but this novella gave new life to the story and an interesting take from another perspective.

McDermid gives us a contradictory, but more factually accurate, account of the Macbeth’s-contradictory to Shakespeare, that is.

In this version, Lady Macbeth, forced to marry a man she never loved, falls in love with his cousin, Macbeth. She also becomes pregnant by him to secure her place as Queen. And so begins their love affair and story.

I quite liked this novella. The author moved between the past and present, and weaves them together to tell the complete picture. She also lays out Gruoch’s predicament in relation to her gender, and precarious status because of her inability to get pregnant by her husband-which becomes clear is no fault of her own. But it does shine a light of the unrealistic expectations place on noblewomen, and how their value lies in what they could provide. Also, how they were forced to bow to the whims of their husbands.

But the author gives our lady strength, pragmatism, and a mind of her own. It’s clear Gruoch knows how to wield her words, and get what she wants-by how she steers her husband’s emotions and actions. Not to mention how she manages to be alone with Macbeth.

What’s most striking is the vast difference in how the Macbeth’s are view in this story versus the Shakespeare play. They are not the cold-blooded murderers portrayed in “Macbeth”. They are benevolent, kind rulers, who become crushed by war.

A solid story from start to finish. A must for historical fiction fans.

I found "Queen Macbeth" to be an enthralling reimagining of a story that many of us think we know. Val McDermid skillfully dismantles the myth that Shakespeare created, illuminating the strength and resilience of Lady Macbeth as she navigates a world filled with brutality and betrayal. The pacing kept me hooked, and I appreciated how McDermid enhanced the historical context while crafting a narrative that feels both empowering and intensely relatable.

The character of Lady Macbeth is portrayed with depth and complexity, showing her not just as a conspirator but as a woman shaped by her experiences and her ambitions. McDermid's writing is immersive, pulling me into the harsh realities of medieval Scotland while evoking sympathy for a character often vilified in literature.

Overall, "Queen Macbeth" is a riveting and thought-provoking read that I wholeheartedly recommend. It’s a must-read for anyone interested in a feminist twist on classic literature, and it reaffirms McDermid’s place as a master storyteller in the genre.