Rizzio: Darkland Tales

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Henderson, Thomas Finlayson (1896). "Riccio, David". In Lee, Sidney (ed.). Dictionary of National Biography. Vol.48. London: Smith, Elder & Co. pp.98–100. Peter Anderson, Robert Stewart, Earl of Orkney Lord of Shetland (Edinburgh: John Donald, 1982), p. 48.

All of that is known and familiar to anyone who has ever seen the movie version. This novella is an imagined depiction of that night and the following days, written with a crime-novelist's eye for details and motivations.It is a chilling irony that the hornéd demons who stormed the Queen's apartments in Holyrood Palace claimed to be motivated partly by divisions in the Christian church - this grisly moment in history could have come straight from an anthology entitled 'The Devil and his Work'. Also that the unborn child the demonic lords were so keen to write off actually became James VI of Scotland and James I of England - named by Elizabeth I as her successor. What fictionalised true crime can do … David Oluwale, who was found dead in the River Aire near Leeds in April 1969. Photograph: PA I would not, however, recommend the audiobook. The narration by Katie Leung is one of the worst I’ve heard. She mangles the pronunciations of names that are familiar, surely, to all Scots – like Mary of Guise or Lord Ruthven. She’s a Dundonian – there’s no excuse for incorrect pronunciation of well-known names from our history. And her characterisations of the Lords are awful. Sure, they wouldn’t have sounded like BBC presenters but they wouldn’t have sounded like parody drunken Glaswegians in a sketch show either. Thank goodness it was short. Although people the world over are fascinated by the character of Mary Queen of Scots and loving the time she spent researching the plot for Rizzio, Denise maintains that, “I don’t think you could ever know her. The world around her is fascinating and I was astonished that anyone was interested in the book! I was astonished that people didn’t have difficulty with it and that people went with it – not with the facts so much but with the style.” Burn’s book about Fred and Rosemary West’s lives and murders affected me in a way that perhaps all true crime should: it left me feeling saddened and soiled. He vividly portrays the actual life of serial killers, the shallow affect, the casual brutality and suburban brutalising around the explosive events we hear about when the bodies are found. He talks a lot about the way Fred West’s language was a signal and uses phrases over and over in reprises that are operatic. I know he found the book harder to write than Somebody’s Husband, Somebody’s Son, his study of Peter Sutcliffe, and the depth of his immersion shows. It is profoundly moving in a way that true crime very rarely is.

I’ve read much of what Mina has written, and always enjoyed it, but this format brings out the very best of her, the grizzly and the gruesome stirred in with occasional pinches of dark humour. Rizzio became an ally of Lord Darnley, and helped with plans for his marriage to Mary. [10] George Buchanan described Rizzio gaining Darnley's favour. As their familiarity grew, Rizzio was admitted to Darnley's chamber, bed, and secret confidence. [11] [12] [13] David Calderwood later wrote that Rizzio had "insinuated himself in the favours of Lord Darnley so far, that they would lie some times in one bed together". [14] Darnley resumes his position on the court line, holding his racquet with two hands. Rizzio is winning this game but can’t let his delight show: an errant smile tugs at the corner of his mouth. He likes to win, especially when he’s playing Darnley, because he knows very well how much his rival hates to lose. Their eyes meet. Darnley can’t disguise his fury; he looks away, waiting for his face to stop betraying his nature.Ellis, Maureen (13 December 2010). "Face to Face: Denise Mina". The Herald. Glasgow . Retrieved 14 December 2010. Diehard history enthusiasts (such as myself) may understandably meet “Rizzio” with a fair share of trepidation and reluctance; as “Rizzio” is not a typical, fleshed-out historical-fiction novel re-telling history. Instead, Mina presents a unique take on the murder of David Rizzio that combines elements of a modern-day satire, psychological thriller and historical character study that reads like the premise synopsis of a stage play. Yet, “Rizzio” is successful and impactful achieving a level of emotion that many historical fiction novels fail at even in longer lengths.