James Crawford, editor-at-large at Polygon, commissioned the series. He says: “These books are sharp, provocative and darkly comic, mining that seam of sedition and psychological drama that has always featured in the best of Scottish literature.” Thomas Finlayson Henderson, Mary, Queen of Scots: Her Environment and Tragedy, 2 (New York, 1905), p. 654

Unusually for a novella, Mina's characters are really well-developed. In particular, I got a really good sense of Ruthven and Darnley and their various foibles. The narrative voice feels surprisingly modern and the tone verges on dark comedy at some points, which I really enjoyed.

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Mary remains one of the most intriguing & divisive characters in royal history. There was no shortage of drama in her short life but one of the most compelling incidents was the murder of her private secretary David Rizzio. Maybe because one of the ringleaders behind the plot was her snivelling weasel of a husband, Henry Stuart (Lord Darnley). Rizzio reads like a classic crime novel. Not just the violence and the act but the way she uses it as lens to look at the time and place. Very true-crime--no thees, thous or privies. yet it's totally of the moment and set over Saturday evening, 9 March, 1566. Mary’s palace is surrounded. All action takes places over that day and night. I had no idea Rizzio and Darnley were 'involved'! And Mina properly centres the women--even though the book is called Rizzio. I won't give away the spoiler!

Henderson, Thomas Finlayson (1896). "Riccio, David". In Lee, Sidney (ed.). Dictionary of National Biography. Vol.48. London: Smith, Elder & Co. pp.98–100. The first Darkland Tales title will be Rizzio by award-winning novelist Denise Mina pictured right, with volumes to follow by Jenni Fagan and Alan Warner in 2022. The series aims to reclaim history for a modern audience and Polygon says that “while each book has a unique voice and distinctive individual identity, the Darkland Tales are united by their punky, anarchic and deliberately in-your-face aesthetic”. Polygon, an imprint of independent Edinburgh-based publisher Birlinn, is launching a new series of dramatic fictional retellings of stories from history, myth and legend written by Scottish authors, called the Darkland Tales. It has also made two new signings to its poetry list. But Rizzio has not fully understood the intricate disputational customs here. In Savonese courts a coup d’état is a hot fight, a charge and call to arms. It is not preceded by months spent drawing up legally binding contracts, negotiating the spoils, redrafting, getting their secretary to read over the proposals before they sign.Gordon Donaldson, Thirds of Benefices (Edinburgh, 1949), p. 155: William Barclay Turnbull, Letters of Mary Stuart (London, 1845), p. xxxvi. Mary, Queen of Scots at the Palace of Holyroodhouse: A Creative Writing Resource for Teachers – Palace of Holyrood House So I felt the basic story Mina sets out to tell is as likely to be true as any other. However, the novella is part of a series called Darkland Tales from Polygon, an imprint of independent Scottish publisher, Birlinn. The publishers say: “In Darkland Tales, the best modern Scottish authors offer dramatic retellings of stories from the nation’s history, myth and legend. These are landmark moments from the past, viewed through a modern lens and alive to modern sensibilities.” The “modern sensibility” Mina has used is the idea of misogyny and the subjugation of women to the control of powerful men. Again, I have no problem with this – all of the Queens of that Queenly era had to navigate the patriarchal society with great care to hold onto their power. Some did it by marrying powerful men, like Bloody Mary; some by remaining unmarried, like the Virgin Queen; and it is generally agreed that a lot of Mary QOS’s problems arose from her penchant for marrying unsuitable men.