Cold. Ruthless. Deadly. The myth of Lady Macbeth looms large. But behind the villainous portrait stands a real woman. This is her story . . . Scotland, 1020 AD. King Malcolm II lies on his deathbed, and the most powerful families make a violent claim for the Scottish throne . . . On the eve of her sixteenth birthday, a flushed and nervous Cora MacDuff waits to marry her sweetheart, Macbeth. But her dreams are stolen from her, and the night she was hoping for turns into a brutal slaughter. In order to reclaim the life she was promised, Cora must learn to use every weapon at her disposal - even those she loves . . . The beginning of a brand new Historical fiction series by the bestselling author of the Queens of Conquest series, her new trilogy unearths the real women behind Shakespeare''s most infamous queens . . . If you love Elizabeth Chadwick and Anne O''Brien you will adore Joanna Courtney What readers are saying about Joanna Courtney: ''I was hooked from the very first page and didn''t want to put it down. Joanna Courtney is a new talent in the world of historical fiction and one that I would highly recommend. I look forward to reading more by this fantastic author'' Bookbabblers ''A strong sense of atmosphere and place and time. I really got into the story, in fact I was so gripped by it at one point that I missed my bus. It was a really good, exciting, read. I cannot wait to read the next two books.'' Michelle Birkby, author of The House at Baker Street ''Amazing'' ( Miranda Dickinson ) ''Courtney''s novel breathes new life into this complex character,...A thrilling introduction to Courtney''s new trilogy on Shakespearean queens.'' - The Lady ''A glorious, rich, epic story of love, friendship and sacrifice which will sweep you up and transport you to another time. I absolutely loved this and can''t wait for the next book in the series'' ( Rachael Lucas, author of Sealed With A Kiss and Coming Up Roses ) ''An absorbing and emotional debut novel'' ( Candis magazine ) ''A thrilling and atmospheric read with strong female characters'' ( MyWeekly ) ''A beautifully written multi layered tale with a tremendously authentic sense of place and time . . . an epic feel . . . highly recommended'' ( LizLovesBooks ) ''The story reaches a heart-rending climax. A must read. I loved it'' ( Freda Lightfoot, author of The Amber Keeper ) ''With lovely writing and a terrific sense of narrative drive, Joanna Courtney portrays an era of change through a story about a long forgotten Queen. In The Chosen Queen , Edyth is a heroine who inhabits a convincingly re-created historical world, peopled with personalities whose lives leap from the page. Superb! ( Carol McGrath, author of The Daughters of Hastings trilogy ) An outstanding opening to this new series set to rival historical fiction heavyweights like Philippa Gregory and Susanna Dunn ( Lisareadsbooks )
