BONUS: This edition contains an excerpt from Alison Weir's Mary Boleyn. Handsome, accomplished, and charming, Henry Stuart, Lord Darnley, staked his claim to the English throne by marrying Mary Stuart, who herself claimed to be the Queen of England. It was not long before Mary discovered that her new husband was interested only in securing sovereign power for himself. Then, on February 10, 1567, an explosion at his lodgings left Darnley dead; the intrigue thickened after it was discovered that he had apparently been suffocated before the blast. After an exhaustive reevaluation of the source material, Alison Weir has come up with a solution to this enduring mystery. Employing her gift for vivid characterization and gripping storytelling, Weir has written one of her most engaging excursions yet into Britain’s bloodstained, power-obsessed past.

Elizabeth and Mary were cousins and queens, but eventually it became impossible for them to live together in the same world.This is the story of two women struggling for supremacy in a man’s world, when no one thought a woman could govern. They both had to negotiate with men—those who wanted their power and those who wanted their bodies—who were determined to best them. In their worlds, female friendship and alliances were unheard of, but for many years theirs was the only friendship that endured. They were as fascinated by each other as lovers; until they became enemies. Enemies so angry and broken that one of them had to die, and so Elizabeth ordered the execution of Mary.But first they were each other’s lone female friends in a violent man’s world. Their relationship was one of love, affection, jealousy, antipathy – and finally death. This book tells the story of Mary and Elizabeth as never before, focusing on their emotions and probing deeply into their intimate lives as women and queens.They loved each other, they hated each other—and in the end they could never escape each other.

“A massive, erudite, and entertaining novel . . . skillfully weaves historical fact and plausible fiction” to tell the story of Mary Queen of Scots (New York Newsday). She was a child crowned a queen. . . . A sinner hailed as a saint. . . . A lover denounced as a whore . . . A woman murdered for her dreams . . . Margaret George’s national bestselling Mary Queen of Scotlandand the Isles brings to life the fascinating story of Mary, who became the Queen of Scots when she was only six days old. Raised in the glittering French court, returning to Scotland to rule as a Catholic monarch over a newly Protestant country, and executed like a criminal in Queen Elizabeth’s England, Queen Mary lived a life like no other, and Margaret George weaves the facts into a stunning work of historical fiction. “The best kind of historical novel, one the reader can’t wait to get lost in.” —San Francisco Chronicle “George has created a lively, gallant Mary of intelligence, charm and terrible judgment . . . A popular, readable, inordinately moving tribute to a remarkable queen.” —Kirkus Reviews “An engrossing novel. . . . [George’s] deep sympathy for her subject renders Mary an entirely real and unforgettable heroine.” —Publishers Weekly “Dramatic . . . Romantic . . . George makes Mary a heroine to identify with because of her spirit, wit and charm . . . A triumph.” —Houston Chronicle “An evocative portrait.” —The New York Times Book Review

Follow Mary, Queen of Scots through the resplendent castles, towering cathedrals, manor houses and chapels associated with her turbulent life.