I’ve never had much interest in reading Shakespeare after the forced reading in Highschool. The other side to this equation is I’ve definitely enjoyed every work by Jo Nesbo. Sounds like a cage match with the winner having his hand raised in victory. Mr Nesbo’s writing won the day. I don’t often give 5 star reviews. I reserve this for works that I want to talk about, read again, see the movie. Thatis what we have here

This is a reimagined MacBeth. Instead of the Shakespearean fight over a kingdom we have a police department. Duncan is Police commissioner , MacBeth is the SWAT commander. After successfully stopping a large drug sale/transfer MacBeth is placed as third in the chain of command. Three prostitutes give him a message from Hecate a drug lord. In Shakespeare these are the three witches and the Queen of the Witches respectively. Lady, MacBeth’s wife, puts a thought worm into MacBeth’s ear. He could be commisioner if he just eliminated Duncan. MacBeth at first recoils but not for long. He can already see the path to the Commissioners Office.

This is where everything gets interesting. Each of these characters has depth. The storyline unfolds as neatly as a butterfly emerging from it’s cocoon. It starts out not looking like much but when it fully opens it’s wings it is ready to fly. This is Jo Nesbo at his finest. Flawed, sometimes deeply, the characters are given life. The moral/amoral ambiguity is clear in many of the main players. These are flawed people who want to do good or bad people who can do good. The line is often blurred.

I can whole heartedly recommend Jo Nesbo’s MacBeth.

I want to thank Mr Nesbo, his Publisher Hogarth, and NetGalley for my copy in exchange for this honest review

After having had Nesbo's Harry Hole series on my shelves for ages and STILL not having read them, I thought reading a stand alone may be a better introduction to his work. Don't let the star rating fool you - this is a fantastic book... I just don't think I was quite the right reader for this. And this is why:

I'm not a big fan of Shakespeare. I realize that maybe that takes away from my cred as a reader, but hey, you like what you like right? Yes, I like some of the storylines but typically any retelling or the like of his work (unless in movie format) doesn't really pique my interest a lot. SO why was I so excited to read this? Because I've heard a zillion things about Nesbo so I wanted to check him out for myself AND because I found the drug lord/gambling/craziness interpretation appealing.

This read fairly slow for me. It took me quite a bit to get into it. At first, I thought it was just my mood at the time so I set it down and then picked it up again. It did get better the further I got in but it never really compelled me like other books have.

There's no doubt Nesbo is a talented writer. And while my memories of Macbeth from high school/college came back as I was reading this... I was fairly just ok throughout my entire read. Nesbo has amazing attention to detail and sets up the atmosphere in a beautiful way. I think most people will probably love this - especially if they have a love for Shakespeare.

Thoroughly enjoying the Hogarth Shakespeare series but seem to have hit a snag with this Macbeth title which is over 500 pages long. It sounds very intriguing but has moved much farther down the tbr pile due to its length.

It's Nesbo so you know it will be good. That said, I found myself not too interested at first but hung in there because, you know, its Nesbo. And it did get better.

I must confess I didn't read Shakespeare in school. Nor does it interest me now. But it doesn't matter if you know Shakespeare or not. It's just a good crime novel with the most delicious characters.

Another great Nesbo book. But then again, are there any other kind?

Thank you #NetGalley for a copy of this book for an honest review.

Macbeth by Jo Nesbø is a highly recommended retelling of Shakespeare's Macbeth for the Hogarth Shakespeare Series.

Nesbø sets his updated version in a hopeless, gloomy industrial town during the drug wars of the 1970s. He keeps many of the original names from the play, so a comparison is easy to make. Duncan is the new chief of police, idealistic and determined to clean up the town by taking on the city's drug lord Hecate. Inspector Macbeth is the head of the SWAT team who is regarded as a natural leader, but he also has problems with addiction and craves power. Add in the other characters, three sisters/witches, and Macbeth's scheming wife, Lady, and you have the stage set for corruption, guilt, ambition, violence, greed, and murder on all sides.

Assuming readers will know the plot of Shakespeare's Macbeth and have at least a little familiarity with the characters, it quickly becomes clear that Macbeth translates well to a crime novel and Nesbø is the perfect writer to tackle this play for the Hogarth series. It is more violent than the play, but that is to be expected with a Nesbø novel. He is an excellent writer and I felt he did a great tackling the rewriting while keeping some of the iconic scenes. Along with the adapting the plot of the original play to a novel, Nesbø adds the descriptive passages that his other novels are well known for, setting the scenes up in his own unique way. The novel does go on a bit longer than necessarily warranted and the opening is a bit slow, but as a whole this is a successful addition to the Hogarth Shakespeare Series.

Disclosure: My review copy was courtesy of Crown Archetype.
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I really really enjoyed this retelling of Shakespeare's Macbeth.

Jo Nesbo doesn't shy away from a writing style that has made him so popular with the Harry Hole series. His version of Macbeth is gritty, raw, and dark. He is able to weave an old tale and bring it new life - in a way that doesn't diminish the original play, but rather brings it a breath of fresh air.

Macbeth, a police officer who is corrupted by the promise of power, sets his sights on removing all obstacles in his way. Faced with characters who aim to bring down a corrupt friend and colleague - Nesbo brings the dark side of human nature to light.

My one issue with this book is that it started off slow and I was almost overwhelmed with all the characters. That said, once we really started to get into the plot, Nesbo's Macbeth and supporting characters all came to life. I could very well imagine a stage director reading this interpretation of the Scottish Play and producing it. The dark underworld of drugs, corruption and indiscretions come to light and fit perfectly with the original plot.

Do you need to have read, seen or studied Shakespeare's original play to enjoy this book? No.

Do you need to have read Jo Nesbo's other books prior to reading this one? No.

Is this book worth picking up and getting lost in the classic story of power, ambition, loyalty and intrigue? Absolutely. This story is worth any of the lags that might occur from time to time - because the overall effect is a strong crime novel.

I received a complimentary ARC copy of Macbeth (Hogarth Shakespeare Project) by Jo Nesbø from NetGalley and Crown Publishing/Penguin Random House in order to read and give an honest review.

As part of the Hogarth Shakespeare Project, this retelling of perhaps one of Shakespeare’s most famous plays, Macbeth, Jo Nesbø has done it in a way only he can…brilliantly.

The story set in the 70’s, opens with a drug bust of a biker gang gone wrong, hostage taking and SWAT commander Macbeth coming to the rescue of his childhood friend and fellow officer Duff. Macbeth receives praise and accolades after saving the day which starts him on a path of personal and political ambition that will lead to his downfall. Growing up as a drug-addicted orphan who gets his life together after being raised by Banquo, Macbeth is what is considered a principled man. After being coerced by Lady, the love of his life, to murder his boss Duncan in order to move his way up in the department, Macbeth’s life takes a dark turn. When he descends into addiction with drugs called “brew” and then the much stronger ”Power” his principles become corrupted and he becomes fraught with paranoia. Friends become enemies, and enemies, friends to the point that you don’t know who to root for.

If you have read Macbeth you’ll see where the story is going, and Nesbø follows the storyline pretty well (from what I remember) but it is entertaining nonetheless. Although very slow to start it does pick up and takes you on a journey you’ll never forget. This book has it all political intrigue, police corruption, addiction, murder, mayhem, organized crime, adultery…basically the things that show the worst of humanity, but all told with Nesbø’s unique and interesting voice.

Jo Nesbø was the perfect pick for Hogarth's Shakespeare retelling of Macbeth.  Macbeth is a daunting play to take on, and my personal favorite of the Shakespearean tragedies, so the author chosen for such an ambitious feat had to be able to handle the darkness, depravity, and thirst for power so integral to the story. Nesbø certainly is no stranger to writing characters who are dark, sinister, and morally corrupt, and he was able to (almost) effortlessly transform Shakespeare's 17th-century play into a violent, cruel crime fiction novel set in 1970s Scotland amid corrupt police and warring drug gangs, which really was a perfect setting since even though Shakespeare might not have realized this back in 1606, but Macbeth really was a precursor to today's modern psychological suspense novels.

All the characters are there: Duncan, chief of the police, Macbeth, head of SWAT, Banquo, part of SWAT and his loyal friend, Duff (MacDuff), head of Narcotics and ready to move up in the ranks, Lady, Macbeth's lover, owner of a high-class casino, and the driving force behind Macbeth's sudden ambitions, and Hecate, drug lord and local crime boss with an otherworldly air.  So the time and place have changed, yet the players and their roles not so much. If you've read Macbeth, you're pretty much going to know what will happen since you can't completely ever immerse yourself in the book because you know in the back of your mind that this is a retelling of Shakespeare. Still, that keeping you in the moment and not letting you forget that this is Macbeth isn't a bad thing, especially since Nesbø is so clever at making the story modern-day and having the characters fuse identity with their 17th-century counterpart that you felt almost like you were in two places at once. The result is extremely atmospheric, highly dramatic, and beyond clever while filled with the originals chaos, darkness, and tragic conflict of moral code. 

My only complaint was that the book, at over 500 pages, was unnecessarily too long. After a while, it felt like it was a struggle in some places to get through.  It's still a highly readable book and if you like Nesbø, you should definitely pick it up. If you like Macbeth, then it's even more worth reading. Nesbø's really managed to capture the spirit of Shakespeare here, which many retellings lack, and he's delved deep into all the motives that make Macbeth the man, well Macbeth...sex, money, family, but most of all ambition, power, and control.

**Thank you, Netgalley, Hogarth Press, and Jo Nesbø for an ARC copy in exchange for my fair and honest review.**

Nesbo reimagines Shakespeare’s Macbeth in a 1970’s city controlled by two drug lords and a corrupt chief of police on his way out. The new chief of police, Duncan, initiates reforms throughout the police force and is looking to promote a new Head of crime to take on the drug lords. Nesbo bases most of his novel on Shakespeare’s play, but he takes a few liberties as necessary to make his version work. Overall I found it a clever retelling of the drama and was easy to read. I couldn’t help but think of the television series Gotham while reading this book, recasting the Gotham actors as those in Macbeth.

I'm probably somewhere between a 3 and a 4 on this one just in terms of personal taste, but I think that Nesbo's interesting take on reimagining Macbeth bumps this up to the higher rating. As I've mentioned before, I've found the Hogarth Shakespeare series to be wildly variant in quality- I've ranged from DNFing these to really liking them. The Macbeth retelling is sweeping and ambitious, and while I think it was a little overly long, it managed to convey the themes and emotional punch of the original story in a dark, sinister, more contemporary (set in 1970s) context. This retelling is smartly, creatively, and engagingly done, and Nesbo has done really interesting things with the themes of power and corruption.

My first Nesbo book and I was quite surprised by this modernized Macbeth. When I requested from Netgalley I thought it was part of his popular series. I read Macbeth twenty plus years ago, but apparently I forgot a ton. In this modern telling, in a no name town overrun with corruption and drugs, Nesbo maintains the character names and storyline. I found myself trying to compare Shakespeare's original with this one, so I would get a bit lost, but quickly found myself immersed in the story. A great read, I really enjoyed his writing style.

I received a free electronic copy of this period (1970's) police procedural from Netgalley, Jo Nesbo, and Hogarth in exchange for an honest review. Thank you all for sharing your hard work with me.

This was an interesting novel, but one that worked very hard to bring Shakespeare to mind. It was most likely the prose bowing to MacBeth that made the theme seem at times tedious and the pace much to slow. I have read other Nesbo mysteries and loved them.

Jo Nesbø has taken on Macbeth in the latest publication of updated works by Shakespeare, published by Hogarth. Under Nesbø's pen, Macbeth is a seventies cop/mobster thriller set in a miserable town, in northern Scotland. The setting also resembled for me, the grey weather of a barren north Norwegian city. Macbeth is a cop under the spell of his lover, called Lady, who runs an exclusive casino.

Lady helps Macbeth realize his ambitions for power, all of the power he can grab and along with others such as Hecate, put him in the mindset of during whatever it takes to be all powerful, no rest until his accomplishments are complete. The narrative moves quickly, so swiftly that I was incredulous at how easily Macbeth was influenced by his cast of characters, turning on loyal colleagues and friends. Perhaps, I needed the visual of actors who have played Macbeth to witness the transformation from a decent person into a psychopath. The story is vicious, depraved, and does Shakespeare justice. Lovers of both Shakespeare and Jo Nesbø's thrilling novels with enjoy this new book!

Thank you, NetGalley and Hogarth for the opportunity to read this ARC.

This book is a novel based on Shakespeare novel Macbeth. I've never read the original so I went into this book blindly and I'm glad I did! I was really surprised at the turn of events. This book is more a story of politics and power. It gives you an exaggerated version of what power can do to people. This book wasn't a page turner but I definitely wanted to know more. It got so crazy I really was questioning what was going to happen next ! I'm usually not much of a Shakespeare or political or historical books but I loved how Jo Nesbo's writes a story ! It was not just about the politics and the power, it had action, friendships, love and a web of deceit. You could really feel the emotions in this book, and the way he paints the town is incredible. You really feel like you are in this gloomy, rainy, dark town. Highly recommend!

I am not a fan of reading Shakespeare but I love his stories, that is why this book is perfect for me. I find the old English too hard to follow in the originals so placing the characters and story in a more modern situation was ideal. It was easy to follow, very complex, felt true to the little I know about the play, and was well done. It also kept a lot of the Nordic Noir style that Jo Nesbo does so well! I thought it had a great flow and a lot of intricate characters and relationships. Definitely recommend to anyone who enjoys Jo Nesbo, likes Shakespeare or reads crime drama. Thanks to Hogarth Books and Netgalley for giving me access to this one, publishes April 10, 2018.

I wish I liked this better than I did. It is just so dark and depressing. that I was out of sorts for several days after reading it. It is the retelling of Shakespeare's Macbeth. This one is set in a modern industrial city in Europe where lawlessness has been allowed to run unchecked for years.

Macbeth is head of the SWAT team that is working under Duncan, chief of police, to clean up the town. As they struggle against motorcycle and rival drug gangs, they are forced to examine their morals and choices again and again.

Macbeth is a depressing story to begin with and this follows that theme. If you don't mind that, you might enjoy this. It is a really written book of that genre. It's just not for me.

Thanks to Net Galley for a copy of this book in exchange for a fair review.

The suspense in this book is absolutely riveting. You'll find yourself in a car with your foot on the gas almost the entire way, gasping for breath as you move through the plotline. The characters are excellent, the story is compelling - a thriller not to be missed!

Jo Nesbo was the perfect choice for Macbeth in the Hogarth Shakepeare project. I can't imagine anyone else who could have written a darker novelization of the play more deftly = and bring its themes and points to the modern era. Using a failing Northern town as the setting, Nesbo has chosen to set his Macbeth amid the corruption of narcotics. These characters resonate in a way that the original might not always. I like that he didn't bring this all the way forward into the 21st century; it just felt right in the 1970s. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. Read this even if you haven't read the original. Also read it if you HAVE read the original.

As the title implies, Macbeth is a modern interpretation of Shakespeare's Macbeth. Set in a tiny town in northern Scotland, the characters are police officers rather than nobles. The law enforcement hierarchy is not too far off from that of royalty, and provides a logical setting for all of the death that ensues. While I enjoyed the interpretation, the book was a bit slow at times and could have been shorter. Nonetheless, Nesbo does a good job bringing this Shakespeare story into the modern age.

DNF: My apologies. I have read numerous Jo Nesbo books, loved New Boy in the Hogarth series, and have previously taught MacBeth in my high school English classroom, but this was such a slow, convoluted, dark beginning that I just could not drag myself to finish it. My apologies. I do not think it fair , however, to give it only one star just because I could not finish it - hence, the middle=of-the-road rating.