Macbeth

by Jo Nesbø
446 pgs

Hargarth Shakespeare is a project launched a few years ago, which enlisted bestselling novelists to reimagine some of the works of William Shakespeare. Norwegian thriller writer Jo Nesbø is the seventh author to contribute to the project with his take on Macbeth. Gillian Flynn will be next with a book based on Hamlet due out in a few years.

Nesbø's story is set in Scotland, sometime in the early 1970s, during a time of political corruption, rampant drug abuse, and high suicide rates. The city is run by Hecate, an untouchable drug lord who manufactures a drug called "brew," which many of the city's citizens are hooked on.

Inspector Macbeth is a member of the SWAT team, who is promised the position of police chief by three of Hecate's henchwomen as long as he does nothing to interfere with Hecate's operation. After he discusses the message he received with his "Lady," a casino operator, the two of them conspire to murder Duncan, the Chief Police Commissioner and frame his bodyguards. But Duncan's death is only the beginning, and soon Macbeth, egged on by Lady, and fueled by brew-induced hallucinations, finds his life spiraling out of control.

Nesbø does an admirable job balancing the overall framework of Shakespeare's play with the elements of a modern-day crime thriller, and those familiar with the play should enjoy the numerous head nods he gives it. But Shakespeare purists may have some issues with the story. He doesn't shy away from straying far from the source material while infusing it with the high level of grit and darkness he's best at.

★ ★ ★ ☆ ☆