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The Marquess House Saga #1
The Catherine Howard Conspiracy
A timeshift thriller that will have you completely gripped! Perfect for fans of Dan Brown, Philippa Gregory, Kate Mosse and Tom Harper.
What secrets were covered up at the court of Henry VIII…?
Whitehall Palace, England, 1539
When Catherine Howard arrives at the court of King Henry VIII to be a maid of honour in the household of the new queen, Anne of Cleves, she has no idea of the fate that awaits her.
Catching the king’s fancy, she finds herself caught up in her uncle’s ambition to get a Howard heir to the throne.
Terrified by the ageing king after the fate that befell her cousin, Anne Boleyn, Catherine begins to fear for her life…
Pembrokeshire, Wales, 2018
Dr Perdita Rivers receives news of the death of her estranged grandmother, renowned Tudor historian Mary Fitzroy. Mary inexplicably cut all contact with Perdita and her twin sister, Piper, but she has left them Marquess House, her vast estate in Pembrokeshire.
Perdita sets out to unravel their grandmother’s motives for abandoning them, and is drawn into the mystery of an ancient document in the archives of Marquess House, a collection of letters and diaries claiming the records of Catherine Howard’s execution were falsified…
What truths are hiding in Marquess House? What really happened to Catherine Howard?
And how was Perdita’s grandmother connected to it all?
THE CATHERINE HOWARD CONSPIRACY is the first book in the Marquess House saga, a dual timeline conspiracy thriller with an ingenious twist on a well-known period of Tudor history.
THE MARQUESS HOUSE SAGA
BOOK The Catherine Howard Conspiracy
BOOK The Elizabeth Tudor Conspiracy
BOOK The Arbella Stuart Conspiracy
BOOK The Jane Seymour Conspiracy
What secrets were covered up at the court of Henry VIII…?
Whitehall Palace, England, 1539
When Catherine Howard arrives at the court of King Henry VIII to be a maid of honour in the household of the new queen, Anne of Cleves, she has no idea of the fate that awaits her.
Catching the king’s fancy, she finds herself caught up in her uncle’s ambition to get a Howard heir to the throne.
Terrified by the ageing king after the fate that befell her cousin, Anne Boleyn, Catherine begins to fear for her life…
Pembrokeshire, Wales, 2018
Dr Perdita Rivers receives news of the death of her estranged grandmother, renowned Tudor historian Mary Fitzroy. Mary inexplicably cut all contact with Perdita and her twin sister, Piper, but she has left them Marquess House, her vast estate in Pembrokeshire.
Perdita sets out to unravel their grandmother’s motives for abandoning them, and is drawn into the mystery of an ancient document in the archives of Marquess House, a collection of letters and diaries claiming the records of Catherine Howard’s execution were falsified…
What truths are hiding in Marquess House? What really happened to Catherine Howard?
And how was Perdita’s grandmother connected to it all?
THE CATHERINE HOWARD CONSPIRACY is the first book in the Marquess House saga, a dual timeline conspiracy thriller with an ingenious twist on a well-known period of Tudor history.
THE MARQUESS HOUSE SAGA
BOOK The Catherine Howard Conspiracy
BOOK The Elizabeth Tudor Conspiracy
BOOK The Arbella Stuart Conspiracy
BOOK The Jane Seymour Conspiracy
500 pages, Kindle Edition
First published March 28, 2019
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March 13, 2019
“Good books don't give up all their secrets at once.”
― Stephen King
And so it is with The Catherine Howard Conspiracy - the author slowly reveals her secrets, leaving the reader breathless with anticipation!
With dual timelines, the story begins in 1539, at Whitehall palace, under the rule of King Henry VIII. Catherine Howard, newly appointed maid of honour to the new queen, Anne of Cleves, makes a somewhat nervous entrance to Court, but as she becomes used to her new surroundings, she becomes aware of the subterfuge and danger which is a part of daily life, especially with a King as unpredictable as Henry.
Catherine soon catches the eye of Henry - the thought of which terrifies her, but she’s encouraged by her uncle, who is eager to see an Howard heir on the throne.
The second part of the storyline is located in Pembrokeshire, Wales in 2018, where we meet Dr Perdita Rivers, who receives both good and bad news - firstly her estranged grandmother, renowned Tudor historian Mary Fitzroy has passed away, and with it comes the news that Perdita and her twin sister Piper have inherited Mary’s not inconsiderable estate which includes the very grand Marquess House. The thing that puzzles Perdita is, why on earth would her grandmother leave everything to them, when in life she’d ignored their very existence?
Perdita begins a search to determine why Mary acted as she did, and it’s during her search that she discovers ancient documents, letters, and diaries suggesting that records relating to Catherine Howard’s execution were false!
Perdita continues investigations into the life of Catherine Howard started by Mary, but it will prove to be a most dangerous assignment that puts the lives of everyone involved at risk - after all, this is a secret that could change the entire history of the monarchy.
Author Alexandra Walsh writes with an accuracy, informed perhaps by extensive research of the Tudor Period, and although this is a work of fiction, it certainly gives an accurate account of the workings of the court of King Henry VIII, and more importantly the rivalry and ambition between the Howard’s and the Seymour’s.
Though complex, this well plotted thriller holds the reader in its grasp, especially relating to Catherine Howard, and even though most of the secrets and mysteries were concluded in a satisfying manner, it’s clear that there will be a follow up, and I for one would be more than happy to read it, after becoming totally absorbed in this unique storyline.
* Thank you to Netgalley and Sapere books for my ARC. I have given an honest unbiased review in exchange *
― Stephen King
And so it is with The Catherine Howard Conspiracy - the author slowly reveals her secrets, leaving the reader breathless with anticipation!
With dual timelines, the story begins in 1539, at Whitehall palace, under the rule of King Henry VIII. Catherine Howard, newly appointed maid of honour to the new queen, Anne of Cleves, makes a somewhat nervous entrance to Court, but as she becomes used to her new surroundings, she becomes aware of the subterfuge and danger which is a part of daily life, especially with a King as unpredictable as Henry.
Catherine soon catches the eye of Henry - the thought of which terrifies her, but she’s encouraged by her uncle, who is eager to see an Howard heir on the throne.
The second part of the storyline is located in Pembrokeshire, Wales in 2018, where we meet Dr Perdita Rivers, who receives both good and bad news - firstly her estranged grandmother, renowned Tudor historian Mary Fitzroy has passed away, and with it comes the news that Perdita and her twin sister Piper have inherited Mary’s not inconsiderable estate which includes the very grand Marquess House. The thing that puzzles Perdita is, why on earth would her grandmother leave everything to them, when in life she’d ignored their very existence?
Perdita begins a search to determine why Mary acted as she did, and it’s during her search that she discovers ancient documents, letters, and diaries suggesting that records relating to Catherine Howard’s execution were false!
Perdita continues investigations into the life of Catherine Howard started by Mary, but it will prove to be a most dangerous assignment that puts the lives of everyone involved at risk - after all, this is a secret that could change the entire history of the monarchy.
Author Alexandra Walsh writes with an accuracy, informed perhaps by extensive research of the Tudor Period, and although this is a work of fiction, it certainly gives an accurate account of the workings of the court of King Henry VIII, and more importantly the rivalry and ambition between the Howard’s and the Seymour’s.
Though complex, this well plotted thriller holds the reader in its grasp, especially relating to Catherine Howard, and even though most of the secrets and mysteries were concluded in a satisfying manner, it’s clear that there will be a follow up, and I for one would be more than happy to read it, after becoming totally absorbed in this unique storyline.
* Thank you to Netgalley and Sapere books for my ARC. I have given an honest unbiased review in exchange *
April 22, 2019
I am afraid I will be in the minority regarding the praise of this novel ...The dual timeline chosen for this novel may sound like an intriguing idea, however, I was not intrigued ... It may be that I do not enjoy thoroughly this type of storytelling. Also, I struggled while reading the passages describing King Harry's violence. There are several theories regarding the change in Henry's personality in his later life, and there is no denying that he had a mind of a tyrant, but I suppose the author's imagination went a bit too far even though I understand that his extreme violence served its purpose in the plot development. In my opinion, Catherine Howard is far too mature in this novel for intriguing at the Tudor court as we know that it was carelessnes that lay at the foundations of her downfall and execution. While reading HF I probably look for a good story set in the period with a decent dose of factual information, hence my little disappointment.
*Many thanks to Alexandra Walsh, Sapere Books and Netgalley for providing me with a digital copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.*
*Many thanks to Alexandra Walsh, Sapere Books and Netgalley for providing me with a digital copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.*
March 21, 2019
First and foremost, a large thank you to NetGalley, Alexandra Walsh, and Sapere Books for providing me with a copy of this publication, which allows me to provide you with an unbiased review.
Alexandra Walsh storms onto the scene with this intriguing piece of historical fiction that opens new questions about the Tudors and Catherine Howard. While attending a dig, archeologist Dr. Perdita Rivers is alerted to some startling news; her estranged grandmother, popular Tudor historian Mary Fitzroy, has passed away. Even more alarming is the fact that Perdita and her sister, Piper, are now the rightful owners of Marquess House, a massive estate that Perdita never knew was part of the family. Surveying her new property, Perdita begins sifting through everything her grandmother left behind, including massive amounts of research relating to the Tudors. The deeper Perdita delves, the more she discovers. Of particular interest is an unpublished work on Catherine Howard, Henry VIII’s fifth wife. The story flashes back to the time of Catherine’s life, exploring her time as a lady at Court. Catherine surrounded herself by Anne of Cleves, the foreign princess sent to marry Henry VIII. Young and quite beautiful, Catherine catches the eye of the king, especially when his hastily arranged marriage goes stale soon after it is solidified. However, Henry VIII is anything but a compassionate lover, using violence and his title to demand submission, both in and out of bed. Once Henry VIII is in search of a new wife, Catherine is the obvious choice. She soon fears for her life when the violence escalates as she is not quick to produce an heir. As Perdita reads more, she begins to piece together some highly controversial information. Could it be that Catherine Howard was never executed? If so, who stood in her place and what happened to this young woman? While Perdita seeks to uncover more, additional mysteries behind her grandmother’s death and a group that has been following her are revealed. This further explains the estrangement between Mary Fitzroy and her granddaughters for a quarter of a century. Filled with adventure and historical revelations, Alexandra Walsh pulls the reader into the middle of this opening novel in an expected trilogy. Recommended for those who love historical mysteries and fiction, as well as readers with an interest in all things Tudor.
I eagerly accepted the chance to read Walsh’s debut novel, as it provided me the opportunity to explore some Tudor history intertwined with a great historical mystery. Walsh develops the first of this trilogy with an interesting premise, whose importance becomes more apparent the more the story develops. Dr. Perdita Rivers proves to be a wonderful character who comes into her own throughout this piece. An archeologist by training, Rivers is well-versed with historical discoveries, though is quite surprised when she uncovers much of the research her grandmother left her. The reader learns a little more about the estrangement period, as well as Rivers’ own backstory and some development, both familial and personal, throughout the piece. Walsh lays the groundwork for some interesting future adventures, both as they relate to the Tudors and life within the Marquess House. Others help to flesh-out the story effectively, none more than Catherine Howard herself. Long deemed flighty and quite promiscuous—like her cousin, Anne Boleyn—Catherine Howard’s brief marriage and eventual execution seem a foregone conclusion. However, Walsh injects some interesting twists into the story, while building a wonderful narrative to offer new and potentially insightful aspects to Tudor history. The story worked quite well and serves both to entertain as well as educate the reader. There is much development of a mystery, both in Tudor times and during the present period. Readers are left with many questions, sure to help lure them into wanting to find the next books in the trilogy. Walsh has definitely offered much on which the reader can posit, including secret societies created to protect and veil those historical anomalies that have not made it into tomes. I am eager to see what Walsh has coming down the pipeline and will keep my eyes peeled for the second book when it has been published.
Kudos, Madam Walsh, for a wonderful opening novel in this series. You have me curious and hoping the intensity stays high throughout the trilogy.
Love/hate the review? An ever-growing collection of others appears at:
http://pecheyponderings.wordpress.com/
A Book for All Seasons, a different sort of Book Challenge: https://www.goodreads.com/group/show/...
Alexandra Walsh storms onto the scene with this intriguing piece of historical fiction that opens new questions about the Tudors and Catherine Howard. While attending a dig, archeologist Dr. Perdita Rivers is alerted to some startling news; her estranged grandmother, popular Tudor historian Mary Fitzroy, has passed away. Even more alarming is the fact that Perdita and her sister, Piper, are now the rightful owners of Marquess House, a massive estate that Perdita never knew was part of the family. Surveying her new property, Perdita begins sifting through everything her grandmother left behind, including massive amounts of research relating to the Tudors. The deeper Perdita delves, the more she discovers. Of particular interest is an unpublished work on Catherine Howard, Henry VIII’s fifth wife. The story flashes back to the time of Catherine’s life, exploring her time as a lady at Court. Catherine surrounded herself by Anne of Cleves, the foreign princess sent to marry Henry VIII. Young and quite beautiful, Catherine catches the eye of the king, especially when his hastily arranged marriage goes stale soon after it is solidified. However, Henry VIII is anything but a compassionate lover, using violence and his title to demand submission, both in and out of bed. Once Henry VIII is in search of a new wife, Catherine is the obvious choice. She soon fears for her life when the violence escalates as she is not quick to produce an heir. As Perdita reads more, she begins to piece together some highly controversial information. Could it be that Catherine Howard was never executed? If so, who stood in her place and what happened to this young woman? While Perdita seeks to uncover more, additional mysteries behind her grandmother’s death and a group that has been following her are revealed. This further explains the estrangement between Mary Fitzroy and her granddaughters for a quarter of a century. Filled with adventure and historical revelations, Alexandra Walsh pulls the reader into the middle of this opening novel in an expected trilogy. Recommended for those who love historical mysteries and fiction, as well as readers with an interest in all things Tudor.
I eagerly accepted the chance to read Walsh’s debut novel, as it provided me the opportunity to explore some Tudor history intertwined with a great historical mystery. Walsh develops the first of this trilogy with an interesting premise, whose importance becomes more apparent the more the story develops. Dr. Perdita Rivers proves to be a wonderful character who comes into her own throughout this piece. An archeologist by training, Rivers is well-versed with historical discoveries, though is quite surprised when she uncovers much of the research her grandmother left her. The reader learns a little more about the estrangement period, as well as Rivers’ own backstory and some development, both familial and personal, throughout the piece. Walsh lays the groundwork for some interesting future adventures, both as they relate to the Tudors and life within the Marquess House. Others help to flesh-out the story effectively, none more than Catherine Howard herself. Long deemed flighty and quite promiscuous—like her cousin, Anne Boleyn—Catherine Howard’s brief marriage and eventual execution seem a foregone conclusion. However, Walsh injects some interesting twists into the story, while building a wonderful narrative to offer new and potentially insightful aspects to Tudor history. The story worked quite well and serves both to entertain as well as educate the reader. There is much development of a mystery, both in Tudor times and during the present period. Readers are left with many questions, sure to help lure them into wanting to find the next books in the trilogy. Walsh has definitely offered much on which the reader can posit, including secret societies created to protect and veil those historical anomalies that have not made it into tomes. I am eager to see what Walsh has coming down the pipeline and will keep my eyes peeled for the second book when it has been published.
Kudos, Madam Walsh, for a wonderful opening novel in this series. You have me curious and hoping the intensity stays high throughout the trilogy.
Love/hate the review? An ever-growing collection of others appears at:
http://pecheyponderings.wordpress.com/
A Book for All Seasons, a different sort of Book Challenge: https://www.goodreads.com/group/show/...
March 29, 2019
My thanks to NetGalley and Sapere books for a review copy of this book.
The Catherine Howard Conspiracy is the first in a trilogy, the Marquess House trilogy, and is a mystery/thriller that unfolds in two parallel timelines. After a brief prologue setting out some events in 1542 Pembrokeshire, we come to the present day where historian–archaeologist, Dr Perdita Rivers working at an undersea site where a sunken ship, possibly from the Armada, has been found is told that her estranged grandmother, an eminent historian Mary Fitzroy has died, and that her and her twin sister, Piper are left heirs to her estate. She soon discovers that her estate is not only vast including the imposing Marquess House, but also includes treasures in the form of the books and documents that Marquess House is home to including its own legacy and the results of her grandmother’s research. As she begins to look into this, she begins to uncover the secrets that Marquess House hides (which connect to Catherine Howard) as well as much that has been hidden in her and Piper’s life. In this, she is helped by her grandmother’s lawyer and friend, Alistair Mackensie and his family, particularly, his youngest son, Kit. Alongside, back in the sixteenth century, we follow Catherine Howard, Henry VIII’s fifth queen, from the time she enters the palace as maid-in-waiting to Anne of Cleeves, catches Henry’s eye, and becomes his queen. But as queen she is caught between the ageing and increasing violent Henry, who acts entirely on his whim, and her own family the Howards, particularly the Duke of Norfolk who wants his own ambitions for the Howard family realised through her. Having seen the fate that befell her cousin Anne Boleyn, Catherine must live in fear nearly every step of the way, and can rely only on a few to protect her.
Some aspects of the book when it begins, and the comparisons with Dan Brown, kind of gave me a clue as to the direction in which the plot was headed, so when I started, my enthusiasm was kind of dampened, but as I read on and the two storylines unfolded with the present-day characters uncovering various secrets, I began to get absorbed in the plot and want to keep reading on to see what they would find next, and how they would get to the answer to the mystery. I also enjoyed the historical part of the story as it played out (though there were certain scenes, describing Henry’s brutality and depravations which were a bit too gruesome for my liking—may be a little less detail would have worked better for me here). The author has taken historical events and characters and given them her own interpretation. So, many of the characters, Catherine Howard, Lady Rochford, and Norfolk, in particular, have different personalities than one is (or at least I was) used to from other fiction (even, non-fiction) set in the era. How much of this interpretation is true (the conspiracy is fiction of course, as the author says), I can’t tell but it was certainly an interesting spin on events, and told in a fast paced, and exciting manner. The main character, Dr Perdita Rivers, I didn’t really take to so much, in the sense that I felt her a little too naïve in many situations; also I felt even when the answer to some things seemed to stare her in the face, she took a page or two longer to get to it. While this book solves part of the mystery, there is a further thread to explore which is probably where the next one will pick up, and I am excited to see how that turns out. An exciting read which I would have enjoyed far more if the secrets unveiled would have really taken me by surprise.
The book released on 28 March 2019!
The Catherine Howard Conspiracy is the first in a trilogy, the Marquess House trilogy, and is a mystery/thriller that unfolds in two parallel timelines. After a brief prologue setting out some events in 1542 Pembrokeshire, we come to the present day where historian–archaeologist, Dr Perdita Rivers working at an undersea site where a sunken ship, possibly from the Armada, has been found is told that her estranged grandmother, an eminent historian Mary Fitzroy has died, and that her and her twin sister, Piper are left heirs to her estate. She soon discovers that her estate is not only vast including the imposing Marquess House, but also includes treasures in the form of the books and documents that Marquess House is home to including its own legacy and the results of her grandmother’s research. As she begins to look into this, she begins to uncover the secrets that Marquess House hides (which connect to Catherine Howard) as well as much that has been hidden in her and Piper’s life. In this, she is helped by her grandmother’s lawyer and friend, Alistair Mackensie and his family, particularly, his youngest son, Kit. Alongside, back in the sixteenth century, we follow Catherine Howard, Henry VIII’s fifth queen, from the time she enters the palace as maid-in-waiting to Anne of Cleeves, catches Henry’s eye, and becomes his queen. But as queen she is caught between the ageing and increasing violent Henry, who acts entirely on his whim, and her own family the Howards, particularly the Duke of Norfolk who wants his own ambitions for the Howard family realised through her. Having seen the fate that befell her cousin Anne Boleyn, Catherine must live in fear nearly every step of the way, and can rely only on a few to protect her.
Some aspects of the book when it begins, and the comparisons with Dan Brown, kind of gave me a clue as to the direction in which the plot was headed, so when I started, my enthusiasm was kind of dampened, but as I read on and the two storylines unfolded with the present-day characters uncovering various secrets, I began to get absorbed in the plot and want to keep reading on to see what they would find next, and how they would get to the answer to the mystery. I also enjoyed the historical part of the story as it played out (though there were certain scenes, describing Henry’s brutality and depravations which were a bit too gruesome for my liking—may be a little less detail would have worked better for me here). The author has taken historical events and characters and given them her own interpretation. So, many of the characters, Catherine Howard, Lady Rochford, and Norfolk, in particular, have different personalities than one is (or at least I was) used to from other fiction (even, non-fiction) set in the era. How much of this interpretation is true (the conspiracy is fiction of course, as the author says), I can’t tell but it was certainly an interesting spin on events, and told in a fast paced, and exciting manner. The main character, Dr Perdita Rivers, I didn’t really take to so much, in the sense that I felt her a little too naïve in many situations; also I felt even when the answer to some things seemed to stare her in the face, she took a page or two longer to get to it. While this book solves part of the mystery, there is a further thread to explore which is probably where the next one will pick up, and I am excited to see how that turns out. An exciting read which I would have enjoyed far more if the secrets unveiled would have really taken me by surprise.
The book released on 28 March 2019!
October 7, 2022
Well now? The question is, although very well-written, did the premise entice and enthral me? For me, the answer is that everything is well presented, the main ideas of the book were not strongly believable. That might just be me, so I do not hesitate to recommend this book to others interested in the reign of Henry VIII. This is a very professional work with excellent presentation and very few noticeable errors and, lately, that is something I appreciate and which adds to easy reading and enjoyment of the material.
April 29, 2019
THE BEST SURPRISES ARE THE ONES YOU DON'T EXPECT!
I received an ARC of this book and, I must admit, I was really, really sceptical at the beginning. I mean, a conspiracy concerning Catherine Howard, Henry VIII's ill-fated 5th wife? Sorry, no, I don't see it. But, honestly, I didn't take me too long to be swept away and wrapped up in this greatly crafted mystery.
Blurp
When Perdita's estranged grandmother dies, a whole new world is opened up to Perdita and her twin sister, Piper. They find out that their famous historian grandmother was so much more than that - and now her legacy is passed on to them, for better or for worse. While going through her grandmother's abandoned research, Perdita begins to uncover perhaps the biggest secret in Tudor history and it is a secret others will want to keep hidden.
THE GOOD STUFF
The research: Like I said, when first I started on this book and got into the plot, I thought for sure it was going to tank - miserably and dramatically. But I was sorely mistaken, because Walsh has done superb research and manages to present her subject with such conviction that even I, a historian who has studied the Tudor queen myself, felt compelled to get in there and do my own research out of pure curiosity.
Catherine Howard: History has painted Catherine Howard as a good-time, promiscuous girl who was so illiterate, she could hardly spell her own name. This image of her has been so prevailing that few have ever - to my knowledge at least - attempted to portray her in any other light. Therefore it was so fresh, so new, to see her as a completely different young woman in this book. At first I had a hard time myself, adjusting to this new view, but once I got into it, I thought it felt plausible and nice.
Parallel timelines: This story features both a present day timeline - with Perdita - as well as a 1539-42 timeline with Catherine Howard as the MC. I am not usually a fan of parallel timelines, simply because I feel like it is usually unnecessary or opens up for the possibility of revealing things that shouldn't be revealed. While the latter did happen here, there were some things that I was able to guess before Perdita figured it out because I had read about it in Catherine's timeline earlier. But I still loved that this story had both, because else I would have missed out on the wonderful character, Catherine Howard.
THE NOT SO GOOD STUFF
The last names: Perhaps this only bothered me because I am familiar with the history leading up to the Tudor period, the Wars of the Roses, but the last names felt a tad lazy and transparent. I mean, Woodville, Rivers, Fitzroy?! Come on...
The ending?: I feel like there is a logical conclusion that this series is leading up to, which is yet to be revealed but that I figured out already on page 5. I am not even exaggerating, literally page 5... We'll see if I was right.
ARC provided by the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review
FOLLOW MY BLOG FOR MORE BOOK GOODNESS
I received an ARC of this book and, I must admit, I was really, really sceptical at the beginning. I mean, a conspiracy concerning Catherine Howard, Henry VIII's ill-fated 5th wife? Sorry, no, I don't see it. But, honestly, I didn't take me too long to be swept away and wrapped up in this greatly crafted mystery.
Blurp
When Perdita's estranged grandmother dies, a whole new world is opened up to Perdita and her twin sister, Piper. They find out that their famous historian grandmother was so much more than that - and now her legacy is passed on to them, for better or for worse. While going through her grandmother's abandoned research, Perdita begins to uncover perhaps the biggest secret in Tudor history and it is a secret others will want to keep hidden.
THE GOOD STUFF
The research: Like I said, when first I started on this book and got into the plot, I thought for sure it was going to tank - miserably and dramatically. But I was sorely mistaken, because Walsh has done superb research and manages to present her subject with such conviction that even I, a historian who has studied the Tudor queen myself, felt compelled to get in there and do my own research out of pure curiosity.
Catherine Howard: History has painted Catherine Howard as a good-time, promiscuous girl who was so illiterate, she could hardly spell her own name. This image of her has been so prevailing that few have ever - to my knowledge at least - attempted to portray her in any other light. Therefore it was so fresh, so new, to see her as a completely different young woman in this book. At first I had a hard time myself, adjusting to this new view, but once I got into it, I thought it felt plausible and nice.
Parallel timelines: This story features both a present day timeline - with Perdita - as well as a 1539-42 timeline with Catherine Howard as the MC. I am not usually a fan of parallel timelines, simply because I feel like it is usually unnecessary or opens up for the possibility of revealing things that shouldn't be revealed. While the latter did happen here, there were some things that I was able to guess before Perdita figured it out because I had read about it in Catherine's timeline earlier. But I still loved that this story had both, because else I would have missed out on the wonderful character, Catherine Howard.
THE NOT SO GOOD STUFF
The last names: Perhaps this only bothered me because I am familiar with the history leading up to the Tudor period, the Wars of the Roses, but the last names felt a tad lazy and transparent. I mean, Woodville, Rivers, Fitzroy?! Come on...
The ending?: I feel like there is a logical conclusion that this series is leading up to, which is yet to be revealed but that I figured out already on page 5. I am not even exaggerating, literally page 5... We'll see if I was right.
ARC provided by the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review
FOLLOW MY BLOG FOR MORE BOOK GOODNESS
March 24, 2019
Historical Fiction is not usually a genre that I read, but when I was invited to read this book by the publisher I was intrigued. A story that is told from the current day in 2018 as well as jumping back in time to the days of King Henry VIII in 1539 . This is a work of fiction but it felt that the author had done her research with this one and it seemed totally believable. It is the first book in a trilogy and after finishing this one this afternoon I am eagerly awaiting book 2 to see where that one takes us.
We are first introduced to Dr Perdita Rivers in 2018. She is told of the death of her estranged grandmother Mary Fitzroy. Mary was a Tudor historian who had written many books on the period. When Perdita and her twin sister were young they were abandoned by Mary. Which is why when her lawyer tells her that Mary has left Marquess House and her very large estate to the 2 of them they are stunned. Why would she do this? Perdita decides to move into the house and comes across Mary's research for a book that was never published. The research casts doubt on the execution of Catherine Howard, one of the many wives of King Henry VIII. Intrigued she decides to delve further into this, not realising that what she learns could change the history that is known. She is also putting herself in danger, these secrets are ones that somebody wants to stay hidden.
We also read from the point of view of Catherine Howard in 1539. New to court she is young and nervous but ready for her role as maid of honour to the queen, Anne of Cleves. She soon catches the eye of the king, who will do anything to have her. Catherine is well aware of the kings temper as cousin to his former wife Anne Boleyn. She is soon caught up in the twisted life of the royal family.
The 2 women's stories go hand in hand and written in a very clever way. I was keen to see what happened in both timelines. The ending of this book was shocking and left me wanting more.
Thanks to the publisher for my advanced copy of this book to read. All opinions are my own and are in no way biased.
We are first introduced to Dr Perdita Rivers in 2018. She is told of the death of her estranged grandmother Mary Fitzroy. Mary was a Tudor historian who had written many books on the period. When Perdita and her twin sister were young they were abandoned by Mary. Which is why when her lawyer tells her that Mary has left Marquess House and her very large estate to the 2 of them they are stunned. Why would she do this? Perdita decides to move into the house and comes across Mary's research for a book that was never published. The research casts doubt on the execution of Catherine Howard, one of the many wives of King Henry VIII. Intrigued she decides to delve further into this, not realising that what she learns could change the history that is known. She is also putting herself in danger, these secrets are ones that somebody wants to stay hidden.
We also read from the point of view of Catherine Howard in 1539. New to court she is young and nervous but ready for her role as maid of honour to the queen, Anne of Cleves. She soon catches the eye of the king, who will do anything to have her. Catherine is well aware of the kings temper as cousin to his former wife Anne Boleyn. She is soon caught up in the twisted life of the royal family.
The 2 women's stories go hand in hand and written in a very clever way. I was keen to see what happened in both timelines. The ending of this book was shocking and left me wanting more.
Thanks to the publisher for my advanced copy of this book to read. All opinions are my own and are in no way biased.
November 2, 2019
This was a wonderful book to read, it kept my interest all the way through to the end. I love this era very much and have a great interest in the wives of Henry the eight. Although a lot of it was just a story and not based on truth it was still a wonderful book to read. There is another in the series and I shall be reading that in due course.
March 18, 2019
This review can also be found on my blog
There’s two things I need to say about this book:
1. I started it Sunday morning and was then glued to the pages for most of the day until I finished shortly after midnight
2. While being glued to the pages, I also rolled my eyes a lot.
Because this book is essentially The Da Vinci Code with the Tudors. Admittedly, with less awkward prose and without Browns weird well-meaning but utterly condescending sexism. But it’s still a book about an awesome academic who discovers that the story we’ve been told about a historic figure is wrong and then she is hunted by a shady organisation who wants to stop her from making that knowledge public. Only it’s not about Jesus but Catherine Howard.
And that’s where things fall apart somewhat because while an organisation of Vatican assassins who hunt people that found out that Jesus was actually married and had children is stupid, it also has some internal logic. Jesus is pretty important for a lot of people. And so is the image of him as an unmarried man. If we are in parallel conspiracy universe, I can buy that people would kill to keep that a secret.
The Catherine Howard Conspiracy posits that the fact that she wasn’t executed has to be kept a secret because…people would get upset if the Divorced, Beheaded and Died. Divorced, Beheaded, Survived-rhyme didn’t work anymore? The argument they make is that history is important to people and (national) identity and finding out that history isn’t what everybody thought it is would cause an uproar. And the example they give is Richard III and how everybody thought he was an evil hunchback but then they found his bones, discovered his spine wasn’t deformed and then everybody also went back on the evil bit and accepted that Richard was actually one of the good guys. Which is not what happened. As this clip from a kids TV-show that was broadcast about a year before they found Richard’s bones, shows.
Arguments about how many of the bad stories about Richard are true and how many are made up by people who were paid by the Tudors has been discussed by historians for a long time. Granted, finding the bones has probably brought that to the attention of a lot of people whose entire knowledge about him had come from the Shakespeare play but I seriously doubt that these people were so upset by that revelation that they then voted for Brexit. Or whatever it was the book was trying to convince me off.
There are so many historical figures and events that historians argue about. Because there is no such thing as an unbiased source. We get descriptions from people who have their own reasons for making someone look good or bad, from people who couldn’t believe that women might have an agency of their own or that gay people existed. Or perhaps they even tried to be neutral but wrote about someone who deliberately tried to appear different from how they actually were. And the further back you go, the harder it gets to find a person where historians agree on all aspects of his or her life. Of course, some of these controversies are more well known than others but building a whole book on History is a fixed thing and must never be changed is so ridiculous that I cannot buy at all, not even if it’s just the premise for a light entertainment read.
And that’s a shame because, I really enjoyed the book at first, since I did not look very closely at the cover and it wasn’t immediately obvious that this was a “gripping conspiracy thriller”. There was just Catherine’s story – starting with her time at Henry’s court – and Perdita’s story – who inherits Marquess house and finds papers there that make her doubt the official story. Admittedly, Catherine’s story was a bit too much. Too much making sure the reader really likes her. She’s not the semi-illiterate woman who’s stupid enough to screw around while being married to a guy who already beheaded one wife for infidelity. Instead, she’s incredibly clever, sends complex coded messages, makes sure that she’s not even alone with her own brother once it becomes clear that Henry intends to marry her and is so incredibly kind-hearted that she’s even trying to help the people who’ve been plotting against her. And to make sure we really like her and feel sorry for her, there are several quite graphic scenes where Henry rapes her…have I mentioned that she’s 15/16 at the time of the story?
Now I would like to throw a controversial opinion out there: it doesn’t matter if Catherine was stupid, couldn’t write her own name and screwed the entire court. She was also a teenager who had no choice but to marry Henry. She did not deserve to be murdered. There’s no need to portray her as an angelic creature who saves puppies in her free time to convince me of that.
On the other hand, life is depressing and especially female characters are rarely allowed to be sympathetic and unlikeable and who am I to judge the author for telling a story with more mass appeal?
So, if this had just been a story of angelic Catherine and Perdita who goes on a treasure hunt to discover the truth and the conflict and tension had come from something that wasn’t her being hunted by secret government agencies, I’d have enjoyed this book. (Though I would have still side-eyed all the on-page rape of a 15-year-old very hard). But then the story turned into…well, The Tudor Code and I could not buy that, not in the way it was presented.
ARC received from NetGalley
There’s two things I need to say about this book:
1. I started it Sunday morning and was then glued to the pages for most of the day until I finished shortly after midnight
2. While being glued to the pages, I also rolled my eyes a lot.
Because this book is essentially The Da Vinci Code with the Tudors. Admittedly, with less awkward prose and without Browns weird well-meaning but utterly condescending sexism. But it’s still a book about an awesome academic who discovers that the story we’ve been told about a historic figure is wrong and then she is hunted by a shady organisation who wants to stop her from making that knowledge public. Only it’s not about Jesus but Catherine Howard.
And that’s where things fall apart somewhat because while an organisation of Vatican assassins who hunt people that found out that Jesus was actually married and had children is stupid, it also has some internal logic. Jesus is pretty important for a lot of people. And so is the image of him as an unmarried man. If we are in parallel conspiracy universe, I can buy that people would kill to keep that a secret.
The Catherine Howard Conspiracy posits that the fact that she wasn’t executed has to be kept a secret because…people would get upset if the Divorced, Beheaded and Died. Divorced, Beheaded, Survived-rhyme didn’t work anymore? The argument they make is that history is important to people and (national) identity and finding out that history isn’t what everybody thought it is would cause an uproar. And the example they give is Richard III and how everybody thought he was an evil hunchback but then they found his bones, discovered his spine wasn’t deformed and then everybody also went back on the evil bit and accepted that Richard was actually one of the good guys. Which is not what happened. As this clip from a kids TV-show that was broadcast about a year before they found Richard’s bones, shows.
Arguments about how many of the bad stories about Richard are true and how many are made up by people who were paid by the Tudors has been discussed by historians for a long time. Granted, finding the bones has probably brought that to the attention of a lot of people whose entire knowledge about him had come from the Shakespeare play but I seriously doubt that these people were so upset by that revelation that they then voted for Brexit. Or whatever it was the book was trying to convince me off.
There are so many historical figures and events that historians argue about. Because there is no such thing as an unbiased source. We get descriptions from people who have their own reasons for making someone look good or bad, from people who couldn’t believe that women might have an agency of their own or that gay people existed. Or perhaps they even tried to be neutral but wrote about someone who deliberately tried to appear different from how they actually were. And the further back you go, the harder it gets to find a person where historians agree on all aspects of his or her life. Of course, some of these controversies are more well known than others but building a whole book on History is a fixed thing and must never be changed is so ridiculous that I cannot buy at all, not even if it’s just the premise for a light entertainment read.
And that’s a shame because, I really enjoyed the book at first, since I did not look very closely at the cover and it wasn’t immediately obvious that this was a “gripping conspiracy thriller”. There was just Catherine’s story – starting with her time at Henry’s court – and Perdita’s story – who inherits Marquess house and finds papers there that make her doubt the official story. Admittedly, Catherine’s story was a bit too much. Too much making sure the reader really likes her. She’s not the semi-illiterate woman who’s stupid enough to screw around while being married to a guy who already beheaded one wife for infidelity. Instead, she’s incredibly clever, sends complex coded messages, makes sure that she’s not even alone with her own brother once it becomes clear that Henry intends to marry her and is so incredibly kind-hearted that she’s even trying to help the people who’ve been plotting against her. And to make sure we really like her and feel sorry for her, there are several quite graphic scenes where Henry rapes her…have I mentioned that she’s 15/16 at the time of the story?
Now I would like to throw a controversial opinion out there: it doesn’t matter if Catherine was stupid, couldn’t write her own name and screwed the entire court. She was also a teenager who had no choice but to marry Henry. She did not deserve to be murdered. There’s no need to portray her as an angelic creature who saves puppies in her free time to convince me of that.
On the other hand, life is depressing and especially female characters are rarely allowed to be sympathetic and unlikeable and who am I to judge the author for telling a story with more mass appeal?
So, if this had just been a story of angelic Catherine and Perdita who goes on a treasure hunt to discover the truth and the conflict and tension had come from something that wasn’t her being hunted by secret government agencies, I’d have enjoyed this book. (Though I would have still side-eyed all the on-page rape of a 15-year-old very hard). But then the story turned into…well, The Tudor Code and I could not buy that, not in the way it was presented.
ARC received from NetGalley
May 16, 2019
Set in Tudor times and shifting back to the present, this historical novel gives us an insight into the life of Henry VIII and his fifth wife, Catherine Howard. However, as Perdita begins to discover, the history that we know and understand about Henry and his wives may not be all that it seems…
Reading this book really reminded me of a Barbara Erskine novel. The time shifts and immense character detail helped to bring both time periods alive. At the same time, this was not densely historical and did not become a heavy-going read. Both time frames were equally gripping and I loved the way that the writer often left each period on a cliff-hanger of a discovery, keeping me gripped throughout.
This was an unusual take on a well-known time of history. Whilst I have never studied it in depth, I know of quite a few tales. However, this historical read was fascinating and I could easily imagine this as a period drama on television. Effortlessly immersing myself into the sixteenth century, the writer brings readers on a similar journey of discover that Perdita is experiencing in present day. The excitement of unravelling the mystery and conspiracy surrounding Catherine Howard was well developed and I really appreciated the writer’s craft, even if it is entirely fictional.
I found the Pembrokeshire grounds so idyllic when reading about Perdita’s inheritance. The countryside and the estate that the house sits in sounded wonderful and magical – totally appropriate for a mermaid myth! Just like her characterisation, the writer brings this Welsh setting alive and I think Perdita’s feeling of being overwhelmed makes both her and the grounds even more appealing to readers. To be honest, I just wanted to go and visit this place for myself once the book had finished.
This was not a surprising story in the fact there were no sudden twists and turns, but I think this helped to make the read even more enjoyable. The plot gradually develops over time, providing different strands to the suspected conspiracy surrounding one of Henry VIII’s wives. It’s a great change to the books I have read recently and I found the period element really enjoyable to read. This is the first of a trilogy and it is clear where the second book will continue on however, I do feel that this was perfectly executed and not a way of prolonging the plot. I hope that the next book in the series continues in this unique theme of historical accuracies and I look forward to will happen to Perdita and her discoveries. My only criticism is that the book isn’t released until the summer, so I am going to have to wait a while before seeing how the story develops! (And, Alexandra Walsh, if you are reading this, please please consider me to review the second novel for you!)
I received a free copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review. With thanks to everyone at Sapere Books and Alexandra Walsh for allowing me to participate in this blog tour.
Reading this book really reminded me of a Barbara Erskine novel. The time shifts and immense character detail helped to bring both time periods alive. At the same time, this was not densely historical and did not become a heavy-going read. Both time frames were equally gripping and I loved the way that the writer often left each period on a cliff-hanger of a discovery, keeping me gripped throughout.
This was an unusual take on a well-known time of history. Whilst I have never studied it in depth, I know of quite a few tales. However, this historical read was fascinating and I could easily imagine this as a period drama on television. Effortlessly immersing myself into the sixteenth century, the writer brings readers on a similar journey of discover that Perdita is experiencing in present day. The excitement of unravelling the mystery and conspiracy surrounding Catherine Howard was well developed and I really appreciated the writer’s craft, even if it is entirely fictional.
I found the Pembrokeshire grounds so idyllic when reading about Perdita’s inheritance. The countryside and the estate that the house sits in sounded wonderful and magical – totally appropriate for a mermaid myth! Just like her characterisation, the writer brings this Welsh setting alive and I think Perdita’s feeling of being overwhelmed makes both her and the grounds even more appealing to readers. To be honest, I just wanted to go and visit this place for myself once the book had finished.
This was not a surprising story in the fact there were no sudden twists and turns, but I think this helped to make the read even more enjoyable. The plot gradually develops over time, providing different strands to the suspected conspiracy surrounding one of Henry VIII’s wives. It’s a great change to the books I have read recently and I found the period element really enjoyable to read. This is the first of a trilogy and it is clear where the second book will continue on however, I do feel that this was perfectly executed and not a way of prolonging the plot. I hope that the next book in the series continues in this unique theme of historical accuracies and I look forward to will happen to Perdita and her discoveries. My only criticism is that the book isn’t released until the summer, so I am going to have to wait a while before seeing how the story develops! (And, Alexandra Walsh, if you are reading this, please please consider me to review the second novel for you!)
I received a free copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review. With thanks to everyone at Sapere Books and Alexandra Walsh for allowing me to participate in this blog tour.
April 22, 2019
Fasten up your seat belts for The Catherine Howard Conspiracy by Alexandra Walsh! You are in for an exciting Da Vinci Code style chase though history for answers. Via the treacherous muddy waters of The Tudor era. This is such a me-book, that I was wired from the moment I read the blurb. And the book delivered all the conniving, slippery moves that I wanted.
MY THOUGHTS ON THE CATHERINE HOWARD CONSPIRACY BY ALEXANDRA WALSH
The first three words that come to my mind for this book are fun, exciting, thrilling. I loved all The Tudor politics, the scheming and plotting. And this alternate version of history was a fun (but also creepy) take on Catherine Howard’s life. I loved watching the author join the dots to show how this might have happened using a mixture of historical facts and artistic licence.
I was less invested in the contemporary characters, but I did enjoy how everything connected. Perdita is the main character in this storyline, and I was fascinated by her research skills as she investigated the conspiracy theory and just how it might connect to her own life. Of course Catherine is the main character in the Tudor thread, and it was interesting to see her portrayed as a thoughtful, kind-hearted woman for once. Instead of the foolish girl that we are more used to hearing about.
What always strikes me about the Tudor period and always gives me all the rage is how women were pawns moved about by the whims of powerful men. So I appreciated that we had some decent men in both the past and current storyline for a little balance. Not to mention the slow but steady development of a promising romance.
Most of all, I’m delighted it’s a series. Especially as it left on an exciting note, with lots of scope for developing the characters and the storyline. Bring on book 2 ASAP!
WHO SHOULD READ THE CATHERINE HOWARD CONSPIRACY BY ALEXANDRA WALSH
I’d highly recommend this book to fans of historical fiction, especially the Tudor period. Fans of the Philippa Gregory series should enjoy, I know I found it fitted in perfectly with my reading of those books.
MY THOUGHTS ON THE CATHERINE HOWARD CONSPIRACY BY ALEXANDRA WALSH
The first three words that come to my mind for this book are fun, exciting, thrilling. I loved all The Tudor politics, the scheming and plotting. And this alternate version of history was a fun (but also creepy) take on Catherine Howard’s life. I loved watching the author join the dots to show how this might have happened using a mixture of historical facts and artistic licence.
I was less invested in the contemporary characters, but I did enjoy how everything connected. Perdita is the main character in this storyline, and I was fascinated by her research skills as she investigated the conspiracy theory and just how it might connect to her own life. Of course Catherine is the main character in the Tudor thread, and it was interesting to see her portrayed as a thoughtful, kind-hearted woman for once. Instead of the foolish girl that we are more used to hearing about.
What always strikes me about the Tudor period and always gives me all the rage is how women were pawns moved about by the whims of powerful men. So I appreciated that we had some decent men in both the past and current storyline for a little balance. Not to mention the slow but steady development of a promising romance.
Most of all, I’m delighted it’s a series. Especially as it left on an exciting note, with lots of scope for developing the characters and the storyline. Bring on book 2 ASAP!
WHO SHOULD READ THE CATHERINE HOWARD CONSPIRACY BY ALEXANDRA WALSH
I’d highly recommend this book to fans of historical fiction, especially the Tudor period. Fans of the Philippa Gregory series should enjoy, I know I found it fitted in perfectly with my reading of those books.
April 2, 2019
This is the first in a planned trilogy by Alexandra Walsh, and it pretty much wears its heart on its sleeve all the way through. Perdita Rivers and her twin sister Piper inherit a fortune when their estranged grandmother dies, leaving them everything. Their grandmother Mary had been an historian, and has left behind the text of an unpublished book revealing the ‘truth’ behind the story of Henry VIII’s fifth wife, Catherine Howard. The book alternates in time between the present day and the period 1539-42, showing life in Henry’s court and the marriage between Henry and Catherine.
Firstly, you get exactly what it says on the tin with this. It’s a conspiracy theory, Dan Brown-esque romp, throwing common sense and logic out of any ornately-patterned window it can find. It’s blindingly obvious how the trilogy will work out – we will no doubt learn the true identity of Perdita and her twin sister (as if the clue ‘Perdita’ wasn’t enough!!). I have no problem with this at all. What I take umbrage at is the astonishing portrait of Henry VIII the book gives, showing him to be a thug, a rapist and a murderer. I’m all for proto-feminist retellings of stories but this seems a bit heavy handed. And it jars completely with the other half of the story, and the descriptions of the main characters (which could be taken out of any Mills and Boon novel); you will get sentences like this: ‘For a moment, her mind wandered to her fiancé: tall, athletic, tanned and, despite her shock and grief, she felt a flutter of lust.’ Oh dear. In general, the characters are 2-dimensional, secondary to the plot throughout.
Anyway, the book rattles along at a decent pace at times, but at points there is a lot of conversation as Perdita and the dashingly handsome Kit (who has ‘piercing blue eyes’, of course) explain their theories to each other. There is a shady government organisation called MI One, whose role is to ensure that ‘official’ history only is allowed; there are menacing figures in dark clothes hiding in the shadows; there are clues and ciphers and a hidden tunnel; there is a murky plot to put them in danger and they plan an escape…. You get the picture.
It’s fine; nonsense, but fine, with little literary worth. Will I read the next two in the trilogy? Perhaps, if only to see what new outrages to history can be dreamt up. This might be great for some readers, but not for me, I’m afraid.
Firstly, you get exactly what it says on the tin with this. It’s a conspiracy theory, Dan Brown-esque romp, throwing common sense and logic out of any ornately-patterned window it can find. It’s blindingly obvious how the trilogy will work out – we will no doubt learn the true identity of Perdita and her twin sister (as if the clue ‘Perdita’ wasn’t enough!!). I have no problem with this at all. What I take umbrage at is the astonishing portrait of Henry VIII the book gives, showing him to be a thug, a rapist and a murderer. I’m all for proto-feminist retellings of stories but this seems a bit heavy handed. And it jars completely with the other half of the story, and the descriptions of the main characters (which could be taken out of any Mills and Boon novel); you will get sentences like this: ‘For a moment, her mind wandered to her fiancé: tall, athletic, tanned and, despite her shock and grief, she felt a flutter of lust.’ Oh dear. In general, the characters are 2-dimensional, secondary to the plot throughout.
Anyway, the book rattles along at a decent pace at times, but at points there is a lot of conversation as Perdita and the dashingly handsome Kit (who has ‘piercing blue eyes’, of course) explain their theories to each other. There is a shady government organisation called MI One, whose role is to ensure that ‘official’ history only is allowed; there are menacing figures in dark clothes hiding in the shadows; there are clues and ciphers and a hidden tunnel; there is a murky plot to put them in danger and they plan an escape…. You get the picture.
It’s fine; nonsense, but fine, with little literary worth. Will I read the next two in the trilogy? Perhaps, if only to see what new outrages to history can be dreamt up. This might be great for some readers, but not for me, I’m afraid.
February 21, 2019
The Catherine Howard Conspiracy is a great read for historical fiction fans. I always felt sorry for poor Kitty Howard. Being related to Anne Boleyn probably doomed her right from the start. So young and naive in a nest of vipirs that she never really had a chance at being queen for very long. The story is fascinating and well researched. Bits of historical truth mixed with bits of fiction create an engaging story. It's so complicated that sometimes I wonder how anyone knows what really happened. That does make for a thrilling suspenseful story, though. I recommend for anyone with an interest in Henry VIII and his wives. Thanks to NetGalley for an arc in exchange for an honest review.
June 27, 2022
This book is ridiculous. It is repetitive and the author had no vision when it came to summarizing history for readers who may not be familiar (such as one of the main characters, an expert in antique documents, not knowing what a book of hours is so that the author may explain THAT too. Then he leans in and explains what the typical design along the borders of these books is called?) The two main characters, who are both experts in antiquities basically wo/mansplain Tudor history to one another. That’s one half of the book. The other half is the MOST creative view of Henry VIII I’ve seen yet, and that is not a compliment. If you can call the typical sexually violent for shock value “creative” - this was just an incredibly bad book if you are knowledgeable about this time period. I can see it possibly be more interesting if you know nothing about it but in that case it’s just a terrible intro to an incredibly interesting time.
December 12, 2022
Oh, wow. Such a good premise, such absolutely awful writing. Everything from the pacing to the characterisation to the grammar jolted me out of the story.
SPOILERS AHEAD (CW for discussions of sexual assault, murder, and extreme violence):
.
.
.
.
I’m a massive Tudor buff, and I simply could not get past the completely inane portrayal of Henry VIII as a literal serial killer. He was egomaniacal, spoilt, and cruel—but he was also highly religious, fancied himself a golden example of chivalry, and abhorred getting his own hands dirty. Showing him repeatedly beat women to death (or near-death) and making it an open secret is… a very bold choice to make, because even his near-absolute monarchy would absolutely not let him stay on the throne if he showed such obvious violent madness. The Swedish king Erik XIV murdered five nobles in 1567, and was deposed less than 2 years later on grounds of insanity. Besides, murder is something Henry, an extremely pious and hypocritically moralistic person, likely wouldn’t have committed with his own hands (he preferred to do that with bills of attainder and false charges of treason). Yes, the people Henry is shown to kill—sex workers and young poor women—would not have been seen as particularly important, and if Henry had raped them they would have received no justice. But murder? Very unlikely.
The really egregious part, though, is Henry beating Katheryn Howard nearly to death, multiple times. He even causes her to have a miscarriage when she informs him that she’s pregnant. Oh yes—and the real reason he had Anne Boleyn executed? He accidentally murdered their infant son.
Hang on—what? Henry VIII, a man who who was single-mindlessly obsessed with having male progeny, killed his own son and beat his Queen so badly she miscarried another potential son? He was a truly horrible person in many ways, but this is just ludicrous. Firstly, there is simply no way he would have killed his own son, no matter how angry he was at the time. Sons were more precious to Henry than gold, because of how terrified he was at the prospect of the Tudor line ending with him and another civil war breaking out in England. Considering his almost-deification of Jane Seymour after the birth of Edward VI, it’s simply not believable that he would have been angry at Anne if she’d given birth to a live son. Neglectful, yes—Jane died of preventable causes—but angry immediately after the birth? Probably not. William (his hypothetical son’s name) would have soon been removed to a nursery, probably in a different palace, so even if Henry had gotten angry at Anne later, he likely wouldn’t have had the opportunity to kill William (particularly without any other witnesses).
Okay, and now to Queen Katheryn. Every eyewitness account of their relationship has one thing in common: Henry was absolutely besotted with her. He was creepy and possibly paedophilic depending on her age—regardless, it was a pretty horrible age gap—but by all accounts he treated her as if she were the most precious thing on Earth. The thought of him beating her seems really far-fetched. Even if one argues that he was insane, Henry was still very much a politician and a man who took appearances of chivalry seriously. He would likely never have beaten his Queen, simply because the Queen mysteriously taking ill and appearing with bruises all over her is not a great look for the supposed golden prince of Europe. Beating her into miscarriage is just… so un-Henry-like.
I really, REALLY hated the graphic rape scenes. I didn’t want to read that. I didn’t NEED to read that. The historical timeline felt like nothing more than an excuse for the author to throw in some salacious violence, which was a frankly ruinous choice to make. It was an endless parade of rape and violence, starring the beautiful tragic genius angel that is Katheryn Howard.
Then there’s the modern timeline. Oh, the modern timeline. Perdita doesn’t speak like a historian. Perdita speaks like a Twilight vampire: she’s supposed to be brilliant, but comes across as a giggly dolt. The romance between her and Kit was painfully shoehorned in, and the characterisation of her previous boyfriend Warren was jarringly all-over-the-place. Also, the British government hires assassins to kill historians who disturb popular historical narratives because… the public may get upset at new information? Give me a BREAK.
SPOILERS AHEAD (CW for discussions of sexual assault, murder, and extreme violence):
.
.
.
.
I’m a massive Tudor buff, and I simply could not get past the completely inane portrayal of Henry VIII as a literal serial killer. He was egomaniacal, spoilt, and cruel—but he was also highly religious, fancied himself a golden example of chivalry, and abhorred getting his own hands dirty. Showing him repeatedly beat women to death (or near-death) and making it an open secret is… a very bold choice to make, because even his near-absolute monarchy would absolutely not let him stay on the throne if he showed such obvious violent madness. The Swedish king Erik XIV murdered five nobles in 1567, and was deposed less than 2 years later on grounds of insanity. Besides, murder is something Henry, an extremely pious and hypocritically moralistic person, likely wouldn’t have committed with his own hands (he preferred to do that with bills of attainder and false charges of treason). Yes, the people Henry is shown to kill—sex workers and young poor women—would not have been seen as particularly important, and if Henry had raped them they would have received no justice. But murder? Very unlikely.
The really egregious part, though, is Henry beating Katheryn Howard nearly to death, multiple times. He even causes her to have a miscarriage when she informs him that she’s pregnant. Oh yes—and the real reason he had Anne Boleyn executed? He accidentally murdered their infant son.
Hang on—what? Henry VIII, a man who who was single-mindlessly obsessed with having male progeny, killed his own son and beat his Queen so badly she miscarried another potential son? He was a truly horrible person in many ways, but this is just ludicrous. Firstly, there is simply no way he would have killed his own son, no matter how angry he was at the time. Sons were more precious to Henry than gold, because of how terrified he was at the prospect of the Tudor line ending with him and another civil war breaking out in England. Considering his almost-deification of Jane Seymour after the birth of Edward VI, it’s simply not believable that he would have been angry at Anne if she’d given birth to a live son. Neglectful, yes—Jane died of preventable causes—but angry immediately after the birth? Probably not. William (his hypothetical son’s name) would have soon been removed to a nursery, probably in a different palace, so even if Henry had gotten angry at Anne later, he likely wouldn’t have had the opportunity to kill William (particularly without any other witnesses).
Okay, and now to Queen Katheryn. Every eyewitness account of their relationship has one thing in common: Henry was absolutely besotted with her. He was creepy and possibly paedophilic depending on her age—regardless, it was a pretty horrible age gap—but by all accounts he treated her as if she were the most precious thing on Earth. The thought of him beating her seems really far-fetched. Even if one argues that he was insane, Henry was still very much a politician and a man who took appearances of chivalry seriously. He would likely never have beaten his Queen, simply because the Queen mysteriously taking ill and appearing with bruises all over her is not a great look for the supposed golden prince of Europe. Beating her into miscarriage is just… so un-Henry-like.
I really, REALLY hated the graphic rape scenes. I didn’t want to read that. I didn’t NEED to read that. The historical timeline felt like nothing more than an excuse for the author to throw in some salacious violence, which was a frankly ruinous choice to make. It was an endless parade of rape and violence, starring the beautiful tragic genius angel that is Katheryn Howard.
Then there’s the modern timeline. Oh, the modern timeline. Perdita doesn’t speak like a historian. Perdita speaks like a Twilight vampire: she’s supposed to be brilliant, but comes across as a giggly dolt. The romance between her and Kit was painfully shoehorned in, and the characterisation of her previous boyfriend Warren was jarringly all-over-the-place. Also, the British government hires assassins to kill historians who disturb popular historical narratives because… the public may get upset at new information? Give me a BREAK.
April 27, 2019
Yes, I am a huge historical fiction fan, with the cherry on top being anything Tudor! So I was fairly confident I would find something in this book ... and I did. The Catherine Howard Conspiracy is first in a trilogy, ‘The Marquess House’ and combines a dual narrative with a mystery/thriller component. What we have here is a truly intriguing piece of literature that, similar to Laura Anderson’s The Boleyn Trilogy, offers a sensible spin on what could have been. Love it!
“How we view ourselves as a nation comes from the way we regard our collective history. But what if it were wrong? What if the version of history we have all been taught, that academics have studied for centuries, is in fact nothing more than a huge fabrication? That we have all been duped into believing lies, and that it’s all been done with the collusion of successive governments.”
What I found most impressive here is the extensive research Alexandra Walsh has undertaken. Although a work of fiction, it reads like an accurate recount of King Henry VIII court except a new creatively inspired twist on the well known tale of his wives. I was also impressed with how the two narratives worked so well together, creating a seamless jigsaw puzzle to be put together by the end. For history buffs, you will LOVE what Walsh has done here and how she has used historical facts to support new and exciting interpretations. You will ponder and reflect on how events may have transpired given situations and characters of Henry’s court in the 1540s. I should have probably scored this as a 4.5* given the far fetched conspiracy of the modern day and with the ending being a little fantastical, but I was prepared to suspend disbelief as it’s such a rollicking good tale!
‘Suddenly, she realised the true helplessness of her situation. Although her betrothment to the king had elevated her status at the court, to her family and, most particularly, her uncle who was the head of the Howards, she remained a puppet to be used in order to help him achieve his own plans and ambitions.’
Catherine Howard is probably the weakest and most flighty wife of the six wives, but here, Walsh gives her a real voice and takes the commonly accepted facts, twisting them in an absolute refreshing way to provide an utterly sympathetic tale of what might have been. This is not an easy path, rather, a complex and well thought out thriller produced with a plot that will keep you going right to the very end. Take your Tudor knowledge and turn it on its head! How fascinating! I can’t allude to much without giving away the turn of events, but suffice to say I fully embrace this new version of Catherine Howard and find it to be supported with some realistic fiction.
‘What had captured her imagination was the possibility that there was a different version of events leading up to Catherine’s death. One that suggested she had not been the spoilt, promiscuous child so many biographies hypothesised but, rather like her cousin Anne Boleyn, was the innocent victim of her scheming and powerful male relatives.’
Although the first in a trilogy, this story does reach some satisfying conclusions, whilst providing me with enough incentive to want to continue the journey for the follow up. I can only congratulate the author on her creativity and unique way of weaving historical facts with well thought out fiction. The research and imagination blend perfectly for a most thrilling read. Highly recommend for historical fiction fans.
“But if that’s the case and Catherine Howard wasn’t executed,” said Perdita, “where did she go and what happened to her?”
This review is based on a complimentary copy from the publisher and provided through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. The quoted material may have changed in the final release.
“How we view ourselves as a nation comes from the way we regard our collective history. But what if it were wrong? What if the version of history we have all been taught, that academics have studied for centuries, is in fact nothing more than a huge fabrication? That we have all been duped into believing lies, and that it’s all been done with the collusion of successive governments.”
What I found most impressive here is the extensive research Alexandra Walsh has undertaken. Although a work of fiction, it reads like an accurate recount of King Henry VIII court except a new creatively inspired twist on the well known tale of his wives. I was also impressed with how the two narratives worked so well together, creating a seamless jigsaw puzzle to be put together by the end. For history buffs, you will LOVE what Walsh has done here and how she has used historical facts to support new and exciting interpretations. You will ponder and reflect on how events may have transpired given situations and characters of Henry’s court in the 1540s. I should have probably scored this as a 4.5* given the far fetched conspiracy of the modern day and with the ending being a little fantastical, but I was prepared to suspend disbelief as it’s such a rollicking good tale!
‘Suddenly, she realised the true helplessness of her situation. Although her betrothment to the king had elevated her status at the court, to her family and, most particularly, her uncle who was the head of the Howards, she remained a puppet to be used in order to help him achieve his own plans and ambitions.’
Catherine Howard is probably the weakest and most flighty wife of the six wives, but here, Walsh gives her a real voice and takes the commonly accepted facts, twisting them in an absolute refreshing way to provide an utterly sympathetic tale of what might have been. This is not an easy path, rather, a complex and well thought out thriller produced with a plot that will keep you going right to the very end. Take your Tudor knowledge and turn it on its head! How fascinating! I can’t allude to much without giving away the turn of events, but suffice to say I fully embrace this new version of Catherine Howard and find it to be supported with some realistic fiction.
‘What had captured her imagination was the possibility that there was a different version of events leading up to Catherine’s death. One that suggested she had not been the spoilt, promiscuous child so many biographies hypothesised but, rather like her cousin Anne Boleyn, was the innocent victim of her scheming and powerful male relatives.’
Although the first in a trilogy, this story does reach some satisfying conclusions, whilst providing me with enough incentive to want to continue the journey for the follow up. I can only congratulate the author on her creativity and unique way of weaving historical facts with well thought out fiction. The research and imagination blend perfectly for a most thrilling read. Highly recommend for historical fiction fans.
“But if that’s the case and Catherine Howard wasn’t executed,” said Perdita, “where did she go and what happened to her?”
This review is based on a complimentary copy from the publisher and provided through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. The quoted material may have changed in the final release.
May 16, 2019
*I voluntarily reviewed this book from the Publisher
Compelling, fresh, and with deftly-woven characters that ensnare the imagination, THE CATHERINE HOWARD CONSPIRACY by Alexandra Walsh is a wonderful blend of historical mystery and modern drama, and I thoroughly enjoyed it.
When Perdita learns that her estranged, wealthy grandmother has passed away, she is surprised to be invited to her estate considering she ignored Perdita and her twin sister Piper since they were little. But the surprises keep on coming when she learns that their grandmother's vast estate, historical documents, books, and money are all left to them both. With the ability to fund any of her archaeological interests, Perdita moves into her new home and as she starts to look into her grandmother's research, she uncovers papers on Catherine Howard and a mystery that is aching to be solved. But can Perdita ever figure out why her grandmother abandoned them when they needed her most? And what was her grandmother's connection to Catherine Howard?
Switching from past to present, there is never a dull moment whether we are following Catherine back in the sixteenth century as she navigates family expectations and a husband that is increasingly volatile, or whether we are watching Perdita as she takes stock of everything that has changed and the secrets from her own past. There is drama, lies, hidden agendas and so much more nestled among the pages and I devoured THE CATHERINE HOWARD CONSPIRACY by Alexandra Walsh in one evening.
This is the first book in an exciting new series and I cannot wait for what is to come, and this is the perfect read for historical fiction and contemporary drama fans alike.
Compelling, fresh, and with deftly-woven characters that ensnare the imagination, THE CATHERINE HOWARD CONSPIRACY by Alexandra Walsh is a wonderful blend of historical mystery and modern drama, and I thoroughly enjoyed it.
When Perdita learns that her estranged, wealthy grandmother has passed away, she is surprised to be invited to her estate considering she ignored Perdita and her twin sister Piper since they were little. But the surprises keep on coming when she learns that their grandmother's vast estate, historical documents, books, and money are all left to them both. With the ability to fund any of her archaeological interests, Perdita moves into her new home and as she starts to look into her grandmother's research, she uncovers papers on Catherine Howard and a mystery that is aching to be solved. But can Perdita ever figure out why her grandmother abandoned them when they needed her most? And what was her grandmother's connection to Catherine Howard?
Switching from past to present, there is never a dull moment whether we are following Catherine back in the sixteenth century as she navigates family expectations and a husband that is increasingly volatile, or whether we are watching Perdita as she takes stock of everything that has changed and the secrets from her own past. There is drama, lies, hidden agendas and so much more nestled among the pages and I devoured THE CATHERINE HOWARD CONSPIRACY by Alexandra Walsh in one evening.
This is the first book in an exciting new series and I cannot wait for what is to come, and this is the perfect read for historical fiction and contemporary drama fans alike.
March 10, 2019
I would like to thank Sapere Books for an advance copy of The Catherine Howard Conspiracy, the first novel in the Marquess House Trilogy.
When Dr Perdita Rivers’ estranged grandmother dies she discovers that she and her twin sister, Piper, have inherited her estate and a historical mystery people will kill to protect.
The Catherine Howard Conspiracy is a very unusual novel with a dual timeline and two very different narratives. The modern day narrative is concerned with Perdita’s investigation and is interspersed with a more straightforward account of Catherine Howard’s marriage to Henry VIII. It is an interesting premise and Ms Walsh has given free rein to her imagination, although the practicalities of it are a bit more difficult.
For reasons that I will discuss later I much preferred the historical plot line to the modern day one. It has a linear timeline and although my school day studies grounded me in the Tudor background they did not prepare me for the rather outrageous extrapolations Ms Walsh makes. Nevertheless it is a good read, full of tension, atmosphere and imagination. The modern day plot on the other hand is preposterous and I wondered at times if I had strayed into a pastiche of a Dan Brown novel. Mostly it is quite boring with Perdita and employee, Kit MacKensie, trying to prove their theories by sifting through documents. As the reader is already aware of events through the 1540s narrative it seems a bit pointless following their investigation. It does, however, culminate in an action scene and a set up for the sequel.
The Catherine Howard Conspiracy presents an unusual take on a turbulent time in history and is worth a read for the theory.
When Dr Perdita Rivers’ estranged grandmother dies she discovers that she and her twin sister, Piper, have inherited her estate and a historical mystery people will kill to protect.
The Catherine Howard Conspiracy is a very unusual novel with a dual timeline and two very different narratives. The modern day narrative is concerned with Perdita’s investigation and is interspersed with a more straightforward account of Catherine Howard’s marriage to Henry VIII. It is an interesting premise and Ms Walsh has given free rein to her imagination, although the practicalities of it are a bit more difficult.
For reasons that I will discuss later I much preferred the historical plot line to the modern day one. It has a linear timeline and although my school day studies grounded me in the Tudor background they did not prepare me for the rather outrageous extrapolations Ms Walsh makes. Nevertheless it is a good read, full of tension, atmosphere and imagination. The modern day plot on the other hand is preposterous and I wondered at times if I had strayed into a pastiche of a Dan Brown novel. Mostly it is quite boring with Perdita and employee, Kit MacKensie, trying to prove their theories by sifting through documents. As the reader is already aware of events through the 1540s narrative it seems a bit pointless following their investigation. It does, however, culminate in an action scene and a set up for the sequel.
The Catherine Howard Conspiracy presents an unusual take on a turbulent time in history and is worth a read for the theory.
February 15, 2019
Complex ~ Well-researched ~ Engrossing
tl: dr: Terrible Henry VIII is lucky to have a new wife Catherine Howard, who unluckily is engrossed in a conspiracy.
Imagine your favorite well-plotted thriller was set in Henry VIII's court. I know you might be imagining Dan Brown, but this is so much better written than that schlock. The book is more like Geraldine Brooks, with a contemporary person unwrapping a huge mystery. I love Catherine Howard, and Walsh does a great job giving Catherine voice. The story is convoluted and long, but this is a very compelling and surprising historical novel. Grab a copy if you love a page turner, a corset, or an aristocratic conspiracy. The author was new to me, and I was glad I gave her a chance.
4.5
Thanks to NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
tl: dr: Terrible Henry VIII is lucky to have a new wife Catherine Howard, who unluckily is engrossed in a conspiracy.
Imagine your favorite well-plotted thriller was set in Henry VIII's court. I know you might be imagining Dan Brown, but this is so much better written than that schlock. The book is more like Geraldine Brooks, with a contemporary person unwrapping a huge mystery. I love Catherine Howard, and Walsh does a great job giving Catherine voice. The story is convoluted and long, but this is a very compelling and surprising historical novel. Grab a copy if you love a page turner, a corset, or an aristocratic conspiracy. The author was new to me, and I was glad I gave her a chance.
4.5
Thanks to NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
December 18, 2024
Would I think this book was as bad as I do if the author had decided to go full alternate history/timeline instead of simply shoehorning in secret tudor twins? No.
But here we are.
(If I had a nickel for every book I've run into that refuses to veer into alternate history but contains a secret tudor twin etc etc)
But here we are.
(If I had a nickel for every book I've run into that refuses to veer into alternate history but contains a secret tudor twin etc etc)
December 12, 2024
This was really great! It would have been a great read even without the thriller bits. I’m looking forward to starting the second book of the series!
November 1, 2019
England 1539
When Catherine Howard arrives at the court of Henry VIII it is to be maid of honour to the new Queen, Anne of Cleves yet she had no idea where this path would take her.
When Catherine becomes the King's new fancy she finds herself caught in the politicking of her Uncle, the Duke of Norfolk and his ambition to put a Howard heir on the throne.
Terrified by the health of the King affecting his behaviour, the fate of her cousin's Anne and George are forever on her mind and stoke fears for her own safety.
Wales 2018
Dr Perdita Rivers is the estranged grand daughter of Mary Fitzroy a famed Tudor historian. After Mary's inexplicable loss of contact with both herself and her twin sibling, Piper. Mary's unexpected death and the girls sudden inheritence of Marquess House a beautiful tudor estate on the Pembrokeshire coast, Perdita begins to learn and unravel the reasons for her grandmother's absence as she settles into her new stately home.
While looking further into her grandmothers work Perdita finds ancient documents in the archives of letters and diaries claiming that Catherine Howards execution wasn't as it seemed.
Many thanks to NetGalley and Sapere Books for the opportunity to read this debut novel by Alexandra Walsh, this is the first instalment of a trilogy. This novel is a dual time line plot based on a historical conspiracy thriller with a twist on a well known period of Tudor history.
The beginning of this book was a slow burner for me, it took a while for me to like the character of Perdita as she initially came over very one dimensional and upon her realisation of her inheritance at times acted like a spoilt child whose newly found priveledge initially put me on the back foot. However, I have to be honest as an avid reader on books based in the tudor perior it was in fact the intrigue of Catherine's story which drew me deeper into reading this book.
One tudor character I developed a fondness for was Jane Boleyn (Viscountess Rochford nee Parker). Jane was the wife of the ill fated brother of Anne Boleyn, George but was well used to the politics of court commencing her time there with Catherine of Aragon's household.
Jane is clearly a strong women able to survive throughout the early days of Henry's court, her tenacity is clearly portrayed in this book when she is returned to the court of Jane Seymour and subsequently the next Queen, Anne of Cleves before standing beside Catherine Howard.
This book is written in such a way that at times you do feel back in that fateful period in history. Although the plot is based in fact it is a work of fiction and I sometimes had to remind myself of that as I was pulled into the intrigue.
I do feel this book had a similar style of writing in the historical timeline to that of Alison Weir and Phillipa Gregory. The more modern timeline had a feel of Dan Brown to it however, I would say at times the plot felt too slow and it's conclusion almost felt rushed in it's style of writing.
Despite all my views I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book and felt drawn back to it's pages time and again. I look forward to seeing where the story will go in the second book when it is published.
When Catherine Howard arrives at the court of Henry VIII it is to be maid of honour to the new Queen, Anne of Cleves yet she had no idea where this path would take her.
When Catherine becomes the King's new fancy she finds herself caught in the politicking of her Uncle, the Duke of Norfolk and his ambition to put a Howard heir on the throne.
Terrified by the health of the King affecting his behaviour, the fate of her cousin's Anne and George are forever on her mind and stoke fears for her own safety.
Wales 2018
Dr Perdita Rivers is the estranged grand daughter of Mary Fitzroy a famed Tudor historian. After Mary's inexplicable loss of contact with both herself and her twin sibling, Piper. Mary's unexpected death and the girls sudden inheritence of Marquess House a beautiful tudor estate on the Pembrokeshire coast, Perdita begins to learn and unravel the reasons for her grandmother's absence as she settles into her new stately home.
While looking further into her grandmothers work Perdita finds ancient documents in the archives of letters and diaries claiming that Catherine Howards execution wasn't as it seemed.
Many thanks to NetGalley and Sapere Books for the opportunity to read this debut novel by Alexandra Walsh, this is the first instalment of a trilogy. This novel is a dual time line plot based on a historical conspiracy thriller with a twist on a well known period of Tudor history.
The beginning of this book was a slow burner for me, it took a while for me to like the character of Perdita as she initially came over very one dimensional and upon her realisation of her inheritance at times acted like a spoilt child whose newly found priveledge initially put me on the back foot. However, I have to be honest as an avid reader on books based in the tudor perior it was in fact the intrigue of Catherine's story which drew me deeper into reading this book.
One tudor character I developed a fondness for was Jane Boleyn (Viscountess Rochford nee Parker). Jane was the wife of the ill fated brother of Anne Boleyn, George but was well used to the politics of court commencing her time there with Catherine of Aragon's household.
Jane is clearly a strong women able to survive throughout the early days of Henry's court, her tenacity is clearly portrayed in this book when she is returned to the court of Jane Seymour and subsequently the next Queen, Anne of Cleves before standing beside Catherine Howard.
This book is written in such a way that at times you do feel back in that fateful period in history. Although the plot is based in fact it is a work of fiction and I sometimes had to remind myself of that as I was pulled into the intrigue.
I do feel this book had a similar style of writing in the historical timeline to that of Alison Weir and Phillipa Gregory. The more modern timeline had a feel of Dan Brown to it however, I would say at times the plot felt too slow and it's conclusion almost felt rushed in it's style of writing.
Despite all my views I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book and felt drawn back to it's pages time and again. I look forward to seeing where the story will go in the second book when it is published.
March 6, 2019
I’m a big fan of historical fiction, especially that set in the Tudor period, and of modern fiction, so it was pretty much a certainty that I would enjoy this book, and I wasn't disappointed.
The modern part of the story is based around a stately home in Pembrokeshire, inherited by twins Perdita and Piper, from their estranged grandmother. As a historical researcher, Perdita is delighted to find the inheritance includes a superbly equipped research facility and library, and begins to explore the reasons her grandmother became estranged from the twins yet still left her estate to them. As she uncovers more about the family’s past, it becomes clear that she is now guardian of a dangerous secret….
Back in 1539, Catherine Howard arrives at the court of King Henry VIII to become one of the ladies serving his new wife, Anne of Cleves, but soon catches the lustful eye of the king and eventually becomes his fifth wife.
I enjoyed reading both stories and thought the way they were interwoven was very well executed, in that each section of the present or past led smoothly into the next section in the other era. Only towards the end did this smooth transition become more jagged, as the rather chaotic ending of the modern section approached.
Historically I found the book fascinating – although the story went against all the usual information we are given about Catherine’s personality and fate, the historical facts used to support the deductions are the very same ones that are used to support the current historical records. I turned to Google many times while reading and always came away thinking, “Well, there’s just a possibility it COULD have happened this way instead.”
Alexandra Walsh’s real strength seems to be in writing dislikeable characters. As the central character of the modern section, I found Perdita to be highly strung, short tempered, selfish and emotionally unpredictable, and in the historical part, Henry VIII was even more unpleasant than any stories I’ve read before have made him out to be - a volatile, tormented, unpredictable and violent sexual predator.
This book is the first in a series, and I am looking forward to reading more. I’ve noticed a trend for series books to end on a cliffhanger with the story unresolved, which always leaves me feeling cheated, but with this book there was the satisfaction of finishing with all the issues dealt with throughout the story fully resolved, and yet new issues arising in both the past and the future; just enough to leave me wanting to know what happens next.
Many thanks to Sapere books for giving me the opportunity to read and review this ahead of publication.
May 23, 2019
Oh, my this is good! What an introduction to this author, this is an amazing book that will have shackle you to your chair until the very last word, I can guarantee that this will be devoured by again and again. I absolutely loved the premise of this, I have a soft spot for time-slip stories when done properly they can change your whole view on what you love to read and this is one of the best I’ve read. Ms Walsh has a real gift as a narrator, she has meticulously entwined an out of this world great piece of fiction with a bit of history, thrilling plot line and amazing character’s who you will be rooting for from day one.
The book opens in 1539 and from that brief chapter set during the court of Henry VIII where innocent and young Catherine Howard, has just been appointed the newest maid to honour new Queen Anne of Cleves. Let me tell you that this opening is gripping, it had me hooked with the undercurrent of danger that surrounds Catherine. I won’t say too much, other than this is how you grab hold of your reader from the off.
Fast Forward to 2018 where historian archaeologist Perdita is currently working at a dig that has unearthed a part of the Armada when she get some news that changes her life forever. Her grand mother has passed away and she has left everything, her multi-billion pond estate to Perdita and her twin sister Piper. But, it’s not all there is a secret luring deep in their history one that will bring danger in to their lives if ever revealed.
Honestly, there is so much going on in this book I daren’t go into too much detail with my review, I wouldn’t wish to spoil this book and the start of this new series for others but I will say that there are aspects to it’s that just blew my mind, I was literally reading and then I’d be like “Whoah, did that really just happen?”.
There is something very magical about this book, it’s imaginative with it’s duel timeline and various inter-twining factors from past to present and that mix of fact and fiction so seamlessly and beautifully done. It’s gripping and classy!
If you want a thrilling and intriguing time-split story with the feel of Dan Brown you really want to read this one. I was completely and utterly gripped by it, I love the time-split with it’s duel storyline that were interlinked together.
Overall this is an astounding start to what I know is going to be an impressive and brilliantly addictive series, think Dan Brown and Kate Mosse and you will have an inkling of just how glorious this is. It’s stylish, smart as a whip, engaging, thrilling, atmospheric, clever, magical – I could go on. It really is a must read for any who loves their thrillers with an extra oomph!
The book opens in 1539 and from that brief chapter set during the court of Henry VIII where innocent and young Catherine Howard, has just been appointed the newest maid to honour new Queen Anne of Cleves. Let me tell you that this opening is gripping, it had me hooked with the undercurrent of danger that surrounds Catherine. I won’t say too much, other than this is how you grab hold of your reader from the off.
Fast Forward to 2018 where historian archaeologist Perdita is currently working at a dig that has unearthed a part of the Armada when she get some news that changes her life forever. Her grand mother has passed away and she has left everything, her multi-billion pond estate to Perdita and her twin sister Piper. But, it’s not all there is a secret luring deep in their history one that will bring danger in to their lives if ever revealed.
Honestly, there is so much going on in this book I daren’t go into too much detail with my review, I wouldn’t wish to spoil this book and the start of this new series for others but I will say that there are aspects to it’s that just blew my mind, I was literally reading and then I’d be like “Whoah, did that really just happen?”.
There is something very magical about this book, it’s imaginative with it’s duel timeline and various inter-twining factors from past to present and that mix of fact and fiction so seamlessly and beautifully done. It’s gripping and classy!
If you want a thrilling and intriguing time-split story with the feel of Dan Brown you really want to read this one. I was completely and utterly gripped by it, I love the time-split with it’s duel storyline that were interlinked together.
Overall this is an astounding start to what I know is going to be an impressive and brilliantly addictive series, think Dan Brown and Kate Mosse and you will have an inkling of just how glorious this is. It’s stylish, smart as a whip, engaging, thrilling, atmospheric, clever, magical – I could go on. It really is a must read for any who loves their thrillers with an extra oomph!
July 5, 2019
Originally published on my blog: Nonstop Reader.
The Catherine Howard Conspiracy is the first book in the Marquess House trilogy by Alexandra Walsh. Released 28th March 2019 by Sapere books, it's 464 pages and available in paperback and ebook formats.
This is a dual time line with a parallel narrative. The plots intertwine between 1539-1542 and 2018. The stories are well demarcated and aren't confusing to keep track of. The writing is consistent and the additional historical details are interesting. I'm a huge fan of the period, so it was exciting to see the stories intertwine with historical occurrences resonating profoundly down to the present day.
In some ways it reminded me a lot of The Da Vinci Code. Shadowy conspiracy history thugs and a lone academic (with sidekicks) foiling all their nefarious plans. I have to admit that I really did enjoy the book most when I just silenced my suspension of disbelief's annoying whine and tossed it into to the closet. For readers who are looking for meticulous verisimilitude and realistic plot devices, this one might not fit the bill. On the other hand, for readers who (even secretly) love Dan Brown, and movies like National Treasure (with a dash of Indiana Jones on the side), this one could be a good selection.
Some of the descriptions (especially of Henry and his sexual conquests) may possibly be triggering for some readers. I found the portrayal of HenryVIII pretty over the top. He -was- apparently a harsh guy with a prodigious potential for violence, but his portrayal in the book is fairly extreme. The language is moderately strong (one 'F-bomb' in context), but not over the top.
Possibly worth noting for Kindle Unlimited subscribers. This title is available in the KU subscription to borrow and download for free.
I enjoyed the book, it's a nice historical thriller. I'll be reading (and reviewing) the second book in the series soon.
Four stars.
Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.
The Catherine Howard Conspiracy is the first book in the Marquess House trilogy by Alexandra Walsh. Released 28th March 2019 by Sapere books, it's 464 pages and available in paperback and ebook formats.
This is a dual time line with a parallel narrative. The plots intertwine between 1539-1542 and 2018. The stories are well demarcated and aren't confusing to keep track of. The writing is consistent and the additional historical details are interesting. I'm a huge fan of the period, so it was exciting to see the stories intertwine with historical occurrences resonating profoundly down to the present day.
In some ways it reminded me a lot of The Da Vinci Code. Shadowy conspiracy history thugs and a lone academic (with sidekicks) foiling all their nefarious plans. I have to admit that I really did enjoy the book most when I just silenced my suspension of disbelief's annoying whine and tossed it into to the closet. For readers who are looking for meticulous verisimilitude and realistic plot devices, this one might not fit the bill. On the other hand, for readers who (even secretly) love Dan Brown, and movies like National Treasure (with a dash of Indiana Jones on the side), this one could be a good selection.
Some of the descriptions (especially of Henry and his sexual conquests) may possibly be triggering for some readers. I found the portrayal of HenryVIII pretty over the top. He -was- apparently a harsh guy with a prodigious potential for violence, but his portrayal in the book is fairly extreme. The language is moderately strong (one 'F-bomb' in context), but not over the top.
Possibly worth noting for Kindle Unlimited subscribers. This title is available in the KU subscription to borrow and download for free.
I enjoyed the book, it's a nice historical thriller. I'll be reading (and reviewing) the second book in the series soon.
Four stars.
Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.
February 27, 2019
3 and 1 / 2 stars
This book has several things about it that I love and study: Tudor England, archaeology and shipwrecks. What's not to love?
After receiving a surprising and shocking bequest from their estrange grandmother, Perdita nd her twin sister Piper begin making plans to change their lives accordingly. Perdita, a specialist in Tudor history is delighted to learn that there is not only a research facility, but a library dedicated to the Tudor era on the grounds.
As Perdita begins to go through her grandmother's research in the research center, the book morphs into Catherine Howard's story. King Henry VIII is dissatisfied with his present wife Anne of Cleves and now has his eye on Catherine, also called “Kitty.” Catherine is horrified, she has made friends with Queen Anne and does not want to have anything to do with Henry. He is ageing, corpulent and smells bad. She knows well what happened to her cousin Anne Boleyn and the ambition of her uncle the Duke of Norfolk.
This is a “what if” novel about Catherine Howard's marriage to King Henry VIII. It posits that Catherine did not die on the scaffold and did not have an intimate relationship with Thomas Culpepper. It is an interesting idea. I'm not sure how much research Ms. Walsh did, but the book makes for good reading. It was fairly well written and well plotted. I found Perdita's temper flare-ups tiring. I found Piper with her problems more palatable.
I want to thank NetGalley and Sapere Books for forwarding to me a copy of this alternative history for me to read and review.
This book has several things about it that I love and study: Tudor England, archaeology and shipwrecks. What's not to love?
After receiving a surprising and shocking bequest from their estrange grandmother, Perdita nd her twin sister Piper begin making plans to change their lives accordingly. Perdita, a specialist in Tudor history is delighted to learn that there is not only a research facility, but a library dedicated to the Tudor era on the grounds.
As Perdita begins to go through her grandmother's research in the research center, the book morphs into Catherine Howard's story. King Henry VIII is dissatisfied with his present wife Anne of Cleves and now has his eye on Catherine, also called “Kitty.” Catherine is horrified, she has made friends with Queen Anne and does not want to have anything to do with Henry. He is ageing, corpulent and smells bad. She knows well what happened to her cousin Anne Boleyn and the ambition of her uncle the Duke of Norfolk.
This is a “what if” novel about Catherine Howard's marriage to King Henry VIII. It posits that Catherine did not die on the scaffold and did not have an intimate relationship with Thomas Culpepper. It is an interesting idea. I'm not sure how much research Ms. Walsh did, but the book makes for good reading. It was fairly well written and well plotted. I found Perdita's temper flare-ups tiring. I found Piper with her problems more palatable.
I want to thank NetGalley and Sapere Books for forwarding to me a copy of this alternative history for me to read and review.
March 29, 2019
Book one of a new trilogy, this is a gripping conspiracy style, dual timeline thriller set in the present day and in the 16thC. Archaeologist Dr Perdita Rivers inherits Marquess House in Pembrokeshire, a stately home with a mysterious past connected to Henry VIII’s fifth ill-fated wife. As skeletons in the closet are discovered, it becomes a matter of life and death to unearth the truth.
I thought this was a well researched and written tale. I liked the writing style, it’s easy to read. It’s very exciting in places, so much so that I found it difficult to put down. I was eagerly turning the pages to find out what happened next. A lot of thought, imagination and effort has gone into this story. It skilfully combines historical fact with fiction. I did have to suspend belief at times as it does stray into the ‘Da Vinci Code’ arena but, nevertheless, I found it very entertaining. It’s a fabulous and impressive debut which I thoroughly enjoyed. I am looking forward to reading the next book in the trilogy, The Elizabeth Tudor Conspiracy.
Many thanks to Sapere for giving me the opportunity to read this book.
I thought this was a well researched and written tale. I liked the writing style, it’s easy to read. It’s very exciting in places, so much so that I found it difficult to put down. I was eagerly turning the pages to find out what happened next. A lot of thought, imagination and effort has gone into this story. It skilfully combines historical fact with fiction. I did have to suspend belief at times as it does stray into the ‘Da Vinci Code’ arena but, nevertheless, I found it very entertaining. It’s a fabulous and impressive debut which I thoroughly enjoyed. I am looking forward to reading the next book in the trilogy, The Elizabeth Tudor Conspiracy.
Many thanks to Sapere for giving me the opportunity to read this book.
March 10, 2022
What else can a girl ask for rather than a Catherine Howard mystery?
I liked this book’s interpretation of Katheryn Howard, but as soon as she married the king, it went downhill. I had to tell myself that it was a What-if book, not a fictional biography. Then I began to enjoy this volume even more.
There were some rather… graphic scenes, but you can always skip ahead, and that’s exactly what I did.
I loved the modern side of the story, and how Perdita unraveled the mystery. I had to continually stop and make sure The Catherine Howard Codex wasn’t real! But even without the codex, book of legends, of book of hours, Perdita and Kit pointed out some holes in the alleged infidelity accepted by most people. I loved Kit and Perdita’s easy relationship too! As soon as Perdita met Kit for the second time… let’s just say, I could be a Seer, how well I predict plots!
I can’t wait for this story to continue, and to gobble the other books up!
I liked this book’s interpretation of Katheryn Howard, but as soon as she married the king, it went downhill. I had to tell myself that it was a What-if book, not a fictional biography. Then I began to enjoy this volume even more.
There were some rather… graphic scenes, but you can always skip ahead, and that’s exactly what I did.
I loved the modern side of the story, and how Perdita unraveled the mystery. I had to continually stop and make sure The Catherine Howard Codex wasn’t real! But even without the codex, book of legends, of book of hours, Perdita and Kit pointed out some holes in the alleged infidelity accepted by most people. I loved Kit and Perdita’s easy relationship too! As soon as Perdita met Kit for the second time… let’s just say, I could be a Seer, how well I predict plots!
I can’t wait for this story to continue, and to gobble the other books up!
March 14, 2024
This story was a bit of a surprise and not the tale I expected. It transpired that this was a most fortune error, as I might not have picked up the (audio) book had I realised its premise, but I enjoyed it immensely.
I has assumed it would be a fictional account of the life of Catherine Howard, 5th wife of Henry VIII, which would attempt to be as historically accurate as possible. However, Walsh writes "what if?" books, and has created a vastly different version of Catherine's life that still (just about) clips in with the known facts regarding her short reign. I enjoyed Walsh's version even more knowing (what I shall now always silently refer to as) the established version of Tudor events, as the twists and turns were more surprising.
The story is told as two counterpart tales, one set with Catherine in Henry VIII's court and the other in modern times as the main character, Perdita, digs into Catherine's past. The present-day tale is also exciting, although I struggled a bit with credulity as the dangers unfolded and it remained rather vague as to what the problem (or indeed goal) really was at the end. This may become more clear in the sequel, which I shall pick up this time with intention.
I has assumed it would be a fictional account of the life of Catherine Howard, 5th wife of Henry VIII, which would attempt to be as historically accurate as possible. However, Walsh writes "what if?" books, and has created a vastly different version of Catherine's life that still (just about) clips in with the known facts regarding her short reign. I enjoyed Walsh's version even more knowing (what I shall now always silently refer to as) the established version of Tudor events, as the twists and turns were more surprising.
The story is told as two counterpart tales, one set with Catherine in Henry VIII's court and the other in modern times as the main character, Perdita, digs into Catherine's past. The present-day tale is also exciting, although I struggled a bit with credulity as the dangers unfolded and it remained rather vague as to what the problem (or indeed goal) really was at the end. This may become more clear in the sequel, which I shall pick up this time with intention.
May 8, 2019
Intriguing 'what if' tale of Catherine Howard, ill-fated 5th wife of Henry VIII. It's a dual timeline conspiracy thriller with an ingenious twist on this famous period of Tudor history and as such is a very clever 'take' on the accepted historic 'truth' of Catherine's beheading. What if Catherine's fate was not as we all are led to believe? And what if someone begins to discover the truth and why it was covered up? A chilling story of the present day protagonists and the danger they find themselves in through digging up a possible historical deceit.
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