I reviewed this title several years ago and gave it a three-star rating, but on rereading, I've found myself much more enthusiastic about the title and am submitting a new review—

As an obsessive reader of historical mysteries, I love, love, love Paul Doherty's Margaret Beaufort series. The plotting is complex, the characters intelligent, and the writing is top-notch. This is the first volume in the series, but it's actually fun to read after volumes 2 and 3 because you can feed your knowledge of subsequent events into this initial tale. A great read for lovers of historical mysteries.

I received a free electronic review copy of this title from the publisher via NetGalley; the opinions are my own.

Unfortunately, I was unable to finish this book. I have been a avid reader of books regarding the War of Roses but couldn't grasp the concept behind this particular book. Yes, Margaret Beaufort was the central character but the others seemed to jump from place to place with continuity.

Can't recommend this book and I will not be following the futures in the series.

Very good book. I liked Urswicke's character and the twists of the story. Great plot and nicely written. Thanks for providing me a review copy.

Paul Doherty is a very prolific author of historical mysteries; he has been writing since the 1980s and has written many series under several pseudonyms, set in a variety of periods including medieval England, Ancient Greece and Ancient Egypt. So far, my only experience of his work has been his standalone novel, Roseblood, which I really enjoyed, so when I came across Dark Queen Rising, the first in a new series set during my favourite period – the Wars of the Roses – I immediately wanted to read it.

The novel opens in 1471, just after the Battle of Tewkesbury, a battle which has ended in victory for the House of York and defeat for their rivals, the House of Lancaster. With the deposed Lancastrian king, Henry VI, held prisoner in the Tower of London, the victorious Yorkist army sets about destroying the other prominent noblemen who fought for Lancaster, including Henry’s heir, the young Prince of Wales. The Yorkist king, Edward IV, now sits securely on the throne of England – or does he? Margaret Beaufort, mother of one of the few remaining Lancastrian claimants, Henry Tudor, is making plans on behalf of her son, while Edward IV’s own brother – George, Duke of Clarence – is also gathering information that could bring about the king’s downfall.

Dark Queen Rising is described as the first in a series of ‘Margaret Beaufort mysteries’, which I think is slightly misleading – and looking at other reviews, it does seem that a lot of readers were expecting a different sort of book. There is a mystery, which develops when four men in the service of the Duke of Clarence are found dead in a tavern, but this doesn’t happen until the middle of the book and is never really the main focus of the novel. It’s more of a thriller, delving into the politics of the time and exploring some of the intrigue, plotting and controversy that makes this such a fascinating period of history.

Bearing in mind that Margaret Beaufort is one of the main characters in this book, I was surprised when, early in the novel, I saw a reference to her husband, ‘Sir Humphrey Stafford’. Margaret’s husband, of course, was Henry Stafford. Henry did have a brother called Humphrey who, coincidentally, was also married to another Margaret Beaufort, so I can see where the confusion has come from, but there’s really no excuse for not knowing which Margaret your novel is about. I was even more disappointed when, later in the book, references were made to Margaret’s future husband, William Stanley. This should have been Thomas Stanley, William’s brother. As the names of not just one but two of Margaret’s husbands were wrong, this made me question the accuracy of everything else in the novel, which is a shame as I do love this period and really wanted to enjoy this book.

George, Duke of Clarence has clearly been cast as the villain in this series, which is fair enough as history certainly tells us that he wasn’t the most honourable or trustworthy of people, but the way he is depicted in this book made him feel more like a caricature than a real person. When I think of the much more nuanced portrayals in books like Sharon Penman’s The Sunne in Splendour and Patrick Carleton’s Under the Hog, it’s disappointing. The character who did intrigue me in this book was Christopher Urswicke, who appears to be in Margaret’s employ but whose motives and true loyalties are not always very clear. I found the parts of the story written from Urswicke’s perspective much more interesting.

The second book in the series – Dark Queen Waiting – is out now, but because of the inaccuracies in this one, I’m not planning to read it, although I could possibly still be tempted by a sequel to Roseblood if one is ever written.

I enjoyed this mystery and it's characters through i did find it a bit hard to follow at times. I would recommend to any lover of historical fiction

This was an enjoyable work of historical fiction. It focuses on part of the English War of the Roses, particularly events in 1471 that saw the rise of the House of York, with Edward of York and his brothers Richard of Gloucester and George of Clarence seeking to destroy the House of Lancaster and claim the throne. However, while Edward claims the title of King, his brothers have their own ambitions. Margaret Beaufort, one of the last remaining Lancasters, seeks to use their ambitions to protect herself, and more importantly, her son, who has a claim to the throne. George of Clarence has hired henchman (Barnabite friars known as the Three Kings) who are investigating rumors about the family and compiling them into a book, Titulus Regius (Title of the King), to help advance George's claim to the throne. Margaret has her most trusted aides, Christopher Urswicke and Reginald Bray, trying to find the Titulus Regius and learn what it contains, with Christopher offering his services to multiple "masters." The story contains lots of action and intrigue, as multiple plots are afoot and it is often unclear who can really be trusted. There is a locked room mystery. The Titulus Regius is quite interesting, both in the secrets it contains and in how it is created and "hidden." While the author chose a good ending point, I would have liked the story to continue; however, given all the twists and turns in English feudal history, the story had to end at some point or else the author would still be writing it for months or years to come.

I received a copy of the e-book via NetGalley.

Dark Queen Rising by Paul Doherty is a monumental work of historical fiction surrounding the story of Margaret Beaufort, Countess of Richmond, widow of Henry Tudor, mother of Edmund Tudor, the last Lancastrian pretender to the throne of England after the War of the Roses. The story is full of intrigue and deceit, but a relatively accurate account of the time period. It is a slow-going read, full of history and detail that many reader may not be interested in. Unlike he other books, there is no mystery here, and a reader of history basically knows the outcome.

Doherty appears to be meticulous in his research but never really seems to warm to his subject. She is difficult to identify with and be sympathetic to. It is a challenging read, not for the casual reader. Tat said, if one has an interest in the time period, a better fictional piece would be difficult to find. I recommend it with reservations.

I received a free ARC of Dark Queen Rising from Netgalley. All opinions and interpretations contained herein are solely my own. #netgalley #darkqueenrising

I was given an advanced copy of this novel courtesy of NetGalley. Opinions are my own.

I've enjoyed several of Paul Doherty's mysteries in the past. They have a certain dark, gritty atmosphere that I find instantly attractive. Dark Queen Rising, the first in a new series featuring Margaret Beaufort, is no different. However, the book takes its time getting there.

The book opens with the Battle of Tewkesbury. The Lancastrians have been soundly defeated. Margaret Beaufort is working to save what remains of her house and protect the future of her son Henry. In her employ is one Christopher Urswicke. He is fiercely loyal to the Beaufort cause and will do whatever it take to keep his mistress safe.

The hunt is on for the Titulus Regius, a book rumored to have disastrous consequences for the reigning House of York should it fall into the wrong hands. Notorious flip flopper, the Duke of Clarence is determined to find it only to use it to bring down his royal brother, Edward IV. Does such a book exist? And if it does, what does is say? All of these questions need answering. Urswicke has been charged with finding the answers while the bodies pile up around him.

Once the reader actually gets to the part about the Titulus Regius, the book goes non-stop. It's getting to that point that is difficult. The author weaves an intriguing and very believable tale. The problem is I felt like I was stuck in a quicksand of details. If you are familiar with the Wars of the Roses, the first half of the book might move at a snail's pace.

The characters are what really sell this book. This Margaret Beaufort is already my favorite interpretation. She is cunning without being unnecessarily dramatic. She is pious but not a fanatic. Prove your loyalty to her and she will be unceasingly loyal in return. Cross her? It might be the last thing you do.

I look forward to seeing how this series and it's participants develop.

Pre-Tudor England with the House of Lancaster battling the House of York for the throne of England. Although containing a few historical inaccuracies, all in all this was a well-written example of historical fiction. Not really a mystery, but was a pretty good read.

An excellent book by a favorite author. An Historical Mystery Procedural in the Hugh Corbett series, Kept me engaged & puzzling till the end.

I enjoy books about The War of the Roses and Margaret Beaufort. This was a hard one for me. Just too many problems with this book.
I received an ARC of this book from Netgalley.
All opinions are my own.

Great new series and I enjoyed this first book. The writing is good and it is fast paced. There are a few historical inaccuracies that bothered me but overall it is a good series.
Many thanks to Black Thorn and to NetGalley for providing me with a galley in exchange for my honest opinion.

I am conflicted about how I feel about this book. I love the subject and I liked the authors writing, but I did not feel this was really a mystery. The beginning of the book was a little hard to get through, there were a lot of names to keep up with and a lot of death, torture, pain and destruction. I had to start skipping some of the descriptions because they were just too graphic for me. There was a mystery component to the book but it started about mid way through and was enjoyable to read. Overall I liked the book and enjoyed the historical aspects.

I have mixed feelings regarding this book; on the one hand, it deals with the Tudor period, which is one of my favourite, and on the other hand it’s supposed to be a mystery, definitely my favourite genre! Despite having all these elements, it was hard to get through this novel; slow paced narrative, detailed descriptions and no mystery at all until you have read almost 60% of the book.

As a mystery novel, Dark Queen Rising deserves a 2-star rating, but as a historical fiction novel, it deserves a 4-star rating.

Thanks to NetGalley and Black Thorn for a copy of this book to read and review.

Having read numerous books about the War of the Roses, I was curious to start this new series by Paul Doherty, who has written many well-received historical mystery series. However, this book didn't feel quite like a mystery to me. It was more historical fiction than mystery fiction. Now, I'm a huge fan of historical fiction, but I think the publisher should be a little more careful about billing this as a mystery, when really it's a historical novel with just a little bit of mystery thrown in. Otherwise, readers are going to come away disappointed, just as I was.

Having said that, some readers will get caught up in the fascinating history of the Cousins' War between the Yorks and the Lancasters as they fight for the throne. This part of English history is every bit as complicated as George R.R. Martin's Song of Ice and Fire (AKA Game of Thrones)--but without the dragons or ice zombies. Edward of York has taken control of England from Henry VI and his wife Margaret of Anjou, but his victory is steeped in controversy and dissension even with his own brothers, who want to wrestle the crown away from him.

This book focuses on Margaret Beaufort, the mother of the future King Henry VII, the first of the Tudor dynasty. I'm not sure the novel got all the facts correct, though (which is surprising since Paul Doherty is usually quite good at historical research). I can't understand why he chose to change some of the facts, especially since the changes didn't serve the story well at all.

I've read several other Paul Doherty books, and will continue to do so. But I'll be a little more hesitant about reading future installments of this series.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This book was quite a disappointment. It was billed as a historical mystery, but I find it hard describing this book as a mystery. It was very confusing throughout and generally very hard to read. I meant to finish it yesterday, but the writing was getting on my nerves so much that I had to put it down. I was saved from being a complete waste of time by its historical descriptions and the politcial intrigue that was done pretty well. Overall not what I was expecting and not something I was interested in.

Firstly, the “mystery” started at the 56% point it the novel. I measured. Before that point the story consisted of hugely graphic descriptions of people who were dead, people who were being executed, and the people laughing as others were in great pain. It was slow and it took about 5 pages for me to be sick of it. Until the mystery there is also a complete lack of characterization, beyond how awful everyone was. Even the main characters are basically doing nothing, huddling in a church as everything crashes down around them. Once things start happening at around 40% it gets a little better and once the mystery event happens it was at an acceptable level.

The mystery happened and everything was great, but then a whole bunch of things started happening at once, making reading it very confusing, and then the main character just explains what happened. He just solves the entire mystery in a page and connects everything together, making huge assumptions along the way and then everyone’s like “Yeah, that’s what happened, good job” and then it ends. I felt like throwing the book across the room. There was not even one chance for the reader to guess what went on, but it is also so simplistic that it gave me no satisfaction.

The one good part of the novel was the historical descriptions, which were quite interesting despite there being a few inaccuracies, I enjoy the time period and I am always excited to learn more about it. I wish there was more description that helped people understand the different terms and positions people had and even some of the objects. Some things were just expected to be known about and I had to figure them out using Google and context clues, which is not a great way to write historical fiction.

As a mystery novel, this book deserves a 1-star rating, but as a historical fiction novel it is more like a 3-star book. I am going to meet in the middle and award it…

2 stars

I requested this book thinking it was the second in the series but already read it :( I add the review for the first time I read It.
I’m a longstanding fan of Paul Doherty and was happy to read this book.
It's more historical fiction than mystery, the pace is quite slow and there are so many characters.
It takes a bit but if you keep on reading you will be involved in the book and appreciate both the plot and the cast of characters.
I don't know the historical timeframe well and was happy to learn something new.
I hope that there will be more mystery in the next instalment.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC

Although I have no previous knowledge of the historical events that took place in Dark Queen Rising, Paul Doherty wrote such an interesting novel that my curiosity lead me to learning more about the characters involved and the events that took place. Though the novel itself did not seem like a mystery, there is no saying the rest of the series might not be. Paul Doherty did a great job with character and world building, and his style of writing kept me interested in the story until the end. I look forward to the next book in this series!

Thanks to netgalley and Black Thorn for a digital copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This book had really cool ideas and twists that I really appreciated. It was a very cool introduction to the beginning of the end of the war of the roses. It did take me a while to read and I think the flow can be a little faster.

Based on real life incidents in history. You will be gripped from the first by the plot and characters that lead you through the story. Set at the time of the War of the Roses you can enjoy this storyline even if you are not quite sure of these events in history. It has the ability to enthral you as you follow Margaret Beaufort the mother of Henry Tudor of the house of Lancaster and a member of her household Christopher Urswicke who has worked for both sides. You will see where final loyalties lie when the smoke clears.
I was given an ARC of this book by Netgalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.