The story of the Marquess House continues in both the past and present. The story was well written and full of twists. Thanks for the review copy.

A fantastic read with a great plot that keeps you guessing until the end. Though not what I usually read I can't wait to read more.

Thank you NetGalley for the digital ARC. I did not read the other books prior to this one but I still enjoyed it. I had a feeling I knew what the secret would be and i was correct. I enjoyed it as I enjoy all Tudor books

While the premise of this story was promising, it didn't capture my interest as much as I had hoped. The writing was fine, and the characters were okay, it just didn't wow me. I wanted more from this story.

I really enjoyed reading this book, I loved the use of the end of the Tudor dynasty, the characters were great and I really enjoyed going through this book.

I read and thoroughly enjoyed the first two books in this series. If you love English history, particularly the Tudor/Stuart era, then this is most definitely the series for you. It is essential that you read all the books and in sequence for both the historical events and present day character development to make sense. Both narratives - past and present - in all three books are good.

As with Alexandra’s previous two books, this instalment 'The Arbella Stuart Conspiracy' is a massively researched undertaking that is structured and planned to perfection. The historical premise of an alternate narrative to this Tudor period is so well written that it appears entirely plausible. This is linked wonderfully well with the present day and the theory that there are movements to suppress these undiscovered truths. As in dual time narratives it requires a solid link between the two stories to work and I believe Alexandra weaves the two well together once more. If you love a good conspiracy theory then this series has them by the dozen.

Unfortunately, I was not as enraptured with this final instalment as the previous two. Burnout? Maybe. They are long reads and the amount of information in this one became overwhelming at times. It definitely needed a glossary/chart/family tree (or three!) as the number of names and family connections just got lost in the vast amounts of information (if you are not diligent enough to go and research the connections). Whilst I loved reading about Catherine Howard (book 1) and Elizabeth Tudor (book 2) I really did not warm to Arbella Stuart. She was always angry and ‘snapping’ at people! The current day's tale still held a good mystery, but the information dumps by the lead characters were too much.

Overall, I really enjoyed this series. It proved fascinating reading but be warned it is an intriguing yet complex read. I feel that it slid downhill from book one but still maintained a high level of attraction particularly for those who love a good conspiracy theory related to the Tudors.


This review is based on a complimentary copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. The quoted material may have changed in the final release.

This is the third installment of a series, and let me start by saying I haven’t read the first 2 but the back story was delivered in the first few pages of this novel, so I didn’t feel like I missed anything, BUT, now I want to go back and read the first 2 books! Lol.

The premise behind this trilogy is that there is a secret arm of British intelligence that is trying to hide and cover up “mistakes” or hide facts of British history, in this case specifically surrounding the dependents of Henry VIII and the Tudors, because to admit now that there were in fact other surviving children of Henry VIII who had descendants alive today, would throw the entire monarchy of the Stuarts into question and the rule of the Windsors into chaos.

It’s an intriguing idea, I’ll admit. Children hidden away for safety is not unheard of. The other part of this story is this secret society of women descended from the wives of Henry who own this castle and have kept the secrets and the treasure, and their modern day dependents are millionaires with all this money to go around the world searching for clues. I suppose that’s the twist to this trilogy. That part wasn’t as entertaining, I just wanted to get back to the Tudor story, not the modern day story.

Thank you to NetGalley, the publishers, and the author for providing me with an ARC in exchange for a fair and honest review.

While I try to read almost any historical fiction involving the Tudors, my book choices usually never ventured past the reign of Queen Elizabeth I, so I knew very little about Arbella Stuart, an English noblewoman who was considered a possible successor to Elizabeth. This book really gave me a good look at this fascinating character and definitely made me interested in finding out more about her.

There is a lot to wrap your head around in this book. Both timelines are incredibly detailed and move along at a good, solid pace, but there is often a lot of information to absorb. There is almost never a dull moment, especially in the modern timeline.

As with the previous two books in the trilogy, Walsh takes the generally-acknowledged Tudor history and gives it a sharp twist. To be honest, since I didn’t know Arbella’s story, I just went along for the ride. This was a different experience than the previous two books (The Catherine Howard Conspiracy and The Elizabeth Tudor Conspiracy). Since I’m quite familiar with both Catherine and Elizabeth’s stories (well, the usually accepted stories anyway) the twists in Walsh’s books took my breath away. This time, I was less startled and so could sit back and enjoy the narrative.

By the end of the second book, I had already developed a guess at what the trilogy’s final ending would be in terms of how Perdita and Piper were related to the historical figures and I was really satisfied to see I had guessed correctly (no spoilers!). It was also satisfying how most of the loose ends were tied up, especially in terms of the various relationships that had been taking place throughout the run of the three books. Obviously, I can’t say too much more without giving the ending away but let’s just say that I was VERY satisfied with how everything turned out. I loved the ending and it made the whole trilogy worthwhile. This may seem like a small matter, but believe, me, there have been times when I enjoyed the first two books of a trilogy and then the third book just ruined the whole thing. This wasn’t one of those times (thank goodness!)

I think the thing I will miss most now that I have to put these books on the shelf and checked them off as “Read”, is the characters. Walsh has created some lovely people in these stories – from the twins, Perdita and Piper, to the Mackensie family (especially Kit – insert heart-eyes emoji here) to all the various friends and allies – these are people I would love to meet and hang around with. They are realistic characters who have distinct personalities and interesting lives.

Of course, there’s also the myriad of historical figures that Walsh includes in the trilogy as well. From Catherine Howard to Elizabeth Tudor to Arbella Stuart, the past comes alive in full details and a large cast of characters. And I do mean large – I needed to detailed notes to keep track of everyone! Again, the detail and personalities of the characters makes both timelines come to life. This book (and trilogy) is filled with very smart, strong and inspiring women in both timelines.

I will definitely miss the anticipation of another visit to Marquess House, but Walsh has already announced her next project so I’m looking forward to seeing where her writing will take me next.

*** Thank you to the publisher, Sapere Books, for providing me with an advanced e-copy of this book via Netgalley in exchange for an unbiased review.

The last book in The Marquess House Trilogy took its time with me. I had to stop and come back to the book a few times. Yes, the book is big, but the time it took me to finish it is long as well.

I absolutely loved the first installment in the trilogy The Catherine Howard Conspiracy. However, the third installment delivered a bit short of the mark.

First, it can't be read as stan alone novel. Unfortunately, I missed the second part of the trilogy The Elizabeth Tudor Conspiracy. Thus, I found myself lost more than once in the third part.

Two, too many names, too many connections between people throughout history. A family tree or three or five would have been a good idea. I could not keep a track on who is who and related to whom.

Conspiracy theories galore. Author lost me at 'someone else was in Elizabeth I coffin'... I was really lost at that point.

However, twins story (Piper and Pertida) is a cool mystery, love story and family saga. I enjoyed following the girls and their friends and colleagues. Even though, as in the first book, villains are very cardbord-like (very angry and very predictable).

My advice to the reader would be to read all the books in order. That way the whole research and the whole quest for truth would be a bit more straightforward and easy to follow.

Did it happen like this? Didn't it? We will never know for sure. But thanks to Alexandra Walsh I now know quite a bit more on English history and personalities.

The final volume in the Marquess House Trilogy, this book does not disappoint and lines up well with the previous two books. Following Perdita and Piper in their investigations into the true Tudor story find them discovering more secrets about Elizabeth Tudor, Catherine Howard and their network of supporters. Outstanding and recommended.

This is the 3rd book in the Marquess House series of books. I have not read either of the preceding books. I would have rather read the first 2 books as there was information that was not fully explained and I read the book feeling as if I was missing parts. Having said that, the book was enjoyable and an interesting what if point of view in the Tudor succession. I had not heard of Arbella Stuart before and was interested to read more about her life at the courts of Elizabeth 1 and James 1. I would definitely recommend reading the books in order.

I want to begin by saying that I received this book for free through Netgalley, but all thoughts are my own. This is the final book in The Marquess House trilogy, and I seriously suggest reading the first two books before reading this, as the storyline does continue. This is not one of those series where you can read any book in any order. This was a fascinating trilogy as a whole, the way Alexandra Walsh discovered a small fact in history and twisted and turned it into a whole new way of history working was incredible. I enjoyed that the trilogy focused on women as a whole, in both the Tudor era and modern day. I loved how the different families connected and I found myself really intrigued as to how certain things connected. Despite all the names and dates mentioned, I didn’t feel confused when reading this at all. The way she wrote the characters, especially Perdita to speak really made it so she explained everything, just to make sure we as readers understand what is going on, but also so she can explain her findings to the other characters. I thought so many of the characters were loveable and just in general I was wholly absorbed into this book, as I was with the previous two. This series will definitely hold a special place in my heart, and I just can’t recommend it enough to any historical fiction fans, especially if the Tudor era is a favourite for you. This was so well written, really nicely done, it ended fantastically. Please do read this!

Book three in the Marquess House triology focuses on the lost queen, Arabella Stuart. Of the three books, this one was the hardest to follow. Keeping all of the characters straight was difficult; however, as the novel progressed these convuluted relationsips became easier to follow and I became immersed in the story. Great read for anyone interested in the Tudors.

The Arbella Stuart Conspiracy – Alexandra Walsh

In 'The Arbella Stuart Conspiracy', Alexandra Walsh tells us a double story. On the one hand, the story of Lady Arbella Stuart, her female supporters, and her offspring, in her claim to queendom after the death of Queen Elizabeth I, in favour of James I; on the other, the story of Dr Perdita Rivers, her twin sister Piper, and their whole historian team as they unravel the mystery of the Stuart claim. Added to a surprising conclusion to the events, Perdita’s team also deal with love, betrayal, and a dastardly enemy intent on their destruction alongside the suppression of the truth they uncover.
To spin her tale, Walsh creates a secret sisterhood of noblewomen in Tudor England, the Ladies of Melusine, working in the shadows to (unsuccessfully, in the end) stop and overthrow the patriarchal powers. Their codes and items are what lead Perdita, Piper, and the others to confirm that Lady Arbella, and her children, were the true preferable heirs to the throne. For that, they are all targeted by MI1 Elite, and archenemy Randolph Connors, who despite all their power cannot gain access to Marquess House, family home of the twins, and secret keeper for the Ladies of Melusine over the centuries.

Who would enjoy this
First of all, 'The Arbella Stuart Conspiracy' is the third volume of a series, and very clearly the closing chapter for the whole saga. Thus, it will make sense for readers of the previous volumes to follow up and get their ending.
Secondly, I would recommend it to people who enjoy slow burns, British history, and learning without studying. The tome is well researched and full of detail.
Finally, I would offer it to people who love conspiracy theories, particularly those with a feminist twist. Whether to bemoan the harm done to Lady Arbella and the Ladies of Melusine, or to cheer the winning brilliance of Dr Rivers, they will find their interests met.

Who should give this a pass
The Arbella Stuart Conspiracy is not for those who want a fast-paced story. You are either a patient reader, or you give this a wide berth.
Similarly, this is not the right book for a reader with a love for credible storylines and characters. Despite the heavy reliance on historical research, Lady Arbella comes through as rather vacuous and insignificant to the large tapestry of history; the baddies are super-bad; and everyone is beautiful, brilliant, rich, and powerful.

Conclusions and suggestions
'The Arbella Stuart Conspiracy' is, as mentioned, vastly researched, as well as carefully planned and structured. It is also well written, and will be attractive to many a reader. Sadly, as far as engaging the more demanding readership, it has several issues.
There is a British expression which sums up my feelings about the story of Lady Arbella Stuart after reading this book: not fussed. Despite having picked up the tome for its content matter (I love history, conspiracies, and learning about relevant female figures), I was left with an image of a petulant child-woman who was enamoured with her own claim, and the adulation of those around her. Someone so removed from reality, she would risk civil war for a crown, yet express incredulity when those near her would risk themselves to help her escape The Tower. I felt the fantasy diminished the woman I had learned about.
With regards to the ‘contemporary’ events in the story, I could not relate to any of the other characters. Most particularly, I could not take seriously the whole ‘hunted down by an elite body specialised in preventing the truth from rendering asunder the whole fabric of our modern government’ vibe of the MI1 Elite force. It made me burst out laughing a few times, roll my eyes at least. I will not tell you what I think of mega-rich, mega-crazy, megalomaniac Raymond Connors’ character. I could just as well imagine the Avengers, or Nicolas Cage as Benjamin Franklin Gates, rampaging through the pages.

Princess Fuzzypants here: I am of two minds with this book. There were things I liked very much about it and there were things that frustrated me greatly. What I liked was the two time-lines, revealing information gradually.. I did like the concept of unknown heirs to the Throne who have been hidden for centuries and the conflict between the people who want to reveal the truth and those who wish to keep it hidden. The James Bondian world where there are rich human heroes and stinking rich supervillains is fun to read. It does require a suspension of disbelief. That is not where I take exception.
I have two fundamental problems with the premise. First, knowing what we know from history, Henry VIII would never deny a healthy male heir. Ask his wives. Then there is Catherine Howard as the matriarch.. I just have a hard time seeing her as anything but a Royal lightweight. I can go along with the other bending of history but that one just never sits right.
My biggest complaint is I always felt like I had missed something. There were so many characters and so much back story that I felt I had missed the 101 course and gone right into my PHD. I would get to a point and breathe a sigh of relief thinking I had caught up and then I would discover myself in another muddle. It detracted from what was a good story so for that reason I am giving it four purrs but only one paw up.

I had somehow missed the second book in this series but found that I could still follow the story. I had loved the first book however the third instalment had way too many characters that I wasn't familiar with and I had to keep googling the historical characters to figure out the story. Maybe a family tree at the beginning would help. However I did enjoy Piper and Perida's journey and found the book highly engaging.

A really enjoyable read. I didn’t look at the small print very carefully and quickly realised I had started reading the third in a trilogy without reading the previous two. Having studied Tudor history at A Level and a lot of sixteenth and seventeenth century literature at university I was familiar with many of the historical figures and events mentioned. The reason I requested the title was because of the mention of Arbella Stuart. She cropped up in my masters research on clandestine marriage and I was intrigued by the book when I saw her name.
The book itself is highly entertaining. There are lots of characters to keep up with - especially in the flashbacks to Arbella’s story and I was glad I knew a lot of the background. I enjoyed it so much I’ve now downloaded the first two books in the trilogy to read.

England: 1603. Queen Elizabeth has died without naming an heir, and numerous claimants vied for the throne. One such was Arbella Stuart. She lost the crown to her cousin James VI of Scotland, and she vanished into history. Or did she?
Present day: Twins Perdita, an archaeologist, and her sister Piper, an art historian, inherit their ancestral home, Marquess House, from their grandmother. The ancient mansion holds secrets that could rewrite history.
Past and present collide as old secrets come to light. This is an entertaining and thought-provoking novel, full of historical stories real and imagined. The very number of Elizabethan characters can be overwhelming without a scorecard, and some of the fictional details are pretty far-fetched: who was the actual Oliver Cromwell? Wow! All in all, it is a good read for fans of historical fiction with a twist.

I really loved this trilogy and thought that this was an extremely well-written conclusion to a fantastic series. So many characters to keep up with and I have to be honest, I had to go back and reread parts to refresh my memory on characters. The author did an excellent job with her historical research. I loved falling back in time with all three of the books. This one was my favorite. I loved the intrigue and the well-developed characters. I'm so sad that it's finished! I wish that it was more than a trilogy.

I would like to thank Alexandra Walsh, Sapere and Netgalley for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for a fair and honest review.

Overall, I enjoyed this ridiculous series -- ridiculousness not being a bar to success when it comes to conspiracy thrillers. I felt the author did a pretty good job blending real history with the alternate version she was writing. That said, the characterization throughout were pretty wooden and I thought the ending was a bit of an anticlimax. And, in all three volumes, the bits based in the past were a real weak spot. As I said, Walsh consistantly gets the historical facts and timeline right, but the period bits of her story never really feels evocative. Too modern language, and all the characters display too modern sensibilities. One example only: the motto used through all 3 books is screamingly inauthentic, even when rendered in Latin. 'Hope and Mermaids' is something a modern woman would stencil on her shiplap walls, NOT something a Tudor- or Stuart-era woman would use as a personal motto. That phrase yanked me out of the story every time I saw it.

Thanks to NetGalley for providing an ARC copy for my review.