Cover Image: The Catherine Howard Conspiracy

The Catherine Howard Conspiracy

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In this first volume in what is announced as a trilogy, we meet Perdita when she discovers that with her twin she inherits all of their estranged grandmother’s possessions. She’ll go from one surprise to another while trying to understand this estrangement and discovering the historical researches the deceased was doing.

In this novel we follow two stories in parallel: on one side Perdita’s story in the present, on the other the story of Catherine Howard, Henry VIII’s fifth wife. As there are several chapters in a row for each story the back-and-forth aren’t confusing or annoying and don’t disturb the reader in following both stories.

In the present we’re mostly focused on Perdita (I can’t with this name, sorry for the author but for me Perdita is the female Dalmatian dog in Disney lol). When she discovers her grandmother has died and left them her possessions, she’s disappointed because she always hoped they could reconcile someday, and extremely surprised by the amount of the inheritance (and with good reasons!). I was frequently as annoyed as she is by the reactions of her grandmother’s lawyer/ head of security/ loyal friend who regularly prefers to keep quiet about certain things when she asks questions about her grandmother instead of frankly saying what he knows – especially as some events force him most of the time to reveal these things sometimes later anyway. She’s fascinated by the historical researches her grandmother was doing about Catherine Howard and by the theory that the queen had in reality survived the fate written in History books. Perdita decides to carry on the researches with the help of Kit, the lawyer’s son. We see them slowly get closer through the novel and I guess at some point in the trilogy they’ll end up being in couple. I liked how the discoveries and deductions come one after the other to lead to the final revelation. However there are at time some lengthy passages and easy options that can make one roll his eyes.

In the past we follow a Catherine Howard totally different from what History tells us. Far from the unfaithful featherbrain who died on the chopping block, the author depicts a nice, considerate, intelligent and very young woman terrified by the aging and bad-tempered husband she was forced to marry. We see in her relatives all the names we can see on the Internet pages dedicated to her life, but not necessarily with the same part. Henry VIII’s behavior shown in this novel could match without much stretch of imagination what we know of the king’s state of health at this time, so what happens to Catherine seems unexpectedly likely too. The way the author supports her tale with discoveries made by Perdita in the present lends weight to this theory. I came to care for the Catherine Howard shown here and I couldn’t wait to know what would happen to her. I wasn’t disappointed.

The side that seemed a bit too much IMO is the discovery of a secret branch of the British Secret Services (that’s a lot of secret lol) charged with removing everything that threatens History as it’s been told. The resources they possess and the extreme lengths to which they are ready to go to be sure nobody reveals differences seem a bit excessive, but it brings some suspense to the novel.

I’d say this novel could in a sense be read alone as Catherine’s story is ended at the end of the book, but not Perdita’s of course. In any way I really liked this story and I can’t wait to read the next.

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A really interesting take on a well known period in English history. This is a fictional alternative version of the rise and fall of Catherine Howard. It paints the King as a very dark character and emphasises his power and that of those courtiers currently in favour. The story was told in 2 parts switching between research taking place in 2018 and the Tudor years.
An original theme well worth a read!

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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.

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I thoroughly enjoyed the part of the Catherine Howard story. I’m a big Tudor fan and this was such an original twist from all the stories out there. However I found Perdita quite annoying and the inheritance quite hard to swallow. It kind of spoilt it for me and I couldn’t wait for the book to get back to the historical fiction.

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What a great book, a great historical mystery about Catherine Howard, Henry VIII’s much maligned fifth wife. The story is a dual time with twin sisters, Perdita and Piper in the present who inherit the huge estate of their Grandmother. The twins were estranged from their Grandmother since the death of their mother, this adds to the mystery of the story. Why did their Grandmother stop visiting them when she obviously loved them? Why did she stop publishing her historical nonfiction books about the Tudors and the Stuarts after the twins mother died? I really love the storyline of Catherine Howard. She has alway been portrayed as a ditzy teenager who stupidly had an affair with Thomas Culpepper setting up the reason for her grizzly end. This story portrays Catherine as an intelligent woman, who marries Henry with much trepidation and knowledge of what her future could be (cousin Anne Boleyn anyone). What really happened to Catherine Howard? This book really makes one think outside the box. I highly recommend this book.

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I'd round this out to a solid 3.5 stars if NetGalley would let me ;)

I seem to be picking up a lot of dual timeline novels these days! And quite a few more than decent reads coming from NetGalley which is fun for me!

At first, as has been the case with the last two dual timeline novels I've picked up, I wasn't too sure I was going to enjoy this, I thought Perdita was kind of boring and seemed to have an impossibly perfect life... This opinion hasn't really changed much, Perdita is pretty boring and everything just works out for her all the time.

What I did enjoy a lot were the chapters dedicated to Catherine Howard's story, and the chapter's where Perdita was reading her grandmother's research on the topic. These were the best written, and the most exciting, I just wanted to know right away all the Catherine Howard "conspiracy" even if I went into this knowing very little about her and not being a massive Tudor England fan.

I thought somethings were really lame - like Perdita thinking that the bill of attainder for the beheading of Catherine Howard was faked from that originally issued for Katherine Tilney because their names were of the same lengths, ummm that's not how evidence works thanks, by that reasoning my own name could really be 'Empress Gothic' - ridiculous!

Personally I also feel like it is fairly obvious that the set-up for the next volume in the series is to with Marie Queen of Scots, what with all the mentions of Marie de Guise (her mother), but maybe I am just being picky, but really I would think that most readers of historical fiction would also see this coming a mile away.

All in all, this was fun and I look forward to the next volume in the series and I hope that Walsh can improve on Perdita's cardboard cutout of a personality.

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“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.

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I loved this book! It's a great historical fiction, enjoyable and entertaining.
I loved the plot, full of twists and turns, the fleshed out characters and the setting.
The historical background was well researched and fascinating.
I look forward to reading other books by this author.
Highly recommended.
Many thanks to Sapere Books and Netgalley for this ARC. I voluntarily read and reviewed this book, all opinions are mine.

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Absolutely five star throughout !! Utterly fascinating and a well researched piece of historical fact, blended sympathetically with plausible fiction. Historical truth and conspiracy theory at its best.
Set in two different timelines, the 1500 period concerns Catherine Howard, wife number five of King Henry the Eighth. History is seen from her perspective, marrying a much older man and her fight to survive the Tudor Court.
Timeline two, deals with Perdita Rivers and her twin sister, Piper, who inherit Marquess Hall, when their beloved and estranged Grandmother dies, in 2018. Mary Fitzroy, was an internationally renowned historian,who specialised in the Tudor period,and had written,but not published, a book that casts doubt upon the accepted death of Catherine Howard. Naturally, there are sinister people, who will stop at nothing to keep this explosive book, secret, and both sisters find themselves threatened.
I found this story to be throughly plausible and logical, yet the author herself states the book is a work of fiction, but then ,she would say that!! I didn't take to the names of Perdita and Piper, but Fitzroy is a Royal name, so maybe another clue in another book?! Piper doesn't play a large part in book one,maybe she will shine in the next. The research is phenomenal and reads so brilliantly, places and names of key people at court are combined so well, fact meets fiction and like each other.
I had guessed most of what happens by 54% of my Kindle read, but the finer details did elude me. I loved and appreciated the sheer effort that has gone into this stimulating book, and urge the author to write quicker, I really want to read the next two books!!

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Dan Brown meets Phillappa Gregory and brings a new twist to historical fiction. Twin sisters find they are heirs to a vast fortune and a sinister heritage. The Tudor bit of the story is intriguing but I found the present day with secret government departments and squads of assassins difficult. I won’t be reading the rest of the trilogy.

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This book was received as an ARC from Sapere Books in exchange for an honest review. Opinions and thoughts expressed in this review are completely my own.

I am very familiar with the story of Henry VIII and his marriage to Anne Boleyn but I never have read the secret tale of Catherine Howard, Anne Boleyn's cousin and next wanted criminal of Henry VIII. I love historical fiction when there is an unknown tale of a supporting figure within a major historical event. Then transferring ahead thousands of years we meet Dr. Perdita who has a grandmother that is a renowned Tudor historian and after cutting communication with Perdita and her sister but when she passes and leaves her historical house to the both of them, Perdita discovers papers from Catherine Howard and uncovered the truth of what really happened to her and how her death was unjust. I was in love with the story and my eyes were glued from beginning to end. We have a lot of people wanting to read Historical Fiction for projects and this one is by far my favorite that I have read so far.

We will consider adding this title to our historical fiction collection at our library. That is why we give this book 5 stars.

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After having no contact with her grandmother throughout her life, Dr Perdita Rivers is shocked to discover that on her death, she has inherited Marquess House, her vast estate in Pembrokeshire. Finding herself wealthy beyond her wildest dreams, Perdita sets out to discover the reason behind her estrangement from her grandmother. She soon realises that something is afoot at Marquess House after discovering documents claiming that the fifth wife of Henry VIII was not, in fact, executed, but instead managed to escape his tyranny. Will Perdita discover the fate of the Tudor Queen and find out just how her grandmother is connected?

I am a fan of fiction containing a dual timeline and so The Catherine Howard Conspiracy was definitely a book that appealed straight away, especially with its Tudor link – another of my interests. I was intrigued to read about Henry VIII’s fifth wife, as she is one of the Tudor Queens that I know least about and I loved how the author has merged historical fact with fiction, to the point that I began to wonder which parts were real and which were not!

History has perceived Catherine as a flirtatious, naive young woman but Alexandra Walsh paints a completely different picture of the ill-fated queen. In The Catherine Howard Conspiracy, we see her constantly in fear of her husband, whose behaviour is becoming increasingly erratic. Several scenes were truly heartbreaking as we see how she is being mistreated and I was willing her to escape his clutches. I particularly enjoyed the relationship she had with Henry’s previous wife, Anne of Cleves, the only other woman who truly knew what it was like to be married to the king.

Perdita, I found, to be quite a complex character and my feelings towards her changed throughout the book. I did, however, find myself incredibly envious of her having all of that priceless historical documentation at her disposal! I admired her tenacity when, faced with a potential life-threatening situation, she was determined to uncover the truth about what had happened to Catherine Howard.

As I knew that this was the first in a trilogy, I couldn’t wait to see how the author would end this first installment. I liked how, although the main mysteries in the book had been solved, there is a clear indication of what is going to happen in part two.

This is a fantastic read and I can’t wait to see what happens next!

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I received a copy of this title from the publisher for an honest review. The first book in a trilogy, the Catherine Howard Conspiracy switches between current day and 1539-1542 England. The current day timeline features Dr. Perdita Rivers, archaeologist specializing in jewelry who unexpectedly inherits an enormous sum of money and Marquess House from her estranged grandmother. Upon her arrival at Marquess House, the mystery behind the estrangement between her grandmother and father after her mother's death deepens when she is greeted by the staff as a beloved family member. Her grandmother had kept an eye on Perdita and her twin Piper from a distance over the years. Her grandmother, a well regarded historian focusing on women in the Tudor Era was working on a book about Catherine Howard that she had shelved around the time of Perdita's mother's death. Why had her grandmother stopped working on the book and what had she recently discovered that had convinced her that she should finish the book? And what is the connection to Perdita's mother's death and current danger stalking the twins?

The historical portion focus's on Catherine Howard's life from the time she joins Henry the VIII court through her short reign as Queen Consort. History portrays Catherine as a young, silly, and frivolous, but could there be more to the story than anyone knows? Ms. Walsh does a wonderful job with the historical portion of the book giving the readers rich historical details about court life during this period including Henry's increasing madness and violent behavior. The alternate version of Catherine in this story is incredibly engaging and the reader can't help but dread the end of her reign knowing that how her story ends.

I couldn't put this story down even though some portions of the mystery are fairly easy to guess, but how it is all put together kept me engaged throughout. I can't wait to read the next book in the trilogy to see what happens next in both timelines.

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The Catherine Howard Conspiracy by Alexandra Walsh is a dual time Historical Mystery, 1540 to 2018 with twists. If you are a fan of English History, Tudors, Alison Weir, Philippa Gregory, Tracy Borman and other great historical authors this is a book for you. There are historical what if’s, constant plots, fears, thrills and mysteries that keep the reader on edge. I immediately purchased this book and can’t wait to read the next book in this series. I have a new favorite author and series.
I received a complimentary copy of this book from Netgalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. I appreciate the opportunity and thank the author and publisher for allowing me to read, enjoy and review this book.

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I received this book via Netgalley and the publisher, in return for an honest review. This book is an alternate reality style, that posits that Catherine Howard, the fifth wife of Henry VIII, wasn’t beheaded for infidelity but survived. There is a corresponding current day mystery when Dr. Perdita Rivers receives word that her estranged grandmother has died and she, along with her sister, Piper, have inherited the entire estate (which is really, really big!). The story alternates between the two timelines and seeks to solve the mystery of the estrangement, while also allowing Catherine (Kitty) Howard’s alternate story to be told. This is the first book in a trilogy about the estate. While the book was well written and plotted, it wasn’t to my taste. Nothing against the author, just not my cup of tea.

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Perdita and her twin sister, Piper, didn't come from a glamorous life, but when their maternal grandmother passes, whom they had no relationship with since the age of 7 after the passing of their mother, things get a little confusing and weird. And why does everyone keep saying the word, "safe" in reference to them.

Perdita finds out after the passing of her father and then grandmother that their father was sending photographs of the twins to her. Perplexed and rather annoyed about this, Perdita goes on a hunt to find the truth behind the wealth of her grandmother, the stack of unpublished books and the gaps in them, and could there be a connection to royal blood dating back to King Henry VIII with his 5th wife, Catherine Howard.

Thank you, to Net Galley and Sapere Books for allowing me the chance to read an advanced copy.

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This book is written in two time periods, one being the 1540’s, the other being 2018. It’s about a woman named Dr Perdita Rivers, who learns about the death of her estranged grandmother, a well-known historian, and discovers that everything has been left to her and her twin sister Piper. Perdita sets herself the task of discovering why her grandmother abandoned them, and is also drawn to documents in the house that claim the records of Catherine Howards execution at the hands of her husband Henry VIII were falsified. I loved this book. I was so drawn in by the title alone I had to request it as soon as I read the description and I was really excited when I saw that I had been accepted to read & review it. Both time periods in this book are written in third person and they mesh together so well. When it switches time periods it is linked in such a seamless way. I managed to get through this book a lot quicker than I thought because I was so engrossed in it! I loved the writing & the plot and conspiracy really intrigued me and it’s honestly made me want to research more into Catherine Howard’s life as the fifth wife of Henry VIII. It was so well researched and thought up and I honestly already can’t wait to read the next book in this trilogy. This book is labelled as a thriller & historical fiction mixture and I would most definitely agree with it. Alexandra Walsh is incredible at writing these new characters, some you love, some you hate, but also she is amazing at writing these characters based on what we know of these real life people such as Catherine Howard, Henry VIII, Thomas Howard etc and it’s just so well done. The chapters felt really quick to get through and because the story is so engrossing and you’re always learning new things and something is always happening in either time period, this book really is a quick read despite its 464 pages. It honestly didn’t feel that long at all! I’ve also found this book to be compared to books by Philippa Gregory & Alison Weir, both authors I have not read but are thoroughly interested in delving into at some point. If you at all are interested in those authors mentioned, Tudor history or find conspiracies about history intriguing then I definitely recommend getting this when it comes out which is at the end of this month!

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This book was fascinating, intriguing, far fetched, at times preposterous (when Henry confessed all in one of his mad fits), predictable, pretentious (the names Perdita and Piper!) frustrating and at the same time very, very readable! I also add confusing to the list as the author talked about Perdita moving into Marquess House in a fortnight’s time only to move in ‘tomorrow’ in the next paragraph. This was closely followed by a similar instance of Piper arriving in two week’s time and suddenly being there! Being a Richard III fan, I enjoyed the contraversial points mentioned regarding the time and finding of his remains. I felt the author wrote better when in the past than in the present but am already eagerly awaiting the sequel!

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I sometimes enjoy a good conspiracy thriller and this one wasn't bad. The historical mystery was far-fetched, but presented plausibly. I felt that the historical flashbacks were a bit of a weakness, as they seemed somewhat anachronistic - particularly the language. The government conspiracy bits were far-fetched to the point of madness, but that isn't unusual with this genre. The biggest problem is that the central secret doesn't seem major enough to justify the intensity of the conspiracy... That said, I suspect that the remaining two books in the series will be building on the secrets and making the conspiracy angle more understandable. I'm looking forward to reading the rest of the trilogy.

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Absolutely loved this book! Can't wait for the next installments in the series. I love history, especially the Tudors, and it was great to have one of Henry VIII's wives as the centre of the plot. Of course, it's fiction but very well done and great interweaving of the make believe past and present. Highly recommended!

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