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.

Sadly, this trilogy is complete! No more pulse racing excitement, no further open mouthed shocks about a carefully researched and imagined alternative history of the Tudor dynasty. It is so plausible, and so lovely to read about such strong female characters, in this concluding book, Arbella Stuart and The Ladies of Melusine, her loyal waiting ladies, and secret keepers.
The dual time lines continue, but the emphasis is more upon the Stuart court, than the modern sisters, Perdita and Piper. There is an excellent mix of research into actual events and the alternative version is so believable, it has been such a pleasure to read and speculate on that phrase’ What if...’. Fascinating and although history cannot be rewritten, I have been busy re- reading all my Tudor and Stuart novels, just for the sheer fun of it!! The intense detail can mean the reader is lost at times, but they will never be bored!
This trilogy, in my opinion must be read in sequence. That is the way it was written and intended, and you must trust the author in this respect. The second book ended with the discovery of jewellery that hid the final secret and shock. A great deal of cerebral endeavour is used to put all these pieces together, but, once again it all makes perfect sense, in this perfect alternative creation of Stuart history. Hidden documents, a grotto, and the relevance of mermaids all come together in a satisfying conclusion. History was always written by the victors, and truth is sometimes stranger than fiction.
Whilst reading this trilogy, I have been continuing my love affair with Mary, Queen of Scots, and visiting places associated with her. It is hard to believe how much influence she had in real life and,in this alternative viewpoint. Whilst at Hardwick Hall, I saw items associated with Arbella, Bess of Hardwick, Queen Elizabeth and MQOS. The way these powerful women were related, and had such a intertwined history, is fascinating in itself. King James, by contrast, was more like his father, than the strong character of his mother. Both these men had relationships with other men, it was an open secret, and you really felt sorry that Arbella Stuart, was passed over for the English throne, because of her sex. Some of the male courtiers were expensively dressed fops and full of their own importance, it was great to think that women, used to being just decorous beings, were in the best place to spy and make courageous plans right under the noses of their menfolk. I like to think of all the exciting times and plans they were privy to and made, for the good of their families, despite being married off, for titles, money and breeding duties.
I have bought these books for my youngest son, this is a period of history, he adores. I look forward to his report!! I look forward to more palaces and castles to visit when lockdown is over.
A brilliant five star read, so exciting and vivid. What next, I wonder? I can hardly wait! Thanks for my advance copies, I can hardly believe how lucky I was to get all three books! I will leave reviews presently.

I was so excited to read this book. Like the first two in this trilogy this book was fantastic. Everybody thinks they know about Tudor history. What if all was not as it seems? While twins, Perdita and Piper, unravel a secret that dates back to Katherine Howard they are putting their lives in danger. This is such a good book that I am so sad it is over.

Well sadly the trilogy is over. I have enjoyed these books over the last year and eagerly awaited the third book and at the same time dreaded it ending. I was not disappointed. The books are such a original idea, taking all we thought about Tudor and Stuart history and setting it on it’s head.

The book follows sisters Perdita and Piper as they return to Marquess House, still hunted by powerful people who want to keep the Tudor and Stuart history under the status quo. This book picks up with the death of Elizabeth I and the rise of the Stuarts via James VI, but wait there is another claimant to the throne, Arbella Stuart, what of her claim? Well she is a woman and that is not always a great thing in 17th century England. Like the previous two books there are mysteries to solve and clues to find to solve the mystery of the missing Tudor heirs .I did love that this book covered the life of Arbella Stuart, she has sadly been mostly erased from history and I only knew about her because of history I have read on her grandmother Bess of Hardwick. The fact that she had a strong claim to the English throne, stronger than James VI per Henry the VIII’s will, has mainly been ignored and written out of history, she also had a fairly tragic life. It was nice to read a book that took a different view of Arbella and her importance to Tudor and Stuart history.

In modern times we have the story of Perdita and Piper trying to solve the mystery and stay alive long enough to enjoy their lives and fortunes. While I do enjoy the modern story line, I will say that the historical portion was more fascinating to me.

I highly recommend this trilogy for anyone who has a fascination with history and likes a nice mystery/thriller thrown in. I do advise reading the 1st two books in the triolgy first as it is easy to get lost with all the characters and storylines otherwise. I assure you it is not a trial to read the 1st two books as they are quite fascinating as well.

Thank you to Netgalley, Sapere books and Alexandra Walsh for the opportunity to read and review this book.

This is a trilogy that, although it has some minor flaws, I recommend to any reader who's ever had a fascination with Tudor and Stuart history. I know I have, and I've lost count of the books, both fiction and non-fiction, that I've read about this period. It seemed as though any man with any sort of high status was out to grab all the wealth and power that he could-- and he didn't care who he had to knock down to get it. There is a sort of glamor to this period, and it's also an extremely brutal era. This period was also graced with some formidable women, Elizabeth I and Bess of Hardwick, to name just two. How women of their power and intelligence had the fortitude to deal with the men of the day escapes me. I think I'd lose all patience and keep the royal executioners busy.

The Marquess House trilogy is just the sort of dual timeline story that I love. In this third book, Arbella Stuart takes the spotlight as she tries to outlast all those who are after her-- which includes her cousin James who makes his leisurely way down to London to be crowned King James I of England. Alexandra Walsh has shown a brilliant capability for finding little-known trails in history that lead to locked doors. Nothing is known about what happened behind those doors, so she weaves a story to fill in the blanks. Most of her work at her fictional loom has made me smile, but in this third book, the fate of one of the male characters was a bit of a stretch that my imagination really didn't want to make.

For large periods of time, nothing is mentioned about the groups of people who are out to get Perdita and Piper in the modern timeline. We're just told how superior the security is at Marquess House. It's almost as if Walsh were having so much fun with her histories that she forgot all about the modern-day bad guys. When she did remember them, the only thing she could do was to create some incredibly bone-headed lapses in that superior security. Ah well. A minor quibble.

One of the most powerful themes throughout this trilogy has always been women fighting for the right to their own voice, to their own power, and the author had me mentally cheering in solidarity more than once. If you think you may want to read Walsh's work, please read The Catherine Howard Conspiracy and The Elizabeth Tudor Conspiracy first or you may become confused. This trilogy is fun, and it's so good to see an author with a good knowledge of history go to work on it with her imagination to create something that might just have happened.

I would just like to say, Alexandra Walsh, has done an OUTSTANDING job with this work of Historical Fiction! I loved how much actual history was woven into this novel, and how many things i took notes on to look up and expand my knowledge on! The characters were so believable, they jumped right off the page. I was able to put myself in the scene and environment and felt truly connected to the events of this book! Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review this book!

The Arbela Stuart Conspiracy is a fascinating premise and Alexandra Walsh's novel is chock full of historical detail and period intrigue. As an avid fan of historical fiction, I was anxious to read Walsh's book but I am afraid I was continuously lost in the maze of characters she introduces: dozens and dozens of them. I never emerged from the maze in this story . . . .

A dedicated reader would benefit from easy access pages of Tudor and Stuart genealogy, and perhaps a crib sheet of the plots and conspiracies of the period. I use historical novels as a means to enrich my understanding of a period, but unfortunately this trip to Tudor England did not offer me any enlightenment, just confusion.

Ms. Walsh is clearly well versed on the people, places, and intrigues of the dynasty and I was disappointed that I didn't have the historical background to fully enjoy this book. I think readers would benefit from reading her trilogy in order---starting with Book 3 probably added to my befuddlement.

I am grateful to NetGalley for providing me the opportunity read this book in exchange for a candid review.

A mystery story that flashes back to Tudor times? Um, yes please! Mysteries and the Tudor era, two of my favorite things!

I am so glad that I came across this book on Netgalley, and was ecstatic when I was approved to read it, because I have now found a new favorite historical fiction author!

This was the third and final installment of the Marquees House trilogy, combining dual time storylines in the present and and the tumultuous period at the end of Elizabeth's reign, when the topic of succession was in dispute.

This was such a fun, entertaining read to cozy up in bed with on a lazy afternoon. I love the fact that this book, during flashbacks to the Tudor times, revolved around a woman named Arbella Stuart, who I admittedly had never heard of before picking up this novel. It was also nice and refreshing to be reading about historical figures that haven't already been written about hundreds of times already (even though I never get tired of reading about my favorites, namely Anne Boleyn. But still!).

In present time, the story revolves Perdita and Piper, who are sisters, and also characters from the two previous novels in this series (which I have not yet read, but definitely will be soon!). They are at their ancestral home Marquess House in Pembrokeshire. They have already uncovered many secrets from Tudor times (Okay but seriously, I want their lives-Their amazing sounding ancestral house! Unlocking mysteries and chasing secrets from the past! Just everything! Ah!). They have one piece of jewelry that they still need in order to help solve the mystery-a silver locket. Their discovery of this key piece of jewelry could lead to unlocking the secrets of the lost prince, and change everything we know about the Royal family, and thus, history.

This was a very fast paced and atmospheric read. There were so many twists and turns in the plot, and you never quite knew what was going to happen next.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book, and was so mesmerized by it, that I nearly read it in one sitting, as I was eager to unlock the secrets of the past alongside Perdita and Piper. The meticulous planning and research that went into this book was very apparent in the fine detail, and made the story that much better. I applaud the author for taking the time to go to the lengths she went to, to do the added research to craft such a well structured, enchanting historical story.

The only thing that took away from my reading experience was the fact that I didn't read the first two books in the trilogy prior to reading this one. While I suppose this can be read as a standalone, I really feel that you should read all three books in order, for the best understanding of the characters and storylines, especially before reading this final installment.

Highly recommend!

‘What have you done to her?’

England, 1603. Elizabeth I is dead. The end of the Tudor line, it seems. A decision is made to pass the throne to James VI of Scotland, he will become the first Stuart monarch of England. But there’s a secret, and there are concealed Tudor heirs. What will happen next?

Marquess House, Pembrokeshire, 2019. Perdita Rivers and her sister Piper have returned to their ancestral home. They have uncovered secrets: conspiracies and cover-ups during the Tudor period, but there is still one part of the puzzle to be found, and some old enemies will reappear.

There are nine parts to this story, alternating between 1603-1604 (after James VI and I becomes the English monarch) and the present day endeavours of Perdita and Piper. The 17th century focus is on Arbella Stuart, cousin of James, who might have been considered a potential successor to Elizabeth I.

This is the third book in the Marquess House Trilogy, marketed as ‘a dual timeline conspiracy thriller with an ingenious twist on a well-known period of Tudor and Stuart history.’ I’ve not read the first two books, but the opening section provided me with enough information to follow this story.

I confess, while I was curious about this novel, historical conspiracy thrillers are not amongst my favourite works of fiction. I like my historical fiction to remain within an historical fact framework: fictional characters can do fictional things, but not real people. However, Ms Walsh’s writing kept me turning the pages and her note to the reader at the end gave me the explanation I needed to cautiously accept the fiction.

It's an ingenious story. It’s well written and it will certainly appeal to those who like conspiracy theories with an historical flavour. The three books in the series are:

THE MARQUESS HOUSE TRILOGY SERIES
BOOK ONE: The Catherine Howard Conspiracy
BOOK TWO: The Elizabeth Tudor Conspiracy
BOOK THREE: The Arbella Stuart Conspiracy

Note: My thanks to NetGalley and Sapere Books for providing me with a free electronic copy of this book for review purposes.

Jennifer Cameron-Smith

An amazing historical novel with dual timeline, in the present and in the past during Elizabeth’s reign.
I’m fascinated with the British history, especially with the Tudor Dynasty that’s why i picked this book. It was a refreshing read about that time and era. Even that I usually don’t like dual timelines it was indeed a gripping story. As usually in historical books there was a lot of characters and sometimes I couldn’t follow the relations of those people. This series is a perfect choice for historical fiction lovers.

Is it possible to be absorbed in a book where you don't complete understand what's going on? For me, apparently it is. There are so many characters mentioned here - this one is the wife of that one, who's the third cousin of the other one...eek! But even without untangling those knots and keeping most of the characters straight, I was still wrapped up in this mystery, just as I was with the first Marquess House book.

Welcome to the new Queen of historical fiction. Alexandra Walsh certainly writes books that hit with a punch and leave you breathless. I’ve been waiting what feels like an eternity for the final book in this trilogy. The only trouble was once I got the book I struggled to start reading. Not for the reasons you may think. It’s because I knew once I’d finished it that it would be the end of the journey we’ve been on.

Perdita and Piper are at their ancestral home Marquess House in Pembrokeshire. They have already uncovered many secrets from Tudor times. One piece of jewellery is needed to help solve the mystery. A silver locket. Their discovery could change everything we know about the Royal family.

The story has flash backs to Tudor life and the story of Arbella Stuart. This is one woman I’ve never really come across in history. Set in the time of the end of Elizabeth I rule and king James VI

I found I needed to take breaks from the book. Just so I could absorb the details that the author had included. Although you could read this as a stand-alone book. DON’T. To understand just how good Alexandra walsh is you need to read the trilogy. Also, what I should have done is re read the other two books before starting this one. There were parts I’d forgotten about.

For those of you new to this series. You lucky lot. Set aside a good weekend and dive in. Starting with The Catherine Howard conspiracy then the Elizabeth Tudor Conspiracy. I can assure you that you won’t be disappointed.

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for the arc in return for an honest review.
#TheArbellaStuart #alexandraWalsh #netgalley #purplemermaid25

Thank you to the publisher, Sapere Books, and NetGalley for providing me with an eARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Now safely back at Marquess House with the two Tudor rings, all that remains for this age old conspiracy to unfold is the missing silver locket. With the discovery of a previously sealed off grotto under the mansion, several chests of old journals and documents along with a few portraits are found, which may just hold the key to discovering what was hidden away at Marquess House all those centuries ago. As the sisters begin to unravel the last piece of this mystery, the story in the past timeline now sets its focus on Arbella Stuart towards the end of Elizabeth’s reign. As a potential successor to the throne, Arbella has always played a precarious game at court, but she was also deeply involved in the elaborate plot concocted by the Ladies of Melusine to protect the Tudor twins. Marquess House holds secrets yet to be found, and the answer is within reach, yet the sisters are in more danger than ever before as their enemies seem to be drawing ever closer.

I was quite curious as to which historical figure in the Tudor era this book would be based on and was surprised when it turned out to be Arbella, whom I have only come across in passing in the many historical fiction novels of this era that I’ve read. It turns out, she’s a far more interesting character than I thought at first glance. I was very impressed at the amount of research that no doubt went into this book, clearly evident from the attention to detail throughout. It has been implied for a while that there was some sort of cover up that changed the version of events in the Tudor era, but it is only in this book that it is revealed just how massive that cover up was, and to what extent things were rewritten, quite literally, to present events and people in a more favourable light. Book two did leave a lot of questions to be answered, and I for one, was quite satisfied with how this series concluded, all loose ends tied up. The epilogue was a nice touch, and I felt, a very fitting way to end this story.

As with the second book, I felt that this book, too, spent a little too much time narrating the previous events. What would have really been useful is a recap of the events from The Elizabeth Tudor Conspiracy instead, since I had forgotten a lot of the details, especially those regarding what transpired at the siege of Fotheringhay Castle and it took me a while to piece things together again.

I mentioned in a recent historical fiction review that narrating a historical story with dual timelines can be quite hard to get right, since I’ve found as a reader that one timeline always ends up grabbing the majority of the attention. However, this series is one for which this style of narration really works! It was quite something to see the conspiracy in the 1600s as it was being laid and also to watch Perdita and Piper piece it together by deciphering the clues laid down centuries ago. The story in both timelines was compelling enough that I was always wondering what would happen next, no matter which timeline I was reading. Best of all, each timeline maintains the tense air perfectly throughout and the transitions between sections were very smooth and there was rarely any repeated information.

While the final reveal in the present timeline was something I had already guessed at, it was a lot of fun to see the pieces fit together at last. Arbella’s ultimate fate in this version of events was quite shocking and unexpected, but an interesting place to conclude the past timeline at. I’m usually a bit wary when novels take liberty with historical events to this extent, but Walsh has presented through this trilogy an incredibly intriguing alternate story so realistic that it might have actually happened. I enjoyed it thoroughly and am looking forward to reading any of her works in the future. I would highly recommend this series that is a fantastic combination of history and mystery for all historical fiction fans, and particularly Tudor era fans.

I received an ARC from Alexandra Walsh and Sapre Publishing in exchange for an honest review. This book is the third in a trilogy, but the first book I read. I will go back and read the other two books. Arbella Stuart has been lost in history and is a fascinating character. Modern-day twin sisters Perdita and Piper Rivers have inherited Marquess House from their estranged Grandmother. They have also inherited a mystery, the solution of which could change history and totally upend who should be sitting on the British throne. The story weaves back and forth to flesh out the life and Tudor times of Arbella Stuart (who is descended from Catherine Howard in this fiction work) and thus has a legitimate claim to throne of the unpopular James 1 and the continuation of the mystery in the first two books. Two rings have been discovered, but there's still a locket in the collection of jewelry that will help the sisters find the cluesto solve the mystery. If that wasn't enough, there's a James Bond MI-5 style element of espionage and assassination that adds danger to the investigation.

If you're a fan of Phillipa Gregory or Dan Brown's DaVinci Code with it's twists and reinterpretation of history you'll love this book, I know I did!

The final instalment of the Marquess House trilogy and it did not disappoint. A great combination of history and intrigue.
The only advice I will give is you must read the books in order.
If you enjoy historical fiction with a bit of a twist and don't mind if the facts are played with a wee bit this is the book for you.
I can't wait to see what Ms Walsh writes next.

My thanks to Sapere Books for an eARC via NetGalley of ‘The Arabella Stuart Conspiracy’ by Alexandra Walsh in exchange for an honest review.

This is the third and final volume in Walsh’s Marquess House Trilogy. In the opening section Walsh does provide some background, though this served mainly as a memory refresh. I would urge any readers new to the trilogy to read the first two books, ‘The Catherine Howard Conspiracy’ and ‘The Elizabeth Tudor Conspiracy’ in order to understand both the present day situation that twins, Perdita and Piper, find themselves in as well as the various historical conspiracies set during the Tudor and early Stuart periods.

The narrative is divided into nine parts alternating between the present day and 1603-04 as James I takes the throne following the death of Elizabeth I. Here the focus is upon Arabella Stuart, cousin to James, who had been considered a potential successor to Elizabeth.

Two historical conspiracies, the Bye and Main Plots, both of which preceded the better known Gunpowder Plot also form part of the narrative. Previous to this I was only vaguely aware of details of Arabella Stuart’s life, most of it gained during a tour of Hardwick Hall. Her place in history has only been reconsidered in the past thirty years and Walsh points out that outside of historical circles she is still relatively unknown.

Being the final book in the trilogy I was trusting that the various plot threads would be tied up. As I reached the final pages I considered that they had been.

Again, I will note that there are a great number of characters appearing in the historical sections. In order to keep them and their relationships straight in my head, I kept a notepad to hand. A bit like the chart that Perdita creates in the story.

As Perdita observes: “These families were like a vine, criss-crossing over one another, marrying within the branches, twisting and turning their endless plots and, at their heart, was Arbella Stuart.” This could be said of all three of the Marquess House novels.

Overall, I can only praise Walsh for creating this intriguing trilogy of historical mysteries/conspiracy thrillers. While posing a number of ‘what ifs’, it is clear that Walsh has incorporated a great deal of research into the Tudor and early Stuart periods. Her closing ‘Note to the Reader’ proved very enlightening in terms of how she blended historical fact and fiction.

I certainly shall look forward to reading her future projects.

A highly recommended novel and trilogy.

I received a copy of this title from the publisher for an honest review. The Arbella Stuart Conspiracy is the third title in the Marquess House Trilogy. Each title in the series builds on the previous so this title doesn't work well as a stand-alone title. The good news is that the all three books are amazing, so you should one-click the first two titles immediately and once read, return to devour this title.

As with the first two titles, The Arbella Stuart Conspiracy features two timelines - modern day with Perdita and Piper, and a historical timeline beginning at the very end of Elizabeth's reign/beginning of the Stuart era. I can't go into too much detail about the events of the historical storyline without risking ruining the twists, turns, and surprises that make this book such a delight to read. Ms. Walsh has clearly done her research into the era and the real life figures that feature in the story to allow her to create her alternate version of events in such away that I never doubted that the events depicted in this book could have really happened in lieu of written history. It is very thought provoking in a way that makes you wonder what we take as established history may not be accurate as history is written by the victors.

The modern day storyline picks up several months after the events of the second book, with Perdita working to unravel the real history following the shocking reveal about Elizabeth I and her life. Threads of the secrets Marquess House is holding and how to uncover them are within her reach, but can she and her sister survive a shocking betrayal and the danger that is drawing increasingly closer to them and those they hold dear? I had a prediction I made early while reading book 1 that was proven to be correct, but there were many twists and turns that made the reveal to be delightful. I hope that the author continues to write more books in the vein of this series while tackling new historical eras.