The Arbella Stuart Conspiracy: Marquess House Trilogy Series, Book 3

I didn't find this story as exciting as the other two. The changing names were confusing. I still gave it 5 stars because of all the work this book entailed.

This series of three books was such a fun read! From the beginning, I was taken with the sisters, Perdita and Piper and their family story. The fictional story is engrossing and exciting but the links to the Tudors and then the Stuarts just made the story even better!If you like historical fiction I don't think you can beat this series of books.

I have read the entire trilogy, and (SPOILER ALERT) this review discloses bits of the story. The first book was fabulous and really grabbed my attention and held it. Kudos to the author for her fresh idea, imagination and her depth of knowledge about the history. It was finely crafted. And her strong, determined, compassionate women were stellar! The second book was also very good but not as focused or well crafted. The third book made no sense to me, and it drowned in the historical detail. The choice to focus on Arbella was, to me, a mistake. Her quest for the crown had little to do with the heirs - I kept thinking she was one. But, unless I really misunderstood something, she was not. So the story of the heirs got sidelined and never came back on track. And James, as Mary's son, was one of the heirs - when did the ladies decide to ditch him? There were plenty of reasons, but I would have liked to have seen him acknowledged and assessed more fully. I really missed getting to know the heirs in this timeframe, especially Ennie who was central to the entire trilogy. Her life sounded far more interesting than Arbella's to me. All of a sudden we discover she is the Scribe but we have learned so little about her and her motivation. Same for the brother. Then the modern wrap up happened at light speed, with many loose ends unresolved. And I never understood the lack of physical security at the mansion. Not even one guard? Just not believable. So, while I enjoyed the trilogy, the last book was chaotic and disappointing to me. The ending felt forced and very anticlimactic.

I get caught up in the history and present day intrigue. Sometimes a little too much detail of names, but i enjoy learning about history through historical fiction!

If you are interested in the Tudor/ Stuart historical period, then the Arbella Stuart novel plus two other novels set in pre-Elizabethan years, may be your saving grace at this time.The complete series goes from King Henry VIII through the Stuarts. These are intriguing reads which turn your Elizabethan understanding on its head, sideways...Arbella is a real person, and could have been queen after Elizabeth, but history matters went just out of her grasp.To say more would be less fun for the reader....there is a second story line which is set in modern times. An enterprising group of young scholars take on the historical digging, which is fun as well.Enjoy!Sun27cap

I've read all three books and was left breathless at the conclusion! There were so many layers of intrigue and all of it centered around strong female characters. I just found out a fourth book is coming and I am beyond excited for it!

I hadn't ever read a 'historical fiction mystery' before so gave this series a try. I really enjoyed the series, even though I could guess about the ending from reading the first book. If you know a LOT about British History between the mid-1550's through the mid-1600's, you'll probably see where it's going. That didn't make it less enjoyable. This series was fascinating in presenting a theory that COULD'VE happened!

This is an excellent book and the last in an excellent series. The amount of work, research and planning that must have gone into the writing of these 3 books must have been tremendous. I can't praise the author highly enough. Don't miss out on reading these books which are totally engaging from beginning to end.

My thanks to Sapere Books for an eARC via NetGalley of ‘The Arabella Stuart Conspiracy’ by Alexandra Walsh in exchange for an honest review. I subsequently preordered its Kindle edition.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 me 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.

This review is really about the whole three book series by Alexandra Walsh, the Catherine Howard/Elizabeth Tudor/Arbella Stuart Conspiracy. I'm a keen historical fiction reader and I loved these, ploughed through them and ordered the next as soon as each was finished. But I was also eye-rolling at some elements.The series constitutes (1) having some fun with alternative possibilities in history, (2) proposing that the historically-real female characters were in fact a supportive, intelligent network of thinkers and doers rather than a bunch of fainters bitching over their embroidery - a view that I welcome and give serious consideration to, and (3) a thriller/mystery plot. I was completely on board with the first two elements and it's refreshing to read some different ideas about timeline, characters, and the personal relationships of the past. Although I am a fairly serious historical reader, I had no beef with the idea of messing around with it a bit, since there are plenty of accepted-version historical novels already, and this was clearly written as something different. I did feel the mystery element was weaker, largely (and frustratingly) because of unnecessarily obvious hinting at where this was going, from the start of the first book. I didn't find it suspenseful because of this, and the hints I refer to could easily have been left out.But, despite this, I chomped through the first book like nobody's business and immediately ordered the others, so, I can't say it was anything other than a total win for the author. She has done her job with aplomb - entertained me, made me think about it, and made me buy the next one. Five stars for most elements of the trilogy, one knocked off for needlessly undermining the suspense. I will be on the lookout for the next book from this author.

Overall 4.5*I would recommend that you do read the first 2 books in the trilogy before attempting this novel as there are lots of characters which carry on through plus loads more and this is why I gave it 4.5* as there are at times too many names to deal with! I noticed other reviewers took to writing these down however that isn't for me! The 3rd book is still focusing on the lives of Perdita and Piper in the 21st century and their search to find the third piece of jewellery to solve the mystery which arose in book 1 back in the 16th century. This now covers the period at the end of the Tudors and beginning of the Stuart dynasty on the British throne. I love the historical references and the conspiracy ideas which Alexandra weaves throughout the novels and it has a good ending. I would highly recommend this series to anyone who loves historical dramas with a twist.

You must read in order!! It's worth rereading the first two before reading this one.. and you won't be disappointed.. well only disappointed that it's ended!! Can't wait to see what she writes next..This long and eagerly awaited finale certainly lives up to it's standards of its predecessors; The Catherine Howard Conspiracy and The Elizabeth Tudor Conspiracy.I don't want to spoil it so I will not give anything away! Alexandra Walsh has deftly fitted her tale within the accepted history of the Tudor and Stuart courts.Weaving her overlapping tales of the modern day and historical "facts" with exquisite detail.. the two stories fit together perfectly. We all know that truth is based on the victor in any skirmish, that history can be "adjusted"; the story of Anne Boleyn's life and death as has to be considered as proof as it's based entirely on biased reports many written years later, many by Catholic sympathisers.. documents turn up more frequently than anyone realises misfiled, hidden, released from time sensitive government holds.. there are plenty of anomalies too.. giving this series an almost magical realism.. what if?

The third and final instalment in the Marquess House conspiracy thriller series. It’s an alternative history trilogy, this one featuring Arbella Stuart, a contender for the English throne.I thoroughly enjoyed the whole trilogy, they’re fun, imaginative and entertaining. You definitely have to suspend belief, though, and let a lot of it go over your head. But don’t let that that put you off, they are well worth the read. They are extensively researched and beautifully written. Quite the page turners!There are quite a few characters, some with the same first name, and it did get a little confusing at times. I think a list/glossary at the front or at the back of the story would be invaluable. I had to keep retracing my steps to remind myself who was who!If you enjoy historical fiction with a dual timeline and a bit of a twist, you’ll love these.