Alexandra Walsh's The Catherine Howard Conspiracy was a surprise hit for me back in March. I loved the author's portrayal of Henry VIII and her alternate history involving the life of his fifth wife, Catherine Howard. This second book in the Marquess House trilogy continues her feminist "revision" of history, this time with the redoubtable Elizabeth I.

In The Elizabeth Tudor Conspiracy, some of the threat against the Rivers sisters is taken care of, but other-- possibly even deadlier-- foes arise to take their place. Passed down to female heirs only, Marquess House is a wonderful centuries-old manor house that has been turned into a treasure trove of historical documents and research. The author uses this setting as well as holes in the historical record to create her alternate history. It has to be the feminist in me, but I really enjoyed Walsh's portrayal of Elizabeth I, who (more than once) laments, "It is a curse to be surrounded by idiot men." She and her trusted ladies-in-waiting are intelligent and brave-- more than a match for the "idiot men" of Elizabeth's cabinet.

After reading several biographies of Elizabeth I, I've often thought that she must've hated the fact that she constantly had to prove herself to the men in her cabinet, men who usually had their own interests and agendas they wanted to promote. It's no wonder that I enjoy Walsh's feminist interpretation of history. Who's to say that some of what Walsh postulates isn't true? After all, for centuries 99.9% of women have been thought to be too unimportant to be included in the historical record. But I digress.

For the most part, I've willingly suspended disbelief and "gone along for the ride" wherever Walsh wanted to take me, but I have to admit that my credulity was strained a couple of times in this latest book. For one thing-- the fact that all those secret coded messages between Elizabeth and her ladies still survive? The Tudor period was deadly, and not just to Henry VIII's wives. The nagging thought that those messages would have been destroyed almost immediately just wouldn't go away. The second strain involves something that happened to Elizabeth herself, but I can't go into detail because of spoilers.

However, my credulity was strained, not destroyed, and I look forward with a great deal of anticipation to the last book in this intriguing trilogy. I want to see how this all ends!

A huge thank you to NetGalley and Sapere Books for providing me with an ARC of this novel! I was so excited to see that this sequel was going to be published so soon after the first book, and even more so that it was made available on NetGalley.

In this what-if story of Tudor England, it has been more than four decades since the birth of the twin children of Catherine Howard - two unknown, legitimate heirs to the Tudor throne. And Queen Elizabeth I has kept this secret close ever since the Lady Anne of Cleves entrusted it to her on her deathbed. But the unforeseen has happened - Philip II of Spain has found out about this and sees in it his opportunity to oust Elizabeth from the English throne. Meanwhile, in present day, Perdita and her sister Piper have safely made it to the Mackensie family stronghold in Andorra where they are finally safe from MI1 Elite's hunters. But there is more of this conspiracy to uncover, starting with the fate of the Tudor twins, and as they delve deeper, they start to understand that nothing about Tudor history is as it seems.

The biggest improvement from the first book for me was that the mystery was maintained for much longer, and I definitely did not see it coming, mainly because I was very caught up with trying to figure out how history is going to be twisted this time around. Though there was significantly less action in the present day plotline this time around, the parallel timelines were much better written and the overall pacing was more balanced. The transitions between the timelines were also really well put together which helped the story flow better overall.

I found the Ladies of Melusine, Elizabeth's inner circle of trusted women (mostly her cousins), to be very intriguing. I wonder if that might have actually been a real thing, because, as Perdita points out, that was a time when the contributions of women were mostly overlooked, and who knows how much has been forgotten over the years. It was also very interesting to see Elizabeth handle her advisors, a court still made up of men who believe that a woman is too weak to rule, and their attempts to manipulate her. The only minor complaint I had with regards to this book was that the initial chapter went a little too much in depth into the previous book which in my opinion was not really necessary. But apart from that, plot wise, I really enjoyed the direction this book is taking, and the many surprising twists definitely kept me entertained throughout.

And now that the secret of Catherine Howard's daughter has been revealed, all that remains is for Perdita to uncover the identity of the secret Tudor prince - and how all of that relates back to Marquess House and her family, because I get the feeling there's a big reveal on that front too. This was an excellent sequel to The Catherine Howard Conspiracy and an exciting, fast-paced read. Alexandra Walsh yet again takes the historical facts we know today and manages to weave an incredibly believable alternate universe. I can't wait to see how this ends!

I received a copy of this title from the publisher for an honest review. If you have not read the first title in the trilogy (The Catherine Howard Conspiracy), what are you waiting for? Go buy it, read it,and then start on this title. Spoilers for the first book follow. The Elizabeth Tudor Conspiracy picks up shortly after the end of the first book; Piper and Perdita are still in Andorra trying to keep safe from MI1. Their research continues to determine what happened to the twins Catherine Howard secretly bore; the historical part picks up in the reign of Elizabeth the Great. Elizabeth has been queen for many years, and is facing turmoil with a war in the Netherlands and a possible invasion from the Spanish and King Philip. It quickly becomes apparent that the queen has a group of trusted women (many her cousins) who act as unofficial spies to keep her appraised of what is really going on in England instead of just what her privy council wants her to know in order to manipulate her into doing what they want. Called to the death bed of Anne of Cleaves many years ago, Elizabeth was made the keeper of the secret of the twins including their identities and the proof needed to establish them as legitimate Tudor heirs. Over the years, Elizabeth has established a close relationship with her younger sister, but her brother remains ignorant of his true identity (although Elizabeth knows and likes him). I don't want to go more into the story and give anything away, but I will say there were many twists and turns that kept me both entertained and guessing until the very end.

Much like the previous novel, Ms. Walsh does an excellent job of taking historical facts and creating a very believable alternate version. What I especially like about this story is the role that Elizabeth's closest female companions play in providing her information and helping her achieve her aims despite attempts by the privy council to steer her to do their bidding. Knowing that history was normally written by men of the time, it does leave the reader wondering just how much women and their contributions have been lost to the centuries or incorrectly attributed to men of the era.

Events in the current day also proceed at a rapid clip, and the reader is given some hints as to the direction of the next book. I couldn't put this one down; it is perfect for fans of the Pink Carnation series or anyone who likes dual time lines. I can't wait for the final book in the series to see how it all ends - here's hoping I don't have to wait too long!

This is the second book in The Marquess House Trilogy. You don't have to read the first one in order to read this one but I do think it would help. Once again part of this book is set in Tudor times but his time it is about Queen Elizabeth I. Dr Perdita Rivers and her twin sister Piper try to solve a mystery that could change history that some people would like to keep quiet. My favorite time frame for historical fiction is the Tudor time frame. The thought behind the book is interesting and I am looking forward to reading the last book in the series.

Thankyou to NetGalley, Sapere Books and the author, Alexandra Walsh, for the opportunity to read an advanced readers copy of The Elizabeth Tudor Conspiracy in exchange for an honest and unbiased opinion.
No words can describe my excitement when I received a review copy of this book. I have read the first novel in the series and loved it, so I really wanted to see where Ms Walsh would go next.
Let me start off by saying, you could read this book as a stand alone story. There is enough of a backstory to follow this one. ( but in my opinion, you are missing one hell of a ride )
The storyline itself was well thought out and written. The changes between timelines is woven together really well. The characters are well defined and realistic in their nature. The scenery was magically descriptive. I was completely absorbed.
This book, and series, is an incredible read. If, like me, you enjoy reading about Tudor England, then this book is a "must read"
Alison Weir and Philippa Gregory, ( two of my favourite authors) you have competition.
Thankyou Ms Walsh for writing such an intriguing story. I certainly can't wait for more.
Definitely worth a read