Catherine Howard Conspiracy: Review

By Alexandra Walsh

Synopsis:

What secrets were covered up at the court of Henry VIII…?

Whitehall Palace, England, 1539

When Catherine Howard arrives at the court of King Henry VIII to be a maid of honour in the household of the new queen, Anne of Cleves, she has no idea of the fate that awaits her.

Catching the king’s fancy, she finds herself caught up in her uncle’s ambition to get a Howard heir to the throne.

Terrified by the ageing king after the fate that befell her cousin, Anne Boleyn, Catherine begins to fear for her life…

Pembrokeshire, Wales, 2018

Dr Perdita Rivers receives news of the death of her estranged grandmother, renowned Tudor historian Mary Fitzroy.

Mary inexplicably cut all contact with Perdita and her twin sister, Piper, but she has left them Marquess House, her vast estate in Pembrokeshire.

Perdita sets out to unravel their grandmother’s motives for abandoning them, and is drawn into the mystery of an ancient document in the archives of Marquess House, a collection of letters and diaries claiming the records of Catherine Howard’s execution were falsified…

What truths are hiding in Marquess House? What really happened to Catherine Howard?

And how was Perdita’s grandmother connected to it all?

The Catherine Howard Conspiracy is the first book in the Marquess House trilogy, a dual timeline conspiracy thriller series by Alexandra Walsh.

Review:

This is my first ever ‘ARC’, after signing up to Net Galley recently. I was a little trepidatious as I really wanted to make sure this was something I really wanted to read, not just because I may have the chance to read it for free. When this popped up, I immediately gravitated towards the cover, as it reminded me of Phillipa Gregory. When I was a teenager I was obsessed with Gregory’s books, and when you think of historical fiction, she is the go-to author usually. I haven’t actually read much historical fiction outside of her work, as I often haven’t found them as fun to read. I find they tend to get too hung up on the historical details and don’t put as much effort into the plot and characters.

However, I am happy to say that the Catherine Howard Conspiracy not only matches my experiences with Philippa Gregory but possibly even surpasses them! This is due to the added twist of the different time periods, giving it an extra mysterious edge. As you can see in the synopsis, the book is set in 2018 and the mid-1500s. The Tudors are one of my favourite periods of history, so my interest was immediately piqued! I read it in a couple of days, flying through and not wanting it to end. I’m happy that it seems to be the first in a trilogy, but I’m already anxious to keep reading more. Please write faster Walsh!

So, you know I like it a lot, but let’s have a look at why.

The novel begins properly in 2018 with Perdita, who is instantly likeable and a really well-formed character, that grows throughout the book. The 1539 portions are from the point of view of Catherine Howard. It is interesting to read more about this time period, as I didn’t know as much about her as Henry VIII’s first few wives. I’d say there is an immediate shift in the atmosphere, and a great balance between the description and plot. You really relate to this young fifteen-year-old reluctantly coming to court, her life spinning completely out of her control. Really getting to know her family and friends around her and getting a real sense of the hustle and bustle of court life.

Far from jarring, I enjoyed the back and forth between time periods. It is funny though, as I was just getting into one part of the story it would switch back. I’d be both disappointed to leave Perdita or Catherine, but then excited to be joining the other again! I think it only flips about 4 or 5 times though. So the sections are long enough to really get hooked, yet short enough to leave you wanting more.

History comes to life…

I like that, while based on history, the entire concept of the book is asking whether history is really the truth. As time goes on there is more artistic licence given to the ‘facts’. Yet the story still unfolds in a very believable way. In fact, by the end, I was convinced by some of the theories! Once the facts are laid out, there really are so many anomalies and inconsistencies. It is so fun to discover them alongside Perdita as the story unfolds. The impact of her discoveries is powerful. This is mainly due to how much it affects Perdita, and her twin Piper, the only family she has left. There are lots of emotional layers to unravel, for both Perdita and Catherine, and the mystery is only heightened by them.

There are so many more twists and turns than I expected too – they just kept coming! My mouth kept falling open as the intrigue gets deeper and deeper. I love how visually descriptive it is as well, and I think it would suit a screen adaptation. Ideally, a TV show, so as to really show the details and depths of the story.

Looking forward to book number two!