[review] The Arbella Stuart Conspiracy by Alexandra Walsh

The Arbella Stuart Conspiracy is the third and final book in Alexandra Walsh’s The Marquess House Trilogy, a dual timeline historical fiction thriller series with a twist on a well-known period of Tudor history.

Title: The Arbella Stuart Conspiracy
Author: Alexandra Walsh
Series: The Marquess House Trilogy #3
First Published: May 25, 2020
Publisher: Sapere Books
Genres: Historical Fiction 
Acquired: from the publisher via Netgalley

*** Thank you to the publisher, Sapere Books, for providing me with an advanced e-copy of this book via Netgalley in exchange for an unbiased review. ***

I discovered the first book in this trilogy when I signed up for Netgalley as a new book blogger and used my first request to ask for The Catherine Howard Conspiracy. My request was granted and needless to say I have been in love with this story ever since. I loved it so much that even though I have the e-books from Sapere I went and bought the print books for my shelves!

So it was with a touch of sadness that I finally picked up the final book in the story. Have you ever avoided reading a much anticipated book because you knew that meant the story had to end? That’s weird, right? Well, that was me with The Arbella Stuart Conspiracy. It took me a few weeks to finally pick up the book after it arrived and then I took a really long time to finish reading it because I wanted to savour every minute.

As with the previous two books in the trilogy, the story takes place in two different time periods – the modern storyline, with Perdita and Piper and their various friends and allies (and enemies!), and the historical storyline, this one involving Lady Arbella Stuart.

Normally I am not a fan of books that have dual timelines – I just like to be set down in a place and time and stay there. However, the two timelines in this book are very well interwoven with each other and you feel immersed in both stories. To be honest, both stories are good enough to almost stand on their own but the small things that link them together make the story more interesting.

Two immersive stories

While I try to read almost any historical fiction involving the Tudors, my book choices usually never ventured past the reign of Queen Elizabeth I, so I knew very little about Arbella Stuart, an English noblewoman who was considered a possible successor to Elizabeth. This book really gave me a good look at this fascinating character and definitely made me interested in finding out more about her.

There is a lot to wrap your head around in this book. Both timelines are incredibly detailed and move along at a good, solid pace, but there is often a lot of information to absorb. There is almost never a dull moment, especially in the modern timeline.

As with the previous two books, Walsh takes the generally-acknowledged Tudor history and gives it a sharp twist. To be honest, since I didn’t know Arbella’s story, I just went along for the ride. This was a different experience than the previous two books (The Catherine Howard Conspiracy and The Elizabeth Tudor Conspiracy). Since I’m quite familiar with both Catherine and Elizabeth’s stories (well, the usually accepted stories anyway) the twists in Walsh’s books took my breath away. This time, I was less startled and so could sit back and enjoy the narrative.

By the end of the second book, I had already developed a guess at what the trilogy’s final ending would be in terms of how Perdita and Piper were related to the historical figures and I was really satisfied to see I had guessed correctly (no spoilers!). It was also satisfying how most of the loose ends were tied up, especially in terms of the various relationships that had been taking place throughout the run of the three books. Obviously, I can’t say too much more without giving the ending away but let’s just say that I was VERY satisfied with how everything turned out. I loved the ending and it made the whole trilogy worthwhile. This may seem like a small matter, but believe, me, there have been times when I enjoyed the first two books of a trilogy and then the third book just ruined the whole thing. This wasn’t one of those times (thank goodness!)

Saying goodbye to some great characters

I think the thing I will miss most now that I have to put these books on the shelf and checked them off as “Read”, is the characters. Walsh has created some lovely people in these stories – from the twins, Perdita and Piper, to the Mackensie family (especially Kit – insert heart-eyes emoji here) to all the various friends and allies – these are people I would love to meet and hang around with. They are realistic characters who have distinct personalities and interesting lives.

Of course, there’s also the myriad of historical figures that Walsh includes in the trilogy as well. From Catherine Howard to Elizabeth Tudor to Arbella Stuart, the past comes alive in full details and a large cast of characters. And I do mean large – I needed to detailed notes to keep track of everyone! Again, the detail and personalities of the characters makes both timelines come to life. This book (and trilogy) is filled with very smart, strong and inspiring women in both timelines.

I will definitely miss the anticipation of another visit to Marquess House, but Walsh has already announced her next project so I’m looking forward to seeing where her writing will take me next.

Read The Arbella Stuart Conspiracy for yourself

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