The court is a dangerous place. There are those who thrust themselves forward, desperate to catch the eye of the monarch, craving the glory of power. These individuals delude themselves into believeing they have reflected influence; that as a close companion to the queen, they wield a modicum of her sovereignty. What imaginitive fools they are...
***
‘A king adorns the throne… He has no subtlety, no grace but he does not deserve to die in the way that has been planned and this is why we shall stop them, our men, our kin and save us all.’
1605
Bess Throckmorton is well used to cunning plots and intrigues. With her husband Sir Walter Raleigh imprisoned in the Tower of London, and she and her family in a constant battle to outwit Robert Cecil, the most powerful man in the country who is determined to ruin her, Bess decides to retreat to her beloved home, Crestwell Hall. But there she is shocked to hear talk of a new plot to murder the king. So, unbeknownst to their menfolk, the wives of the plotters begin to work together to try to stop the impending disaster.
Present Day
Isabella Lacey and her daughter, Emily, are excited to be starting a new life at her aunt’s home, Crestwell Hall in Wiltshire. During renovations, Isabella discovers an ancient bible that once belonged to Bess Throckmorton, and to her astonishment finds that it doubled as a diary. As Isabella reads Bess’s story, a new version of the Gunpowder Plot begins to emerge - told by the women.
When Emily’s life is suddenly in terrible danger, Isabella understands the relentless fear felt by Bess, hundreds of years ago. And as the fateful date of 5th November draws ever closer, Bess and the plotters’ wives beg their husbands to stop before a chain of events is set into action that can only end one way…
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This book was a lucky error on my part. When I was offered this book for the blog tour I was certain that I had previously read a book by this author. However, it appears I mixed up this author with another, and I am so glad I did because I thoroughly enjoyed this novel.
This is a dual timeline book, moving between the 17th century and the modern day. What both periods have in common is Crestwell Hall in Wiltshire, which was the home of Elizabeth (Bess) Throckmorton who was the wife of Sir Walter Raleigh.
In the modern day, the house belongs to the main character's aunt Thalia, and following a divorce Isabella moves into the house with her young daughter Emily. Together they plan to renovate the house and open it to the public. With help from the attractive but mysterious, Oliver, Isabella works at unearthing Bess' story.
We are all familiar with the story of the Gunpowder Plot, and the author retells the story from the perspective of the wives of the men involved. The author very skillfully provides the details of this period in history, and she has clearly researched her time period and the events extremely well. Much of Bess' story Isabella explains to those around her, but it never felt like an information dump. Instead, she related it in an engaging style, whilst then moving the narrative back to 1605. Ms. Walsh accomplished seamlessly.
The book highlights the support of strong women to each other in both time periods. In the 1605 section, there are alot of names to consider but thankfully, there is a list of the women at the front of the book which proved very helpful.
This may have turned out to be the first book that I have read by this author, but I do not think it will be my last. It is a fabulous book which I was completely gripped by. Strong characterisation along with excellent research has combined into an extremely good book which I highly recommend.
ISBN: 978 1804159538
Publisher: Boldwood Books
Formats: e-book, audio, hardback and paperback (currently available on Kindle Unlimited)
No. of Pages: 384 (paperback)
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