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, unknown 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 5 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.
The Secrets of Crestwell Hall by Alexandra Walsh is published on 24 January, 2024.
Alexandra has written a feature about Bess and the plotters’ wives and how they were caught up in the Gunpowder Plot.
Find out about more historical books coming out this year.
