"Royal Mysteries: The Medieval Period' is the first book by Timothy Venning that I've read, though I have several of his books on my e-bookshelves. I rather enjoy the topic. The stories range from the death of William II to the disappearance of the princes in the tower. Venning provides history and context to the five mysteries he examines. Unfortunately, we may never get a conclusive answer to each mystery.

This book sounded intriguing. However, the author only touched the surface of the mysteries. I could find my answers elsewhere. Still, I recommend for fans of Medieval history.

I’m sorry but I struggled with this book - the information was a little superficial as we’re the authors judgements. I also felt a lot was off and argument rather than historical analysis rooted in facts. Not for me I’m afraid.

There are so many medieval mysteries that I'd love to know the answers to and will forever be sad that I'll never truly know. This book takes a stab at answering some of them like what happened to Edward II, William II, and most famously, the Princes in the Tower.

Timothy Venning takes five mysteries, providing some historical background and context, while using contemporary accounts, he looks at all those involved before asking the age old question - who did it?
Who stood to gain and who might have been responsible for it or were they the actions of a third party?

The author directs our attention to the existence of "fake news" even during the medieval period where the writer or chronicler is often playing to their own agenda and audience, and as such must be viewed as potentially unreliable.
Learning history at school, you are taught that no source is completely without bias - an account written at the time does not necessarily mean it is true.

I was rather disappointed to find that there was no real conclusion one way or the other to these mysteries - no definitive proof. The author does not take any particular stance - he explores each one and presents us (the reader) with all the information, evidence and accounts, and then, leaves us to draw our own conclusions.

Venning clearly knows his material when it comes to medieval royal mysteries, his writing is engaging and informative, however, there are some avoidable editing and proofreading errors which need to be addressed.

Overall, I liked it and would probably pick this up again.

Many thanks to Pen & Sword and Netgalley for sending me an ARC of this book.

A kind thank you to the publisher for the-ARC.

I was looking forward to reading this book because I find reading about murders, known and unknown, in a historical setting fascinating. I don't know much about the medieval times in the UK, or royalty, so I was excited to read and learn.

There is no doubt that the author has deep knowledge in this subject. However, the way they structured the book was definitely not ideal for me. It is heavy on information, which is what I wanted to gain as a reader, but the author did not layer it at all. Information was provided in long paragraphs that consisted of long sentences. The subordinate clauses were so long that I had to reread the main clause in order to remember its purpose. The paragraphs themselves were one page-long. It made it really hard to learn since I had to decipher a lot of it.

I appreciated that we got the background of each story ahead of the mystery/(alleged)crime. I felt like we received enough context in order to draw conclusions about the mystery itself. The author doesn't provide their opinion on any mystery, but if one looks at the wording of his characterization of certain people in the background "section", one realizes the author provides his view on those people. Since the background sets the setting for the mystery, and more importantly since the background is supposed to be based on facts, I felt it was inappropriate to insert his own views in such an implicit way without admitting that it's what he does. To make it clearer, I don't have a problem with him expressing his view per se. My issue is that it was done implicitly, after it was stated that the aim of the book is to provide knowledge without bias regarding these mysteries.

I would like to reread this when I have the time because the book is a rich source of information.

This is a heavy tome, perhaps too heavy, so jammed packed with details and various sources and interpretations of events to become a hard slog of a read. More suited to the scholar rather than the everyday reader, it is so complicated with the various intrigues and machinations that were the hallmark of royal dealings at the time, I felt I was mired in the middle of a George RR Martin epic.

This was a case of too much of a good thing. I admired the research and the depth to which the author dug but it compromised the readability of the book. As he stated upfront, writing histories from our modern perspective depends largely on what we read from contemporary sources. Since, as Churchill mused, history is written by the victors, it is impossible to come up with iron clad proof one way or the other. I did like the way the various stories were broken into manageable bites. Often the introduction to the events and the final conclusions were clearer and easier to follow than the “meat” in the middle.

While it was not an enjoyable read for me, for the right reader, it might be quite satisfying. Three purrs and two paws up.

Sinister Doings…
Mysteries from the Middle Ages, explored using research from various sources, and compiled in a clear and well formatted account which is also extremely readable. Some sinister doings the reader may be aware of, and some not, but all make for a fascinating and informative read. Very enjoyable.

I received this book for free for an honest review from netgalley #netgalley

Very intriguing read. It definitely was a page Turner for me.

I love a good mystery! The older - the better! There are some humdingers that are hiding within the pages of history, and while we can sniff out a good one while reading a book - there is something about having an amazing book of some of the bigger mysteries of the medieval period.
This book takes you through several of the mysterious happenings of England - was it murder or suicide? Did someone really kill the princes in the tower, or were they spirited away for their protection?

Dive into the Royal Mysteries: Medieval Period, and see what you can discover. There might be a few surprises waiting for you in the pages of this book! Grab your fave beverage and settle down for a night of mysterious happenings, royal deaths, and a whole lot of who dun it, and persons of interest! You will not be disappointed!

A well-researched book that goes into great detail. Sometimes there was a little too much information, but an enjoyable read nonetheless. It would be very useful for anyone writing books set in those times, or who wants to learn more about that period. Recommend.

A well researched book in graphic detail which makes you think about what was really going on in medieval times.I enjoyed reading this book and would recommend it to anyone interested in history from this time.Thankyou.

I was eager to read this one as I have a number of Tim's books already on my library shelf - and who doesn't love a good mystery.

The mysteries being explored were not unknown to me - in fact I explored one of these mysteries myself in greater depth (death of William II) and the controversy surrounding the "Princes" still captures my imagination even today, after much reading on the matter.

Venning takes each mystery, provides some historical background and context, examines the contemporary accounts, looks at all the players before asking the age old question - cui bono? Who stands, or stood, to gain, and so might have been responsible for it or precipitated the actions of a third party?

Venning directs the readers attention to the existence of "fake news" in medieval times wherein the writer or chronicler is playing to their own agenda and contemporary audience, and as such must be viewed as a potential unreliable source. In fact, as the reader and student of history will know, no source is completely without bias - just because it was written at the time does not necessarily mean it is the most accurate account. Venning even comments that history is but "... a hall of mirrors with distorted reflections .."

Moving on to the mysteries themselves and what we have learned. Well not much really. I was rather disappointed to find that there was no real conclusion one way or the other - no definitive proofs. Venning does not take any particular stance - he explores all aspects of each mystery and just presents us with all the information, evidence and accounts, and leaves it up to the reader to discern what they will from it.

Whilst I will assume (whether rightly or wrongly) that this book is for the consumption of popularist history, I did find the narrative to be rather long-winded, repetitive, and definitely non-linear. I would suggest some fore-knowledge of the subject matter at hand would be appropriate. Overall, I liked it and would probably pick this up again - at a later date.

History is peppered with shady murders, mysterious deaths and the never so straight forward passing of monarchs and kings which would be worthy of a murder mystery epic.

From political power plays, to scheming brothers plotting for the throne and societal upsets all providing motives for murder. There’s plenty of far fetched tales, suspicions and speculations regarding certain murders and this book was a great compendium of a few selected royal deaths throughout medieval history.

From William the seconds dodgy hunting accident, to the princes in the tower and Edward and Richard the seconds deaths, the book goes into detail of the suspicions surrounding their deaths and the main suspect characters who may have played a role and why.

It’s somewhat information heavy so would be perfect for a seasoned historian or someone with prior knowledge on some of these historical figures. My venture into history is somewhat growing so I’m yet to have some of the foundational knowledge this book worked from so I did get a bit lost and confused at times with the bountiful historical events, names and people which I hadn’t encountered before.

I feel like it could have capitalised on the ‘murder mystery’ theme of these events a bit more, as it felt more like an informational guide to the event than a murder mystery style spin which was what I was expecting. It was still a really enjoyable read but I’d expected a different format.

It was incredibly informative though and definitely a recommended read for all of those interested in royalty during the medieval period. There’s so much to learn from this book!

Wow what a book!
Royal murder mysteries never fail to intrigue readers and TV viewers. Here are some of the most haunting and even horrific episodes from the middle ages, based on latest historical research and historiography, and authentic and rare sources, including archaeology and DNA evidence, uncovering wonderful tales of pathos, tragedy, suffering and romance. This is history for specialists and general readers - and sceptics - given the intense media coverage, including TV, and interest in exciting and accessible popular history. The famous and also less well-known mysteries, which may be new to readers, surrounding British Royalty, are included from around the 11th to the 15th centuries.

The murder mysteries show personal and individual tragedy but are also a vehicle for historical analysis. William II - William Rufus - was he murdered or killed accidentally by a 'stray arrow', allowing brother Henry to seize the throne, or was it God's punishment for William's irreligious living and persecution of the church? Or was Edward II murdered at the instigation of Queen Isabella - 'she-wolf of France' - and her lover, Roger Mortimer. who assumed the throne? Did he survive to live peaceably in Italy? Richard II resembled Edward II, as a rather inadequate figure, and was deposed by his rival, Henry IV. Did he die, and if so, was it murder or suicide? Was Edward IV a bigamist? Mystery, if not murder, but wrapped in dynastic rivalry and sex scandal, and usurpation of the throne. The 'Princes in the Tower' and who who killed them if anyone? A beguiling mystery for over 500 years with their usurping uncle Richard III's guilt contested by 'Ricardians'.
Recommend you buy this book!

There is absolutely no doubt that this author knows the medieval time period, royalty, and nobility inside out. In this book, the author discusses the top royal mysteries of this time period, starting with “[D]id Henry I murder William II (of England)? Also, “[E]dward II, Murder or Escape;””[R]ichard II, More Certainly Dead, But Was It Murder or Suicide? And Why All The Pretenders;””[T]he Princes in the Tower - Who Killed Them, If Anyone;”and ”Edward IV’s Marriage(s): Was He a Bigamist?”

This book mostly clarified royal family lines and relationships for me. I have to admit not knowing most of the nobility mentioned, but this book covered those too as a part of exploring the mysteries listed.

There was one startling fact I was unaware of: The Pope in the mid-Twelth Century granted all of Ireland to the Kings of England, so the English King had been their overlord since the Anglo-Norman invasion of 1169-1170. You never hear someone of Irish descent disparaging the Pope about English presence in Ireland, just the English. (Note: I am of Irish ancestry as well.)

This is a highly informative book but it is written in long sentences. It’s a style I am not accustomed to in most of the books I have read. I think reading a lot of law books made me out-of-practice with this sometimes circular style.

There are a few things in the book that I questioned. To start with, when “Berkeley’s brother-in-law Maltravers” was introduced, I had to ask “[W]ho is Berkeley?” I later in the text discovered he had a castle near Gloucester.

At 31% of this e-galley, the author states that “[L]ionel was the ‘elder brother’ of Richard II’s father, Edward the Black Prince.” Lionel was younger than Edward the Black Prince. Otherwise, why would Richard be king at age 14? (Or I misread this passage.)

I didn’t know previously that Roger Mortimer should’ve been king at age 8 but was passed over due to his age in favor of Henry Bolingbroke (Henry IV). This avoided a long regency which could’ve been troublesome for England.

At 81% of the e-galley, the author states that “…at the Battle of Tewksbury, Prince Edward called out for his brother-in-law Clarence….” I am not finding information on a sibling to Prince Edward, son of Henry IV and Margaret of Anjou. (I may have misread this too, but spent some time trying to figure it out.)

The text was mostly free of typos except one at 85%, Henry VII should be fiance, not fiancee (with the appropriate accent which my software won’t render.

The part about whether Edward IV was a bigamist was heavily covered. Almost too much. But, the author certainly hit all of the angles he needed to in putting forth his conclusions.

The Princes in the Tower issue was thoroughly covered. I wonder if the next monarch will allow testing of the supposedly royal bones? I have read that Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth has said “No” to opening the crypt.

I definitely recommend this book for those interested in medieval royalty.

Thank you to Pen and Sword publishing, author Timothy Venning, and NetGalley for allowing me to read this book pre-publication. I received nothing for this review.

It's a gripping and well researched book even if sometimes the author assumes that you know what he's talking about.
I already knew of some of the mysteries but had to check for others.
I found it entertaining and informative.
Recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine

An in depth look at some of the most famous Medieval mysteries.
The book analyses them in depth, and tries to sort out the unfounded rumours and 'fake news' from the plausible ones.
Timothy Venning has done an amazing job in researching this fascinating book, and attempting to provide an independent point of view.

This was an interesting look at some mysteries from the medieval time period, but I found it somewhat confusing to follow. This seems like it was written under the assumption that the reader already had a decent understanding of the events and the people involved, which I did not. Chapters would jump straight into speculation about what really happened would start immediately before basic event details and facts were given. I kept wanting to jump to Wikipedia to get a quick overview of each event before reading its chapter.