I was looking forward to reading this book but I think it is spoilt in a way by getting in all the most well-known stuff first. I'm a bit of a Tudor nut so I still read the 'mysteries' but to be honest, I knew about all of them. It is written is a fast paced, journalistic style which should make it popular with a lot of people; easy to read, not too heavy or off-putting. I'd certainly recommend it to anyone with a passing interest in the various periods it covers.Maybe I'm just too long in the tooth for this kind of thing now?

This is a very comprehensive, well researched book. The prose is not overly complex but with all of the resources backing up each story, paragraphs are quite lengthy. I particularly enjoyed the photos at the end too.

There are 4 mysteries covered in total, ranging from Henry VII to Elizabeth I. Of them, I would say Henry VII & the pretenders Simnel & Warbeck is the best. This is simply because this probably the least well known situation of them all.Anne Boleyn’s downfall, Elizabeth I’s marriage prevarications & her relationship with Mary Queen of Scots are all quite well known.

To sum up this book I would say this: if you are a relative newbie to Tudor fandom then this probably isn’t the book for you. Its literary tone & comprehensiveness may not be quite what you want. However if you love the Henrys, Bloody Mary & Good Queen Bess, give this a try because you’ll pick up something interesting.

Thank you to the author, publishers & NetGalley for access to this arc.

Love Tudor history and I loved reading more in depth into some of the mysterious events during the Tudor times. The writing kept me engaged. Great for history lovers or for people who love a good non fiction mystery.

An intriguing title and description, however I found the material hard to follow at times and a difficult read. The author presented the material in a manner that to me seemed to wind and circle around making it hard to follow. Those that like this type of historical material, may find it a better read than I did.

Thank you to #NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher, and Dr. Timothy Venning for this ARC of Royal Mysteries of the Tudor Period in exchange for an honest review! I think it's fair to say the Tudor period is an era that a lot of people today still find interesting. If that is true for you, this book will be a worthwhile one to get. I found it to be a fascinating read, and clearly Dr. Timothy Venning knows how to do some excellent research. I especially liked the last two chapters that discussed some questions around Mary Queen of Scots, who is a historical figure I always enjoy learning more about. I do think the whole book is a little dense to read in one sitting, but fortunately the chapters are neatly broken up into specific "mysteries" and so it's easy to pick just one to read whenever you feel like it.

I enjoyed this book. The author is good at distilling history. I enjoyed reading his take on these mysteries, in particular the ones involving Mary Queen of Scots.

I'm fascinated by the Tudor period, both in fiction and non-fiction, so I was excited for the chance to read "Royal Mysteries of the Tudor Period." Dr. Timothy Venning has clearly done a great deal of research on the royals and related families. The chapters that I read contained information that I either hadn't heard before or hadn't heard in such detail.

I have not finished the book, because I'm not finding it an easy read. In some ways, it's rather convoluted. Even a single sentence can meander through explanations of who someone was to the extent that it becomes difficult to follow. The segments are sometimes repetitive, and they don't necessarily include information in chronological order.

It's disappointing to me, because I was really looking forward to devouring this book. I'm not giving up on it; I think it will be very informative taken in small chunks, and it will certainly be a good reference book for someone researching this time period or any of the Tudor era's movers and shakers. If you are ready for a dense and detailed review of palace intrigue in the late 15th and 16th centuries, I will recommend this. If you want breezy, easy-to-read stories from the period, this may not be your best option.

I wrote my review based on an advance reader copy I received at no charge.

An excellent book covering an important period In English history . Well researched with many interesting facts

It was an entertaining and well research book as it talks about intriguing part of the Tudor history
Recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher for this ARC, all opinions are mine

Royal Mysteries of the Tudor Period by Dr Timothy Venning
Rating: 4/5 Stars

Why I Decided to Read It:
Tudor era is my favorite era of British history, so it was a no brainer. I requested it immediately.

Summary:
This nonfiction book is an anthology of historical investigations into some of the most intriguing mysteries of the Tudor dynasty which ruled from 1485 to 1603. Timothy Venning is a historian and author. The book covers topics such as:

- The legitimacy of Henry VII’s claim to the throne, which was challenged by several impostors and rebels who claimed to be the true heirs of the House of York. How did Henry deal with these threats and secure his dynasty?
- The execution of Anne Boleyn, the second wife of Henry VIII, who was accused of adultery, incest, and treason in 1536. Was she innocent or guilty? Was she a victim of a political conspiracy orchestrated by Thomas Cromwell and others? How did her death affect Henry and his subsequent marriages?
- The rivalry between Elizabeth I and Mary Queen of Scots, who was her cousin and a claimant to the English throne. How did Elizabeth handle Mary’s involvement in plots and rebellions against her? What led to Mary’s execution in 1587? Was Elizabeth justified or regretful?

Content Warning: This book contains discussion of murder and sexual theme that some readers may find disturbing or offensive. The book also presents hypothetical scenarios that are not based on historical facts, but on the author’s imagination and speculation. The book is intended for mature audiences who are interested in the Tudor period and its royal mysteries.

Opinion:
I loved this book, it was everything I expected to be. I wish there were more mysteries covered, and I wish that the mystery of the Princes in the Tower had been covered in more detail because that's one of my favorite mysteries to speculate on. However, I understand why it may not have been included. The authored covered mysteries that are lesser known, eliminating redundancy for Tudor fans.
Venning thoroughly examines motives and means for various crimes. By giving his own interpretation, it presents a new perspective for some readers.

Did You Know:
Tudor houses had a distinctive black and white appearance, because they had wooden frames with walls made of wattle and daub, which was a mixture of mud, clay, and straw. The walls were then painted white, creating a contrast with the dark wood.

The title caught my eye, but reading it did not hold my attention.

Dr. Venning picks 5 topics or 'mysteries' to focus on: 1. Were Perkin Warbeck and Lambert Simnel genuine threats?; 2. Anne Boleyn: Martyr or Strumpet?; 3. Elizabeth I & Robert Dudley: Sabotaged by Dudley's Wife?; 4. Who killed Darnley, husband of Mary, Queen of Scots and was she set up to take the fall?; 5. Did Mary, Queen of Scots really want to kill Elizabeth I or was she framed?

All five topics have been addressed in so many books I've read on the Tudors, and the info concerning each remains the same. All that is different is the delivery of said info, and the interpretation/observations/suppositions of said info. Unfortunately, I didn't like Dr. Venning's delivery or interpretation of these topics. I found his style a bit dry, and I did not like how he organized the names of the people. For example: he writes Duke George of Clarence when anyone who is conversant with British history and European history knows the correct way is to write (or say) 'George, Duke of Clarence'. Maybe I'm being finicky, but that bugged me. More importantly, of the five, only 2 can qualify as mysteries. No one has successfully and definitively explained and/or proven how Dudley's wife died; no one can prove without doubt that Darnley's murder is something Mary, Queen of Scots knew about beforehand. The others are just rehashed information with his own opinions mixed in.

As much as I love the Tudor era, this book doesn't make the grade for me. Thanks to NetGalley and Pen&Sword for this arc, which I voluntarily reviewed.

A really interesting read, I love the Tudor era so this was the perfect book for me 😍 it was easy to read and hard to put down 👍
Rating ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Royal Mysteries of the Tudor Period by Dr Timothy Venning

The Tudor era is one of the most researched and wrote about in English history , and for a good reason , the changing world ( and the people of importance ) at that time is what made England what it is today , the homes , the way they delt with things medically , the changing religion etc.
Those of us fascinated with it can now delve deeper by reading this wonderful book.
Very enjoyable.

Very intriguing and well researched book. The author does a great job providing in-depth information and clearly states the facts rather than conjecture. Any fan of the Tudor era will find this book fascinating!

I don’t really have anything to say about the book. It did what it said it would and that’s okay. If you like the Tudor period then this book could be a nice little read about some of the more shadowy going ons within the court and beyond.