Newly discovered encrypted letters written by Mary, Queen of Scots are the basis for this new book. It gives fresh insights into the thoughts and feelings of a woman who was kept imprisoned for 18 years.

During this time she was moved between properties and passed between jailers. Letters were her life line, but she knew they were always read by those imprisoning her. She and her supporters devised codes and alphabets.

Mary's life reads like a work of fiction. Her first husband was heir to the throne of France, Francis II. Their son James would become the first ruler of both England and Scotland. Her second husband, Lord Darnley, was assassinated. Mired in controversy over a cover- up around his death, Mary made matters worse by marrying a man who had been implicated in Darnley's death, James Hepburn, Earl of Boswell.

This is a fascinating and very readable book, essential for those interested in Tudor and Scottish history.

I think it is fair to say that everyone in the UK will have at least heard the name Mary Queen of Scots. The Captive Queen shares with us many of the details of her very strange life and does it with aplomb.

Mary Queen of Scots has always niggled me as I have always been curious about her actual life and, finally, I have many of the answers that I was hoping for. If you think that life is complex in the 21st Century, you are going to be very surprised at how complicated it was back in the 16th Century, especially when you remember how rudimentary things were then when compared with the world today.

I will just mention two titbits of information. It is only very recently that some of the codes used by Mary and her supporters to exchange messages and plans have been deciphered. Think how much more powerful our technology is for things like this.

Mary was a Queen in captivity and yet her main meal of the day was served with around 30 different dishes for her to choose from!

I found Captive Queen to be a fascinating glimpse of her life and I am so pleased to have read it.

Thoroughly well written and researched book that gives interesting and new insight into Mary Queen of Scots. This filled in a lot of gaps in my knowledge between the ‘big stories’ of Mary’s life. I found it quite engaging and relatively easy prose to read.

Thank you to the author, publisher & NetGalley for access to this arc, in return for an honest review.

No hesitations in recommending. This is a beautifully written book that brings to light new letters that have been discovered in France from Mary, Queen of Scots, I felt like I knew Mary Queen of Scots a lot better after reading this book. I will look out for more books written by Jade Scott. The way Jade writes about history brings it to life.

Jade Scott's *Captive Queen* offers a fresh and engaging look at the life of Mary, Queen of Scots, especially during her time in imprisonment in England. By sharing newly decoded letters, Scott reveals the remarkable strength, political savvy, and complex relationships that Mary navigated while confined, making her story even more captivating.

This book is a fantastic pick for history buffs and anyone intrigued by the ups and downs of Mary Stuart's life. Scott does an amazing job of blending rich historical details with storytelling, creating a vivid picture of a queen who refused to back down, even in tough times.

One of the highlights of *Captive Queen* is its detailed exploration of Mary's letters. These personal insights allow readers to connect with her emotions, fears, and dreams in a really intimate way. Scott also dives into the fascinating world of the secret codes and ciphers Mary used, showcasing her cleverness and determination.

While the book focuses on Mary's time in prison, it also places her experiences against the backdrop of the political and religious turmoil of her era. Scott skillfully ties Mary's personal challenges to the larger historical context, creating a rich and engaging narrative that's hard to put down.

In summary, *Captive Queen* is a thought-provoking and insightful read that offers a new perspective on Mary, Queen of Scots. With thorough research and a compelling writing style, this book is sure to enhance your understanding and appreciation of this fascinating historical figure.

Mary Queen of Scots is most often mentioned in books as a side story to Elizabeth I so it is really interesting to read a book that has Mary as the central character. She had such a turbulent life and in hindsight made poor choices, but this is still the story of a young woman trying to stand her ground and fight for her rights in a period that was dominated by men.
Well researched and written, a good read for anyone inteterested in this period or history in general.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for allowing me to read Captive Queen.

This is a riveting account of Mary, Queen of Scots, using letters she wrote that have recently been deciphered. The author uses these and other contemporary letters to write a story recounting the sad story of Mary's exploits and incarceration over the last 20 years of her life. Mary is portrayed as clever, determined, and wily - except in matters of the heart and marriage.
Well written and fascinating, this is an excellent addition to the many books about Mary, her relationships with Elizabeth her 'sister queen,' and the ways in which Mary and her scribes tried to evade interception by Elizabeth's network of spies. I was fascinated too by descriptions of how letters were sealed in different ways so that it could be spotted if they had been intercepted.
A recommended book for any who are also interested in the lives of these two Queens and the story of the hold one had over the other.

With thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for an ARC to read. The copy was not complete and was missing dates, hence only 4 stars! I shall just have to buy the book now!

I’ve long held a fascination for the beleaguered Queen of Scots whose return to Scotland in 1561 heralded a new beginning only to have everything fall to pieces in just a few short years. Whilst the story of Mary Stuart’s fall from grace is widely documented this fresh look at the decrypted evidence from Mary’s letters, whilst imprisoned, certainly help to reshape her story. Covering the twenty years of Mary’s imprisonment, her constant struggle to gain support for her cause and her unjust incarceration, we begin to learn just how frantic were Mary’s efforts to gain her freedom.

Mary scribed thousands of letters, most were cleverly encrypted, with devious codes, in order to make their contents inaccessible to prying eyes. Comprehensively researched and imaginatively written, this showcases the author’s skill in bringing Mary’s troubled captivity to life, as well as documenting the surreptitious duplicity of Elizabeth I’s spymasters, this fascinating read gives a realistic insight into Mary state of mind whilst incarcerated in various strongholds in England. I especially enjoyed the small vignettes at the start of each chapter which give an intimate account of Mary’s thoughts and feelings which read like historical fiction. The detailed Dramatis Personae at the start of the book gives a who’s who of all the key players who played a role in Mary’s imprisonment, be they friends or enemies, and the colour illustrations help to place the biography within it’s specific timeframe.

The legacy of this troubled Queen of Scotland will never grow old as we continue to be fascinated with her life story and her relationship not just with, Elizabeth, her ‘sister quene’ but also with her supporters who wanted her restored to her throne and equally, those who were just as determined to keep Mary, Queen of Scots strictly under the control of her English gaolers.

This is a refreshingly different and insightful account of Mary Queen of Scots. Dr Jade Scott has decrypted numerous letters Mary wrote during her period of captivity as the basis for this book. I find the Tudor period fascinating. The machinations of the monarchy, part from Henry VIII onwards are unparalleled. At the heart of everything was fear of losing the crown and Henry’s successor, Elizabeth, spent her reign threatened by Mary’s rightful entitlement to the throne. At the behest of her numerous duplicitous advisors, she had her locked away and eventually signed her execution warrant.

It’s difficult to imagine what it must have been lime to spend most of one’s adult life incarcerated. Mary was articulate, intelligent and not without support and her letters give a unique insight into what her day to day life was like and the numerous attempts she made to escape her imprisonment and fate. It’s rich in period detail and adds a whole new dimension to both the political background, but more importantly to the person behind the name. I found parts of the narrative very moving and could sense her frustration and fear of her situation. There are many books about Mary; this is top of the list as one of the best.

As a history enthusiast, I was delighted to read this intelligent and enlightening account of the life of Mary, Queen of Scots. Jade Scott uses Mary’s letters to explain her story. Through her coded correspondence, we discover how the captured Queen kept her support alive. We also find out the lengths Elizabeth I spymasters were prepared to go.

I appreciated how the author set the scene on the events of Mary’s life. Using the cyphered letters we could see further into her thoughts and actions. I felt that by the end of the book I understood Mary more. I also understood the obstacles she was up against and the determination of those working for her cousin. The relationship with Elizabeth was a complicated one and this can be seen clearly through the correspondence. I was enthralled.

A fascinating read, bringing clarity and a greater understanding of a pivotal figure in our history.

That opening paragraph was enough for me, I would love to see an authentic letter signed Marie Stuart and the coded letters to friends and those she was asking for help from, oh yes, my kind of dreamscapes!
I read my first book about this tragic Queen when I was 11 years old, and fell in love with this determined and strong willed woman. I hoped this book would increase my knowledge, but I was so disappointed that the items I wanted to see, photographs of documents, examples of cyphers and personal letters to her son and friends both at home and abroad were so badly formatted and the incomplete photographs that spread over two or three pages, were rendered almost impossible to read. My copy had no dates included throughout, luckily, thanks to my growing collection of books about Marie Stuart, they were easy to find, and I am sure that all will be amended in the final copy, which I will have to buy.
I loved the descriptions of the many unusual ways to seal an envelope, especially the spiral lock, sounds like an early form of origami.
I always thought the Casket letters were suspect, otherwise they would have been produced at her trial.
She endured twenty years of imprisonment in England, and since the early 1990’s, I have attempted to visit every place in France, Scotland and England, that is associated with this enduring figure, it has become a passion of mine and a long standing joke within my long suffering family. Having lived close to Fotheringhay, Stamford and having family living near Chatsworth House, that part has been rather enjoyable.
I will still highly recommend this book for the explanations about the failed intrigues that were attempted over the years of captivity, her sense of worth and her defiance even to the end game. Depending upon the readers bias, there will be either acceptance of guilt or protestations of innocence, but that’s what such a book like this should be about.
My thanks to Netgalley and the publishers Michael O’ Mara Ltd, for my ARC, freely given in exchange for my honest review. I will leave reviews to Goodreads and Amazon UK upon publication. Five stars.

A fantastic retelling of the story of Mary, Queen of Scots, using recently deciphered letters by and to her to fill out more details of her time in captivity. There is a huge amount of research by the author and it’s fleshed out with short introductions of fiction to each chapter imagining how life may have felt for her, which bring her to life more fully. It’s a fascinating read for anybody interested in her life and lays out clearly what can seem like a very complicated period of history. An excellent addition to the subject.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an advance copy in return for an honest review.

A new take on the captivity of Mary Queen of Scots. This biography covers the nearly twenty-year period when Mary was imprisoned by Elizabeth I. She feared Mary not only because she was the rightful Scottish Queen, but also because she was Catholic, so an uprising could have resulted in Britain becoming Catholic again. Mary wrote and received a multitude of letters during her captivity, many of those to her allies being in code. Some of these have been previously decoded but now many more have been decrypted. Through these coded letters, more details of her attempts to escape have been found. The book charts her life during her imprisonment, until the time of her execution for treason in 1587. For added interest, photos of some of the coded letters are included. An engrossing read

Whilst interesting I sometimes felt it was worthy of a TV documentary with all the various ways of communicating at the time.

A sad relationship with Elizabeth, but we all 'love a trier'. The author seems to have really enjoyed the research?

Thanks to Net Galley and Michael O'Mare ltd for the chance to read and review.

The Tudor times is the time in British History which is the most remembered and liked by most English people.
Mary Queen of Scots is one of the most unfortunate monarchs of these times.
This book is enhanced by the knowledge discovered in several decrypted letters of Mary's found in a Paris vault.
As well as Mary's story, this book gives an excellent coverage of spying and covert operations between Mary and her followers and the English spymaster Walsingham.
This interface is what makes this book unmissable.
Thanks to the author for an enjoyable read.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

A fascinating insight into one of history’s most famous Queens. The details retrieved from the coded letters give us a picture of Mary’s life and the frustration of her life of (comfortable) captivity. The book is detailed and very well researched and I would not hesitate to recommend it to those interested in Mary or this period in history. Thanks to Netgalley for the opportunity to read and review.

A very interesting story about Mary Queen of Scots. A subject that I knew very little about. A sad life and a short one she was mostly ignored by her father and was a strong Catholic. I enjoyed this very much. My thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for giving me the opportunity to read this book in return for an honest review.

In this fascinating new biography of Mary Queen of Scots, readers are taken on a journey into the complex and secretive world of the imprisoned queen through a groundbreaking discovery: fifty-seven newly decoded letters, hidden for centuries in a French archive. For almost two decades leading up to her execution in 1587, Mary was held captive, but even in confinement, she wielded power through her words. Using intricate cyphers to protect her communications, she continued to plot, strategize, and exert influence from behind her prison walls.

The unearthing and decoding of these letters have been hailed as a “literary and historical sensation,” offering new insight into Mary's life, motives, and the dangerous political landscape she navigated. As someone with a longstanding interest in the Tudors, I found this biography particularly captivating. Mary’s time in captivity has always carried an air of mystery, and this book reveals so much about her hidden world of espionage, cryptic codes, and political intrigue.

With all the plots, secret messages, and covert operations, it’s easy to imagine this as the plot of an epic blockbuster. The era is one of the most intriguing in history, and this biography does a brilliant job of bringing it to life. Having only a basic understanding of Mary’s life before, I found this book an incredible resource for fleshing out my knowledge and gaining a deeper appreciation for her story. It’s a must-read for history lovers and anyone curious about one of the most enigmatic queens in history.

Read more at The Secret Bookreview.

This is not something I would necessarily normally read but I found it informative and interesting. My knowledge on the Tudor’s was fairly none existent so that’s possible why I found it so interesting find out Mary Queen of Scot’s was hold captive for 19 years as a prison and forced to abdicate in favour of her infant son, before her eventual execution in 1587.

This book was well written and easy to follow. If you’re a history buff or you enjoy reading books like this then I’d definitely recommend it.

Captive Queen: The Decrypted History of Mary, Queen of Scots by Jade Scott is an excellent nonfiction that I really enjoyed.

For some reason I have a true fascination specifically with Mary Queen of Scots…for many years now. I have read nonfiction and historical fiction and several books within that collection have been some of my true favorites. I will add this one to that list.

This book really honed in on her life and happenings, big and little, during her time of incarceration especially through many of the letters and correspondence that filtered to and from her.

The author presents a well-researched nonfiction that helps shed light on another facet of Queen Mary that helps better define who she was as a Queen and a woman.

5/5 stars

Thank you EW and Michael O'Mara Limited | Michael O'Mara for this wonderful arc and in return I am submitting my unbiased and voluntary review and opinion.

I am posting this review to my GR and Bookbub accounts immediately and will post it to my Amazon, Instagram, and B&N accounts upon publication on 10/24/24.