Taking what she can from the evidence this is an interesting account of the life and death of Arbella Stuart. A woman constrained by the fact that she was from the royal family and living in a period where her possible marriage would mean a contender for the throne.

Gristwood speculates about Porphyria being the cause of some of her issues, she had frequent bouts of illness and what would appear to be depression. I'm pretty sure these weren't helped by the constant suspicion that she was going to be the centre of a plot to take over the throne, willingly or unwillingly.

While Elizabeth willingly avoided marriage for politics sake, Arbella fell in love and her marriage was roundly condemned by James I, leading to her imprisonment in the Tower of London and subsequent to her escape and recapture, her death.

She's a woman about whom I had never heard before but I found quite interesting and had some pity for, she lived a very constrained, pressured life that had a continuous shadow of death.

I liked the story, the author seems to have a lot of sympathy for the character and her times. ( )

this is a great historical read and with all the renewed interest in the Tudor age its a must have. ( )