Alexandra Walsh Books in Order

How to Navigate Alexandra Walsh's Dual-Timeline Universes

Alexandra Walsh has carved out a unique space in historical mystery fiction with her signature "timeshift" style. Rather than writing straightforward historical fiction, she weaves two narratives together: a modern-day investigation featuring academic research or family secrets, and a historical timeline that re-examines the lives of real women from the past. Because her series and standalones span different eras—from the Iron Age and the Tudors to the Victorian era—knowing where to start can make all the difference in your reading experience.

For the ultimate reading experience, we recommend starting with The Marquess House Saga. This is her flagship series, and it features an overarching modern-day mystery that connects all the books. While her Victorian novels and standalones can technically be read in any order, reading her work in publication order allows you to see how her complex dual-timeline structures and historical themes evolve.

The Marquess House Saga: Recommended Reading Order

This is the series that put Alexandra Walsh on the map. The saga follows twin sisters Dr. Perdita Rivers and Piper Rivers as they inherit Marquess House and uncover a massive, centuries-old conspiracy. In this world, Tudor history is not quite what the textbooks say; instead, the narrative reveals hidden alliances, secret identities, and alternative fates for several famous women of the court. Because the modern-day storyline builds directly from one book to the next, you must read this series in order.

1. The Catherine Howard Conspiracy (2019) – The series opener introduces Perdita and Piper. As they look into their family archive, they uncover a shocking alternative history surrounding Henry VIII's fifth queen, Catherine Howard.
2. The Elizabeth Tudor Conspiracy (2019) – The investigation deepens as the sisters find documents suggesting Elizabeth I had her own secrets regarding the succession and her personal life.
3. The Arbella Stuart Conspiracy (2020) – Focusing on the tragic figure of Arbella Stuart, a potential successor to Elizabeth I, this third installment completes the initial core trilogy of the Marquess House secrets.
4. The Weeping Lady Conspiracy (2021) – A supplementary novella/short story. Set in 1486 and the present, it bridges the gap between the main novels as Perdita and Piper look into a ghostly legend and a convent mystery.
5. The Jane Seymour Conspiracy (2022) – The most recent full-length entry in the saga, turning the spotlight onto Henry VIII's third wife, Jane Seymour, and the lengths to which women went to protect their children and legacies.

Timeshift Victorian Mysteries

If you prefer the gothic atmosphere, theatrical stages, and rugged coastlines of the 19th century, Walsh's Victorian series is the perfect pivot. While these books share the same dual-timeline framework, they feature different casts of characters and can be read independently. However, reading them in order is recommended to catch subtle thematic connections.

• The Wind Chime (2021) – In the present day, Amelia clears out her family home and finds Victorian photographs of the Attwater family in Pembrokeshire, Wales. The historical timeline takes us to 1883, exploring the secrets Osyth Attwater had to keep.
• The Music Makers (2021) – Set in 2020 and 1875, this book follows Eleanor Wilder as she researches the life of Esme Blood, a Victorian theatrical performer. It is a standalone story that brings the vibrant and often dangerous world of late-Victorian entertainment to life.

The Standalone Historical Mysteries

Alexandra Walsh has also written a number of standalone novels. Each of these books features a completely self-contained mystery, making them excellent entry points if you want to sample her writing style without committing to a full series. True to her brand, they all utilize the dual-timeline format to link modern researchers with historical figures.

• The Forgotten Palace (2023) – Set on the island of Crete, this novel interlaces a Victorian-era archaeological excavation with a modern-day woman's search for her roots and family secrets.
• The Secrets of Crestwell Hall (2024) – This thriller connects Isabella Lacey in the present day with Bess Throckmorton in 1605, who discovers a plot to assassinate King James I (the Gunpowder Plot).
• The House of Echoes (2025) – A dual-timeline mystery connecting Caroline Harvey in the present with Anne Brandon, the daughter of Charles Brandon, in the court of Henry VIII during the 1530s.
• Daughter of the Stones (2025) – A slightly different flavor for Walsh, this book reaches back to the Iron Age, weaving the story of a modern woman named Caitlin King with Cordelia, the daughter of an ancient chief.
• The Boleyn Curse (2026) – This mystery pairs modern archivist Tabitha Mundy with Elizabeth Boleyn (mother of Anne Boleyn), exploring the dangerous politics and family dynamics of the Tudor court.

What to Know Before You Start

Before you dive in, it is helpful to know that Alexandra Walsh spent over a decade researching the historical conspiracies that form the backbone of the Marquess House Saga. As a former journalist, she draws heavily on real archival practices, and her protagonists reflect this—they are often historians, archivists, or genealogists who solve mysteries using papers, old diaries, and letters rather than traditional detective work.

Additionally, Walsh’s novels focus heavily on female agency, friendships, and networks. In many traditional histories, royal and aristocratic women are portrayed as isolated, rivalrous, or passive. Walsh deliberately highlights the supportive networks of ladies-in-waiting, sisters, and mothers who worked behind the scenes to survive the dangerous politics of their times. If you enjoy rich historical detail, feminist history, and puzzle-like mysteries, you will find yourself right at home in her novels.