The Secret Diary of Eleanor Cobham

by Tony Riches

England, 1441:

Lady Eleanor Cobham, Duchess of Gloucester, hopes to become Queen of England before her interest in astrology and her husband’s ambition leads their enemies to accuse her of a plot against the king. Eleanor is found guilty of sorcery and witchcraft. Rather than have her executed, King Henry VI orders Eleanor to be imprisoned for life.

More than a century after her death, carpenters restoring one of the towers of Beaumaris Castle discover a sealed box hidden under the wooden boards. Thinking they have found treasure, they break the ancient box open, disappointed to find it only contains a book, with hand-sewn pages of yellowed parchment.

Written in a code no one could understand, the mysterious book changed hands many times for more than five centuries, between antiquarian book collectors, until it came to me. After years of frustrating failure to break the code, I discover it is based on a long forgotten medieval dialect and am at last able to decipher the secret diary of Eleanor Cobham.

Genres: Historical Fiction, Fiction, Historical, Medieval, British Literature, 15th Century, Royalty

305 pages, Kindle Edition

First published November 2, 2014

About the author

Tony Riches is a full-time author from Pembrokeshire, West Wales, an area full of inspiration for his writing.

Best known for his Tudor Trilogy, Tony's other international best sellers include 'Mary - Tudor Princess, 'Brandon - Tudor Knight' and 'Katherine - Tudor Duchess'.

In his spare time Tony enjoys sailing and sea kayaking. Visit Tony's website at www.tonyriches.com, Tony Riches Author on Facebook and follow him on Twitter @tonyriches.

Reviews

[Melinda · Rating 4 out of 5]

Riches creates a narrative in diary format which connects the reader to the character providing a unmistakable level of palpable intimacy. Eleanor Cobham an ambiguous and unregarded personality from history reveals her life via a tell all diary. The reader will travel from past to present as Eleanor discloses all, holding nothing back. Perhaps the diary format or Eleanor herself in her vulnerable and raw state manages to miraculously evoke empathy from the reader, exact cause undermined but empathy is what you feel towards this betraying adulteress creature.

As Eleanor shares her story, you try and comprehend who she is. Her motives driven by love or the thirst for power, fame and/or politics. She was an ambitious woman – the exact motivating force remains a mystery. Self-absorbed, disregarding others, Eleanor was determined to gain Humphrey and all accompanying this potential King. Dubious choices ultimately leading to her downfall, her selfishness the final straw as she falls hard, sadly taking others with her.

Riches provides a wonderfully written and thoroughly researched novel. His eye for detail is evident as we experience with the many locations where Eleanor was held prisoner. I appreciate his interpretation by naming Eleanor the mother of Humphrey’s two illegitimate children Arthur and Antigone when historicaly this is undetermined but by all means plausible.

Historical fiction fans will want to add this to their TBR, well written, captivating story of a fascinating enigmatic woman.

[Jennifer · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was an interesting read. Due to it's diary format it's not overly gripping or fast-paced, as Eleanor is looking back over her life from captivity, however it is informative and detailed when it comes to her relationship with Duke Humphrey and the war in France. Eleanor also details the marriage of Humphrey to his former wife, Jacqueline of Hainault, when she was lady-in-waiting to Jacqueline (ironic). Therefore the reader was given a good sense of who Humphrey was as a person and not just Eleanor.
By choosing to write this novel in diary format the author gives Eleanor the opportunity to defend herself against the accusations of witchcraft that led to her life-long captivity. However, the Eleanor of this novel does not vehemently spew her innocence in her diary, rather she tells the truth to her story; yes she did meet with Margery Journemayne and discuss herbal remedies, no they did not practice sorcery together. Yes she did meet with Roger Bolingbroke and Thomas Southwell and discuss astrology, no she did not try to use astrological charts to predict the King's death. I thought the author did an excellent job of how he chose to portray the truth behind the accusations, as Eleanor merely comes across as a naïve woman who sought to protect the best interests of herself and her husband and not as a conniving and cruel woman who sought the downfall of the King. During her penance through the streets of London the author makes it clear that the people may have felt much the same way about Eleanor, as they do not hackle her but rather silently observe her shame.
Overall I enjoyed this insight into Eleanor's life and it did cause me to have compassion for Eleanor and how she spent half her life in captivity, forgotten and alone.

[☽ Su ☾ · Rating 4 out of 5]

a great read ♥
The story is told in first person, as a secret diary telling the story of Eleanor Cobham's life and then her fall and imprisonment due to false accusations of sorcery and necromancy.

I highly recommend this one.

[Elizabeth Lloyd · Rating 4 out of 5]

Eleanor Cobham, Duchess of Gloucester was unknown to me until I began to read this book, but she features in Shakespeare’s play, Henry VI, and was a significant historical character.

Written in the first person as a secret coded diary we soon learn that Eleanor is imprisoned in Beaumaris Castle on the island of Anglesey, her fourth prison over nearly 10 years. Although I sympathised with her plight I was interested in how she would explain her circumstances.

After the death of her mother at a young age and estrangement from her father after his remarriage, Eleanor considered herself lucky to become a lady-in-waiting to Jacqueline Countess of Hainault, Holland and Zeeland. Escaping civil wars at home Jacqueline was a guest at court, trying to terminate her marriage to her unpleasant husband, Charles, Duke of Brabant on the grounds that he was her first cousin. Eleanor found the lively, attractive Countess good company, although she had to adjust to her condescending manner.

Eleanor became Jacqueline’s close friend so as a reader it is difficult to sympathise with Eleanor when she betrays that friendship. Jacqueline was staying at Baynard’s Castle, near St Paul’s wharf on the River Thames at the invitation of Humphrey Plantagenet, the Duke of Gloucester. When he joined the two women, both their lives changed for ever.

This story of Eleanor’s early life is gradually revealed by Eleanor as she also describes her everyday life as a captive at Beaumaris. Looking back, she has some regrets, but her ambition and love for Humphrey, probably dictated her actions. Her complex character is not whitewashed, we see her “warts and all,” and maybe begin to understand her better. Imprisoned for witchcraft and treason against King Henry VI, she is lucky to be alive, even though she has been banished from those she loves.

A necessary part of the plot is description of battle scenes including Agincourt. These would not be my first choice of reading but Tony Riches brings the horror to life in a convincing clear account which enriches our image of the Duke of Gloucester.

As a very readable story of the complex politics of medieval life, this is an excellent read. I particularly enjoyed the way in which the reader enters the mind of a strong, determined and humane woman, gaining understanding of her motives and actions.

[Samantha · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Secret Diary of Eleanor Cobham tells the story of a woman who rose almost to be Queen of England before she fell spectacularly and thoroughly. Historical facts are not treated as spoilers.

As lady-in-waiting to Jacqueline of Hainault, Eleanor came under the radar of Humphrey, duke of Gloucester and uncle of Henry VI. First as his mistress and later as his wife, Eleanor demonstrates that she lacks the political skills to survive in the power struggle that was gearing up for all out civil war. Maybe that would not have caused her downfall if her husband had been a little more politically adept, as one would expect of a prince of the realm, but Humphrey seems scarcely better.

Written in a diary format, Eleanor tells her own life story, jumping back and forth between her time of imprisonment (when she is writing) and her past with Humphrey. Riches manages to make her a character the reader can sympathize with, despite the fact that she is an adulteress who stole the husband of her employer.

Eleanor's personality comes across much the way Katherine Grey often does. She is not a cruel or unkind person, just a flighty and selfish one. Often thinking only of herself, or possibly of Humphrey, she makes astoundingly bad decisions, naively believing that one with the title of Duchess of Gloucester could ever have a secret.

The author chooses to make Humphrey's illegitimate children, Arthur and Antigone, children of Eleanor's. While this may have in fact been the case, it is not necessarily a forgone conclusion since they were never legitimized. I found this a minor point that was well treated in the novel, since Eleanor could very well have been their mother.

Overall, the novel was very well researched and fact based, which is a significant point in my opinion. The detailed scenes, taking place at various castles throughout England, Wales, France, and Hainault are all expertly done. I admire the author's ability to tell the story of this unpopular and somewhat obscure historical figure.

I thank Tony Riches for providing a copy of this novel for review purposes. Opinions expressed are my own. For an overview of the life of Eleanor Cobham, I recommend this brief bio by Susan Higginbotham: http://www.susanhigginbotham.com/blog...

[Deyanira C. · Rating 3 out of 5]

The story begins with Eleonor imprisoned in a castle , and is just there where she writes her diary to remember her own story and what took her to be accused of being a witch.
Eleonor was a commoner but her family had noble connections so she is an educated girl in a poor family (compared to the noble families they frequent) and when her mother passed away Eleonor allowed many man took advantage of her, just on time her father gets a position for Eleonor to be lady in waiting for a foreign powerful Lady countess Jaqueline , this lady comes to England for safety and it's very clear about her plans, she wants to get marry with Duke of Gloucester Humphrey, who is the brother of the King Henry V and who later on will be regent of Henry VI during his childhood, Jaqueline and Eleonor become friends but as you can imagine Eleonor becomes mistress of Humphrey in secret of course, the affair stars before the wedding of him, actually Humphrey marriage with Jaqueline is convenient but is not arranged in fact Jaqueline gets pregnant before marriage so Humphrey is basically a lucky man having the two women he wants, eventually the marriage is realized but doesn't work and he left her because he can't get the lands and money he wanted from her and she can't give him a heir, of course that Eleonor is there remembering him that he once promised her marriage so she basically pushing him to take her as wife ( which was unbelievably easy) , Eleonor and he made a life together first as his mistress and a secret one , why secret ? Because he doesn't want to spoil his reputation but mostly because he worked very hard to make his marriage with Jaqueline legal and now he is working to get an annulment so he feels ashamed of himself , this part doesn't make sense for me because as a noble man nobody would accused him for having a mistress, anyhow Eleonor is not ok to be hidden so she is open about the relationship and her life improves, now she is next to him and having the most expensive clothes and all, being his mistress she has two children that they will hide, eventually they got married but their life is far from the fairy tail she expected, her beloved Humphrey loses his temper time to time and it's clear he is not wise and his power comes more from destiny than his skill ( which he doesn't have) he often act clumsy, in the personal side despite the fact that he promised Eleonor love only her since the start Eleonor soon realizes that he has secrets first the pregnancy of Jaqueline and then the fact that he once loved Jaqueline and even he cries her death so this is not a ridiculous love story, while all this happened Henry V died and Humphrey is regent but his position is weak he has more enemies than friends, and eventually they will destroy him and Eleonor, she is accused of practicing witchcraft what obviously is not true, well... yes she has been doing things that can and indeed were wrong interpreted like talking to a woman famous for her knowledge in herbolaria, and another people that are into dark things of astrology but of course Eleonor never had bad intentions, but sadly she and Humphrey are in the way of the Beafourt clan and his ambition so this is basically the beginning of the war of two roses, as you can well guess they never had their ever after and she died alone with her bad reputation after being in prison for decades, her Humphrey also died young and without glory, their children are bastards so there is nothing else for them.
The story is interesting and I give Tony credit to deal with all the blanks In Eleonor's history, he of course took some freedoms for example he made her the mother of the illegitimate children of Humphrey which is possible but honestly highly not probable I mean the mother would not appear as unknown in the register since Eleonor was well known and was his wife, another thing to consider is the diary format that doesn't give space to describe every character but trough the story you get to know them, but there is not more than three or four dialogues, even if is not my favorite format I admit was the best for the story because we have just glimpses of her life, and this gave her the opportunity to defend herself of the accusations, so in this case this way to tell the story worked extremely well, but there are three points that made me gave this three and not 5 stars.

First there are several inaccuracies through the book, the reason is that the author used the modern calendar which was not used during the story is happening (medieval times).
Second even if the formate and narrative it's ok, I feel that the author used Eleonor to tell the political and social events of the time, what is fine I mean that's the point but there is not balance seriously for example in one chapter we have 6 lines of Eleonor's feelings, memories and her own story but 20 pages of politcal events that yes affected Humphrey but she was not exactly connected to this so at the end we have the summary of what happened during those years but just hints of Eleonor's life.

Third when I came to read this I wanted to read answers of course an interesting story because her life was atypical, but instead of that the author gave us the simplest version (implausible) of the events and the most boring one, indeed gave me the impression he was in hurry to go to the wars and betrayals, what was disappointing Let's start with love affair, there is nothing interesting behind it, it's just like, I saw him, and I knew that we would be lovers, he came one night and that's it ,really? It's fine, it's probably an acceptable version, but because it's a novel I expected more emotion, feelings, maybe they were discovered, that she doubted, I do not know something that gave emotions to this love story that begins and ends up being totally boring, then she was a mistress a commoner that for some reason became duchess as the wife of one of the most important man in England how did she achieve this ? Well the book doesn't even present a good love story basically they like each other and she is like: " let's get married" and he is like: "ok whatever " , not matter how rare was this and how inconvenient was at that moment (de was already married¡), then according to this he was urging her to give him a son but they were not married yet so once they have the children he was like let's hide them from the world because they are bastards ( so what was the point in having them at that moment ?) And there are many illogical points like this trough all the book.
I will just add at the end that this is the second book that I have read by Tony Riches (" Warwick the man behind the war of two Roses " was the first) and I truly like the fact that he chooses interesting historical characters and those characters are rarely the protagonists in novels so I congratulate Tony for this, but the two novels are completely dry, the emotions are always out of the books which made the story plain, but all in all he is a decent writer and the most important thing is how he teaches you history while telling the story, but as novels the books are not good enough to keep the attention.

[Lisa · Rating 2 out of 5]

The Secret Diary of Eleanor Cobham is perhaps best summed up as being limited by its chosen format. It’s hard to make a diary work successfully as a novel. For a start, the tension is undercut by the fact that the reader knows that the “author” has to have survived to write down what’s happened, and the real author has to write spectacularly enough for the reader to overlook that.

Tony Riches, sadly, doesn’t, and he undercuts the tension even more by having the diary being written during Eleanor’s captivity, so even a reader unfamiliar with Eleanor’s story already knows how her story ends. I really think the book would have been better if Eleanor had written her diary as events happened, so the reader finds out things with her. That said, there are ways to raise the tension even without changing the structure so drastically. For example, developing the characters around Eleanor would mean the reader also gets invested in them and cares when they are imperilled. Or perhaps not telling us what happened to them within the first few chapters. Riches could even made use of the conceit that this is a real historical object that he discovered and decoded, (which is only found in the book description, not in the actual text) to interrupt Eleanor’s narrative and create tension that way – what if the diary cuts off abruptly and the decoder has to investigate to find out what happened to her?

There are more flaws with the diary format to be found as well. There is no strict chronology and a chapter might include events from multiple timelines. I’m not just talking about pairing the framing device of Eleanor’s diary-writing in captivity with a chronological recollection of the past. The timeline is really muddled, with Eleanor sometimes jumping from the distant past to the present to the not-so-distant past and everything in between, which means it can be hard to keep track of events. Additionally, Eleanor’s recollections of her past often came across as rather dry – as I said in a status update, it’s probably a bad thing that the part of the narrative I’m most invested in are the sections of Eleanor dealing with her captivity, not what led her to becoming a captive.

It might be true that these things might reflect how someone might write a diary – a muddled timeline, an undramatic retelling of dramatic events – but it doesn’t make for a great fiction novel. By the midpoint I was struggling to care, and I only bought the book because I was already invested in the historical Eleanor.

Furthermore, I feel like the book is weighted down by the information is trying to convey. There is a lot of paragraphs where Eleanor explains things to the reader, even to the extent that when a character is mentioned for the first time, Eleanor immediately explains who he is and what his precise relationship with her husband is and why she felt like she could or couldn’t approach them. Early chapters felt like Riches was trying to get as much information on the page as possible, without wondering whether it would feel genuine for Eleanor to give an information dump in a diary.

But even setting aside the issues with the format, I found myself frustrated. The characters outside of Eleanor were held at a distance and I often got the feeling that they stopped existing, both for Eleanor and as of themselves, the moment Eleanor’s story was done with them. A character such as Humphrey, Eleanor’s one time husband and the Duke of Gloucester, is indecipherable. There are hints of complexity and frailty about his character, but I would struggle to say why Eleanor loved him or anything strong about his character. And this is a character who should be a major supporting character, a character she would have known extremely well. We get told about the Battle of Agincourt, obstinately based on what he told Eleanor about it, but apart from a few little comments, it’s a largely dry, brief recollection that you might find in a history book, more concerned with getting the details right than conveying the story of the battle. Honestly, I would rather not have it at all than have such a lifeless retelling that, again, hinted at complexity (please tell me more about Humphrey being mentally scarred by his brush with death!) but didn’t draw it out in any meaningful way.

But even Eleanor herself isn’t well-characterised. I think we’re meant to see her as rather naïve and a wronged victim but I really lacked a sense of who she was. Some aspects of her character seemed weird – I really doubt, for instance, that she knew instantly that she and Humphrey would be lovers the very first time she saw him.

I caught a couple of typos and some historical goofs (no, Henry V did not have his infant son brought to him in France; he never saw his son). Historically, the mother of Humphrey’s two illegitimate children, Arthur and Antigone, is unknown – Riches goes for the easiest option by having Eleanor be their mother and personally I think this is doubtful (Why would Humphrey not have them legitimised when he married Eleanor? His grandfather had previously legitimised his bastard children with Katherine Swynford when he married her so obviously it could be done), but the notes at the end do explain why Riches went for that option.

There are things to enjoy about this book. I really enjoyed that this didn’t repeat the bog-standard narrative of Eleanor as a shameless, slutty commoner who was undone by her ambition and vanity, turning to witchcraft to seek the death of the king so she might become queen. Riches’s interpretation is that she was of noble birth, that she married Humphrey because she was in love with him and that while she did dabble in the occult, it was for relatively innocent purposes and she never sought the king’s death.

I found the sections of the book dealing with Eleanor’s captivity quite compelling and well-written, having a sense of immediacy that Eleanor’s recollections did not. I also liked the detail of having Eleanor witness preludes to the beginning of the Wars of the Roses, though I wonder if a reader unfamiliar with the context would really get much out of them.

The fact that no characters (with the possible exception of Cardinal Henry Beaufort, presented as Eleanor and Humphrey’s archenemy, which isn’t far off the mark) were demonised is also to be commended. I enjoyed that the potential love triangle between Eleanor, Humphrey and his first wife, Jacqueline, Countess of Hainault, was never a catfight between the two women over the man and Jacqueline was characterised sympathetically.

But while that is all well and good, and, unlike some novels I’ve read that featured Eleanor or Humphrey, didn’t make me shriek in rage, it does not guarantee a great read and this where I felt the book let me down. I started reading pre-invested in Eleanor and yet, by the halfway point, I was bored of her story, let down by her dull recollections of her past, by the lack of tension and underdeveloped characters. 2 stars.

[Diane Riley · Rating 5 out of 5]

Diary of a Disgraced Women

This story is told in diary form, both reporting on Eleanor’s present circumstances and the past stories that brought her to being held as a prisoner. This is a sad story of a strong woman swept up in the suspicious and petty society of England’s royalty and the people who profited from it. A family tree of some sort would have been helpful, especially as the story went from present to past and back again.

[Darla · Rating 5 out of 5]

loved this story even though i had read other stories about eleanor cobham i found this one was more original i love reading about the histories of england in this story it shows how people reacted to "witch craft" in honesty it was that they did not believe when people used herbs especially to help heal or treat a specific condition it also shows just how the church had so much influence in one sense it is almost as if they ruled without having a crown..it is interesting to read about king henry vi especially his health as it is known he was in poor health ...as a woman being in prison and the cruel way the killed the so called traitors it is inhumane however back then it was normal..if you like to read about englands past i totally recommend this author

[Dayanara Ryelle · Rating 1 out of 5]

You know what the middle grade series "The Royal Diaries" did right? There was a narrative within the diary entries, which meant there was a "mental movie" I could watch.

You know what this book did wrong? Eleanor was just repeating information from her life and her imprisonment. I read a few pages, flipped forward and realized there wasn't going to be a movie, it was just going to be a lecture. And I don't read books for lectures.

I didn't even make it past the first chapter. Her Wikipedia page was more interesting.

[Susan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Quick read. Compelling and interesting character but alas, Mr. Riches is not a gifted story teller. Nevertheless, I will probably read another of his books because I like his choice of characters.

[J · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent read

I never heard of this lady before finding the book but I'm thrilled I did. Great story, well written, engrossing.

[Amanda · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Secret Diary of Eleanor Cobham, by Tony Riches #RBRT

I would like to thank Tony for sending me copy to read and review as i am now part of Rosie Amber's book review team

The blurb

England, 1441:

Lady Eleanor Cobham, Duchess of Gloucester, hopes to become Queen of England before her interest in astrology and her husband’s ambition leads their enemies to accuse her of a plot against the king. Eleanor is found guilty of sorcery and witchcraft. Rather than have her executed, King Henry VI orders Eleanor to be imprisoned for life.

More than a century after her death, carpenters restoring one of the towers of Beaumaris Castle discover a sealed box hidden under the wooden boards. Thinking they have found treasure, they break the ancient box open, disappointed to find it only contains a book, with hand-sewn pages of yellowed parchment.

Written in a code no one could understand, the mysterious book changed hands many times for more than five centuries, between antiquarian book collectors, until it came to me. After years of frustrating failure to break the code, I discover it is based on a long forgotten medieval dialect and am at last able to decipher the secret diary of Eleanor Cobham.



WHAT I SAY
Wow what a book i really did enjoy it . This is one of the first books by Tony Riches i had read so i was not sure what it would be like . I pick to read because i love history and i was so happy i pick , it a very powerful read . The story will just grip you . I got pulled into the plot by the first few pages . It became a page turner for me .

The story is told from the point of view of Eleanor who was the Duchess of Gloucester she was put on trial for witchcraft and treason against Henry VI

Eleanor was the wife of the duke Humphrey of Gloucester he was one of the richest men in the country i was not sure if i like him what did you think ? He was next in line to the throne so one day Eleanor hoped she would become the Queen of England .
I enjoyed reading about Eleanor interest in astrology and the dark arts but was she into witchcraft you will have to make up your own minds i was not sure ?
what will you think ?

Her husband seem to be a very powerful man but he did a few things that lead to his enemies accuse Eleanor of a plot against the king
She was found guilty of sorcery and witchcraft but for some reason the king Henry VI order her to be imprison for life ,this was for about 10 year normally people were killed or hanged for this crime in them days .
Eleanor was now the kings prisoner she when to the finest palaces i enjoy read about them all tony wrote then in such detail i could see them in my mind .
Leeds castle sounded one of the best but i felt the isle of man was one of the worst .The condition were so bad very basic and so not fit for anyone to be put in .My heart when out to her .She lived a very tough life she had to deal with so much i want to tell you more but i want you all to read
She did have a maid to help her and look after her but were they good to her ?
Did they go behind her back ?
Where did her jewellery go that she sew into her dress ?
I not sure she could trust any one
The book tells you how Eleanor got her writing things her inks and parchment i like how she made her pens from the crows feathers she found in the gardens if she allow to walk around she hid them to use later .

She was very clever and wrote her diary in a code she learn how to write it took a while for her to understand she wrote about her life . The book tell you of her affairs and the love of her life too . The last place she was at was Becunuris Castle on the island of Angley . This was were she hid her box and some year later workmen found her old wooden box hided under the floor broad her parchment had gone yellow it took year to understand what she had wrote it was so well coded that people could not understand

I did feel a connection with the characters i did feel there were all very strong and some were very in dept i did find Eleanor hard to read sometimes but i like that about her she was a very brave lady she must of live thought hell her life was tough i did feel it was a very powerful insight to how she was treated as a prisoner it was just so interesting to read i was gripped .i wanted see what would happen next to her . You just get pulled into the plot you feel like you are there with her .I like that we got hear all her motives and actions and why she did things .I felt the plot was very well research the book a wonderful read .

Tony writing style just so easy to follow you will be addicted to the plot i was.
Tony description are so good and very clear you can see in all in your mind
The book got a lot of real facts in which i like reading this book has made me want to find out more about her as i loved the history of the story
I enjoy that last part of the book were Tony tell how or were he got all his facts from
I got to say i was not sure on this part of history i should have took more notice in school but that did not spoilt the book it just a very well written story you will be hooked on it i was .
I love to recommend you all read
4 dolls
I would like to thank Tony for letting me read his wonderful book

Here a few facts about the book and Tony


Publisher:WWD

The Secret Diary of Eleanor Cobham is available now in paperback and eBook on Amazon UK and Amazon US and in all popular formats on Smashwords
A short book trailer for The Secret Diary of Eleanor Cobham is available on YouTube

About the Author
Tony Riches is a full time author of best-selling fiction and non-fiction books. He lives by the sea in Pembrokeshire, West Wales with his wife and enjoys sea and river kayaking in his spare time. For more information about Tony’s other books please visit his popular blog, The Writing Desk and his Wordpress website and find him on Facebook and Twitter @tonyriches.

Table of links:
Item
Hyperlink
Eleanor on Amazon UK
http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B0...
Eleanor on Amazon US
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00P6SGGX6
Eleanor on Smashwords
https://www.smashwords.com/books/view...
Book Trailer on YouTube
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2AR9E...

The Writing Desk
http://tonyriches.blogspot.co.uk/

Eleanor on
Wordpress
http://tonyrichesauthor.wordpress.com...
Tony on Twitter

https://twitter.com/tonyriches

Tony on
Facebook
https://www.facebook.com/tonyriches.a...

Tony on Google+
https://plus.google.com/+TonyRiches/p...

Amazon Author
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Tony-Riches/e...

Goodreads
Author
https://www.goodreads.com/author/show...

[Elizabeth King · Rating 2 out of 5]

I found this frustrating and the main character unbelievable. Someone who’s lost her faith in god nevertheless telling us she judges not lest she be judged. Only she’s already been judged and found guilty.
She has to keep reminding us that Antigone is her daughter (not to be confused with any of the other non existent Antigones in 5he story) and reminding us of the rank and role of every other character. It’s almost as if the author didn’t expect us to pay attention.
The trouble with basing a life story in someone’s journal is that they can’t write about things they don’t know about or can’t imagine. The main character spends a good 10 years in captivity and is extremely limited in what she can do. I didn’t like her and my mi d kept wandering away from the story, which took months to finish.
I really enjoy historical fiction but this wasn’t for me

[K.M. Pohlkamp · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm usually skeptical of first person narration by an author of the opposite gender, but Riches' writing is perfection. I'm in awe of how he was able to enter the mind of Eleanor Cobham in this creative way to recount history. I was not previously aware of Eleanor's story and Riches masterfully weaves historical research and facts into the plot.

Written in a diary format, the constant jumps in time were a little jarring but also provided for successful foreshadowing that kept the book moving. I lost myself in the middle, unaware my plane sat at the gate for over an hour. This is a fantastic read for those interested in Tudor history or are looking or a quick escape into the mind of a convicted woman.

[MaryEllen Clark · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a fascinating glimpse into the life and trials of Eleanor Cobham who rose to be the most important woman in England and then her famm and ultimate imprisonment for necromancy till the end of her life. An interesting historical fiction device guides the plot and keeps the story moving, as she is writing a journal documenting her version of her life and hiding it during her imprisonment and then flipping back to various key points in her life that she is writing about. A nice contrast between the calm solitude of her days in confinement versus the lavish up and downs of life at court with all its political intrigue. The author does a great job of having you taste, smell, see and hear what life was like in that time period.

[Amy McElroy · Rating 4 out of 5]

“I was not a witch but they have made me one.”

I had come across Eleanor Cobham in previous reading but nothing in detail, only that she was Duchess of Gloucester and had been accused of witchcraft. She was indeed a Duchess but previously had been a lady in waiting to Jacqueline of Hainaut. She began an affair with the "Good Duke Humphrey"  (Brother to King Henry V) which ended with them both leaving France together, and Duke Humphrey leaving his wife Jacqueline of Hainaut alone.

Following their marriage it seems Eleanor, already intrigued by the fact her husband was heir to the throne developed an interest in astrology. The little I've read of Eleanor Cobham depicted her as greedy and arrogant, intentionally dabbling with magic with the aim to become Queen. Although she does still appear slightly arrogant in this book it didn't depict her as intentionally wishing harm against the king in her experiments with horoscopes and spells which caused disaster for many and resulted in Eleanor being imprisoned for life.

Tony Riches brought Eleanor Cobham to life. She wasn't depicted as the person I'd assumed she was and it makes me wonder what her intentions actually were.

Her story is beautifully written, and I enjoyed how the story was told by Eleanor herself, switching between her current imprisonment and her memories of better times up until her downfall.
The switches in time were easy to follow and I through my enjoyed learning about her downfall and imprisonment.

[Lottie Rollin · Rating 3 out of 5]

Let me start by saying I’m a huge Tony Riches fan and most of his books get a 5* from me. However, I struggled with this one, I think it’s the diary format that puts me off, I found that the sense of jeopardy and tension lacking in places. There were parts I really enjoyed, especially her reuniting with her daughter. The book is obviously well researched and I was left with a huge empathy for Eleanor and the tragic life she led.
If this is your first book of his and you’re struggling, I strongly recommend you try another. It could be that like me you’re just not keen on the diary format.

[ConstantReader · Rating 5 out of 5]

Eleanor Cobham, Duchess of Gloucester is famous because she married the man far above her own station and was later accused of witchcraft. Little is known about the historical Eleanor but in this fictional account Tony Riches gave her the voice she deserves. It's a fictionalised account of Eleanor's life which I enjoyed immensely thanks to the author's remarkable storytelling skills. I recommend this book for everyone who loves medieval history.

[Diana Jackson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Written in the first person as a diary, this was an extremely personal account. You could become part of the various fortresses where Eleanor was held; you could share her burden of guilt for those who suffered tragic death who she held in high esteem.
It was extremely well researched and obvious that the author knew the places described within very well.
A moving account of love and betrayal; how those favoured by the King could soon become enemies. An excellent read.

[Kay S. Holden · Rating 3 out of 5]

I found this book to be repetitive in the storyline.


It was a slow read at times. I didn't feel the urgency to return to this read that I had with Tony's previous books.

[Carole O'Brien · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed reading this book.

[Hazel Waite · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fabulous

I loved this book more than any other. Tough times but so well written you almost feel you are there.

[Mrs L.A. Bailey · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fascinating

An intriguing account of an interesting woman doomed by political scheming. Not an innocent, but a portrait of a complex human being. I was drawn in.

[Danielle P. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Love anything Tony Riches writes, and of course, he knocked it out of the park again.

[Lynne · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was a good story, but the history took over the events of Eleanor. Not for me.

[Katherine Scott · Rating 3 out of 5]

The good: Reading this will provide information on a relatively unknown person of history and a decent account of what her life and the time period was like. You took your chances with whom you aligned yourself with her. Sometimes you won, but eventually you usually ended up losing. I liked the retelling of the riches to rags story.
The bad: The cover seemed to indicate that this might be a duel time line, with the discovery and translation of the diary as part of the story. It's not.

[Empress Reece (Hooked on Books) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Royal Court to Royal Clink... Wow what a fascinating story! It's hard enough for me to keep up with all of the Presidents of the United States much less all of the Dukes and Duchesses, Earls, Viscounts and all of the other royals that graced the peerage of England and other countries through the years so I honestly wasn't familiar with Eleanor Cobham's story going into this. What little I did know about her came from the couple minutes of Wikipedia and Internet research I did before reading. Basically the story itself is about Eleanor's life and rise to Duchess of Gloucester and then her subsequent fall from grace following accusations of sorcery, witchcraft and necromancy which she was convicted of and then imprisoned for life. The story is told in first person, through Eleanor's eyes in the form of a secret diary that she has written while imprisoned. Her life story and rise to Duchess is alternately told in parallel along side her current daily struggles with prison life. I normally don't like to read books that have two parallel storylines because I always seemed to end up totally confused but I thought the author, Tony Riches, did a fabulous job with it. He writes really well and once you realize how the story is alternating, then its smooth sailing throughout. The author also does an exceptional job of keeping you in suspense so it doesn't feel like your reading a dull history lesson. It feels more like your reading a suspense novel. I was enthralled the entire time wondering what was going to happen to Eleanor next. He also does a great job of developing Eleanor's character so that you really sympathize with her and her predicament. Anyone interested in historical fiction and 15th century England I think would immensely enjoy this story.
 
*I won this ARC from Booklikes in exchange for an honest review. 

[Supreya Mahabir · Rating 2 out of 5]

Slow and not very entertaining. To get to know Eleanor Cobham-better read Juliet Dymoke books.
A more realistic, postive and alive depiction of people of the era.

[Beverley Newman · Rating 4 out of 5]

An interesting perspective

I've long been aware of Eleanor Cobham, Duchess of Gloucester and was keen to learn more. This novel has definitely helped me to do so. It tells the story of Eleanor's life, but gives the reader the opportunity to decide whether she deserved leniency or the degree of censure she received.
It also gives further insights into the power plays going on during the early years of Henry VI's majority, between Church and State to obtain control of the King.
In an interesting parting statement, to his summary of the background material, Riches points out that Eleanor's case brought about changes in the law, so that all cases of suspected treason were tried by a jury of peers. This in turn provided Henry VIII with the 'opportunity' needed to rid himself of Ann Boleyn.
My only slight disappointment was that the ending of the novel arrived much sooner than I had anticipated and felt a little rushed