This is a sort of historical novel. I don't know how accurate the historical context is, but some of it is likely more-or-less the way things were back in the day. The period covered is 1544 to about 1574 or so, and we're in the Netherlands.

The Spanish Inquisition has come to the Netherlands. I didn't know that Spain had a hold on the Netherlands, but I guess they did for a while. Spaniards are running amok hunting "heretics", i.e. people who were not the Roman Catholic variety of Christian, but who were finding themselves attracted to a more Lutheran interpretation of Christianity. But, for all practical purposes, the only "heretics" that mattered to the Spaniards were ones who happened to be rich. Basically, the Inquisition, in the Netherlands at least, was a con game whose real intent was to rob from the wealthy so as to make the thief wealthy himself. Chief among these "heretic fighters" was Count Don Juan de Montalvo.

Montalvo finds himself strongly attracted to Lysbeth van Hout, a lovely young heiress. She finds herself attracted to her cousin, Dirk van Goorl, a rich merchant. So, Montalvo conspires to tar van Goorl with the stain of heresy. In order to save her true love, Lysbeth consents to marry Montalvo. But...there are people lurking in the darkness who discover that Montalvo has a wife and children back in Spain. He's also involved in other nefarious things. So, disgraced, he is sent off to prison in Spain.

Because she was never really married to Montalvo, even though she did have a son with him, Lisbeth is free to marry Dirk van Goorl. And so they do and have a second son while they're at it. At issue then is whether the dark Adrian, with his "Spanish" blood, can mature into a straight and true manly man like his blond younger brother, Foy.

Well, we jump some twenty-five or so years, and the Spaniards are still hunting out "heretics", who also just happen to have oodles of money. One such bounty hunter is a high living Spaniard named Ramiro. Eventually, we learn that Ramiro is actually, Montalvo in a bit of a disguise, out after a decade or so in prison and seeking revenge (as well as oodles of wealth). One of his targets is Hendrick Brant. Hendrick has found a way to convert most of his wealth into gold and also to hide it from the authorities. His hope is to get the wealth (and his lovely daughter, Elsa) to his cousin, Dirk van Goorl. The wealth can then be used to shore up the Dutch resistance forces and thereby drive out the hated Spaniards.

Well, we have quite an adventure getting the money hidden, then transferred. Along the way we have fights and flights, and so on. H. Rider Haggard was a popular novelist around the turn of the 20th century, known for swash buckling adventure, e.g. King Solomon's Mines. Lysbeth is a worthy example of the Haggard œvre.
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I loved this book of historical fiction, published in 1901, and set in 16th century Netherlands, even to the style of writing which was common to authors of this period. Here is a sample – the dedication:

“ In token of the earnest reverence of a man of a later generation for his character, and for that life work whereof we inherit the fruits to-day, this tale of the times he shaped is dedicated to the memory of one of the greatest and most noble-hearted beings that the world has known; the immortal William, called the Silent, of Nassau.

This story is about the religious persecution of adherents to the New Religion, learned from Luther, about living in a besieged city, about trying to throw off the yoke of oppressive tyranny with which they were ruled. Hollanders were an industrious people. Part of the Spanish rule was to divest them of their riches. Toward that end, they paid informers (from the very pockets of those on whom they informed) to give testimony to convict “heretics”, in this way usurping Hollanders’ money to use to pay Spanish soldiers to fight Hollanders.

The Siege of Haarlem in the 1570s was part of the Eighty Years War and the Dutch Revolt. I would like to read more about this part of history, especially about Prince William of Orange. Although this book is dedicated to him, he does not figure prominently in the plot, so I need some more historical fiction involving him.

This story was compelling, the characters and their motivations felt true, the setting real. I would definitely read more by this author. ( )