The Hounds of God

Sir Gervase Crosby faces danger at sea and demanding court assignments during the rivalry between England and Spain. His fortunes are bound to Margaret Trevanion, an independent woman unwilling to accept the life others consider suitable for her. Their personal relationship becomes entangled with diplomacy, and Gervase is brought into the reach of the Spanish Inquisition. Rafael Sabatini combines romance with a story of captivity, threatened judgment and the struggle to secure help. Courage must be supported by patience and an understanding of political interests. The novel examines what happens when persecution is justified as religious duty, and when declarations of piety conceal actions that violate compassion and justice.