In 1636 Alkmaar, Holland, Wouter Winckel’s brutally slaughtered body is found in the barroom of his inn, an antireligious pamphlet stuffed in his mouth. Winckel was a respected tulip-trader and owned the most beautiful collection of tulips in the United Republic of the Low Countries, including the most coveted and expensive bulb of them all, the Semper Augustus. But why did he have to die and who wanted him dead?
In 2007 London, history seems to be repeating itself. Dutchman Frank Schoeller is found in his home by his nephew, Alec. Severely wounded, he is holding a 17th-century book about tulips, seemingly a reference to the reason for his death moments later. With the help of his friend Damien Vanlint, an antique dealer from Amsterdam, Alec tries to solve the mystery, but soon comes to realize that he and his friend’s own lives are now in danger.
The Tulip Virus is a fast-paced, fascinating mystery based on the real-life events surrounding the collapse of the tulip bubble in 17th century Holland—the first such occurrence in history—a story that plunges readers deeply into questions of free will, science, and religion, while showing the dark fruits of greed, pride, and arrogance.
"This taut thriller unfolds with dramatic timing that is enhanced by a dual story. Danielle Hermans has managed to write a wonderfully structured novel based on meticulous research and an imaginative theme. At the same time, she has avoided a common pitfall of authors who may tend to become wordy and pontifical in narratives that reveal copious historical information. This very satisfying historical mystery lays the groundwork for what may become a shibboleth for this author."
-- New York Journal of Books
"Hermans reveals how the past can impact the present and gives us a fascinating lesson in the history of the tulip industry, much as Michelle Wan has done in her mysteries about rare orchids...Sure to appeal to fans of contemporary mysteries with historical backdrop.
-- Library Journal
"...intriguing...Hermans moves back and forth between the 17th and 21st centuries with ease and creates a historical mystery with contemporary relevance, a timeless tale of freedom and fundamentalism."
-- Richmond Times-Dispatch
"The Tulip Virus is an elegant, taut, eerily familiar tale about a murderous legacy of greed, bubble and bust."
-- John MacLachlan Gray, author of The Fiend in Human and Not Quite Dead
"Danielle Hermans's The Tulip Virus is a mystery that is as beautiful, enticing, and irresistible as the tulip itself. The Tulip Virus is a rare find; it will satisfy most everyone who loves a good mystery. [...] This novel has merciless thugs, a relentless serial killer, gruesome murders, ancient artifacts, cryptic codes, secret hiding places, secret societies, exotic locales and attractive wealthy young adults embroiled in affairs of the hart."
-- www.gumshoereview.com
"Prepare to learn all about the great Tulip Bubble, when Europs's 17th-century economy tanked because of speculation in tulip bulbs. [...] Hermans is a smart researcher and an clever writer. She works plenty of historical colour into the plot, taking us into the heart of Holland as Alec and Damian follow the trail that's nearly 400 years old. There are also some bits of arcana for Da Vinci Code fans, and a really nice, slick twist at the end."
-- www.theglobeandmail.com
"A grisly present day death in London sets the action in motion in this well-constructed historical fiction mystery.[…] This is not so much a mystery as it is a morality play. The characters are charming and multi-generational. The reader is likely to learn effortlessly about the remarkable boom and bust that took place in Holland when the first gloriously flamboyant tulips were introduced from the Far East."
-- The Sacramento Book Review
"...fascinating reading and well researched by the author. […] An enjoyable murder mystery spanning the centuries. Verdict: intriguing."
-- Herald Sun (Australia)
Reader reviews
"This book is ideal movie material: Midsomer Murders with a touch of The da Vinci Code."
-- Clive Hodges
"I would definitely recommend this book to readers who enjoy a bit of a murder mystery, with a little bit of a history lesson thrown in and are looking for that book which holds their interests, enforces its power over the reader and begs to be read as quickly as possible. This is one of the best books I have read and absolutely 100% goes in my most favourite books list. Seriously, there is much to say about this riveting piece of work, other parts of the storyline that are important, but the best bit of advice I will give you – go out and buy this book, read it and let me know what you think of it if you do. Don’t delay. It really is that good!"
-- Mandythebookworm's Blog
"This novel is hard to put down: many will be compelled to read it in one sitting. David MacKay deserves praise for a first-rate translation. An excellent debut novel: let's hope we are treated to English translations of Danielle Hermans' subsequent novels soon."
-- Marianne Vincent, NSW
"Many thrillers based on true events slowly drown in a mass of irrelevant historical details, but this book is so well written that the facts blend into the fiction seamlessly. This is a clever, well written book and is impossible to put down."
-- Merryl Donn, QLD
"Absolutely fantastic! I hate to sound cliched but I did not want to put this book down and whenever I had to I was always thinking about how to wangle my next reading opportunity. I was hooked right from the first page."
-- Mandy de Jager, WA
"I liked this book. The mixture of the past with the present was pretty well done. Though, I must admit that I found the past a little more interesting. This is only because there was so much detail and you could tell that Ms. Hermans did her research on the events surrounding the tulips in Holland in the seventieth century. I just found myself fascinated by the history of the tulip war. This was one time where the story line was the star over the characters in the story. Overall, I really found myself really getting into this book. Watch out as The Tulip Virus is contagious and you will want to get your hands on this book. I will be keeping an eye on Ms. Hermans."
-- Cheryl Koch
In The Tulip Virus, Daniëlle Hermans blends facts and fiction into a contemporary thriller. Here some of the facts she processed in her novel.
Tulip Books
To promote the sales, traders sometimes asked artists to make images of their tulips which they put in a book. These tulip books were used as sales catalogs. Especially in the period of the tulip trade in which only the bulbs were offered for sale, it was easy for the buyer to be able to see the tulip that would eventually grow out of the bulb. Of these tulip books. about twenty were preserved. For more information: http://library.wur.nl/tulip
Wouter Winckel
Wouter Winckel actually existed. He lived in Alkmaar and owned the tavern "The Old Shooter Targets', then located in the Doelenstraat. Besides being an inn-keeper, he was a respected tulip merchant. He died in 1636, probably of the plague. Because his wife had already passed away, his seven children, and heirs, were sent to the orphanage. In such situations, the orphanage was entitled to 10% of the inheritance. The auction of Wouter Winckel’s tulips, in February 1637, was initiated by the orphanage and was the actual beginning of the downfall of the tulip trade.
The list of Wouter Winckel’s tulip bulbs auction sale is preserved and included in the collection of the Library Wageningen University and Research Centre. For more information: http://library.wur.nl/tulip
Millennium Seed Bank Project
The Millennium Seed Bank Project is a project initiated by Kew Gardens. It is not the only seed repository in the world. Recently, the Svalbard Global Seed Vault Svalbard, an underground seed vault, has opened. Here, around two million seeds are stored. The vault is located twenty meters above sea level and 120 meters deep inside a mountain. The purpose of seed storage is to provide certainty in a world with
increasing loss of crop diversity. Also, the storage would offer a solution in the event of a disaster or an extreme climate change.
Tulip Fraud in 21st century Holland
Who is guilty and who is not is still unknown. In 2003 a large group of Dutch investors became victim of tulip bulb fraud. They lost tens of millions of euros. 82 million euro is still missing. Where this money has gone remains a mystery.
Daniëlle Hermans was born on September 26th 1963. Most of her childhood she lived abroad. As a child she devoured books by Enid Blyton. Reading detectives and thrillers remained her passion. After obtaining her degree in Liberal Arts at the University Of Utrecht, she entered the communications business and now works as a freelance communication consultant. She lives in Utrecht, near Amsterdam.
The Tulip Virus is her debut. Her second book, The Waterlords, was published in 2009. She is currently working on her third novel, The Man from Manhattan.
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