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Die Henkerstochter #1
The Hangman's Daughter
Magdalena, the clever and headstrong daughter of Bavarian hangman Jakob Kuisl, lives with her father outside the village walls and is destined to be married off to another hangman’s son—except that the town physician’s son is hopelessly in love with her. And her father’s wisdom and empathy are as unusual as his despised profession. It is 1659, the Thirty Years’ War has finally ended, and there hasn’t been a witchcraft mania in decades. But now, a drowning and gruesomely injured boy, tattooed with the mark of a witch, is pulled from a river and the villagers suspect the local midwife, Martha Stechlin.
Jakob Kuisl is charged with extracting a confession from her and torturing her until he gets one. Convinced she is innocent, he, Magdalena, and her would-be suitor race against the clock to find the true killer. Approaching Walpurgisnacht, when witches are believed to dance in the forest and mate with the devil, another tattooed orphan is found dead and the town becomes frenzied. More than one person has spotted what looks like the devil—a man with a hand made only of bones. The hangman, his daughter, and the doctor’s son face a terrifying and very real enemy.
Page Numbers Source ISBN: 054774501X
Jakob Kuisl is charged with extracting a confession from her and torturing her until he gets one. Convinced she is innocent, he, Magdalena, and her would-be suitor race against the clock to find the true killer. Approaching Walpurgisnacht, when witches are believed to dance in the forest and mate with the devil, another tattooed orphan is found dead and the town becomes frenzied. More than one person has spotted what looks like the devil—a man with a hand made only of bones. The hangman, his daughter, and the doctor’s son face a terrifying and very real enemy.
Page Numbers Source ISBN: 054774501X
448 pages, ebook
First published March 13, 2008
11391 people are currently reading
60661 people want to read
About the author
Oliver Pötzsch
38 books2,190 followersOliver Pötzsch is a German writer and filmmaker. After high school he attended the German School of Journalism in Munich from 1992 to 1997. He then worked for Radio Bavaria. In addition to his professional activities in radio and television, Pötzsch researched his family history. He is a descendant of the Kuisle, from the 16th to the 19th Century a famous dynasty of executioners in Schongau.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 6,638 reviews
June 8, 2019
“Under torture you are as if under the dominion of those grasses that produce visions. Everything you have heard told, everything you have read returns to your mind, as if you were being transported, not toward heaven, but toward hell. Under torture you say not only what the inquisitor wants, but also what you imagine might please him, because a bond (this, truly, diabolical) is established between you and him ... These things I know, Ubertino; I also have belonged to those groups of men who believe they can produce the truth with white-hot iron. Well, let me tell you, the white heat of truth comes from another flame.”
― Umberto Eco, The Name of the Rose
The Bavarian town of Schongau already has a multitude of problems: an ongoing trade war with the Augsburgers, a fiery controversy over building a leper house, and the ever present fears of plague and witchcraft. It is 1659, but just seventy years previously over 60 women were burned at the stake for witchcraft. When a young boy is pulled from the river who had been bludgeoned to death, and bears the mark of witchcraft on his back, the superstitious fears explode into full throated cries for immediate pitchfork and torch vengeance.
The easy target is the local midwife, Martha Stechlin, who not only has birthed most of the towns children, taking money away from local doctors in the process, but she has also has offered cures for coughs, rashes, and pains with mystifyingly good results. Like most witch hunts that I’ve read about the women who are accused are usually those women who are under suspicion for reasons more to do with petty jealousy, revenge, or the fact that the women have accumulated knowledge of the medical arts that generally supersede the knowledge of the local trained medical profession.
They are dangerous women because they have...power.
An unlikely man stands between Martha Stechlin and death by mob, the hangman Jakob Kuisl. He comes from a long line of ancestors who all provided this specialized skill for the state. Besides executions, as part of his service to the community, he also tortures, removes dead animals, provides treatment for various ailments, and in the case of this story he also, with the help of a calming smoking pipe filled with this wonderful intoxicating weed from the New World, investigates the circumstances surrounding this accusation of witchcraft.
As more children show up dead bearing the same marks of witchcraft on their back, and with numerous sightings of a man with a skeletal hand that could only be the devil, Jakob finds himself in a desperate race to find out who is really behind the death of the children before he has to break Martha under torture. To gain time he gave Martha a potion that relieves some of the pain from the thumbscrews.
He keeps assuring her not to not give up and confess to something he knows she hasn’t done. Unfortunately, even though Jakob of the 17th century knows that anyone can be made to confess to anything under the proper torture techniques. As recently as the George W. Bush administration torture was still in use. It was even crowed about to the press regarding the success level of such "enhanced interrogation techniques" by the Vice President of the United States.
“You give me a water board, Dick Cheney and one hour, and I'll have him confess to the Sharon Tate murders."
(Larry King Live, May 11, 2009)”
― Jesse Ventura
Jakob has one ally, a young doctor named Simon Fronwieser who started spending a lot of time at the Kuisl household when he found that the hangman had books that were not only expensive, but in some cases had been banned from circulation. He had books by Dioscorides, Scultetus, Pare, Bartisch, and Paracelsus. Young Simon may have come for the books, but he stayed for the exclusive time he could steal with the beautiful Magdalena Kuisl, the hangman’s daughter. One hangup for any future between the two young lovebirds is that offspring of the unclean profession of the hangman must marry in their own family. In fact much to her chagrin Magdalena is engaged to marry a cousin, a rather unappealing creature with a bovine appearance from a nearby town.
Is the Devil loose in Schongau?
The characters of Jakob and Simon added so much additional enjoyment for me while reading this book. They are learned, inquisitive men who understand the world is not black and white, but a rainbow of shades of gray. What an interest concept to have a man such as Jakob, who decides that despite his misgivings about the inhumane aspects of torture, that he best serves his community by remaining in a profession he loathes. It is the only way to insure that justice is properly meted out to those that deserve it, and compassion can be dispensed to those he has no chance to save from injustice.
I liked this book much more than I expected. Potzsch sprinkles in enough aspects of 17th century Bavarian society to give the reader a feel for the place, but he does not weigh the text down with too much historical detail. Personally I like my books with as much weight as a writer wants to throw at me, but in this case he has successfully created a historical murder mystery that is compulsively readable. Mr. Potzsch is actually descended from the Kuisl family who were in fact hangmen. Now the first reaction one might have to discovering they are descended from such a scourged profession might be to feel a bit disgusted, but after the initial nausea passes think of the fascination in researching such a genealogy. I’m pleasantly surprised and look forward to reading the rest of the entries in this series.
If you wish to see more of my most recent book and movie reviews, visit http://www.jeffreykeeten.com
I also have a Facebook blogger page at:https://www.facebook.com/JeffreyKeeten
― Umberto Eco, The Name of the Rose
The Bavarian town of Schongau already has a multitude of problems: an ongoing trade war with the Augsburgers, a fiery controversy over building a leper house, and the ever present fears of plague and witchcraft. It is 1659, but just seventy years previously over 60 women were burned at the stake for witchcraft. When a young boy is pulled from the river who had been bludgeoned to death, and bears the mark of witchcraft on his back, the superstitious fears explode into full throated cries for immediate pitchfork and torch vengeance.
The easy target is the local midwife, Martha Stechlin, who not only has birthed most of the towns children, taking money away from local doctors in the process, but she has also has offered cures for coughs, rashes, and pains with mystifyingly good results. Like most witch hunts that I’ve read about the women who are accused are usually those women who are under suspicion for reasons more to do with petty jealousy, revenge, or the fact that the women have accumulated knowledge of the medical arts that generally supersede the knowledge of the local trained medical profession.
They are dangerous women because they have...power.
An unlikely man stands between Martha Stechlin and death by mob, the hangman Jakob Kuisl. He comes from a long line of ancestors who all provided this specialized skill for the state. Besides executions, as part of his service to the community, he also tortures, removes dead animals, provides treatment for various ailments, and in the case of this story he also, with the help of a calming smoking pipe filled with this wonderful intoxicating weed from the New World, investigates the circumstances surrounding this accusation of witchcraft.
As more children show up dead bearing the same marks of witchcraft on their back, and with numerous sightings of a man with a skeletal hand that could only be the devil, Jakob finds himself in a desperate race to find out who is really behind the death of the children before he has to break Martha under torture. To gain time he gave Martha a potion that relieves some of the pain from the thumbscrews.
He keeps assuring her not to not give up and confess to something he knows she hasn’t done. Unfortunately, even though Jakob of the 17th century knows that anyone can be made to confess to anything under the proper torture techniques. As recently as the George W. Bush administration torture was still in use. It was even crowed about to the press regarding the success level of such "enhanced interrogation techniques" by the Vice President of the United States.
“You give me a water board, Dick Cheney and one hour, and I'll have him confess to the Sharon Tate murders."
(Larry King Live, May 11, 2009)”
― Jesse Ventura
Jakob has one ally, a young doctor named Simon Fronwieser who started spending a lot of time at the Kuisl household when he found that the hangman had books that were not only expensive, but in some cases had been banned from circulation. He had books by Dioscorides, Scultetus, Pare, Bartisch, and Paracelsus. Young Simon may have come for the books, but he stayed for the exclusive time he could steal with the beautiful Magdalena Kuisl, the hangman’s daughter. One hangup for any future between the two young lovebirds is that offspring of the unclean profession of the hangman must marry in their own family. In fact much to her chagrin Magdalena is engaged to marry a cousin, a rather unappealing creature with a bovine appearance from a nearby town.
Is the Devil loose in Schongau?
The characters of Jakob and Simon added so much additional enjoyment for me while reading this book. They are learned, inquisitive men who understand the world is not black and white, but a rainbow of shades of gray. What an interest concept to have a man such as Jakob, who decides that despite his misgivings about the inhumane aspects of torture, that he best serves his community by remaining in a profession he loathes. It is the only way to insure that justice is properly meted out to those that deserve it, and compassion can be dispensed to those he has no chance to save from injustice.
I liked this book much more than I expected. Potzsch sprinkles in enough aspects of 17th century Bavarian society to give the reader a feel for the place, but he does not weigh the text down with too much historical detail. Personally I like my books with as much weight as a writer wants to throw at me, but in this case he has successfully created a historical murder mystery that is compulsively readable. Mr. Potzsch is actually descended from the Kuisl family who were in fact hangmen. Now the first reaction one might have to discovering they are descended from such a scourged profession might be to feel a bit disgusted, but after the initial nausea passes think of the fascination in researching such a genealogy. I’m pleasantly surprised and look forward to reading the rest of the entries in this series.
If you wish to see more of my most recent book and movie reviews, visit http://www.jeffreykeeten.com
I also have a Facebook blogger page at:https://www.facebook.com/JeffreyKeeten
June 22, 2022
Ich bin so froh, dass ich nun endlich den ersten Band dieser Reihe gelesen habe und frage mich, warum das Buch so lange ungelesen in meinem Regal stand. Es war großartig!
Ab der ersten Seite hatte mich die Geschichte schon gefangen. Sie spielt im Jahr 1659; eine sehr spannende und gefährliche Zeit. In diesem Buch geht es um eine unschuldige Hebamme, die plötzlich für den Tod eines Kindes verantwortlich gemacht wird und als Hexe verbrannt werden soll.
Der Henker ist überzeugt von ihrer Unschuld und versucht gemeinsam mit dem Medicus, diese Unschuld zu beweisen.
Ich fand die Geschichte superspannend und faszinierend und die Dialoge zwischen Henker und Medicus zeitweise auch richtig humorvoll.
Alles in allem rundum gelungen! Ich freue mich, noch einige Bücher aus der Reihe vor mir zu haben!
Ab der ersten Seite hatte mich die Geschichte schon gefangen. Sie spielt im Jahr 1659; eine sehr spannende und gefährliche Zeit. In diesem Buch geht es um eine unschuldige Hebamme, die plötzlich für den Tod eines Kindes verantwortlich gemacht wird und als Hexe verbrannt werden soll.
Der Henker ist überzeugt von ihrer Unschuld und versucht gemeinsam mit dem Medicus, diese Unschuld zu beweisen.
Ich fand die Geschichte superspannend und faszinierend und die Dialoge zwischen Henker und Medicus zeitweise auch richtig humorvoll.
Alles in allem rundum gelungen! Ich freue mich, noch einige Bücher aus der Reihe vor mir zu haben!
January 30, 2011
(Updated 1.30)
1.27.11 (20% read) Having a difficult time with this one. That's what I get for jumping on the popularity bandwagon. So far, the titular character has been on one page. ONE! WTF translators?!! Was this the original title? And it just feels a bit anachronistic, nothing (so far) I can really put a finger on, but I'm wondering if this is "new novelist" or "uninspired translation," or just plain sophomoric writing?
Meh. It'll get better, right? I hope... Last time I succumbed to "everybody's reading it," I got shafted with The Historian. Please, Book Gnomes, don't let this be another one of those...
1.29.11
finished! That wasn't so bad! I still can't figure out why it was called The Hangman's Daughter, since she really played a tertiary role in the storyline. Heck, even the Leper House got more face time than the daughter, Mary Sue, err... I mean, Magdalena.
It's not so much that this was poorly written, because it wasn't. Sentences flowed well, dialogue made sense, people did things. It just felt uninspired. There was so much rich history to work with here, and yet, the history turned out to be such a bit player, just a background to the incessant “she's a witch! Let's burn her!” “No, we have to torture a confession out of her first!” vs. “pssst, I know you're not a witch, so imma torture you just a little bit, to buy some time. We still friends?”
There's also the basic plot device of a shadowy unidentified villain, who is behind the crime spree that has been pinned on the suspect witch. Even though we get to see the character as part of the story, there's little hint of his motivation.
Not surprisingly, this novel has been something of a runaway bestseller. I suppose I shouldn't be perplexed, because it's one of those reads where you don't really have to strain your mind, or even remember anything. It's not quite book club pablum, because there is a story here, but all punches have been pulled, and the story has been watered down to “crowd pleaser.”
You beer enthusiasts know exactly what I mean. Think of your FAVORITE brewpub, with the most unusual beers – hoppy, malty, maybe a touch of anise, maybe it's organic, perhaps an imperial – and what is the pub's bestseller? “Amber.” Or Coors Lite.
Why is Lipton Tea the most popular tea in American? There are so many wonderful, amazing teas, and it's nearly the exact same preparation method, except instead of “sweepings and fannings,”(the teeny tiny dusty bits they sweep off the tables into teabags,) you get actual leaf. No comparison.
Sheeple.
Frustration. I can't even load this into my “so bad it pissed me off”category, because it wasn't so bad. It DID piss me off, because it could have been SO MUCH BETTER.
But of course, if this book had lived up to its potential, it probably never would have seen publication. (There's cynicism for you.) People want pablum. The vast majority of bestsellers are powdered milk, Coors Lite, Lipton – stories that could-have-been.
I did learn a lot about Leprosy, well, not from this book, but because I was skeptical that leprosy had played such a large role in medieval Europe. Interestingly, I discovered that it was indeed epidemic around the 11th through the 13th centuries, and was probably spread as a result of soldiers returning from the Crusades. It's estimated that there were as many as 20,000 leper houses spread throughout Europe by the late 12th century (thank you public library librarian.)
Unfortunately for the historicity of this novel, which suggests that every city has its own leper house, the events are occurring in the mid 17th century, by which time leprosy was mostly a non-starter, with only a few isolated cases/isolated sanatoriums which housed the relatively few sufferers. (Wikipedia tells me that Norway had an epidemic in the early 19th century, notable for it's exception.)
All of this creates a time problem. For the leprosy to be period-correct, the story would have to be staged over 300 years earlier. But witch burning in Europe reached a peak in the mid- 16th century, which makes it time-correct for the setting of this novel. One or the other critical story element has to be anachronistic if the author is determined to keep both elements. These issues did not exist in equal import simultaneously in Europe.
Witch hunts are an incredible and unbelievable viewing scope into religious intolerance, hysteria, misconception and suspicion. Here again, we get barely the framework of a story. Here again, we have something that could have been so much more. And here again, we have something that, had it been so much more, might not have been marketable.
Which is why, ultimately, the story frustrated me. I learned some fascinating things because of questions sparked by the novel, but I didn't learn them from the novel. I don't expect stories I read to become textbooks – in fact, I don't want them to be. But historical novels can be so much more than simply mindless entertainment. They can give us a backward look at where we came from, and insight into our modern trajectory.
“Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.” ~George Santayana
1.27.11 (20% read) Having a difficult time with this one. That's what I get for jumping on the popularity bandwagon. So far, the titular character has been on one page. ONE! WTF translators?!! Was this the original title? And it just feels a bit anachronistic, nothing (so far) I can really put a finger on, but I'm wondering if this is "new novelist" or "uninspired translation," or just plain sophomoric writing?
Meh. It'll get better, right? I hope... Last time I succumbed to "everybody's reading it," I got shafted with The Historian. Please, Book Gnomes, don't let this be another one of those...
1.29.11
finished! That wasn't so bad! I still can't figure out why it was called The Hangman's Daughter, since she really played a tertiary role in the storyline. Heck, even the Leper House got more face time than the daughter, Mary Sue, err... I mean, Magdalena.
It's not so much that this was poorly written, because it wasn't. Sentences flowed well, dialogue made sense, people did things. It just felt uninspired. There was so much rich history to work with here, and yet, the history turned out to be such a bit player, just a background to the incessant “she's a witch! Let's burn her!” “No, we have to torture a confession out of her first!” vs. “pssst, I know you're not a witch, so imma torture you just a little bit, to buy some time. We still friends?”
There's also the basic plot device of a shadowy unidentified villain, who is behind the crime spree that has been pinned on the suspect witch. Even though we get to see the character as part of the story, there's little hint of his motivation.
Not surprisingly, this novel has been something of a runaway bestseller. I suppose I shouldn't be perplexed, because it's one of those reads where you don't really have to strain your mind, or even remember anything. It's not quite book club pablum, because there is a story here, but all punches have been pulled, and the story has been watered down to “crowd pleaser.”
You beer enthusiasts know exactly what I mean. Think of your FAVORITE brewpub, with the most unusual beers – hoppy, malty, maybe a touch of anise, maybe it's organic, perhaps an imperial – and what is the pub's bestseller? “Amber.” Or Coors Lite.
Why is Lipton Tea the most popular tea in American? There are so many wonderful, amazing teas, and it's nearly the exact same preparation method, except instead of “sweepings and fannings,”(the teeny tiny dusty bits they sweep off the tables into teabags,) you get actual leaf. No comparison.
Sheeple.
Frustration. I can't even load this into my “so bad it pissed me off”category, because it wasn't so bad. It DID piss me off, because it could have been SO MUCH BETTER.
But of course, if this book had lived up to its potential, it probably never would have seen publication. (There's cynicism for you.) People want pablum. The vast majority of bestsellers are powdered milk, Coors Lite, Lipton – stories that could-have-been.
I did learn a lot about Leprosy, well, not from this book, but because I was skeptical that leprosy had played such a large role in medieval Europe. Interestingly, I discovered that it was indeed epidemic around the 11th through the 13th centuries, and was probably spread as a result of soldiers returning from the Crusades. It's estimated that there were as many as 20,000 leper houses spread throughout Europe by the late 12th century (thank you public library librarian.)
Unfortunately for the historicity of this novel, which suggests that every city has its own leper house, the events are occurring in the mid 17th century, by which time leprosy was mostly a non-starter, with only a few isolated cases/isolated sanatoriums which housed the relatively few sufferers. (Wikipedia tells me that Norway had an epidemic in the early 19th century, notable for it's exception.)
All of this creates a time problem. For the leprosy to be period-correct, the story would have to be staged over 300 years earlier. But witch burning in Europe reached a peak in the mid- 16th century, which makes it time-correct for the setting of this novel. One or the other critical story element has to be anachronistic if the author is determined to keep both elements. These issues did not exist in equal import simultaneously in Europe.
Witch hunts are an incredible and unbelievable viewing scope into religious intolerance, hysteria, misconception and suspicion. Here again, we get barely the framework of a story. Here again, we have something that could have been so much more. And here again, we have something that, had it been so much more, might not have been marketable.
Which is why, ultimately, the story frustrated me. I learned some fascinating things because of questions sparked by the novel, but I didn't learn them from the novel. I don't expect stories I read to become textbooks – in fact, I don't want them to be. But historical novels can be so much more than simply mindless entertainment. They can give us a backward look at where we came from, and insight into our modern trajectory.
“Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.” ~George Santayana
February 4, 2019
A strong and enjoyable debut of a new series set in Schongau, Germany. The setting was the main reason I decided to give this series a try. Usually, historical mysteries happen either in London or somewhere in the US. This is why The Hangman's daughter is a breeze of fresh air in the genre.
1659. Schongau's Hangman, Jakob Kuisl is a feared man, avoided because of superstitions but also sought out for his healing skills. His daughter is too smart for a young girl and follows into her dad's shoes with her knowledge of plants and their healing properties. Simon, the physician's son is interested in the new medicine methods and is seeking guidance from the hangman. The bonus is that he gets to see his daughter. When a child is found dead in a river bearing a strange mark known in witching practices and the town's midwife is arrested, the three heroes start together to find the true killer.
The mystery was interesting enough, I did not guess the culprit and I enjoyed the characters. However, the book was a bit too long and some parts were a bit repetitive. Moreover, I don't understand why the book (and the series) is called the Hangman's Daughter. She is one of the three main characters but maybe the one less important. Jakob Kuisl would be the star if i were to peak one of them but i believe the Shongau murders or something else would be more suitable.
I already bought the next one as it was on offer so I will continue with the series, hopefully it will get better and better.
1659. Schongau's Hangman, Jakob Kuisl is a feared man, avoided because of superstitions but also sought out for his healing skills. His daughter is too smart for a young girl and follows into her dad's shoes with her knowledge of plants and their healing properties. Simon, the physician's son is interested in the new medicine methods and is seeking guidance from the hangman. The bonus is that he gets to see his daughter. When a child is found dead in a river bearing a strange mark known in witching practices and the town's midwife is arrested, the three heroes start together to find the true killer.
The mystery was interesting enough, I did not guess the culprit and I enjoyed the characters. However, the book was a bit too long and some parts were a bit repetitive. Moreover, I don't understand why the book (and the series) is called the Hangman's Daughter. She is one of the three main characters but maybe the one less important. Jakob Kuisl would be the star if i were to peak one of them but i believe the Shongau murders or something else would be more suitable.
I already bought the next one as it was on offer so I will continue with the series, hopefully it will get better and better.
September 20, 2012
This was an excellent historical thriller. Set in Germany in the 1600's, the story involves a hangman and his family. When a midwife is accused of witchcraft, the hangman tries to solve the mystery of who is killing young orphaned children, all bearing a strange symbol on their bodies.
The politics and superstitions of that time seemed authentic. The mystery is impossible to guess and the suspense builds until you are on the edge of your seat.
The book was translated from German to English. Very unique. Overall an A +
The politics and superstitions of that time seemed authentic. The mystery is impossible to guess and the suspense builds until you are on the edge of your seat.
The book was translated from German to English. Very unique. Overall an A +
April 22, 2019
I really enjoyed this historical thriller. It gives us a snapshot into the life of transitioning to modern period / medieval Germans. It just has a very authentic ring to it. Although, the translator uses some rather modern language here and there in his translation...it was originally written in German. In fact the authors family is the actual family of our hangman in the title. This hangman is a 5th generation executioner, a medicine man, and a tough guy. He and the mid-wife in the town share helpful solutions back and forth when someone is ill...midwives were notoriously suspected of witchcraft whether they partook of quackery or not. When someone starts slaughtering children of the village, one by one, she is quickly suspected, thrown in jail and tortured to confess....by our hangman, who is also trying to find the true culprit before he has to burn her at the stake. Lots of twists and turns, and much learning of Germany in the meantime. Great read.
October 17, 2016
The Hangman’s Daughter is not quite the right title for this book. Yes the main character is a hangman, Jakob Kuisl, and yes, he's got a daughter, but this is not her story. She's not the main protagonist. The hangman is. The Hangman's Daughter is basically a mystery about some child murders.
The book starts off with Jakob as a boy witnessing a gristly, botched execution. It’s a shocking scene – grim and edgy. It perfectly captures the ghoulishness of 17th century, public, capital punishment.
Unfortunately it’s the most powerful scene in this book.
After reading The Last Valley, I always figured that Germany was a wasteland after The Thirty Years War. There’s no doubt that the Sack of Magdeburg in 1630 was a bloody slaughter. Out of 30,000 people, only 5,000 survived. Thousands of charred bodies were dumped in the Elbe River for fourteen days to prevent disease. By 1648, only 450 people were left in the city. I’m sure any person who witnessed this event could never be left unscathed. In fact, the Captain from The Last Valley says, 'God? There is no God. He died at Magdeburg.'
So this is another horrible event that Jakob Kusil witnesses, and it’s left him a hard and grizzled man. He’s an interesting character. The son of a hangman, he left his village to find his fortune as a soldier only to find death. Now he’s a jack of all trades, working as an executioner and as an apothecary. Does he try to heal people to ease his conscious? I’d like to think so, but this is definitely not fully explored. Jakob is a likable detective, but he’s not wildly complex.
In fact, most of the characters aren’t wildly complex. I decided there are three kinds of people in this book. There are the good guys (Jakob and his buddies) who are trying to solve the mystery. All of them are enlightened (unshackled by the superstition and hypocrisy of their time) well-read and they bathe. Then there are the townspeople who are mostly ignorant, greedy, unfeeling clods. And last but not least, there are the rogue soldiers who are the real bad guys. (To my surprise, there wasn’t a single, lecherous, power-hungry priest.)
The mystery is pretty predictable, and it seemed to take forever to get anywhere. The reasons the action wasn’t moving was kind of lame too. For instance I still don’t know why Jakob Schreevogl, the stovemaker, didn’t do anything when his beloved, adopted daughter was abducted. Don’t most parents go out and look for their children? I would have figured he’d have started a hue and cry, insisting that everybody get their torches and start looking for his baby. Instead he tells the hangman, ‘let me know if you find her.’ Wtf??
And good grief the townspeople were obnoxious. I realize that their apathy and cruelty could be attributed to war, superstition, and the brutal time period, but that’s not how it’s presented. Instead these bunholes just seem to be an excuse as to why the mystery can’t be solved sooner. Consequently, they annoyed the crap out of me. grrrr
Anyway, I’m giving this book three stars. I did find the history surrounding the Kusil family intriguing, but I don’t think it made up for the slow read and the annoying townspeople.
The book starts off with Jakob as a boy witnessing a gristly, botched execution. It’s a shocking scene – grim and edgy. It perfectly captures the ghoulishness of 17th century, public, capital punishment.
Unfortunately it’s the most powerful scene in this book.
After reading The Last Valley, I always figured that Germany was a wasteland after The Thirty Years War. There’s no doubt that the Sack of Magdeburg in 1630 was a bloody slaughter. Out of 30,000 people, only 5,000 survived. Thousands of charred bodies were dumped in the Elbe River for fourteen days to prevent disease. By 1648, only 450 people were left in the city. I’m sure any person who witnessed this event could never be left unscathed. In fact, the Captain from The Last Valley says, 'God? There is no God. He died at Magdeburg.'
So this is another horrible event that Jakob Kusil witnesses, and it’s left him a hard and grizzled man. He’s an interesting character. The son of a hangman, he left his village to find his fortune as a soldier only to find death. Now he’s a jack of all trades, working as an executioner and as an apothecary. Does he try to heal people to ease his conscious? I’d like to think so, but this is definitely not fully explored. Jakob is a likable detective, but he’s not wildly complex.
In fact, most of the characters aren’t wildly complex. I decided there are three kinds of people in this book. There are the good guys (Jakob and his buddies) who are trying to solve the mystery. All of them are enlightened (unshackled by the superstition and hypocrisy of their time) well-read and they bathe. Then there are the townspeople who are mostly ignorant, greedy, unfeeling clods. And last but not least, there are the rogue soldiers who are the real bad guys. (To my surprise, there wasn’t a single, lecherous, power-hungry priest.)
The mystery is pretty predictable, and it seemed to take forever to get anywhere. The reasons the action wasn’t moving was kind of lame too. For instance I still don’t know why Jakob Schreevogl, the stovemaker, didn’t do anything when his beloved, adopted daughter was abducted. Don’t most parents go out and look for their children? I would have figured he’d have started a hue and cry, insisting that everybody get their torches and start looking for his baby. Instead he tells the hangman, ‘let me know if you find her.’ Wtf??
And good grief the townspeople were obnoxious. I realize that their apathy and cruelty could be attributed to war, superstition, and the brutal time period, but that’s not how it’s presented. Instead these bunholes just seem to be an excuse as to why the mystery can’t be solved sooner. Consequently, they annoyed the crap out of me. grrrr
Anyway, I’m giving this book three stars. I did find the history surrounding the Kusil family intriguing, but I don’t think it made up for the slow read and the annoying townspeople.
July 11, 2018
This was a 3.5/4 for me. Basically I found this to be a very good genre crime novel set in 17th century Bavaria. There are good guys and bad guys, with the good guys using logic and rationality to solve a series of child murders before the killer strikes again, while others in the town think the murders are the result of witchcraft and devilry. The pages fly swiftly, the mystery is engrossing, and the historical setting is interesting. If you're looking for a morally uncomplicated historical mystery, this is a great choice.
So what explains why I didn't rate it higher? At the time I picked this up, I was perhaps in the mood for something more morally and aesthetically challenging--something with complex characters and striking prose. This book doesn't really deliver those kinds of goods. I can't really fault the book--it is what it is--but I mention this because sometimes it's useful to know what's not in a book, so you're not looking for what you won't find.
So what explains why I didn't rate it higher? At the time I picked this up, I was perhaps in the mood for something more morally and aesthetically challenging--something with complex characters and striking prose. This book doesn't really deliver those kinds of goods. I can't really fault the book--it is what it is--but I mention this because sometimes it's useful to know what's not in a book, so you're not looking for what you won't find.
May 17, 2012
Overall, this book reads like a college research paper reworked the following term for a creative writing class in the spring of freshman year.
I love good historical fiction, but this book just doesn't deserve the adjective. The first problem is the title. The Hangman's daughter is wonderful, but a very minor character. I learned after the fact that it's a translation (poorly done) and based on the author's family which explains his fawning view of the hangman. There were a number of anachronisms and odd facts that just jumped out at me and just general oddities. Could villagers have eaten carrots in the spring? Where did they get them? The translation (and possibly the German, I don't know) included much modern phrasing. I certainly don't expect archaic German, but the language should match the setting. There were a number of characters, too many to track, so I ended just waiting to see which were significant. I felt at many points that the author was simply hiding things from us to create suspense because he couldn't think of any other way to achieve it. I almost stopped reading when one character, a poor old woman in a tiny village pulled down a paper calendar with a picture of a saint for this month. Really? It's bad enough to suppose that she didn't know what feast was coming up, but that anyone in that era would use valuable paper for something as trivial as a calendar, and mark holidays? And include a picture? How did this picture get created in the 1600's? Engraving I suppose. Yeesh.
The biggest problem for me was the Hangman. What a potentially interesting character. We see parts of his struggles with his role, but in the end his doubts and despair just disappear. He's also a little too perfect. Why are physicians in historical novels always so wise in modern medicine? I can accept a hangman who is well read, understands herbs etc. But he's also apparently the best doctor in what will be called Germany (though these characters refer to Germany which presages Bismark by 200 years). How did he get his hands on the latest, and coincidently the most accurate medical texts in Europe? He is the strongest, smartest, calmest and most advanced person in town.
Finally, the characters were all 1 dimensional. Good or evil or just confusing. Their motivations were weak. Why does the hangman care so much? Why do the villains care so much? How does a little town have so many bailiffs?
In the end, I feel bad for the readers hooked into this thinking it's great historical fiction when there is so many better novels out there.
I love good historical fiction, but this book just doesn't deserve the adjective. The first problem is the title. The Hangman's daughter is wonderful, but a very minor character. I learned after the fact that it's a translation (poorly done) and based on the author's family which explains his fawning view of the hangman. There were a number of anachronisms and odd facts that just jumped out at me and just general oddities. Could villagers have eaten carrots in the spring? Where did they get them? The translation (and possibly the German, I don't know) included much modern phrasing. I certainly don't expect archaic German, but the language should match the setting. There were a number of characters, too many to track, so I ended just waiting to see which were significant. I felt at many points that the author was simply hiding things from us to create suspense because he couldn't think of any other way to achieve it. I almost stopped reading when one character, a poor old woman in a tiny village pulled down a paper calendar with a picture of a saint for this month. Really? It's bad enough to suppose that she didn't know what feast was coming up, but that anyone in that era would use valuable paper for something as trivial as a calendar, and mark holidays? And include a picture? How did this picture get created in the 1600's? Engraving I suppose. Yeesh.
The biggest problem for me was the Hangman. What a potentially interesting character. We see parts of his struggles with his role, but in the end his doubts and despair just disappear. He's also a little too perfect. Why are physicians in historical novels always so wise in modern medicine? I can accept a hangman who is well read, understands herbs etc. But he's also apparently the best doctor in what will be called Germany (though these characters refer to Germany which presages Bismark by 200 years). How did he get his hands on the latest, and coincidently the most accurate medical texts in Europe? He is the strongest, smartest, calmest and most advanced person in town.
Finally, the characters were all 1 dimensional. Good or evil or just confusing. Their motivations were weak. Why does the hangman care so much? Why do the villains care so much? How does a little town have so many bailiffs?
In the end, I feel bad for the readers hooked into this thinking it's great historical fiction when there is so many better novels out there.
August 11, 2021
Once I got into this, it was very good. It just took a bit of world building because you have a whole village to get set up in, another time, another culture, well, just like any other new place. I was worried because of this that I would forget who was whom.
Well, there is a guide in the front of major players and really you will get to know those whom matter sooner than later. Don’t let the cast of characters, nor the beginning, nor all the use of German scare you off.
It’s really cool. I had German in college so a lot made sense to me. But the things I needed help on was right there for me. It was like I was transported back into time and into the narrative of this village.
The story involved much mystery, suspense, history, and many unique and quite interesting characters. It was enjoyable & so inspiring that this man wrote the story by researching his own family which actually did contain a village hangman. Just reading about the every day life of the man in this book really gave quite an interesting point of view.
For this story, you just have to have an open mind that wants to learn and a bit of patience. You can’t expect everything to be happening— wow— bang! —splat!!
I was so hoping the entire time as I read along that the mystery would be put together and that all pieces would fit.. I got nervous, but loved the end result.
Recommended.
I’m going to read more of this series!
Well, there is a guide in the front of major players and really you will get to know those whom matter sooner than later. Don’t let the cast of characters, nor the beginning, nor all the use of German scare you off.
It’s really cool. I had German in college so a lot made sense to me. But the things I needed help on was right there for me. It was like I was transported back into time and into the narrative of this village.
The story involved much mystery, suspense, history, and many unique and quite interesting characters. It was enjoyable & so inspiring that this man wrote the story by researching his own family which actually did contain a village hangman. Just reading about the every day life of the man in this book really gave quite an interesting point of view.
For this story, you just have to have an open mind that wants to learn and a bit of patience. You can’t expect everything to be happening— wow— bang! —splat!!
I was so hoping the entire time as I read along that the mystery would be put together and that all pieces would fit.. I got nervous, but loved the end result.
Recommended.
I’m going to read more of this series!
July 15, 2018
I have read some reviews that say this is not about the Hangman's daughter, but about The Hangman (Jakob) & The Physician (Simon). I thought Magdalena played a key role - and I liked the strong female characters throughout the story. The midwives & also Jakob, being thought of as witches by the very same people that come knocking upon their doors after dark for a potion, or to help deliver a baby.
So well described are the people - the "devil with his bone hand" is truly frightening. The detail of the life & times of 1659 is great. The way the Hangman must do horrible jobs, for the whole town, yet no one will make eye contact with the man. Once as he was walking Jakob came upon a cart stuck in the path - he, without being asked put his shoulder to it & freed the cart. No thanks, no offer of would you like a ride since we are going the same way? The stigma of being around a Hangman or his family prevents Magdalena from men because they marry within the profession, and the boys of the family grow up to take over from their fathers.
Simon breaks that & spends time with Magdalena, Jakob with Simon & Magdalena's help try to solve the mystery of the missing & murdered children.
Well written & informative - with great character development.
I started telling my husband about the book - 7 chapters in, he was interested, so I started to read a couple of chapters to him. Then I just could not wait & kept 2 bookmarks in it, I have finished now, but if he wants to know the rest I will read it to him. I have to like a book enough to do that! :)
So well described are the people - the "devil with his bone hand" is truly frightening. The detail of the life & times of 1659 is great. The way the Hangman must do horrible jobs, for the whole town, yet no one will make eye contact with the man. Once as he was walking Jakob came upon a cart stuck in the path - he, without being asked put his shoulder to it & freed the cart. No thanks, no offer of would you like a ride since we are going the same way? The stigma of being around a Hangman or his family prevents Magdalena from men because they marry within the profession, and the boys of the family grow up to take over from their fathers.
Simon breaks that & spends time with Magdalena, Jakob with Simon & Magdalena's help try to solve the mystery of the missing & murdered children.
Well written & informative - with great character development.
I started telling my husband about the book - 7 chapters in, he was interested, so I started to read a couple of chapters to him. Then I just could not wait & kept 2 bookmarks in it, I have finished now, but if he wants to know the rest I will read it to him. I have to like a book enough to do that! :)
June 4, 2019
Very well-researched.
A town in the grip of a witch craze, children gone missing or turn up dead, treasure, torture and forbidden love. This is Jakob Kusil's world where he looms over the town like a dark shadow as he plays the role of the hangman. Can Jakob and his trusted friend Simon solve the mystery and discover the perpetrator before all is lost?
Okay first off, this book was beautifully written. even though it was written in another language originally it translates very beautifully to English. A lot of times when I read books that were originally written in a different language and then translated to English they come out very choppy. Not so with this book.
I found the book astonishingly well-researched for the time period and especially the torture devices mentioned in the book. I also found it surprisingly and delightfully gory which I was not expecting at all.
I got the Kindle version of this book and it is the first book that I've ever encountered that has the animation in it. I think that it was a nice touch because it helps you to envision the scenes a little bit better however the animation and illustrations themselves seemed a little juvenile especially for the content of the book. Perhaps if they would have made them more shadowy black and white figures instead of in color cartoonish characters it would have been more flattering to the story.
There is a lot going on in this book. The storyline in the beginning is like a murder mystery but it does not read like one. Then towards the end you get to treasure hunting. There is just so much going on in this book and it's hard to keep track. I personally think that it is a good read and it does keep your interest however it also falls flat in places because there is so much going on. It's almost like the author couldn't decide where he wanted to go with the book. Because of these things perhaps the book was a little longer than it should have been.
I have one last quirrel with this book and that is the title. Magdalena does not have a big enough part in this book in order to warrant the name of the book itself. I think that she should have gotten a bigger role in the story. this sets the reader up for disappointment because as you are reading you keep waiting and waiting for Magdalena to have a bigger role and unfortunately she never does. Perhaps she does in the series but that still doesn't warrant the first book to brandish her title.
All in all it was a very good and enjoyable read. I really did enjoy it. And I would definitely recommend it to those looking for a good historical fiction.
A town in the grip of a witch craze, children gone missing or turn up dead, treasure, torture and forbidden love. This is Jakob Kusil's world where he looms over the town like a dark shadow as he plays the role of the hangman. Can Jakob and his trusted friend Simon solve the mystery and discover the perpetrator before all is lost?
Okay first off, this book was beautifully written. even though it was written in another language originally it translates very beautifully to English. A lot of times when I read books that were originally written in a different language and then translated to English they come out very choppy. Not so with this book.
I found the book astonishingly well-researched for the time period and especially the torture devices mentioned in the book. I also found it surprisingly and delightfully gory which I was not expecting at all.
I got the Kindle version of this book and it is the first book that I've ever encountered that has the animation in it. I think that it was a nice touch because it helps you to envision the scenes a little bit better however the animation and illustrations themselves seemed a little juvenile especially for the content of the book. Perhaps if they would have made them more shadowy black and white figures instead of in color cartoonish characters it would have been more flattering to the story.
There is a lot going on in this book. The storyline in the beginning is like a murder mystery but it does not read like one. Then towards the end you get to treasure hunting. There is just so much going on in this book and it's hard to keep track. I personally think that it is a good read and it does keep your interest however it also falls flat in places because there is so much going on. It's almost like the author couldn't decide where he wanted to go with the book. Because of these things perhaps the book was a little longer than it should have been.
I have one last quirrel with this book and that is the title. Magdalena does not have a big enough part in this book in order to warrant the name of the book itself. I think that she should have gotten a bigger role in the story. this sets the reader up for disappointment because as you are reading you keep waiting and waiting for Magdalena to have a bigger role and unfortunately she never does. Perhaps she does in the series but that still doesn't warrant the first book to brandish her title.
All in all it was a very good and enjoyable read. I really did enjoy it. And I would definitely recommend it to those looking for a good historical fiction.
July 21, 2017
The Hangman's Daughter (The Hangman's Daughter #1) by Oliver Pötzsch, Lee Chadeayne (Translator) is a very interesting book. I listened to the audio version and the narrator was perfect for this. The world building was wonderful, felt like I was back in time and living in this world. The characters were well developed. The book has suspense, mystery, superstition, murder, and more. I did enjoy this unusual book.
Read
May 29, 2021“If you want to know who is responsible for anything, ask who benefits from it.”
― Oliver Pötzsch, The Hangman's Daughter
Well....congratulate me. My first DNF of the new year!
It isn't that I did not like what I was reading. It isn't that I thought this book was bad. I also am not rating it as I have a rule that I must read 50 percent of the book if I rate. I only got to around 15 percent.
So...I chose not to go on because I am getting bolder about putting aside books I just do not like enough to finish. So many books. So little time!
And this just did not intrigue me enough. If it were shorter I'd have gone on. But I am a pretty fast reader and I felt I'd been reading for HOURS....And still my kindle said 2 percent. Maybe I just didn't like it all that much.
The thing is....it's been on my radar. I love Historical Fiction and hangmen and accusations of witchcraft...sounded great.
The beginning was chilling. I thought I was hooked.
All I can say is so many characters in so little time, story a bit muddled, very slow moving and when I am looking at the clock thinking "how much longer" well then I realize the book may not be for me.
I WAS TEMPTED TO FLIP TO THE END but honestly I'd like to try to read this in the future. I think it is going to take some time so I will choose not to cheat and peak but rather put this aside for another day.
― Oliver Pötzsch, The Hangman's Daughter
Well....congratulate me. My first DNF of the new year!
It isn't that I did not like what I was reading. It isn't that I thought this book was bad. I also am not rating it as I have a rule that I must read 50 percent of the book if I rate. I only got to around 15 percent.
So...I chose not to go on because I am getting bolder about putting aside books I just do not like enough to finish. So many books. So little time!
And this just did not intrigue me enough. If it were shorter I'd have gone on. But I am a pretty fast reader and I felt I'd been reading for HOURS....And still my kindle said 2 percent. Maybe I just didn't like it all that much.
The thing is....it's been on my radar. I love Historical Fiction and hangmen and accusations of witchcraft...sounded great.
The beginning was chilling. I thought I was hooked.
All I can say is so many characters in so little time, story a bit muddled, very slow moving and when I am looking at the clock thinking "how much longer" well then I realize the book may not be for me.
I WAS TEMPTED TO FLIP TO THE END but honestly I'd like to try to read this in the future. I think it is going to take some time so I will choose not to cheat and peak but rather put this aside for another day.
February 21, 2024
Entertaining with interesting details of life in 1600's Germany
At the time of this writing there are already over 3500 reviews on Amazon. I do not see that I can add anything new but my understanding is that more reviews, particularly positive ones, mean more readers. More readers encourage the author to write more. Which would be a good thing. This novel, while, perhaps, not great literature, is a very fine and entertaining historical mystery novel. I look forward to reading more.
At the time of this writing there are already over 3500 reviews on Amazon. I do not see that I can add anything new but my understanding is that more reviews, particularly positive ones, mean more readers. More readers encourage the author to write more. Which would be a good thing. This novel, while, perhaps, not great literature, is a very fine and entertaining historical mystery novel. I look forward to reading more.
October 17, 2017
I broke my own rule about finishing a book if I have read 50 pages of it. I was really bored by this book and saw over 200+ pages to go and had to quit. I really can't read this anymore. Maybe it's the translation. I have no idea. I know that this book has been an absolute chore for me to read for the last 100 pages at least and I am giving up.
June 3, 2019
This book describes a historic time, place, and environment (1660—Schongau, Germany—witchcraft fear) within which a fictional murder mystery plot is placed. In this fictional plot we meet the town’s executioner whose task is to torture a woman to force a confession so she can be burned at the stake for witchcraft. The town officials believe that such an execution will calm down the widespread belief among the townspeople that the woman's witchcraft is causing the death of children and other sorts of bad luck.
The problem is that the executioner knows—and certainly the twentieth century readers of this story agree—that this woman is innocent. Not only is she innocent, she is a friend to orphan children and a midwife and healer for poor people. The executioner, his daughter, and her boyfriend work together to try to solve the mystery of the children’s murder in time to save this poor innocent woman. The plot contains a touch of romance to keep the reader cheering for young love in the face of community disapproval. However, the plot also has aspects to keep the reader fearful for what will happed to the condemned woman. This woman’s prospects appear to be quite hopeless all through the book.
In case the reader isn’t aware how gruesome seventeenth century executions can be, the book’s "Preface" begins with a botched execution that took place in the same town thirty-six years earlier. After being exposed to this initial shocking story the reader is aware that executions in those days were not intended to be humane.
And in case that’s not shocking enough, the reader is made aware of an incident that occurred in this same town two generations earlier in which sixty-one witches were executed—mostly women. It is hinted by the book's narrative that history may repeat itself if the hangman, daughter and her boyfriend are unsuccessful at solving this mystery and stopping the witch hysteria.
At the end of the book there’s “A Kind of Postscript” in which the reader is informed that the author is a genealogical descendant of the historical Schongau executioners.
I read the Kindle ebook version that contains good illustrations. The original book was written in German and translated into English. The author has written a number of sequels to this book that are part of the “Hangman Series.”
One of the reasons I was interested in the book is because I have previously read a nonfiction book about executioners of that era titled, "The Faithful Executioner: Life and Death, Honor and Shame in the Turbulent Sixteenth Century," by Joel F. Harrington .
The problem is that the executioner knows—and certainly the twentieth century readers of this story agree—that this woman is innocent. Not only is she innocent, she is a friend to orphan children and a midwife and healer for poor people. The executioner, his daughter, and her boyfriend work together to try to solve the mystery of the children’s murder in time to save this poor innocent woman. The plot contains a touch of romance to keep the reader cheering for young love in the face of community disapproval. However, the plot also has aspects to keep the reader fearful for what will happed to the condemned woman. This woman’s prospects appear to be quite hopeless all through the book.
In case the reader isn’t aware how gruesome seventeenth century executions can be, the book’s "Preface" begins with a botched execution that took place in the same town thirty-six years earlier. After being exposed to this initial shocking story the reader is aware that executions in those days were not intended to be humane.
And in case that’s not shocking enough, the reader is made aware of an incident that occurred in this same town two generations earlier in which sixty-one witches were executed—mostly women. It is hinted by the book's narrative that history may repeat itself if the hangman, daughter and her boyfriend are unsuccessful at solving this mystery and stopping the witch hysteria.
At the end of the book there’s “A Kind of Postscript” in which the reader is informed that the author is a genealogical descendant of the historical Schongau executioners.
“Supposedly more than sixty executions were carried out by my bloodstained ancestor during the Schongau witch trials of 1589 alone.In other words, this novel’s depiction of a community’s fear of witchcraft is based on actual historical happenings, however the details of this book's murder-mystery plot are fictional.
I read the Kindle ebook version that contains good illustrations. The original book was written in German and translated into English. The author has written a number of sequels to this book that are part of the “Hangman Series.”
One of the reasons I was interested in the book is because I have previously read a nonfiction book about executioners of that era titled, "The Faithful Executioner: Life and Death, Honor and Shame in the Turbulent Sixteenth Century," by Joel F. Harrington .
June 1, 2019
I liked the setting, (small, walled hamlet in Bavaria), the characters (the hangman, his daughter, a physician and the bad guys, to name a few) and the time frame (witch hunts and torture chambers make for interesting reading) but it went really slow for me. I would like to continue with the series to see what happens next with the characters. I'm hoping the next book moves a bit quicker!
An interesting tidbit is that the author is a descendant of the main character, Kuisel, the hangman!
An interesting tidbit is that the author is a descendant of the main character, Kuisel, the hangman!
December 24, 2018
The Hangman’s Daughter
A book I read by accident-
This is because I clicked the right button but in the wrong browser tab and I accidentally bought the Kindle edition of this book when I really wanted was another book by the same author, Der Spielmann, depicting the life of the historical Johann Georg Faustus. But never mind. The wrong decision turned out to be the right one after all.
April 1659. A boy is found dead on the banks of the river Lech near the town of Schongau in Bavaria. Obviously the child was murdered. Tattooed on the boy’s shoulder the good townsfolk find a strange looking symbol which stirs up dark memories. Is it possible that a witch dwells among them? Again? Who you gonna call? Robert Langdon won’t be available for at least another 300 years and the “Büttel” (the policemen, court officials, or whatever you like to call them) are either dumb, drunk, or sleeping on the job. The best man capable of investigating a crime like this would be the local hangman, Jakob Kuisl. He’s smart, experienced, and strong-minded. And above all, he is not superstitious. Unfortunately, he is also something of a pariah. Although tolerated and needed, people rather make the sign of the cross than wishing him a good morning when they see him on the street. For the city leaders, the case is clear from the outset anyway. It was the midwife. Men have always been suspicious of these women, who know about the female secrets. And they know potions and herbs, and they touch other women at indecent spots. They also knew how to remove the fruit in the body, this “gift of God”. Ergo: The midwife is a witch and murderer. Case closed. All that is needed is her confession, under torture when necessary. And this is were Jakob Kuisl comes into play, because torturing is part of his job (other parts include garbage collector and medical practitioner). The hangman doesn’t believe in the midwife’s guilt and secretly conducts an investigation by himself in which he is aided by Simon Fronwieser, who is the son of the town’s physician, and who not only has an eye for the hangman’s impressive library of medical textbooks but also (and mostly) on his eldest daughter Magdalena, a young woman how is as pretty as she is smart. Soon a second child is found dead and things start to escalate…
I wasn’t so much interested in the actual murder-mystery story, although it contains all the necessary ingredients of the genre which makes it exciting and a page-turner. Plus: It contains “the devil” himself – or perhaps not? For me, the description of life (and death) in a city in Germany in the middle of the 17th century, not long after the 30-year war, was the most captivating. Here the author obviously has done his homework and presents the results in a credible way. In an afterword he writes: This book is a novel and not a scientific seminar paper. I have tried to stick to the facts as much as possible. Nevertheless, I often had to simplify for dramatic reasons.
Besides, I never gave much thought on what an executioner actually does when he is not executing. In the book and also on the author’s website you can learn a lot more about this rather strange profession, and also that Jakob Kuisl actually existed and was even a distant ancestor of the author: http://oliver-poetzsch.de/en/die-welt...
Also, I'm generally interested in the 30-year War. Even though it ended over a decade ago, this war still casts a shadow on the people. All protagonists are dragging around their own experiences. In some flashbacks, for example, the euphemistically called “Magdeburg Wedding” is shown in some very brutal images. In general it can be said that the book is not necessarily something for the faint at heart. Right in the prologue, for example, an execution is described which is carried out by the father of Jakob Kuisl (and which fails thoroughly). And then there are the scenes in which the alleged “witch” gets tortured. But here the author also holds back a little, and the violence is clearly not shown for its own sake, but necessary to drive the plot. And those things happened, alas.
Even tough this book has over 500 pages I would have read it faster than I did. After all, the author calls it an “entertainment novel”, and that is true. The prose is not particularly challenging. Nevertheless, I had to take a break every now and then and start my own little researches. Sometimes the most interesting things hide behind the smallest details. For instance there’s a book mentioned called De Materia Medica. It’s a textbook on herbal medicine in five volumes, written between 50 and 70 CE, and still in use in the 17th century (Jakob Kuisl owns a copy). Then there is the Lex Carolina, a.k.a. Constitutio Criminalis Carolina, the first body of German criminal law, published in 1530, in which capital crimes are defined, like murder, manslaughter, etc… but also witchcraft and which also lists the possible death penalties: burning, decapitation, quartering, wheeling, hanging, drowning, impaling, and burying alive. As you can see, the hangman must bring quite a lot of skills. From this I also learned that “peinliche Befragung” doesn’t mean “awkward interrogation” but rather “painful interrogation”, i.e. torture, coming from the word “Pein” = “pain”. Like I said, the devil’s in the details.
There are another six volumes of the hangman’s daughter available (who, by the way, is important here, but not the main character). I don’t think I’m going to read them all, but the second volume seems to be about a Dark Monk. That sounds rather intriguing, especially since the church got away too easy in the first volume, I think.
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported License.
A book I read by accident-
This is because I clicked the right button but in the wrong browser tab and I accidentally bought the Kindle edition of this book when I really wanted was another book by the same author, Der Spielmann, depicting the life of the historical Johann Georg Faustus. But never mind. The wrong decision turned out to be the right one after all.
April 1659. A boy is found dead on the banks of the river Lech near the town of Schongau in Bavaria. Obviously the child was murdered. Tattooed on the boy’s shoulder the good townsfolk find a strange looking symbol which stirs up dark memories. Is it possible that a witch dwells among them? Again? Who you gonna call? Robert Langdon won’t be available for at least another 300 years and the “Büttel” (the policemen, court officials, or whatever you like to call them) are either dumb, drunk, or sleeping on the job. The best man capable of investigating a crime like this would be the local hangman, Jakob Kuisl. He’s smart, experienced, and strong-minded. And above all, he is not superstitious. Unfortunately, he is also something of a pariah. Although tolerated and needed, people rather make the sign of the cross than wishing him a good morning when they see him on the street. For the city leaders, the case is clear from the outset anyway. It was the midwife. Men have always been suspicious of these women, who know about the female secrets. And they know potions and herbs, and they touch other women at indecent spots. They also knew how to remove the fruit in the body, this “gift of God”. Ergo: The midwife is a witch and murderer. Case closed. All that is needed is her confession, under torture when necessary. And this is were Jakob Kuisl comes into play, because torturing is part of his job (other parts include garbage collector and medical practitioner). The hangman doesn’t believe in the midwife’s guilt and secretly conducts an investigation by himself in which he is aided by Simon Fronwieser, who is the son of the town’s physician, and who not only has an eye for the hangman’s impressive library of medical textbooks but also (and mostly) on his eldest daughter Magdalena, a young woman how is as pretty as she is smart. Soon a second child is found dead and things start to escalate…
I wasn’t so much interested in the actual murder-mystery story, although it contains all the necessary ingredients of the genre which makes it exciting and a page-turner. Plus: It contains “the devil” himself – or perhaps not? For me, the description of life (and death) in a city in Germany in the middle of the 17th century, not long after the 30-year war, was the most captivating. Here the author obviously has done his homework and presents the results in a credible way. In an afterword he writes: This book is a novel and not a scientific seminar paper. I have tried to stick to the facts as much as possible. Nevertheless, I often had to simplify for dramatic reasons.
Besides, I never gave much thought on what an executioner actually does when he is not executing. In the book and also on the author’s website you can learn a lot more about this rather strange profession, and also that Jakob Kuisl actually existed and was even a distant ancestor of the author: http://oliver-poetzsch.de/en/die-welt...
Also, I'm generally interested in the 30-year War. Even though it ended over a decade ago, this war still casts a shadow on the people. All protagonists are dragging around their own experiences. In some flashbacks, for example, the euphemistically called “Magdeburg Wedding” is shown in some very brutal images. In general it can be said that the book is not necessarily something for the faint at heart. Right in the prologue, for example, an execution is described which is carried out by the father of Jakob Kuisl (and which fails thoroughly). And then there are the scenes in which the alleged “witch” gets tortured. But here the author also holds back a little, and the violence is clearly not shown for its own sake, but necessary to drive the plot. And those things happened, alas.
Even tough this book has over 500 pages I would have read it faster than I did. After all, the author calls it an “entertainment novel”, and that is true. The prose is not particularly challenging. Nevertheless, I had to take a break every now and then and start my own little researches. Sometimes the most interesting things hide behind the smallest details. For instance there’s a book mentioned called De Materia Medica. It’s a textbook on herbal medicine in five volumes, written between 50 and 70 CE, and still in use in the 17th century (Jakob Kuisl owns a copy). Then there is the Lex Carolina, a.k.a. Constitutio Criminalis Carolina, the first body of German criminal law, published in 1530, in which capital crimes are defined, like murder, manslaughter, etc… but also witchcraft and which also lists the possible death penalties: burning, decapitation, quartering, wheeling, hanging, drowning, impaling, and burying alive. As you can see, the hangman must bring quite a lot of skills. From this I also learned that “peinliche Befragung” doesn’t mean “awkward interrogation” but rather “painful interrogation”, i.e. torture, coming from the word “Pein” = “pain”. Like I said, the devil’s in the details.
There are another six volumes of the hangman’s daughter available (who, by the way, is important here, but not the main character). I don’t think I’m going to read them all, but the second volume seems to be about a Dark Monk. That sounds rather intriguing, especially since the church got away too easy in the first volume, I think.
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July 13, 2023
I may have discovered my perfect vacation read with this series! I remember it being on sale for Kindle, and thinking that a murder mystery set in 17th century Bavaria sounded cool… and then not really giving it a second thought for ages. When we left for a week by the lake, I decided to try and read everything still unread on my Kindle and I was reminded of “The Hangman’s Daughter”. As soon as I was done, I immediately downloaded the second book and devoured that one, too!
In the village of Schongau, the hangman, Jakob Kuisl, leads an interesting life: his work keeps him on the fringe of society, but people discreetly visit him and his daughter Magdalena, as they are better healers than the town’s physician. When a small child is fished out of the river, beaten to death, with a strange mark inked on his skin, people immediately suspect the local midwife. Kuisl know she had nothing to do with it, but he is charged with torturing her until she confesses. When more similarly marked children are found dead and the villagers’ paranoia increases, the hangman, his daughter, and Magdalena’s suitor (ironically, the son of the useless local physician) realize they have very little time to find the actual murderer and bring him to justice to save the midwife’s life.
If I had to review it in four words, I would just say: this was so cool. The description of life in a small German town in 1659 was fascinating, the characters are well-drawn out and the pacing kept me completely hooked. I was so excited when I realized that the author based this entirely fictional story on his ancestor – who was actually a hangman named Jakob Kuisl! So flipping rad! I knew little about this historical period, and was fascinated to learn about the social status of executioners and how their trade actually works. Of course, Potzsch has no idea what his ancestor was actually like, but he made Kuisl into an interesting and layered man, haunted by his past, living his life as honestly as he can, with a strong moral compass. And of course, the spirited Magdalena is just as clever as him - a strong female character that nevertheless remains perfectly believable for the time period.
Obviously, I had so much fun reading this, and I recommend it to anyone who enjoys historical murder-mysteries; you will not be disappointed with “The Hangman’s Daughter”!
In the village of Schongau, the hangman, Jakob Kuisl, leads an interesting life: his work keeps him on the fringe of society, but people discreetly visit him and his daughter Magdalena, as they are better healers than the town’s physician. When a small child is fished out of the river, beaten to death, with a strange mark inked on his skin, people immediately suspect the local midwife. Kuisl know she had nothing to do with it, but he is charged with torturing her until she confesses. When more similarly marked children are found dead and the villagers’ paranoia increases, the hangman, his daughter, and Magdalena’s suitor (ironically, the son of the useless local physician) realize they have very little time to find the actual murderer and bring him to justice to save the midwife’s life.
If I had to review it in four words, I would just say: this was so cool. The description of life in a small German town in 1659 was fascinating, the characters are well-drawn out and the pacing kept me completely hooked. I was so excited when I realized that the author based this entirely fictional story on his ancestor – who was actually a hangman named Jakob Kuisl! So flipping rad! I knew little about this historical period, and was fascinated to learn about the social status of executioners and how their trade actually works. Of course, Potzsch has no idea what his ancestor was actually like, but he made Kuisl into an interesting and layered man, haunted by his past, living his life as honestly as he can, with a strong moral compass. And of course, the spirited Magdalena is just as clever as him - a strong female character that nevertheless remains perfectly believable for the time period.
Obviously, I had so much fun reading this, and I recommend it to anyone who enjoys historical murder-mysteries; you will not be disappointed with “The Hangman’s Daughter”!
January 13, 2020
A medieval murder case in the Bavarian village Schongau, featuring a witch and the devil, is solved by the local hangman.
In the beginning a bit slow, but towards the end really suspenseful.
----------------------------------------
Im bayerischen Schongau des 17. Jahrhunderts wurden etliche Waisenkinder ermordet aufgefunden. Alle haben sie dieselbe geheimnisvolle Tätowierung am Körper. Die gesunde Volksseele weiß natürlich sofort, dass es sich hierbei nur um Hexerei handeln kann und logischerweise muss die örtliche Hebamme die Hexe sein.
Den Machthabern im Stadtrat ist zwar bewusst, dass die Hexengeschichte Unsinn ist, dennoch verfolgen sie das Ziel die Hebamme schnellstmöglich auf den Scheiterhaufen zu bringen. Die einen, weil es politisch opportun ist und dem Machterhalt dient, die anderen weil sie, genauso wie das gemeine Volk, sich gerne an Folterungen und Verbrennungen erfreuen.
Glücklicherweise kann das (unerwünscht arbeitende) Ermittlerteam bestehend aus dem Henker Jakob Kuisl, dem jungen Arzt Simon und der namensgebenden Henkerstochter Magdalena, die Sachlage aufklären und die Verbrecher (beinahe) vollständig ihrer gerechten Strafe zuführen.
In der ersten zwei Dritteln las sich das Buch für mich sehr zäh und ich musste mich regelrecht zum weiterlesen zwingen, gegen Ende wurde es jedoch noch sehr spannend und ich konnte es flott beenden.
Ich fand das Nachwort sehr interessant, in dem der Autor aufzeigt, dass er ein Nachkomme der Henkersdynastie Kuisl ist. Jakob Kuisl hat also wirklich existiert, obwohl der Autor starke Zweifel hat, ob er sich so verhalten hätte wie im Buch beschrieben.
Ich möchte auch noch anmerken, dass ich das Buch zwar als historischen Krimi kategorisieren würde, aber für meinen Geschmack hat der Krimiaspekt hier deutlich die Überhand.
Insgesamt hat mir das Buch dann doch eine Ecke besser gefallen, als ich zu Beginn vermutet hatte.
Ich würde gerne 3,5 Sterne geben, finde aber dass es für 4 doch nicht ganz reicht. Daher muss ich wohl oder übel abrunden.
In the beginning a bit slow, but towards the end really suspenseful.
----------------------------------------
Im bayerischen Schongau des 17. Jahrhunderts wurden etliche Waisenkinder ermordet aufgefunden. Alle haben sie dieselbe geheimnisvolle Tätowierung am Körper. Die gesunde Volksseele weiß natürlich sofort, dass es sich hierbei nur um Hexerei handeln kann und logischerweise muss die örtliche Hebamme die Hexe sein.
Den Machthabern im Stadtrat ist zwar bewusst, dass die Hexengeschichte Unsinn ist, dennoch verfolgen sie das Ziel die Hebamme schnellstmöglich auf den Scheiterhaufen zu bringen. Die einen, weil es politisch opportun ist und dem Machterhalt dient, die anderen weil sie, genauso wie das gemeine Volk, sich gerne an Folterungen und Verbrennungen erfreuen.
Glücklicherweise kann das (unerwünscht arbeitende) Ermittlerteam bestehend aus dem Henker Jakob Kuisl, dem jungen Arzt Simon und der namensgebenden Henkerstochter Magdalena, die Sachlage aufklären und die Verbrecher (beinahe) vollständig ihrer gerechten Strafe zuführen.
In der ersten zwei Dritteln las sich das Buch für mich sehr zäh und ich musste mich regelrecht zum weiterlesen zwingen, gegen Ende wurde es jedoch noch sehr spannend und ich konnte es flott beenden.
Ich fand das Nachwort sehr interessant, in dem der Autor aufzeigt, dass er ein Nachkomme der Henkersdynastie Kuisl ist. Jakob Kuisl hat also wirklich existiert, obwohl der Autor starke Zweifel hat, ob er sich so verhalten hätte wie im Buch beschrieben.
Ich möchte auch noch anmerken, dass ich das Buch zwar als historischen Krimi kategorisieren würde, aber für meinen Geschmack hat der Krimiaspekt hier deutlich die Überhand.
Insgesamt hat mir das Buch dann doch eine Ecke besser gefallen, als ich zu Beginn vermutet hatte.
Ich würde gerne 3,5 Sterne geben, finde aber dass es für 4 doch nicht ganz reicht. Daher muss ich wohl oder übel abrunden.
November 5, 2015
I chose this book because of its being set in Bavaria (a part of Germany I have visited and really like), because of its rather original concept (a hangman as detective), and because of the many glowing reviews it has received. I feel cheated.
Set in the village of Schongau in 1659, it revolves around the death and/or disappearance of several children. Martha Stechlin, the local midwife, is quickly suspected of being a witch and thought to be responsible. Jakob Kuisl, the hangman, must torture her to illicit a confession. He does not think she is guilty and sets out to investigate with the help of Simon Fronwieser, a doctor and would-be wooer of Magdalena, the hangman's daughter.
One major flaw is the characters. There is an attempt to develop the hangman into a round character: he is strong, both physically and mentally. We feel sympathy for him because he possesses a heart of gold despite his occupation which makes him a social pariah in the village. The problem is that he is too good to be true; he is constantly performing last-minute, superhero-type rescues. Other characters also tend to be extremes, extremes of goodness or evil. The chief villain becomes known as the Devil, walks with a limp, and has a large facial scar, skeletal features and soulless eyes. Such stereotypical characters are not credible.
Plotting is awkward. So the reader will not be able to identify the criminal mastermind (sophomorically referred to as Moneybags), many characters are introduced. The author equates confusing the reader with creating suspense. So as to not disclose locations, people speak of meeting "at the assigned place." The ending has all the hallmarks of a poor-quality ending. Even the title of the book is a manipulation because Magdalena is neither a protagonist nor an antagonist.
This book is a translation from the German. It is a deplorable translation, full of modern colloquialisms which are inappropriate to the historical setting. For example, at one point the hangman says, "'If we don't have the true culprit by then, they won't screw around for long, and the midwife will be done for.'" Such linguistic anachronisms jar.
The translator could be blamed for the weak writing, were it not for the needless repetitions throughout. How often does the reader need to be told that the contents of chamber pots were tossed out windows onto the street? The description of "Jakob Kuisl clench[ing] his fist around a rock so hard that the edges cut into his flesh(299)" is followed very closely by further clarification should the reader have missed the point: "He had clenched the rock so hard that its edges had dug into his flesh like knives (301)."
The one positive aspect of the book is the information it provides about life in seventeenth-century Germany. Unfortunately, this information (on such topics as social structure, leprosy, trade practices, and belief in witchcraft)is often delivered in such a way that the book reads like a historical treatise rather than a mystery. The author is a descendant of the Kuisl dynasty of executioners, and, at times, the book seems just a showpiece for the historical research done by Fritz Kuisl, the cousin of the author's grandmother.
To conclude: original concept but poor 'execution'
Please check out my blog (http://schatjesshelves.blogspot.ca/) and follow me on Twitter (@DCYakabuski).
Set in the village of Schongau in 1659, it revolves around the death and/or disappearance of several children. Martha Stechlin, the local midwife, is quickly suspected of being a witch and thought to be responsible. Jakob Kuisl, the hangman, must torture her to illicit a confession. He does not think she is guilty and sets out to investigate with the help of Simon Fronwieser, a doctor and would-be wooer of Magdalena, the hangman's daughter.
One major flaw is the characters. There is an attempt to develop the hangman into a round character: he is strong, both physically and mentally. We feel sympathy for him because he possesses a heart of gold despite his occupation which makes him a social pariah in the village. The problem is that he is too good to be true; he is constantly performing last-minute, superhero-type rescues. Other characters also tend to be extremes, extremes of goodness or evil. The chief villain becomes known as the Devil, walks with a limp, and has a large facial scar, skeletal features and soulless eyes. Such stereotypical characters are not credible.
Plotting is awkward. So the reader will not be able to identify the criminal mastermind (sophomorically referred to as Moneybags), many characters are introduced. The author equates confusing the reader with creating suspense. So as to not disclose locations, people speak of meeting "at the assigned place." The ending has all the hallmarks of a poor-quality ending. Even the title of the book is a manipulation because Magdalena is neither a protagonist nor an antagonist.
This book is a translation from the German. It is a deplorable translation, full of modern colloquialisms which are inappropriate to the historical setting. For example, at one point the hangman says, "'If we don't have the true culprit by then, they won't screw around for long, and the midwife will be done for.'" Such linguistic anachronisms jar.
The translator could be blamed for the weak writing, were it not for the needless repetitions throughout. How often does the reader need to be told that the contents of chamber pots were tossed out windows onto the street? The description of "Jakob Kuisl clench[ing] his fist around a rock so hard that the edges cut into his flesh(299)" is followed very closely by further clarification should the reader have missed the point: "He had clenched the rock so hard that its edges had dug into his flesh like knives (301)."
The one positive aspect of the book is the information it provides about life in seventeenth-century Germany. Unfortunately, this information (on such topics as social structure, leprosy, trade practices, and belief in witchcraft)is often delivered in such a way that the book reads like a historical treatise rather than a mystery. The author is a descendant of the Kuisl dynasty of executioners, and, at times, the book seems just a showpiece for the historical research done by Fritz Kuisl, the cousin of the author's grandmother.
To conclude: original concept but poor 'execution'
Please check out my blog (http://schatjesshelves.blogspot.ca/) and follow me on Twitter (@DCYakabuski).
January 4, 2011
I loved this book. I thought the story of the handman's history was interesting. And the mystery of the killer kept me reading. I was surprised to find out, at the end of the book, the book is based on historical facts for the most part; as well as it being about his family history. We all want to know who our ancestors are; but to find out you can from a long line of hangman would be so shocking.
November 25, 2021
The Hangman’s Daughter is the first in a series of historical mysteries set in seventeenth-century Bavaria, and combines a historical background and characters with a fictional plotline to give us an interesting but intense read.
The book takes us to the town of Schongau, where Jakob Kuisl is the hangman/executioner, having taken over the job from his father, though as the prologue tells us, an incident in his childhood had made him swear off the work. He is also well versed in medical knowledge (from practice and self-education rather than any formal training) and has an enviable library from which the local doctor’s son, Simon Fronweiser (a doctor himself) often borrows books (much to his own father’s disapproval). As the hangman, Jakob is necessary for the town yet feared and seen as bad luck so while people visit him for his medical knowledge, they often refuse to acknowledge him and keep out of his (or his family’s) path. Jakob lives with his wife Anna Marie, oldest daughter Magdalena, and two smaller children, twins Georg and Barbara. While Magdalena is clever and does find some information and clues, it is mostly Jakob and Simon that do the investigating in this one.
The events on which our story focuses—the entire mystery—play out within the space of a week—25 April to 1 May 1659. Our story opens with a little boy, Peter Grimmer, son of a wagon driver, Josef Grimmer, being found badly wounded in the river Lech. While some men pull him out and send for the doctor, by the time Simon arrives, it is too late and the boy is dead. The people, particularly, the wagon-drivers are convinced that this is the work of the Augsburg wagon-drivers for under the arrangements in place, they can carry goods only till Schongau after which wagoners from Schongau alone can carry goods forward depriving the Augsburgers of profit. Also some Augsburg drivers had had a serious brawl with little Peter’s father. But on examining Peter’s body, besides the wounds, a strange mark is found which is immediately taken to be a symbol of witchcraft. Things soon blow out of proportion, and a mob targets Martha Stechlin, one of the local midwives, with whom Peter and other orphan children from town were known to spend time. She is initially arrested for her safety but people are out for blood, and when more of the children from their group are targeted, Johann Lechner, the court clerk decides to try Martha for witchcraft.
As hangman, Jakob Kuisl is in-charge of interrogating (read: torturing) Martha (who has helped bring his own children, besides other village children into the world), and he knows she is innocent. But unless he does his job, he will lose his position and someone else will be called in. Kuisl tries to protect Martha while also buying time to investigate the matter and find out who was responsible. But time is running out for the rumours and superstition are rife and townspeople are demanding Martha be burned at the stake!
This was a rather intense read with the tension palpable all through, but one which kept me reading all the same. Martha is innocent and despite Jakob and Simon, and indeed even the court clerk Lechner knowing it, she is to be subjected to torture and even ‘sacrificed’—it being the only outcome that will satisfy the superstitious (and bloodthirsty) people. While reading, finds oneself tense up, shudder and even feel near ill when poor Martha is mistreated and tortured (Jakob with his knowledge of herbs does help her avoid the pain as far as he can, but even he is helpless on some occasions), and one hopes the solution is found soon. Pressed for time and the urgency to not only find a solution to the mystery but a way for Martha to be absolved of the allegation against her, Jakob and Simon investigate the matter and find themselves pitted against the ‘devil’ himself, a man with a skeleton for a hand, and a lust for torture, who is on the trail of the children. The mystery isn’t a very simple one, and they must work out who is involved and why. The solution in itself was quite interesting, and while for a fair way into the book I could not work out who was responsible, about two-thirds of the way in, one conversation pointed me in the right direction.
Reading the book, I got the impression that the historical events referenced like the horrific witch trials of 1589 in which over 60 women were burnt were real-life (which I confirmed on good old Google later). What I didn’t realise until reading the author’s afterword was that Jakob Kuisl and his family too, were historical characters, and in fact, the author’s own ancestors.
Jakob comes across as a really interesting character, for despite the job that he does (and this was far different from and worse than I realised), he is an intelligent and well-read man and also one full of compassion, more so than the so-called ‘common’ people, and of course, those in power. He uses his medical knowledge to help townsfolk that need it (his job protecting him to an extent from sorcery accusations), and in his job as hangman ensures that the innocent don’t suffer but those that deserve it get their just punishment. What I hadn’t realised before reading this book was that the hangman at that point in time didn’t only ‘hang’ people—death sentences took many forms, from hanging to beheading to burning at the stake, and all of it was his job. Also, he was responsible for torturing people in interrogations and also keeping the town clean of refuse and dead animals. The job carries a heavy burden and Jakob takes to drink before the worst he must carry out, and one feels for him at such times.
Dealing with the time period, and the themes it does, this book does have a lot of torture and violence and quite a bit of it does take place on the page, but I thought the author put it across quite subtly, so it even if one does feel very unsettled, it isn’t to the point to wanting to not read on.
I found this a really interesting read especially for the historical setting and characters. The mystery was an engrossing one as well ends with a mix of fear, excitement and drama.
4.25 stars.
The book takes us to the town of Schongau, where Jakob Kuisl is the hangman/executioner, having taken over the job from his father, though as the prologue tells us, an incident in his childhood had made him swear off the work. He is also well versed in medical knowledge (from practice and self-education rather than any formal training) and has an enviable library from which the local doctor’s son, Simon Fronweiser (a doctor himself) often borrows books (much to his own father’s disapproval). As the hangman, Jakob is necessary for the town yet feared and seen as bad luck so while people visit him for his medical knowledge, they often refuse to acknowledge him and keep out of his (or his family’s) path. Jakob lives with his wife Anna Marie, oldest daughter Magdalena, and two smaller children, twins Georg and Barbara. While Magdalena is clever and does find some information and clues, it is mostly Jakob and Simon that do the investigating in this one.
The events on which our story focuses—the entire mystery—play out within the space of a week—25 April to 1 May 1659. Our story opens with a little boy, Peter Grimmer, son of a wagon driver, Josef Grimmer, being found badly wounded in the river Lech. While some men pull him out and send for the doctor, by the time Simon arrives, it is too late and the boy is dead. The people, particularly, the wagon-drivers are convinced that this is the work of the Augsburg wagon-drivers for under the arrangements in place, they can carry goods only till Schongau after which wagoners from Schongau alone can carry goods forward depriving the Augsburgers of profit. Also some Augsburg drivers had had a serious brawl with little Peter’s father. But on examining Peter’s body, besides the wounds, a strange mark is found which is immediately taken to be a symbol of witchcraft. Things soon blow out of proportion, and a mob targets Martha Stechlin, one of the local midwives, with whom Peter and other orphan children from town were known to spend time. She is initially arrested for her safety but people are out for blood, and when more of the children from their group are targeted, Johann Lechner, the court clerk decides to try Martha for witchcraft.
As hangman, Jakob Kuisl is in-charge of interrogating (read: torturing) Martha (who has helped bring his own children, besides other village children into the world), and he knows she is innocent. But unless he does his job, he will lose his position and someone else will be called in. Kuisl tries to protect Martha while also buying time to investigate the matter and find out who was responsible. But time is running out for the rumours and superstition are rife and townspeople are demanding Martha be burned at the stake!
This was a rather intense read with the tension palpable all through, but one which kept me reading all the same. Martha is innocent and despite Jakob and Simon, and indeed even the court clerk Lechner knowing it, she is to be subjected to torture and even ‘sacrificed’—it being the only outcome that will satisfy the superstitious (and bloodthirsty) people. While reading, finds oneself tense up, shudder and even feel near ill when poor Martha is mistreated and tortured (Jakob with his knowledge of herbs does help her avoid the pain as far as he can, but even he is helpless on some occasions), and one hopes the solution is found soon. Pressed for time and the urgency to not only find a solution to the mystery but a way for Martha to be absolved of the allegation against her, Jakob and Simon investigate the matter and find themselves pitted against the ‘devil’ himself, a man with a skeleton for a hand, and a lust for torture, who is on the trail of the children. The mystery isn’t a very simple one, and they must work out who is involved and why. The solution in itself was quite interesting, and while for a fair way into the book I could not work out who was responsible, about two-thirds of the way in, one conversation pointed me in the right direction.
Reading the book, I got the impression that the historical events referenced like the horrific witch trials of 1589 in which over 60 women were burnt were real-life (which I confirmed on good old Google later). What I didn’t realise until reading the author’s afterword was that Jakob Kuisl and his family too, were historical characters, and in fact, the author’s own ancestors.
Jakob comes across as a really interesting character, for despite the job that he does (and this was far different from and worse than I realised), he is an intelligent and well-read man and also one full of compassion, more so than the so-called ‘common’ people, and of course, those in power. He uses his medical knowledge to help townsfolk that need it (his job protecting him to an extent from sorcery accusations), and in his job as hangman ensures that the innocent don’t suffer but those that deserve it get their just punishment. What I hadn’t realised before reading this book was that the hangman at that point in time didn’t only ‘hang’ people—death sentences took many forms, from hanging to beheading to burning at the stake, and all of it was his job. Also, he was responsible for torturing people in interrogations and also keeping the town clean of refuse and dead animals. The job carries a heavy burden and Jakob takes to drink before the worst he must carry out, and one feels for him at such times.
Dealing with the time period, and the themes it does, this book does have a lot of torture and violence and quite a bit of it does take place on the page, but I thought the author put it across quite subtly, so it even if one does feel very unsettled, it isn’t to the point to wanting to not read on.
I found this a really interesting read especially for the historical setting and characters. The mystery was an engrossing one as well ends with a mix of fear, excitement and drama.
4.25 stars.
September 4, 2019
I loved everything about this book, from the story and characters to unexpected bits of humor and historical details.
November 7, 2011
I liked the last quarter of this book, I struggled with the first three-quarters. I had some issues with the translation. In addition to the flow being off for me in places, there were phrases and words that I had to stop and read again to understand what was meant. In the first half of the book, I found myself skimming large sections of descriptions that did not seem pertinent.
I had a hard time keeping the lesser characters in the book straight, and that was undoubtedly due to my own inability to remember foreign names. It wasn’t that I disliked the book, don’t get me wrong, I think it was well written for the most part.
I thought, because the book was called The Hangman’s Daughter that Magdelena would have played a more important role in the book and/or would have been an exciting character, I found however, that I related much more to her father, the hangman, Jakob. He was by far my favorite.
When I made it to the last quarter of the book, I could not put it down, it was exciting and action packed. I really enjoyed the last of it. I was completely unable to predict how the book would end, which is a trademark of a good read in my mind.
I would say if you are interested in historical fictions that center around witch hunts in Germany in 1660’s, or if you are into the history and lives of executioners in that same time period, then you should definitely check this out.
I want to give this book 3.5 stars, but since I have an affinity for everything witches, I have decided to bump it up to 4 stars for the rating.
I had a hard time keeping the lesser characters in the book straight, and that was undoubtedly due to my own inability to remember foreign names. It wasn’t that I disliked the book, don’t get me wrong, I think it was well written for the most part.
I thought, because the book was called The Hangman’s Daughter that Magdelena would have played a more important role in the book and/or would have been an exciting character, I found however, that I related much more to her father, the hangman, Jakob. He was by far my favorite.
When I made it to the last quarter of the book, I could not put it down, it was exciting and action packed. I really enjoyed the last of it. I was completely unable to predict how the book would end, which is a trademark of a good read in my mind.
I would say if you are interested in historical fictions that center around witch hunts in Germany in 1660’s, or if you are into the history and lives of executioners in that same time period, then you should definitely check this out.
I want to give this book 3.5 stars, but since I have an affinity for everything witches, I have decided to bump it up to 4 stars for the rating.
July 1, 2018
Odličan povijesni roman s glavnim likovima koje još i nismo susretali: gradski krvnik i njegova kći. Da stvar bude još bolje, radi se o precima samog autora!
June 27, 2018
Otkad je svijeta i vijeka, ljudi su uvijek njegovali različite sustave vjerovanja, imali božanstva kojima se klanjaju, ali i zle duhove i demone od kojih su zazirali i nadali se da će ih od njih njihova božanstva zaštititi. Kroz vrijeme su, na temelju tih vjerovanja, nastale razne narodne predaje koje su se prenosile s koljena na koljeno i koje žive do današnjeg dana. Kao što to obično biva na pozornici povijesti, vjerovanja su se iz stoljeća u stoljeće modificirala ili međusobno svrgavala, mirnim ili nasilnim putem.
U jednom takvom procesu nastala je i legenda o vješticama. Prema narodnim vjerovanjima, vještice su bile žene koje su se bavile vještičarenjem kako bi stekle nadnaravne moći, obično u zle svrhe, iako su postojale iznimke bijelih vještica, odnosno vještica koje svoje moći koriste u dobre svrhe. Iako se ustalio naziv vještica, zapravo se radilo o sljedbenicima starih poganskih vjerovanja koja su u uskim krugovima nadživjela pojavu i širenje kršćanstva u Europi i svijetu, stoga je Crkva poprijeko gledala na takve prakse.
Strah od nepoznatog navodio je ljude da vještice optuže za svako zlo koje se u društvu događa, bila to loša godina u usjevima, bolest, ili pak ubojstva. Prečesto je sjena sumnje bačena i na one koji se s vještičarenjem nisu ni susreli, a kamoli njime bavili. Zbog toga su mnoge žene, ali i muškarci, dugi niz stoljeća bili proganjani, mučeni i ubijani.
U takvo jedno društvo, u takvo jedno vrijeme, vodi nas vremeplov Olivera Pötzscha. Radnju svog romana Krvnikova kći smjestio je u 17. stoljeće u bavarski gradić Schongau, koji se u to vrijeme još uvijek oporavljao od Tridesetogodišnjeg rata i njegovih posljedica, kao što su glad, siromaštvo, raznorazne bolesti, djeca bez roditelja i žene bez muževa. Gradić koji, kao da nema dovoljno problema na svojim ulicama, potresa ubojstvo siročića kojem je na ramenu pronađen tetovirani simbol za koji se vjeruje da je vještičji. Vrlo brzo sumnjičavi pogledi usmjereni su prema Marthi Stechlin, primalji kod koje je pokojni dječak bio redoviti gost, zajedno s još nekoliko djece.
Zadatak izvlačenja priznanja mučenjem iz optužene Marthe dobio je krvnik Jakob Kuisl. Krvnik je uvjeren u Marthinu nevinost i želi podrobnije istražiti okolnosti koje su dovele do ubojstva siročeta, no gradski oci, kako bi smirili duhove u gradu, žele njeno priznanje što prije. Jakob se, zajedno sa svojom prelijepom kćerkom Magdalenom i njenim udvaračem, sinom gradskog medikusa Simonom, nađe u tijesnoj utrci s vremenom kada se pronađe leš još jednog siročeta, dvoje ih misteriozno nestane, a u pitanju je još djece koja su vrijeme provodila kod osumnjičene primalje.
Kada u svojim rukama držite knjigu na čijim se koricama autor proziva neokrunjenim kraljem njemačkog povijesnog romana, teško je primiriti očekivanja kako bi se roman mogao doživjeti i objektivno ocijeniti, osobito kad njegova fabula izgleda jako poznato.
Krvnikova kći neodoljivo podsjeća na opus Marije Jurić Zagorke i njezin ciklus Grička vještica. Iako su radnje dvaju ciklusa smještena u različita razdoblja i imaju u fokusu različite likove, veže ih proces koji je kroz više stoljeća obilježio povijest Europe, a to je inkvizicija, progon vještica i sve njegove popratne aktivnosti, uz bitnu razliku da dvorske intrige nisu prisutne u Krvnikovoj kćeri kao što su u Gričkoj vještici.
Koliko god to uvrnuto zvučalo s obzirom na vrijeme i događaje u koje nas vraća, ova vožnja vremeplovom bilo je jedno divno iskustvo. Iako su mnogi likovi i mnogi događaji izmišljeni, Krvnikova kći prava je poslastica od povijesnog romana. Što inače biva kod povijesnih romana, pred njihovim autorima veliki je izazov prenijeti ne samo događaje, već i duh i stanje uma vremena u koje nas vode. Ispit koji je Oliver Pötzsch uspješno položio.
Atmosfera straha koja se stvara pri pojavi naizgled neobjašnjivih događaja, struktura i karakter gradskih moćnika jednog bavarskog gradića, upiranje optužujućeg prsta na temelju smješnih dokaza i procesi koji se provode samo da bi se proveli, pa makar i nedužna osoba bila okrivljena, kao i poneki grozni detalji mučenja, sve su to odlike ovog romana zahvaljujući kojima smo u potpunosti mogli doživjeti inkviziciju koja je nezaobilazna kada se priča o povijesti Europe od 12. do 19. stoljeća. Običaji jednog vremena savršeno su poslužili svrsi u autorovom stvaranju jedne misteriozne atmosfere s primjesama trilera i kriminalističkog romana.
Sam naziv romana, Krvnikova kći, je sam po sebi jako neobičan, s obzirom na zastupljenost naslovnog lika u romanu. Iako smo, kroz radnju romana, upoznati s predivnom Magdalenom, fokus radnje ipak je na njezinom ocu, Jakobu, i njenom udvaraču Simonu. No, njenu pojavu ne valja samo tako zanemariti, jer puno toga je sposobna pokazati iz sjene.
Jakob je, zahvaljujući obiteljskoj tradiciji, nesretni nasljednik krvničkog mača. Konstantno se sukobljava s obiteljskom tradicijom, ali i osobnom prošlošću i duhovima koje vuče za sobom. I koliko god se sukobljavao sa svojom prošlošću, odabire ostati u zanimanju koje prezire iz dubine duše, sve kako bi nastavio služiti društvu koje od njega, zbog njegove profesije, zazire. To vidi kao jedini način da se nevine zaštiti od nepravde, a da oni, koji su to zaslužili, ugledaju lice pravde i njenog suda.
Jakobova kći Magdalena, po svim svojim obilježjima, bila bi klasičan primjer djeve u nevolji i nemoćne djevojke koja je trn u oku društva koje, u strahu od svega nepoznatog, se ne ustručava od stigmatizacije i brutalne osude pojedinaca koji se ne uklapaju u njegove kalupe. Magdalena je djevojka svjesna svoje ljepote, ali i stigme koju nosi kao krvnikova kći. Usprkos opasnosti koju to za sobom povlači, Magdalena koketira i pleše oko vatre odbijajući odgovarati društvenim normama koje su joj nametnute i kalupu koji je za nju oblikovan. Na sveopće zgražanje, poigrava se s društvom i njegovim vjerovanjima zajedno sa Simonom, njenim udvaračem i sinom gradskog medikusa, mladim učenjakom koji dijeli s Jakobom veliku strast prema knjigama o liječenju. Time se Magdalena svrstava uz bok mnogim inspirativnim heroinama koje govore mnogo više od riječi koje su prebacile preko svojih usta.
Krvnikova kći rezultat je istraživanja obiteljskih korijena koje seže u daleku prošlost po kojem je Oliver Pötzsch potomak obitelji Kuisl koja je od 16. do 19. stoljeća bila glasovita bavarska dinastija krvnika. Osim što nam je dao jedan fantastičan povijesni roman s primjesama trilera i misterije, autor nam je dao i dio svoje obiteljske povijesti koju je, na sreću višemilijunske publike, još jednom vratio u život.
U jednom takvom procesu nastala je i legenda o vješticama. Prema narodnim vjerovanjima, vještice su bile žene koje su se bavile vještičarenjem kako bi stekle nadnaravne moći, obično u zle svrhe, iako su postojale iznimke bijelih vještica, odnosno vještica koje svoje moći koriste u dobre svrhe. Iako se ustalio naziv vještica, zapravo se radilo o sljedbenicima starih poganskih vjerovanja koja su u uskim krugovima nadživjela pojavu i širenje kršćanstva u Europi i svijetu, stoga je Crkva poprijeko gledala na takve prakse.
Strah od nepoznatog navodio je ljude da vještice optuže za svako zlo koje se u društvu događa, bila to loša godina u usjevima, bolest, ili pak ubojstva. Prečesto je sjena sumnje bačena i na one koji se s vještičarenjem nisu ni susreli, a kamoli njime bavili. Zbog toga su mnoge žene, ali i muškarci, dugi niz stoljeća bili proganjani, mučeni i ubijani.
U takvo jedno društvo, u takvo jedno vrijeme, vodi nas vremeplov Olivera Pötzscha. Radnju svog romana Krvnikova kći smjestio je u 17. stoljeće u bavarski gradić Schongau, koji se u to vrijeme još uvijek oporavljao od Tridesetogodišnjeg rata i njegovih posljedica, kao što su glad, siromaštvo, raznorazne bolesti, djeca bez roditelja i žene bez muževa. Gradić koji, kao da nema dovoljno problema na svojim ulicama, potresa ubojstvo siročića kojem je na ramenu pronađen tetovirani simbol za koji se vjeruje da je vještičji. Vrlo brzo sumnjičavi pogledi usmjereni su prema Marthi Stechlin, primalji kod koje je pokojni dječak bio redoviti gost, zajedno s još nekoliko djece.
Zadatak izvlačenja priznanja mučenjem iz optužene Marthe dobio je krvnik Jakob Kuisl. Krvnik je uvjeren u Marthinu nevinost i želi podrobnije istražiti okolnosti koje su dovele do ubojstva siročeta, no gradski oci, kako bi smirili duhove u gradu, žele njeno priznanje što prije. Jakob se, zajedno sa svojom prelijepom kćerkom Magdalenom i njenim udvaračem, sinom gradskog medikusa Simonom, nađe u tijesnoj utrci s vremenom kada se pronađe leš još jednog siročeta, dvoje ih misteriozno nestane, a u pitanju je još djece koja su vrijeme provodila kod osumnjičene primalje.
Kada u svojim rukama držite knjigu na čijim se koricama autor proziva neokrunjenim kraljem njemačkog povijesnog romana, teško je primiriti očekivanja kako bi se roman mogao doživjeti i objektivno ocijeniti, osobito kad njegova fabula izgleda jako poznato.
Krvnikova kći neodoljivo podsjeća na opus Marije Jurić Zagorke i njezin ciklus Grička vještica. Iako su radnje dvaju ciklusa smještena u različita razdoblja i imaju u fokusu različite likove, veže ih proces koji je kroz više stoljeća obilježio povijest Europe, a to je inkvizicija, progon vještica i sve njegove popratne aktivnosti, uz bitnu razliku da dvorske intrige nisu prisutne u Krvnikovoj kćeri kao što su u Gričkoj vještici.
Koliko god to uvrnuto zvučalo s obzirom na vrijeme i događaje u koje nas vraća, ova vožnja vremeplovom bilo je jedno divno iskustvo. Iako su mnogi likovi i mnogi događaji izmišljeni, Krvnikova kći prava je poslastica od povijesnog romana. Što inače biva kod povijesnih romana, pred njihovim autorima veliki je izazov prenijeti ne samo događaje, već i duh i stanje uma vremena u koje nas vode. Ispit koji je Oliver Pötzsch uspješno položio.
Atmosfera straha koja se stvara pri pojavi naizgled neobjašnjivih događaja, struktura i karakter gradskih moćnika jednog bavarskog gradića, upiranje optužujućeg prsta na temelju smješnih dokaza i procesi koji se provode samo da bi se proveli, pa makar i nedužna osoba bila okrivljena, kao i poneki grozni detalji mučenja, sve su to odlike ovog romana zahvaljujući kojima smo u potpunosti mogli doživjeti inkviziciju koja je nezaobilazna kada se priča o povijesti Europe od 12. do 19. stoljeća. Običaji jednog vremena savršeno su poslužili svrsi u autorovom stvaranju jedne misteriozne atmosfere s primjesama trilera i kriminalističkog romana.
Sam naziv romana, Krvnikova kći, je sam po sebi jako neobičan, s obzirom na zastupljenost naslovnog lika u romanu. Iako smo, kroz radnju romana, upoznati s predivnom Magdalenom, fokus radnje ipak je na njezinom ocu, Jakobu, i njenom udvaraču Simonu. No, njenu pojavu ne valja samo tako zanemariti, jer puno toga je sposobna pokazati iz sjene.
Jakob je, zahvaljujući obiteljskoj tradiciji, nesretni nasljednik krvničkog mača. Konstantno se sukobljava s obiteljskom tradicijom, ali i osobnom prošlošću i duhovima koje vuče za sobom. I koliko god se sukobljavao sa svojom prošlošću, odabire ostati u zanimanju koje prezire iz dubine duše, sve kako bi nastavio služiti društvu koje od njega, zbog njegove profesije, zazire. To vidi kao jedini način da se nevine zaštiti od nepravde, a da oni, koji su to zaslužili, ugledaju lice pravde i njenog suda.
Jakobova kći Magdalena, po svim svojim obilježjima, bila bi klasičan primjer djeve u nevolji i nemoćne djevojke koja je trn u oku društva koje, u strahu od svega nepoznatog, se ne ustručava od stigmatizacije i brutalne osude pojedinaca koji se ne uklapaju u njegove kalupe. Magdalena je djevojka svjesna svoje ljepote, ali i stigme koju nosi kao krvnikova kći. Usprkos opasnosti koju to za sobom povlači, Magdalena koketira i pleše oko vatre odbijajući odgovarati društvenim normama koje su joj nametnute i kalupu koji je za nju oblikovan. Na sveopće zgražanje, poigrava se s društvom i njegovim vjerovanjima zajedno sa Simonom, njenim udvaračem i sinom gradskog medikusa, mladim učenjakom koji dijeli s Jakobom veliku strast prema knjigama o liječenju. Time se Magdalena svrstava uz bok mnogim inspirativnim heroinama koje govore mnogo više od riječi koje su prebacile preko svojih usta.
Krvnikova kći rezultat je istraživanja obiteljskih korijena koje seže u daleku prošlost po kojem je Oliver Pötzsch potomak obitelji Kuisl koja je od 16. do 19. stoljeća bila glasovita bavarska dinastija krvnika. Osim što nam je dao jedan fantastičan povijesni roman s primjesama trilera i misterije, autor nam je dao i dio svoje obiteljske povijesti koju je, na sreću višemilijunske publike, još jednom vratio u život.
October 18, 2011
There's been a lot of noise lately about Amazon bypassing major commercial publishers and publishing books directly themselves. Based on this deadly dull "thriller," major commercial publishing has nothing to worry about. I have no idea why it's called THE HANGMAN'S DAUGHTER, cause she doesn't play much of a role in the book. I have no idea why the translator of this book was chosen for the job, since he not only has zero understanding of pace but has no feel at all for the time period the book is set in -- 1659. Um, did they have "grammar schools" then? Or wear "trousers?" Or, my favorite -- "if we don't have the true culprit by then, they won't screw around for long..." Man, can't you just HEAR the folks of 1659 and how they talked in that sentence!
The book is about a hangman taking it upon himself to investigate the murders of some orphans in his Bavarian town. He's a wise giant of a man, somewhat troubled by the nature of his job (which also includes torturing suspects in order to get a confession out of them) joined in his search for the murderer by a young physician just starting to question the old ways. Pages and pages of tedious description slow this book down to a halt repeatedly. Nothing about it ever came alive for me. I don't know how much is the author's fault or the translator's fault and I don't care -- both are men of limited talent. The author doesn't even address one of the the biggest stumbling blocks he sets up in the book regarding the desired marriage between the foppish young doctor and the hangman's daughter (laws of the time prevented members of a hangman's family from marrying anyone other than a member of another hangman's family), ending the book without ever resolving it. But it's not like I really cared -- about this, or anyone or anything in this jaw-popping bore of a novel.
The book is about a hangman taking it upon himself to investigate the murders of some orphans in his Bavarian town. He's a wise giant of a man, somewhat troubled by the nature of his job (which also includes torturing suspects in order to get a confession out of them) joined in his search for the murderer by a young physician just starting to question the old ways. Pages and pages of tedious description slow this book down to a halt repeatedly. Nothing about it ever came alive for me. I don't know how much is the author's fault or the translator's fault and I don't care -- both are men of limited talent. The author doesn't even address one of the the biggest stumbling blocks he sets up in the book regarding the desired marriage between the foppish young doctor and the hangman's daughter (laws of the time prevented members of a hangman's family from marrying anyone other than a member of another hangman's family), ending the book without ever resolving it. But it's not like I really cared -- about this, or anyone or anything in this jaw-popping bore of a novel.
March 18, 2021
Are you looking for a Halloween Read? If so, I would recommend The Hangman’s Daughter by Oliver Potzsch. It has been translated into English and was one of the free books given away by Amazon Crossing for World Book Day in April 2019. The Kindle edition is especially fun since it is a Book In Motion. Check out the fun animated video about the book on Amazon.
The Hangman’s Daughter is a whodunnit that takes place in Bavaria in 1659. I am confused by the title since it is not a tale about the hangman’s daughter. She is undoubtedly one of the characters, but the focus is almost entirely on the hangman and a young physician who is in love with the hangman’s daughter. The two men seek to find out who murdered two young orphans, to find two other missing orphans, and to save a midwife from being put to death as a witch.
The other characters include dishonest politicians, ignorant townspeople, suspicious folk from a nearby village, unkind foster families, and evil henchmen, one of whom is so scary he is known as The Devil. This historical fiction novel has intrigue, murder, kidnapping, property damage, and bodily harm. All of this occurs in the midst of a system of beliefs where the hangman and his family were kept outside the city walls for being outcasts; witch hunts were still common; superstitions were believed; medicine was very primitive; and torture was considered the best way to get a confession, even if the accused was not guilty.
Usually, I am terrible about figuring out whodunnit, but in this case, I had made a guess before page 200 and confirmed it before page 320. Even so, the book was an entertaining read and again, would be great for Halloween. It was my bookclub’s July 2019 selection. We even played several rounds of the game Hangman as part of the evening. 4-Star
The Hangman’s Daughter is a whodunnit that takes place in Bavaria in 1659. I am confused by the title since it is not a tale about the hangman’s daughter. She is undoubtedly one of the characters, but the focus is almost entirely on the hangman and a young physician who is in love with the hangman’s daughter. The two men seek to find out who murdered two young orphans, to find two other missing orphans, and to save a midwife from being put to death as a witch.
The other characters include dishonest politicians, ignorant townspeople, suspicious folk from a nearby village, unkind foster families, and evil henchmen, one of whom is so scary he is known as The Devil. This historical fiction novel has intrigue, murder, kidnapping, property damage, and bodily harm. All of this occurs in the midst of a system of beliefs where the hangman and his family were kept outside the city walls for being outcasts; witch hunts were still common; superstitions were believed; medicine was very primitive; and torture was considered the best way to get a confession, even if the accused was not guilty.
Usually, I am terrible about figuring out whodunnit, but in this case, I had made a guess before page 200 and confirmed it before page 320. Even so, the book was an entertaining read and again, would be great for Halloween. It was my bookclub’s July 2019 selection. We even played several rounds of the game Hangman as part of the evening. 4-Star
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