Jakob Kuisl is the hangman in the small Bavarian town of Schongau in 1659. It’s a shunned profession, so Jakob and his family: wife Anna Maria and their three children live outside the town walls. His daughter Magdalena, clever and headstrong, is destined to marry the son of another hangman, even though the son of the town’s physician, Simon Fronweiser, is in love with her.
While practicing his trade, Jakob has learned quite a bit about the human body as well as about how some potions can ease suffering. His knowledge is valued by some of his neighbours, who’d rather seek advice from him than other healers – even though visiting the hangman is believed as bringing bad luck.
The Thirty Years’ War has finally ended, and although witchcraft is feared, there’s been no mass hysteria about it for many years. Until a drowning and badly injured boy is pulled from the nearby Lech River. He has been tattooed with what the villagers believe is the mark of a witch, and they suspect Martha Stechlin, the local midwife.
‘None of this makes sense!’
Jakob Kuisl is charged with extracting a confession from Martha Stechlin, and is expected to torture her until he obtains it. Jakob believes that Martha is innocent, and he, Magdalena and Simon set out to identify the real killer. It’s approaching Walpurgisnacht (when witches are reputed to meet and celebrate) when another dead, tattooed child is found. The town is in a frenzy: especially as a number of people have reported seeing a man (surely the devil!) with a hand made only from bones. And, surely Martha is innocent as she was imprisoned when the second child’s body was found?
‘Have you lost all your senses, or what? Don’t you realize there’s a murderer at large?’
So, who is killing these children, and why? Will Jakob, Simon and Magdalena be able to solve the mystery before mass hysteria reigns supreme?
This novel takes the reader straight into a 17th century world in which superstition is rife and in which fear is easily invoked. I really enjoyed this story, both for the 17th century setting and especially for the character of Jakob Kuisl. I was intrigued to learn that Oliver Pötzsch is descended from the Kuisl family and that Jakob (and other family members in the novel) were real people.
There are other novels in the series as well: I’m working my way through them.
Jennifer Cameron-Smith

The Hangman's Daughter
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Oliver Pötzsch
(Author),
Grover Gardner
(Narrator),
Lee Chadeayne - translator
(Author),
Brilliance Audio
(Publisher)
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©2011 Oliver Pötzsch, Lee Chadeayne (translation) (P)2011 Brilliance Audio, Inc.
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Product details
Listening Length | 12 hours and 57 minutes |
---|---|
Author | Oliver Pötzsch, Lee Chadeayne - translator |
Narrator | Grover Gardner |
Whispersync for Voice | Ready |
Audible.com.au Release Date | 02 August 2011 |
Publisher | Brilliance Audio |
Program Type | Audiobook |
Version | Unabridged |
Language | English |
ASIN | B00NTQ8YPU |
Best Sellers Rank |
45,576 in Audible Books & Originals (See Top 100 in Audible Books & Originals)
4,108 in Mysteries (Audible Books & Originals) 20,163 in Mysteries (Books) |
Customer reviews
4.2 out of 5 stars
4.2 out of 5
4,107 global ratings
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Lindy
5.0 out of 5 stars
Five Stars
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 11 April 2015Verified Purchase
brilliant audiobook.

KRP
4.0 out of 5 stars
Enjoyed this book, looking forward to reading the next in the series.
Reviewed in Canada on 4 December 2018Verified Purchase
I have enjoyed this book, I enjoy reading historical fiction and the story is nicely paced with interesting characters. The settings and story are nicely translated from the original German, although I do agree with another reviewer that some words used during dialog in the story are more modern than what might be used during the medieval period, however, this didn't bother me. One item of note that the Kindle in Motion feature doesn't work with the basic Kindle E-reader, you will not see any visual media.
2 people found this helpful
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Sher_Monty
4.0 out of 5 stars
A promising start to a historical series.
Reviewed in Canada on 21 July 2019Verified Purchase
I usually find that historical fiction tends to get bogged down in a lot/too much detail like the author wants to provide proof of all the research they did for their story. In this case, that is not true. The details were actually interesting/fascinating and kept me going even through some slower parts where the pacing I think was to blame. Still looking forward to the rest of the series and where the author is going to take these characters.
One person found this helpful
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Amanda Pereira
2.0 out of 5 stars
Way too long.
Reviewed in Canada on 21 January 2016Verified Purchase
I had such a hard time trying to get through this book, but I had resolved myself: I bought it, I sure as heck had to get through it. It took me almost a month to get through this, I could only read it in short spurts: while the preview had drawn me in, the pacing of this story was slow, and inundated with useless details. The plot became predictable quickly and it could have afforded to be about 200 pages shorter than it's length.
4 people found this helpful
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michellesiew
4.0 out of 5 stars
Indiana Jones and Miss Marple rolled into one!
Reviewed in Canada on 30 December 2012Verified Purchase
Despite the title of the book, there is remarkably little gore or horror that one would expect from a story about a professional executioner in 17th-century Germany. Rather, this is a good old-fashioned crime novel, with the hangman's profession and 17th-century setting being used as a backdrop to create more interesting plots and characters. The hangman himself is an Indiana Jones-type of character - warrior, scholar, moralist.
The plot is fast-paced and engaging right from page one, and the author has created an assembly of characters encompassing those that you would love to hate, and also those you would hate to love. I have just finished reading the second Oliver Potzsch novel, and look forward to reading his third and latest...
The plot is fast-paced and engaging right from page one, and the author has created an assembly of characters encompassing those that you would love to hate, and also those you would hate to love. I have just finished reading the second Oliver Potzsch novel, and look forward to reading his third and latest...
12 people found this helpful
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