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253rd out of 3,225 books
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6,391 voters
The Hangman's Daughter (The Hangman's Daughter #1)
A historical thriller set in Germany, 1660: When a dying boy is pulled from the river with a mark crudely tattooed on his shoulder, hangman Jakob Kuisl is called upon to investigate whether witchcraft is at play in his small Bavarian town. Whispers and dark memories of witch trials and the women burned at the stake just seventy years earlier still haunt the streets of Scho...more
Kindle Edition, 448 pages
Published
December 7th 2010
by AmazonCrossing
(first published 2008)
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Mar 24, 2011
David Mullen
rated it
4 of 5 stars
Recommends it for:
Lovers of historical fiction, thrillers, and mysteries
Recommended to David by:
Amazon.com
Shelves:
historical-fiction
I really enjoyed this historical thriller. It gives us a snapshot into the life of 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...more
27 likes · like · see review
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“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 bel...more
41 likes · like · see review
Feb 07, 2013
Willowfaerie
rated it
3 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
17th-century,
historical-fiction
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'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...more
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...more
17 likes · like · see review
I've given it 50 pages, and this book is so very mediocre, bordering on terrible that I can't give it any more. It has pretty much everything that annoys me in popular historical fiction. The good characters are all so very enlightened and modern--one of them even BATHES and believes in the circulatory system (so he's obviously good). The titular daughter has unruly hair and can READ (so she's obviously awesome). We also get the obligatory chamber pot reference, and did you all know that it was...more
26 likes · like · see review
This was definitely a page turner. I couldn't put the book down at times. The ending moved a little slow. This was the story about the executioner Jakob Kuisl and his mission to save the midwife Martha from a crime that she did not commit. Children were dying and on their backs were a witch’s symbol. They blamed the midwife for being a witch and had her arrested and tortured until she admitted that she committed the crime. Jakob knew that the midwife was innocent. Two children were murdered afte...more
9 likes · like · see review
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.
7 likes · like · see review
This was a good book. One cannot complain at all about lack of description of the venue nor the main characters. The author makes them very real. As well as the gore, which really turned me off. Maybe I should have expected it given the title, but the detail, I felt was a bit over the top. At some point it started to drag for me, maybe because I had figured out the "whodunnit part." Funny thing is "The Hangman" is my favorite character in this novel. It was very interesting as far as being an hi...more
9 likes · like · see review
I enjoyed reading this book. It was easy to read and passed the mechanics of good writing with flying colors. The book is set in Schongau, Bavaria, in the 17th century. The hangman has a special but lowly status in the society of that day. He was born a hangman and will die a hangman. His father was a hangman, and his son will be a hangman. No one likes an executioner, so he is shunned by society.
In this book, the Hangman is intelligent, has a cool head, is physically fit and is faced with the j...more
In this book, the Hangman is intelligent, has a cool head, is physically fit and is faced with the j...more
I really liked this, particularly the detailed depiction of life in a Bavarian town in the 1600s just after the Thirty Years' War, but also for the main character, who is the town's hangman, one in a long line of hereditary executioners. This becomes all the more interesting when you learn in an afterword to the book that the author is himself a descendant of the main character, Jakob Kuisl. And the story is quite good, a multiple-murder mystery that revolves around wrongful accusations of witch...more
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...more
So well described are the people - the "devil with his bone hand" is truly frightening. The...more
5 likes · like · see review
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...more
I had a hard time keeping the lesser characters in the book straight, and that was undoubtedly due to my own inability...more
6 likes · like · see review
This is an incredibly interesting historical novel. You will not regret reading it!
I was skeptical of a book that was originally written in another language (German) and then translated to English. I had been concerned that it would be too literal, that certain turns of phrase would not read well in another language. I had been completely wrong!
Even after purchasing the book, I was undecided about reading it. I gave it the first chapter test. If after one chapter, I did not want to know what hap...more
I was skeptical of a book that was originally written in another language (German) and then translated to English. I had been concerned that it would be too literal, that certain turns of phrase would not read well in another language. I had been completely wrong!
Even after purchasing the book, I was undecided about reading it. I gave it the first chapter test. If after one chapter, I did not want to know what hap...more
Some mild spoilers ahead, but nothing big:
Overall I didn't think this was a bad book while I was reading it, and I still don't. I have to say that to offset what comes below, which is a whole lot of criticism and not very many compliments. The setting was engaging and well-written. It's obvious that Pötzsch has done ample research into what life in a smallish city in mid-1600s Bavaria was truly like. The story flowed fast with no bogged-down sections so it made for a quick read. The pace and the...more
Overall I didn't think this was a bad book while I was reading it, and I still don't. I have to say that to offset what comes below, which is a whole lot of criticism and not very many compliments. The setting was engaging and well-written. It's obvious that Pötzsch has done ample research into what life in a smallish city in mid-1600s Bavaria was truly like. The story flowed fast with no bogged-down sections so it made for a quick read. The pace and the...more
4 likes · like · see review
It's not often I come across a book that draws me in enough to continue reading into the wee hours. This is one of those books. The characters themselves are well developed and multifaceted. The (somewhat dark) story flowed along smoothly with just enough suspense at the end of a chapter to nudge me to keep going and see what happens next. An added touch...my ebook version periodically included black & red illustrations which cast a slightly eerie feel over the tale.
Set in seventeenth century Germany, this novel is filled with vibrant characters and a deliciously twisted villain. Jacob Eisel never wanted to follow in his father’s footsteps as an executioner, and yet that’s exactly what he did. The town fears him, and most people won’t greet him on the street: it’s bad luck to speak directly to the executioner. But Jacob is a kind man who takes pride in his trade and his intelligence. When a child is discovered brutally murdered and bearing the witch’s mark...more
(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 "every...more
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 "every...more
41 likes · like · see review
I liked the author's writing style in this story of midwives, witches, and executioners in 17th-century Germany, but I felt that the book was longer than it needed to be. The author had problems with repeating himself and pacing the story, so some editing would have been useful. On the plus side, I now know several methods of torture with which I was previously unfamiliar.
5 likes · like · see review
Actually reminds me a little of The Name of the Rose, but the main characters are secular. A surprisingly well-written and gripping free/very cheap Kindle find
8 likes · like · see review
Having just returned from touring Germany and visiting a couple of villages in the Bavarian Alps, I found this story set in the 17th century absolutely fascinating. I could picture everything from the ancient church to the painted houses in the elite part of the village.
The characters are all well-drawn and the plot extremely interesting to anyone who loves history and historical fiction. With the author's wonderful descriptions, the whole book comes alive and I was positive I was existing in t...more
The characters are all well-drawn and the plot extremely interesting to anyone who loves history and historical fiction. With the author's wonderful descriptions, the whole book comes alive and I was positive I was existing in t...more
Wow! Great story, and to think it as based on the actual ancestors of the author. I have hard time imaginging what it would be like to look back into your family history and dicover that your ancestors held the job of local executioner! That back in the medival times they were not just the hangman, but the town "torturer" when that was an aceptable means of gaining a criminal's confession!
I have often wondered what my own ancestors did back in Germany, so this book quickly caught my eye. Then I...more
I have often wondered what my own ancestors did back in Germany, so this book quickly caught my eye. Then I...more
Kinda loved this book! One of the best written books I've read in a while. Great sense of place, interesting, well defined characters and a page-turning story line.
I adored the illustrations! I borrowed this on my Kindle now I'm going to have to go buy it because I want to fully enjoy the illustrations and I know I'll re-read it.
The characters:
Jakob - You wouldn't guess it but he's my favorite character. I'm a sucker for a male lead that is the strong, quiet type (a little broody) but also has...more
I adored the illustrations! I borrowed this on my Kindle now I'm going to have to go buy it because I want to fully enjoy the illustrations and I know I'll re-read it.
The characters:
Jakob - You wouldn't guess it but he's my favorite character. I'm a sucker for a male lead that is the strong, quiet type (a little broody) but also has...more
I enjoyed reading about life in a large Bavarian town in 1660 in this recently translated historical thriller from Germany. Although at times I felt the characters behaved in too modern a cultural fashion to be believable, mostly I enjoyed the mystery and growing sense of terror, with a witch hunt ready to break out, and tensions rising as more and more orphan children turn up murdered, and in the troubling economic times, the angry townfolk demand a scapegoat. The hero of the piece is the stron...more
I am torn about this book. I enjoyed it and would have given it at least 3 stars, possibly even 4, up until I'd completed 75% of it. At that point, it seemed to slowly fizzle out, leaving behind the historical crime novel it was to morph into a Scooby-Doo caper, where the bad guys are lurking in dimly-lit rooms, rubbing their hands together and cackling, and the good guys persevere via a combination of wits, dumb luck, and impossible coincidences. It was fairly well written up until that point,...more
Law and Order in the 17th Century Germany. I would really like to rate this a 3.5 as I did find the story interesting but I'm not really a mystery novel kind of guy. What I mean is that like in the other (few) mysteries that I've read, the characters seem required to ignore obvious clues and refrain from asking the important questions that woud significantly shorten the story. Unlike a police procedural where the crime and perpetrator are mostly known and the story revolves around finding the ev...more
Un entretenido thriller de ficción histórica.
"The Hangman's Daughter" empieza un poco flojo, e incluso ya más avanzado pareciera no contar con la mejor de las traducciones, de hecho, el título pareciera no tener mucho sentido. En la realidad la hija del vergudo no pinta mucho en el asunto, son mucho más pertinentes su padre y jovén médico.
A pesar de estos detalles, el relato mejora considerablemente de la mitad en adelante, el thriller revive con mayor pertinencia y los personajes cobran más rel...more
"The Hangman's Daughter" empieza un poco flojo, e incluso ya más avanzado pareciera no contar con la mejor de las traducciones, de hecho, el título pareciera no tener mucho sentido. En la realidad la hija del vergudo no pinta mucho en el asunto, son mucho más pertinentes su padre y jovén médico.
A pesar de estos detalles, el relato mejora considerablemente de la mitad en adelante, el thriller revive con mayor pertinencia y los personajes cobran más rel...more
2 likes · like · see review
I loved everything about this book! I normally don't read something based just on a review I may have read elsewhere but I took a leap of faith with this one and it paid off. I found myself becoming totally invested in the characters of this 17th century world and was sad to see it end. Fortunately I had already gotten his next book, "The Dark Monk", so as soon as I finished book one I immediately started the next one. Already 100 pages in and it's just as good as the Hangman's Daughter.
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it,
click here.
The young author, Potzsch, got interested in his ancestors, the Kuisls, who were hangmen in Schongau in Bavaria. It is a well written book mixing history and some dashes of fiction. My first time reading about a hangman and his work being explored, it was a career, a very unpleasant one which made him and his family like a pariah in the community but a necessary one to keep the order and the law, at the time when the art of healing was often regarded as witchcraft. It is well researched, it real...more
This book was a fun read for me. I didn't love it but I did enjoy reading about life back in the 1600's. I know the title of a book and even the cover is important to me when reading a book but I'm not sure why so many people put so much focus on the title of this book and why the Hangman's daughter didn't play a bigger role in the book. I felt that even though she wasn't in every chapter, she was the reason that some of the events were happening. I don't think Simon would have taken as much of...more
The concept of this book was interesting (wow, I seem to be saying that a lot lately), but there are several things that kept me from giving this four stars, and one big thing that kept it from getting five stars.
The good: the entire plot revolving around obvious misdirection with the belief that witchcraft was the reason for the children's deaths, while the reader learns early on that it's something else entirely (without giving away that something else) kept me glued to my seat as I waited to...more
The good: the entire plot revolving around obvious misdirection with the belief that witchcraft was the reason for the children's deaths, while the reader learns early on that it's something else entirely (without giving away that something else) kept me glued to my seat as I waited to...more
| topics | posts | views | last activity | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ancient & Med...: MAY 2013 (Group Read 2): The Hangman's Daughter by Oliver Pötzsch | 243 | 105 | May 31, 2013 08:50pm | |
| Bookworm Bitches : September 2012: The Hangman's Daughter | 59 | 254 | Sep 30, 2012 12:29pm |
Oliver 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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“And all because of a mistaken concept of compassion!”
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“Life went on, despite all the dying.”
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