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The Hangman's Daughter

(Die Henkerstochter - The Hangman's Daughter Series #1)

Oliver Pötzsch (Goodreads Author),

Lee Chadeayne (Translator)

3.74 · Rating details · 76,821 ratings · 6,470 reviews

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 fin ...more

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Paperback, 435 pages

Published June 12th 2012 by AmazonCrossing (first published March 13th 2008)

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Nov 27, 2012 Jeffrey Keeten rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: historical-fiction

“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

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Jan 22, 2011 Stacey rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: my-review-or-notes, my-library-ebook

(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

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Feb 04, 2019 Adina rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: historical-mistery, germany

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 ...more

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Jun 26, 2012 Julie rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: mystery-shelf

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 ...more

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Mar 24, 2011 David Mullen rated it really liked it · review of another edition

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 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 ...more

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Jan 09, 2013 Willow rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: historical-fiction, 17th-century

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.

Un 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.

...more

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Jul 10, 2018 Michael rated it really liked it · review of another edition

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 mys ...more

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May 16, 2012 Joel Margolese rated it it was ok · review of another edition

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 anachronis 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.

...more

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Jan 14, 2016 S. rated it really liked it

Shelves: mystery-crime-detectives-sleuths, series, drama, again-please, want-to-get, have-own, borrowed, 1001-i-d-like-to-read, br, history

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 ...more

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Jul 04, 2012 Linda (Miss Greedybooks) rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: herbology, historical-fiction, mystery-suspense, favorites

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 ...more

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Jun 03, 2019 ✨Bean's Books✨ rated it really liked it · review of another edition

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 Engl 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. ...more

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Jul 21, 2017 Montzalee Wittmann rated it really liked it · review of another edition

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. ...more

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Jan 27, 2021 Bren fall in love with the sea. added it · review of another edition

Shelves: skimmed-to-finish-or-unfinished, better-or-worse-than-expected, dark-and-heavy, read-and-reviewed, historical, literary-fiction, cultural, mystery, historical-mystery, need-to-read-again-before-rating

“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 f ...more

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Oct 17, 2017 Gary rated it did not like it · review of another edition

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. ...more

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Jun 02, 2019 Clif Hostetler rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: historical-fiction

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 sort 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.

“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 . ...more

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Jun 01, 2019 Melanie rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: mystery-thriller-i-own

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! ...more

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Dec 19, 2018 Matt rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: treacherous-young-witches

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 th ...more

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Mar 11, 2012 Doreen rated it did not like it · review of another edition

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 he 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). ...more

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Jan 04, 2011 Carol rated it it was amazing

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. ...more

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Nov 25, 2021 Lady Clementina ffinch-ffarowmore rated it really liked it · review of another edition

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 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.

...more

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Sep 03, 2019 Melinda Leigh rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

I loved everything about this book, from the story and characters to unexpected bits of humor and historical details.

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Sep 28, 2011 Lyndz rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: own, witches-wizards, reviewed

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

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Oct 18, 2011 Ann Collette rated it did not like it · review of another edition

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 ...more

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Jul 07, 2019 Kerrin rated it really liked it · review of another edition

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 hangm ...more

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Nov 18, 2013 Carmen rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Recommends it for: Anyone

Shelves: fiction, mystery, he-says, traditionally-published

This story takes place in Bavaria in 1659. It is not really that much about the hangman's daughter, than it is about the hangman and the young physician in the town. There is a lot about torture and death that is a little uncomfortable to read about. But overall it was gripping and had compelling characters. (view spoiler) ...more

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Oct 27, 2012 Becky rated it did not like it · review of another edition

Shelves: reviewed, 2016, made-my-eyes-bleed, historical-fiction, mystery-and-thrillers, disappointing, ebook_kindle

"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. So begins The Hangman's Daughter--the chillingly detailed, fast-paced historical thriller[...]"

I think it was set in Germany, somewhere around 1660 (who's counting?), but otherwise, the description for this book is full of lies. The mark wasn't "tattooed" crudely or otherwise, it was drawn in freaking berry juice. "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. So begins The Hangman's Daughter--the chillingly detailed, fast-paced historical thriller[...]"

I think it was set in Germany, somewhere around 1660 (who's counting?), but otherwise, the description for this book is full of lies. The mark wasn't "tattooed" crudely or otherwise, it was drawn in freaking berry juice. Sure, it's a mark on the skin, but a tattoo is NOT just any mark on the skin. That's like saying that Kool-aid mustaches are tattoos. Dramatic much?

Next, Jakob Kuisl wasn't "called upon" to investigate anything. He was told to torture a confession out of a woman, whether she was guilty or not, because it was the most expedient resolution. He took it upon himself to investigate, and was repeatedly told to STOP investigating by the town authorities.

Then, the title. The Hangman's Daughter. Why is that the title? What does she have to do with the story at all? Nothing. The answer is nothing. She was a character in it, sure, but not an important one, and if she'd been removed from the story, it would have been just as boring, but wouldn't have suffered any other way. She added nothing to the story. She didn't help figure out the mystery. She didn't progress the plot. She was there as a "star-crossed" love interest to one of the main characters, and as a convenient way to piss off daddy. The title was probably just chosen because being someone's daughter in book titles was all the rage a few years back and it was a way to fit in with what all the other cool books were doing.

Finally, this "the chillingly detailed, fast-paced historical thriller" was anything but. I have never been so bored by innumerable descriptions of torture methods and witch hunts. Everything was repeated over and over and over again. The same thing, sometimes two or three times in a row, just different ways, as though the reader just couldn't quite get the point the first time. Filler, filler, filler.

I'm annoyed because I'd heard many great things about this series, and I'd actually bought the second and third books in the series when I saw them at a booksale... and now they will be going right back out in the donation pile, because getting through one book was tedious enough. I'm not going to put myself through that two more times.

I can't really think of anything that I liked about this book. The characters were all super flat, the dialogue was stilted and cliche, the writing was awkward (though in fairness, that could be due to the fact that it's a translation), and the plot was sooooooooo boring.

Yup, that about sums it up. That's all I got. ...more

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Jul 20, 2011 Tim The Enchanter rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: 4-5-stars, my-ebooks, mystery, historical-fiction, favorite-books-of-2013, 2013-top-10

My #10 Favorite read of 2013

A superb 4.5 Stars

An excellent historical fiction mystery. The background is German town in 1659. Our two major players are the intelligent and kind-hearted town hangman/torturer/street cleaner and a young, questioning Doctor with an inquisitive mind.

I am a bit of a Historical Fiction snob. Traditionally, it has been my favorite genre. When I read a new HF, I have a hundred others to which it is compared. As a mystery, this book works exceptionally well. The story My #10 Favorite read of 2013

A superb 4.5 Stars

An excellent historical fiction mystery. The background is German town in 1659. Our two major players are the intelligent and kind-hearted town hangman/torturer/street cleaner and a young, questioning Doctor with an inquisitive mind.

I am a bit of a Historical Fiction snob. Traditionally, it has been my favorite genre. When I read a new HF, I have a hundred others to which it is compared. As a mystery, this book works exceptionally well. The story is unveiled just slow enough to keep you interested and the author seamlessly weaves multiple storylines throughout this compelling novel. The characters are delightfully nuanced and entertaining and the villains are equally interesting and colorful.

As a historical fiction novel, it is about a 4 of 5. The novel succeeds in painting a picture of the fears and prejudices of an earlier time. From the idea that torture will bring about a true confession, the seemingly ridiculous medical practices, to fear and panic that filled a town when a rumour of witchcraft started to spread. The fear of the townspeople was palpable and irrational conclusions they drew from any "ominous" happening in the town was insightful. The author clearly did his research.

Where the book was less successful was in making the reader feel as if he was in an ancient locale. At times, the mannerisms and speech was modern. Granted this was translated and it may have played a role in this opinion. Additionally, the author did not do enough to immerse you in the culture as it would have been. Elements of the culture were certainly present, from the ruling class, the "trials" to the use of a hangman. In the end, this was minor and did impact in a large way on my rating. As a side note, I do not understand why it is called the Hangman's Daughter. While she was certainly a character, it was a minor role. That said, she was as entertaining as the rest.

I added this book to my To-Read pile quite some time ago when I heard the buzz for the book. It certainly lived up the buzz and it give it my highest recommendation. ...more

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Jan 19, 2021 Ozymandias rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: fiction-german, fiction-early-modern, historical-fiction, mystery

I have a real love of those areas of history which get so often passed over, at least in the English-speaking world. One of those areas that gets ignored far more than it ought to is the Holy Roman Empire. This was the big state of Medieval and Early Modern Europe Europe, yet apart from Charlemagne and maybe Frederick Barbarossa it barely gets mentioned in the textbooks. But think for a second - this was where Johannes Guttenberg first printed the Bible and created the mass media Europe needed t I have a real love of those areas of history which get so often passed over, at least in the English-speaking world. One of those areas that gets ignored far more than it ought to is the Holy Roman Empire. This was the big state of Medieval and Early Modern Europe Europe, yet apart from Charlemagne and maybe Frederick Barbarossa it barely gets mentioned in the textbooks. But think for a second - this was where Johannes Guttenberg first printed the Bible and created the mass media Europe needed to expand. This is where the Protestant Reformation happened. Where witch trials and Faustian bargains came from. Not to mention people like Bach and Mozart. And yet quirky old England gets the focus for most of the Middle Ages! I do get why people struggle to depict it. The Holy Roman Empire was a notoriously byzantine patchwork of principalities and overlapping rights. But that's exactly what makes it so interesting. I think people also tend to view German history with suspicion after the whole you-know-what. And that is, perhaps, why it takes a German writer to put the work into making sense of it.

I loved this book. Absolutely loved it. It really captures the feel of living in a 17th-century small German town. Everyone knows everyone, the town leaders are all deeply conservative and focused on avoiding social disruption, the people are ignorant and superstitious, and women too far from the norm are treated as witches. The town is almost a character of its own, with every part of the town given a different character. The self-interested focus on small-town affairs and the fear and isolation that comes from being surrounded by forests felt very real. And the characters are great too. Jakob Kuisl is the town hangman - a former soldier who took up his father's role and does the jobs nobody wants to do with compassion and a sense of duty. Simon Fronwieser is the son of the local doctor and really shouldn't let himself have a crush on the eponymous hangman's daughter... who's barely in the book. Honestly, I've no idea why the book's named after her. It's not that she never does anything, but she's a distant third in terms of how often we see her POV. Maybe future books will make sense of it.

One thing that really impressed me was how realistic it all was. Historical mysteries do not exactly have the finest record when it comes to plausibility. Pick up any medieval murder mystery and you'll sooner or later end up with a lot of people concerned over abstract notions of justice that won't be in vogue until the 19th century at the earliest and using methods you're only just finding in the 20th. Here, Kuisl is worked up over solving the case, but it's because he knows the woman. He is the town hangman, which means he executes people (often in brutal fashion) and tortures them for information. As he does here to a woman he knows to be innocent. It's a nice dose of unpleasant realism and someone from such a shunned profession is exactly the sort of person you'd expect to find breaking the rules of society in such a rewarding way (for the modern reader).

The mystery at the heart of the story is very good too. I confess, it's not the deepest of riddles. I had most of it figured out well before the halfway point. But the gradual reaching of a conclusion was well handled and the end avoids the level of melodrama that these kinds of historical mysteries usually end up with. Having said that, that's only true because of how low the bar has been set by the genre. It's plenty melodramatic. Better perhaps to just say that it fits.

The book isn't flawless. The author relied on the old "but little did he know there was someone watching him from the shadows" line a few too many times. When you know you're being stalked by villains who've already murdered several children you'd think you'd keep a better eye out for trouble. Plus, how come nobody notices a man with a skeletal hand except when he strikes? Small town like this you'd expect people to be all agog at any mysterious strangers. Especially ones following the same people like once every three chapters. It also seemed a bit too quick to dissolve into a major witchhunt. By 1659 the mania for burning witches had passed and aldermen were a bit more skeptical of such things. Not that they didn't burn them still, but the ease with which this is set to dissolve into a moral panic seems a bit too quick.

The other element you have to consider with any book published in a foreign language is the translation. Translations are always difficult and this book inevitably suffers from some of the inevitable problems. Every translator faces a choice - do you try to translate everything literally, leaving people struggling to make sense of it? Or do you try to capture the sense of the book, possibly mutilating what's actually so badly it barely matches? This book errs on the side of the second approach. I never read a sentence and had to go back and check whether I understood it properly, although sometimes I did find a word choice here or there odd. That said, the text feels rather plain for a story that seems like it should be dripping atmosphere. The translation is definitely several steps above simply competent, but I can't help but wonder what has been lost in the process of undeutschifying.

I loved this book but I'm surprised it has become as popular as it clearly has. To me it feels like the sort of niche book I get really excited about while everyone else just nods politely as their eyes glaze over. It has chosen a very interesting setting and fills it with some good characters and a very real feel for the society and lifestyle of the period. It works fine as a mystery, but it's really the world that makes it so enjoyable. Highly recommended. ...more

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May 15, 2012 Terri rated it really liked it

Shelves: historical-fiction, europe-fiction

The Hangman's Daughter held a surprise in its pages for me. It was not an immediate surprise and it took some time for it to actually dawn on me. It came late in the book. About two thirds of the way through, and despite what you may be thinking, no, it had nothing to do with the mystery or the 'hook' or the whodunnit. The surprise came in the form of the history and how the author's research had been inserted within the story.

I knew how important the research was to this author, as I was lucky The Hangman's Daughter held a surprise in its pages for me. It was not an immediate surprise and it took some time for it to actually dawn on me. It came late in the book. About two thirds of the way through, and despite what you may be thinking, no, it had nothing to do with the mystery or the 'hook' or the whodunnit. The surprise came in the form of the history and how the author's research had been inserted within the story.

I knew how important the research was to this author, as I was lucky enough to interview Oliver Potzsch before I started the book (http://ancientandmedievalmayhem.blogs...) and I am glad that I knew that and had experienced his love for his research and his charatcers, because you truly can tell that he will do whatever it takes to build scene and create his world for the reader.

The book itself was not a flawless article for me. It had its flaws to be sure. But where a few things let it down (in my personal opinion) it was the way the author captured his research inside the story that made me not only think, but to seek out others to discuss my thoughts. The surprise of the book was, that it was entirely thought provoking.

It was not just another flacid historical mystery, with a quirky or morose protaganist, a cunning villain, a handful of suspects, a gruesome crime or two and a sinister motive. It did have those of course, since it was a historical mystery in its essence - but this book was an education for someone like me who is not from the part of the world this book was set in. Bavaria, near Augsburger, at the end of the brutal Thirty Years' War.

The book made me think about this village and the dynamic of its people. Made me care about its future. I was interested in the way the society interacted with each other and with neighbouring villages, especially in light of the closing of the Thirty Years' War and the atrocities committed as part of it. Of note, the horrors attended most enthusiastically upon Magdeburg.

Then there was the witchcraft and the witch hunts of the Seventeenth century. The fear of witches, religion, both having to coexist alongside cultures where medicines were still of the earth. Where one was likely to be asked to heal one day with plant roots and poultices and then accused of witchcraft for it the next.
They were frightening times in these areas of Germany and that comes through strongly in the book.

The flaws I mentioned. The translation started out excellently. Hard to believe I was even reading a translation. But it was not always to be this way and in the second half of the book I feel the translation was not as good, or the author was not writing as well as he had in the beginning. Without having a grasp of the German written word so that I can read the original non-translated version, I guess I will never know whether it was the author or the translator who weakened in the second half.

The book isn't really about The Hangman's Daughter, so you should not go into it expecting too much of that character. The book is mostly a book about the Hangman, Jakob Kuisl, and the Doctor, Simon Fronwieser.

A final complaint if I may without undermining the good rating I gave the book? The mystery was dragged out and the book could have done with some shortening.
Still, all said and done, I give this book a 4 star rating out of 5. Not neccessarily for the story or the writing itself, but for the magical job Oliver Potzsch did on creating this world and setting his scenes.

...more

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Mar 19, 2017 Johanna rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: historical, crime-thriller

I've been reading too much fantasy lately and needed a break … so I decided to read a historical crime fiction involving witches … yeah … in my head that made a lot more sense.
First let me mention a little complaint here. Despite being titled The Hangman's Daughter … this book isn't actually about the hangman's daughter. Of the 500 pages and multiple POV's maybe 50 were from Magdalena's POV (the titular hangman's daughter), which is only slightly more than the wrongfully accused midwife. The act ...more

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About Oliver Pötzsch

Oliver Pötzsch

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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.