The Dark Monk

A Hangman's Daughter Tale, Book 2

By: Oliver Pötzsch, Lee Chadeayne - translator

Narrated by: Grover Gardner

Length: 14 hrs and 46 mins

Publisher's summary

It is 1648, a small village in the Alps: In the thick of a blizzard,a town priest discovers he’s been poisoned. As numbness creeps up his body, he summons the last of his strength and scratches a sign in the frost that will lead the town hangman, his daughter, and the town physician in pursuit of a treasure of the Knights Templar. But the priest’s murderer is already on their trail, and he’s not the only one after the legendary fortune: a dark monk is not far behind,and a band of thieves is roving the countryside, attacking solitary travelers and spreading panic. The race is on, and the stakes are high.

Delivering on the promise of his first book, Oliver Pötzsch takes readers on a whirlwind tour through the occult hiding places of Bavaria’s ancient monasteries, bringing to life the compassionate hangman - who’s destined to join the ranks of literature’s most beloved characters.

©2012 Oliver Pötzsch (P)2012 Brilliance Audio, Inc.

Exciting!

'The Dark Monk' is the the scariest antagonist in this exciting 1660 mystery series so far! He means business. The dark monk is killing for god, well, also maybe a bit for his own sake, to tell the truth. Templar secrets are involved! It means a hot time is in store for Schongau's hangman, Jakob Kuisl, and his daughter, Magdalena...

Not graphic, but almost. Not a cozy, but almost. Lots of fun, though!

great follow up to the first book

this book is the sequel to the Hangmans Daughter, which I very much enjoyed. This book was equally enjoyable and the performance of the audiobook narrator was excellent. i especially liked his characterization of Jakob Quisel.

its been a few years since I had read the Hangmans Daughter, 7 or 8 now that I think of it. that gap didnt keep any enjoyment from the listening to this book, while I dont remember the details of that book exactly I also dont really need to, this book was its own entity using the same characters, both were a contained story which I appreciate in a continuing story that I may not be able to continue right away

overall I recommend this book and the audiobook

As good as the first.

I am really enjoying this series and I hope they keep coming.

Workman-like

I really enjoyed the first book in the series, but... While the writing was strong enough to keep my interest, there were a number of plot points that had me rolling my metaphorical eyes.

The riddle-to-discover-more-riddles trope is more than a little worn out, as well as trying to force 20th century medical knowledge into a 17th century physician's perspective to make everything work out in the end. The history is pretty well researched, but I have to throw in the pedantic nit about the story points depending on someone or other striking a match they happened to be carrying. Quite the feat, given they wouldn't be invented for another 150 years - and not widely available for a few decades after that.

Grover Cleveland was as impeccable as ever with his naration.

I really like these characters

I also like the timeframe and backdrop for the story. I look forward to more from Oliver....

Story Telling of the highest quality.

Read the Hangman's Daughter first to get a feel for this book.

But even if you dont, this second story in the series will keep you riveted to your kindle or whatever else you use to listen to Grover Gardner, telling Oliver's stories.

I enjoyed every minute!!

Delightful German ambience

As an American descended from 19th century German Catholic immigrants I seldom encounter stories that so completely and lovingly reconstruct this era (circa 1660s) set in Germany. The author strikes a sensitive balance between realistic details and moving the action forward. The main characters are quirky yet likable and their decisions reflect the values and constraints of their societal environment. The plot lines are crafted to hold one’s attention while fully fleshing out the idiosyncrasies of life in Bavaria. The postscript of this second book in the series makes me want to travel to the area. Well done!

Fun and Entertaining

What made the experience of listening to The Dark Monk the most enjoyable?

This was a well written and researched out story. The characters were well developed and individuals with great details.

Who was your favorite character and why?

The Hangman by far!

What does Grover Gardner bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

The impression that you are actually watching and hearing the character's speak.

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

The Hangman's view of life's lessons.

Any additional comments?

After learning the author based the story on far reaching family history it left me appreciating the story even more.

A 17th Century Whodunit and much more

The setting of this story is 17th century Bavaria amidst the backdrop to the Reformation aftermath. Ostensibly, this is a whodunitIt over an unknown secreted treasure hidden away for centuries by some Knights Templar of some renown and it is very good if simply left at that. However, Oliver Pötzsch enhanced the entertainment value by blending in lots of references to the culture of that time which were poignant as one realized how different they were compared to our more enlightened age. He even managed to to inject several Latin phrases and inscriptions in such a way as to make them interesting by having the characters translating them immediately afterward. Grover Gardner did a fine job of narrating the novel, further enhancing its value.

On a side note, One the reasons I choose the added expense of purchasing the WhisperSync (audiobook+Kindle version) feature is that it proves invaluable in determining the correct spelling for whenever I write a review and I was even more pleased to see that Oliver Pötzsch took the time to include a Principal Characters section in the beginning that provided the names and brief description of each of them.

If you enjoy whodunits within a period piece setting, you'll not be disappointed.

The Real Discovery of Penicillin!

I liked "The Dark Monk" better than its predecessor, "The Hangman's Daughter." It tells a better story, and it has fewer horrific descriptions of Midieval torture. (Yes, I know that this story technically takes place during the Reformation, but the people and villages depicted here still seem locked deep in the Middle Ages.) I also liked it better because of Pötzsch's increased inclusion of herbology in this story. Here, Pötzsch speculates about the original discovery of Penicillin, attributing it to one of his characters. Such speculation makes some sense: Practicing herbalists may, indeed, have quietly discovered the antibiotic properties of certain molds prior to Alexander Flemming's official discovery of Penicillium rubens in 1928. With "The Hangman's Daughter," Pötzsch built a tale around one of his real 17th-century forebears: a veritable village executioner. Whodathunk that anyone could make a hero out of someone who tortures and murders for a living? I, personally, find this character difficult to believe -- an executioner with a gentle heart and the gift of healing? However, if you can swallow that premise, then you might like "The Dark Monk," in which the executioner, his daughter, and her lover solve another mystery. And what a mystery they solve: the location and nature of the lost Templar treasure! The narrator, Grover Gardner, also does a better job with this audiobook than he did with "The Hangman's Daughter," using a wider variety of voices to distinguish the characters. He doesn't have very good accents in his repertory, but he makes attempts, as necessary. I hesitate to say this -- because "The Hangman's Daughter" contains a lot of harrowing scenes of cruelty -- but you will probably enjoy "The Dark Monk" better if you have listened to "The Hangman's Daughter" first. You stand forewarned.