The Hangman's Daughter

A Hangman's Daughter Tale, Book 1

By: Oliver Pötzsch, Lee Chadeayne - translator

Narrated by: Grover Gardner

Length: 12 hrs and 57 mins

Publisher's summary

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 Schongau. When more children disappear and an orphan boy is found dead - marked by the same tattoo - the mounting hysteria threatens to erupt into chaos.

Before the unrest forces him to torture and execute the very woman who aided in the birth of his children, Jakob must unravel the truth. With the help of his clever daughter, Magdelena, and Simon, the university-educated son of the town’s physician, Jakob discovers that a devil is indeed loose in Schongau. But it may be too late to prevent bloodshed.

A brilliantly detailed, fast-paced historical thriller, The Hangman’s Daughter is the first novel from German television screenwriter Oliver Pötzsch, a descendent of the Kuisls, a famous Bavarian executioner clan.

©2011 Oliver Pötzsch, Lee Chadeayne (translation) (P)2011 Brilliance Audio, Inc.

Expected more

Though the book started strong, it soon turned into a typical B-grade mystery, complete with convenient escapes from every situation. The Devil could have been an interesting character, but his motives were unconvincing. The Hangman could have also been an interesting character, but everything came so easily for him that you almost wanted him to struggle every once in a while. The biggest letdown? The book really didn't center on the Hangman's daughter at all. She was a minor character who was never really developed and played almost no part in the resolution of the mystery.

Surprised

I really liked this story. The narration was a bit dry but I did appreciate the pronunciation of unfamiliar German words. I thoroughly enjoyed the character of The Hangman.

Haunting

A great mystery from the past. I thought the book was an accurate account of the torture practices of a hangman. I loved the story and the narration. The only downside was the names of the characters. Some were so similar, that it was hard to keep up with.

Great Read

I stumbled across this series and have loved it from the beginning. The narrator is awesome as well as the story line. Can't wait to listen to all 6 books!

The Hangman's daughter

I did enjoy this book. It was well narrated and the story kept me interested

takes you back in time

very vivid description . Needed editing ,as description (while excellent) ,was tedious in places. The plot was clever,intricat, and exciting. Will take me awhile to read another one by this author due to editing problem but will be back for more in the future.

Graphic but to its era.

If you could sum up The Hangman's Daughter in three words, what would they be?

Intriguing, Dark, Perplexing

Would you be willing to try another book from Oliver Pötzsch and Lee Chadeayne (translator) ? Why or why not?

Yes, planning to try Book two of the series. I like the book overall but feel this story is a tad long to get to the end and is easy to loose focus on the book as you are doing other things. I wish it had more hook or draw one might say.

What aspect of Grover Gardner’s performance would you have changed?

Nothing! It was refreshing to here the accent with using the languages in the book.

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

None at all I'm sad to say, BUT It is quite gory and for some that can give an extreme reaction. For me it bothers me none as my genre of choice is murder, gore, mentally ill. I am also working towards volunteer coroner here at home so not much in that environment disturbs me.

Any additional comments?

My main issue in this story is the last names of the characters all sounded similar making it difficult to follow along. there were also alot of characters that played key roles but were not elaborated on so when they were brought up a second time you had to try and remember who they were.

Couldn't Stop Listening

If you could sum up The Hangman's Daughter in three words, what would they be?

A riveting mystery.

What was one of the most memorable moments of The Hangman's Daughter?

The search for the girls in the tunnels. The hangman fighting with the devil in such close quarters. Gripping.

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

His pronunciation and dialect removed me from sunny Florida and brought Bavaria to life.

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

No, I didn't have an extreme reaction, but it did fully engross me.

Any additional comments?

Definitely listening to the next book.

All Three in the Series

There were a mix of reviews from not finishing the book to a great story. I finished all three and found them enjoyable.

This was an interesting well spun story. I enjoyed the historical detail interwoven with fiction. The author does a great job developing the characters, book three develops the history of the main character of the hangman.

Narration is enjoyable and brings the book to life. All in all a book I would recommend.

Incredible find!

Not only is the Hangman's Daughter one of my favourite finds of this year, but the narrator and the story fit together so flawlessly that the hours seemed to melt away. This book is the PERFECT read for the spooky months of the fall!