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.

Historical fiction of author's ancestors

I love historical fiction, and especially enjoyed that it is the author's ancestors. The narration & pronunciation of people's names was interesting. So were the characters and social rankings of the times. It was descriptive that I could picture the story happening as I listened to it.

great story, very engaging

the story itself was very engaging. Kind of a potboiler but more smart. Really liked the narrator. he did a good job of telling the story and distinguishing voices without making the voices cartoonish.

Narrator is not great

Narrator sounds like he's in a rush the whole time, never giving his words gravity and often giving them the wrong tone.

The story was good abd in an interesting setting but really gets dragged out.

Painful

It was difficult to see the redeeming qualities amidst all the torture, murder, and evil, disgusting characters. A vivid description of what witch trial were like - but not enjoyable in the least.

Could have been better

Is there anything you would change about this book?

I hope the next book in this series will have more promise. This first book covered ground about witches and witch hunts that has been better done by other authors. With that said, it did establish the characters in this series and they have great potential. I iked the characters, the setting and the premise within the timeline; so I am looking forward to reading the next book with the thought it will hold more promise, e.g., a story/plot that is better thought and plotted.

Fascinating

This was a fascinating book. Jacob Kuisl is the hangman of the town of Schongau, some years after the infamous Schongau witch trials. When two children are murdered under mysterious circumstances, the town midwife is accused of witchcraft. While Kuisl believes that the midwife is innocent, he must do his duty or lose his position. The book moves slowly in spots, but builds to an exciting finish. The details of town life, medicine, the aftermath of war, etc. give the book life and dimension. I highly recommend it.

Down to Earth Historical Fiction

Where does The Hangman's Daughter rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

I really enjoyed the first in this series. Hangman's Daughter is interesting from a cultural/historical point of view but also a compelling story - a murder mystery, basically. This historical fiction is "down to earth" compared to many books of its sort and I could easily relate to many of the characters while still appreciating the historical and cultural differences between us. Reading the second in the series now and enjoying as well.

Have you listened to any of Grover Gardner’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

Never listened to GG before but he is perfect in this audiobook. His pronunciation of the German names and locations made listening to this book far more enjoyable than reading it. Perfect!

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

The hangman's support of a condemned, lowly woman is significant!

Murdering German

I find I quite enjoy this story. It is not life- changing in any way, but still slightly addicting and very entertaining. I do find that I wish I'd have gotten a version in the original language, however. This reader's attempts at reading any occurring German names, verses or phrases is so bad that I, a fluent speaker of the language, cannot understand what he is saying. If you understand German, I'd recommend you to not get this version, and rather take the trouble of trying to dig up a German one.

Medieval Mystery

the Post Script for this book was very interesting. It explains the inspiration was based on the author's family lineage: a family history of "public executioners".

The author found several manuscripts that confirmed his family's "business" was that of hangman, passed down from generation to generation. The author has chosen the "last hangman" to hang this story upon.

The story is a murder mystery. The hangman, named Jakob Kuisl, doesn't want to see an innocent person wrongly blamed for the crime, so he sets out to discover the truth.

The backdrop is an earthy backdrop of Medieval Germany, and brings sights, sounds, and smells of the past to life. The superstitions of the common folk are also keenly felt, and accusations of witchcraft and devilry complicate the hangman's task.

Wonderful read!

Enjoyed the characters and the story...looking forward to seeing what happens with the characters next!!