The Dark Monk

A Hangman's Daughter Tale, Book 2

By: Oliver Pötzsch, Lee Chadeayne - translator

Narrated by: Grover Gardner

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.

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.

If you liked the Cadfael novels you will love this

It has been more than 10 years since I rad the Cagfael series and I have Ben looking for something that is similar. The hangman books are just that and perhaps even better. It takes place in Bavaria instead of jolly olde England and the "Hero" is a Hangman, not a monk, but the style is very much similar. And what makes it even better is that the author is actually a descendant of Kuisle, the hangman in the book. aThe Kuisles from the 16th to the 19th Century were a famous dynasty of executioners in Schongau. We be reading the rest!

Another good one

I enjoyed this book. I did like the Hangman's Daughter a little better .
I look forward to the Begger King

Da Vinci Code Part 2

This is a superb follow up to his his first book. If you loved the characters in the first story, they will not disappoint. I have been to Germany several times, now I must return to revisit these places! Thank you Oliver Pötzsch.

still interested

Book 1 was fantastic as I love historical stories. hangman's daughter was a bit dry and was a struggle to finish but I am looking forward to book 3

Great Story

Story was great and well told. Enjoyed the historical reference of this and the first book. Looking forward to the next adventure.