Book Review: The Hangman's Daughter

My wife downloaded The Hangman's Daughter for her new Kindle and, after reading it, spent ages convincing me that I would enjoy this book.

The story is set in the small Bavarian town of Schongau in 1660. The body of a young boy is pulled from the river with a strange mark on his shoulder and immediately the cry of 'witchcraft' goes up. Remembering the witch hunt of seventy years earlier, which decimated the town's female population, the town elders are keen to stop a repeat of that terrible event.

Martha Stechlin, the local midwife, is quickly accused of being a witch and imprisoned. She is charged with the murder of the boy but insists on her innocence. Jacob Kuisl, the town Hangman, is ordered to extract a confession from Martha by torturing her.

However Kuisl is unwilling to carry out his duties as he is convinced of the midwife's innocence. With the help of his daughter and Simon Fronweiser, the son of the town physician, he sets out to solve the mystery surrounding the young boy.

As more children start turning up dead with the same strange mark on their bodies, the hysteria in the town increases, and there are even reports that the Devil has been sighted. Kuisl, his daughter, Magdalene, and Fronweiser find themselves engaged in a race against time to solve the puzzle before the town erupts into violence.

It is clear that the midwife is innocent from quite early on, despite the occasional red herring that suggesting otherwise. What kept me engrossed was that it became apparent that even if Kuisl provided clear evidence that she was innocent it might not be enough to save her. She has been chosen as the scapegoat by the town elders and her guilt or innocence is irrelevant. The only thing that can save her is for Kuisl to unmask the real villains.

One criticism that some people have had of the book is that Magdalena, the hangman's daughter of the title, is not actually a major character in the book.  She and the physician's son are part of a romantic subplot, but she herself does not make her presence felt until the last few chapters. Although this is a justified criticism it is a very minor point.

This is a very entertaining historical novel and my wife was right, I really did enjoy it. The historical background is described in enough detail to maintain interest and Jacob Kuisl is a complex and interesting hero who is treated with sympathy by the author, despite his trade. Unsurprising when you learn that the Kuisl family really existed and form part of the author's family tree.

Overall, I would recommend this book, especially if you are keen on historical fiction. It is not a murder mystery in the mold of The Name Of The Rose and aficionados of the genre might be disappointed, nevertheless, I found it an enjoyable read.

If you would like to read The Hangman's Daughter, you can purchase a copy at Amazon alternatively, if you have a Kindle you can download a copy here.