Hangman's Daughter

Words: 949
Pages: 4

The "Hangman's Daughter" series was originally written in German by German author, television personality, and television screenwriter Oliver Potzsch (who descends from a famous Bavarian clan that used to execute people, the real life Kuisls) and was translated into English by Lee Chadeayne. The series is historical fiction set in 1660 Germany with Jakob Kuisl, the town hangman, in the lead role. He investigates crimes, especially the odd ones that happen in his small village. The role of hangman is one that Jakob inherited from his father (who inherited the role from his father). He has the help of his daughter Magdalena (an apprentice mid-wife) and the town doctor Simon.

The series requres Oliver Potzsch to do quite a bit of research before he writes. He feels that books are a defense of his ancestors's honor, and they try to give respect to the people who have carried out executions, something that is not often done. He believes that some prejudice is given to the people who perform executions for a living. Research into his family's
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Set in 1660 Germany. A boy, who is in the process of dying, is pulled out of a river with only something crudely tattooed on his shoulder to identify him. A hangman named Jakob Kuisl is tasked with figuring out what happened, and whether or not witchcraft played a part in the boy winding up in the river. He comes across a woman, who is believed to be the killer, and after torturing her, he determines that she is innocent, and he tries to find out who actually killed the boy. Jakob tries to figure out who actually killed the boy before the woman is hung for the crime. He gets some help from his daughter and her love interest, the town doctor Simon (who is called a hack because he does not believe in purging or bloodletting but more modern techniques). It is bad form for a doctor to go after someone considered of low status like a hangman's