First line: October 12 was a good day for a killing.
My Kindle and I spent some quality time together last night so I could finish The Hangman’s Daughter.
Quick plot summary: It’s 1660, and the people in the town of Schongau, Bavaria want to know who killed three children, who set fire to the warehouse, and who destroyed the building site for a leper house. Because each of the dead children was found with a strange mark on their shoulder, nearly everyone believes the crimes to be the result of witchcraft. They blame a midwife named Mary Stechlin because the murdered children were known to visit her often. Plus, she has an herb garden, and only witches have herb gardens! But a few townspeople aren’t quite convinced. The hangman, his daughter, and a physician join forces to investigate the mysterious crimes and prove the midwife’s innocence before it’s too late.
If it sounds interesting, that’s because it is interesting, especially since the hangman and his family are all based on Oliver Pötzsch’s ancestors. They were real people, and I always find that fascinating (even if the story itself is fictional).
I really wanted to know who really murdered the children, and it was great to find out, but it was less great getting to the part where I found out. It was a little too wordy for me, though I think the fact that it was translated to English is to blame. There were a few times when my mind wandered a bit because the pacing was a bit slow for me, but I pressed because the mystery itself was so intriguing, and I’m glad I did!
Little Vermo Reviews 