Book Forty-Six: The Hangman's Daughter

A dying boy is pulled from a river and found with a crude symbol on his shoulder.  When the local midwife is accused of witchcraft and the boy's death, hangman Jakob Kuisl is called upon to torture the woman.  He teams with a local doctor determined to prove her innocence.  But can he do it before the townspeople demand her head on a pike?

Set in 1600s, The Hangman's Daughter, is a cross between Brother Cadfael and Sherlock Holmes.  It's historically detailed and can sometimes drag between events because of the author's commitment to accuracy.  Author Oliver Pötzsch writes a beautiful thriller that manages to intrigue and educate.  Tracing his lineage from a famous Bavarian executioner clan, Pötzsch's love of the source material is obvious.

The hangman's daughter, Magdelina, featured somewhat prominently, is sure to be the heroine of the series.  However, I can't say that this book is compelling enough to make me want to continue with it.  The exhaustive nature of the author--endlessly describing dressage and fleshing out every detail--the book becomes laborious.  As I see it, The Hangman's Daughter is a solid bit of historical fiction and fans of the genre will, no doubt, enjoy!