The Hangman's Daughter

I recently finished “The Hangman’s Daughter” by Oliver Potzsch.  It was an English translation from the original German.  The setting is 17^th century Bavaria in a small town called Schongau.  After a child dies under suspicious circumstances, the town executioner is called upon to interrogate the most likely suspect and force a confession.

The story itself is very compelling and turns into a very fast read.  There are also historical based references to life in Bavaria and individuals societal roles.  I am a big fan of historical fiction and this fit the bill nicely.

The writing itself is hit or miss.  At times it is very vivid, but it is equally just pushing the story along.  I am not sure if that is a function of the author or the translation.  I only had to look up two words during the 448 pages.  While that is not a universal indicator of a well written book, my typical bench mark is 5 to 10 times that amount.

My original incentive to read the book was perusing the Kindle Owner’s Lending Library.  It was ranked reasonably high and was a fun read.