2010 (German); 2013 (English); 458 pages. Translator: Lee Chadeayne. New Author? : No. Book 3 (out of 7) in the “Hangman’s Daughter” series. Genres : Murder-Mystery; Historical Fiction;
Thriller, German Literature. Overall
Rating: 9*/10.
Jakob Kuisl, Schongau's resident hangman,
has suddenly departed the city. He
didn’t even ask the city council for permission, which is normally
required. But he had a good reason.
His sister and brother-in-law
live in Regensburg, a few days travel away.
Kuisl has just received a note from the brother-in-law, informing him
that Kuisl’s sister is deathly ill and asking for his professional services. Those "services" in this case mean his medicinal
herbs and potions. Hangmen are just as adept at saving lives as terminating them.
Kuisl is praying he won’t be
too late to help. But either way, his
task should be finished within a day or two, and he can return home to Schongau
before anyone misses him. That
assumes there are no complicating factors in Regensburg.
Hmm. I smell a plotline coming on.
What’s To Like...
The
Beggar King is the third book in Oliver Potzsch’s fantastic Hangman’s Daughter series. The tale is set in a new city—except for the Prologue and Epilogue, the story takes place predominantly in
Regensburg—which has its own hangman.
It’s not a spoiler to reveal that Kuisl becomes the prime suspect in a
murder case there, meaning that the Regensburg hangman will be tasked with “extracting a
confession” from a fellow executioner.
Ouch.
There are three main
protagonists: Jakob, the accused Schongau hangman; Magdalena, the titular "Hangman’s Daughter"; and Simon, the son of Schongau’s town doctor. The two young’uns have feelings for each
other, but any relationship between them is doomed. The family of a Hangman are all considered
unclean—in addition to executions, they have to pick up all the city’s trash,
garbage, human feces, and animal offal every night and dispose of it
accordingly. Also, Magdalena is a
headstrong sort of woman—she gets that from her father. And 17th-century
Europe has no tolerance for feminists.
Once again, the Historical
Fiction aspect of the story is Germany shines. Germany in the 1600s is a hotbed of violent
discontent. The Catholic Church wars
against heretics; local powermongers strive for dominance; Ottoman Turks are massed on
the borders of Europe; and the deadly Plague ravages nobles and commoners alike, with
no one able to discern its cause or cure.
The mystery aspect is equally
awesome. Kuisl’s dilemma quickly becomes
more complex. If he didn’t commit the
murders, who did? Why are prostitutes
disappearing (as if anyone cares), who are the secretive “Freemen”, and why is
the book titled “The Beggar King”.
Inquiring minds want to know.
Everything builds to a complex, exciting,
and action-packed ending. Riddles are
figured out, strangers are unmasked, and murders are solved. The Epilogue is also excellent. A couple of secondary plotlines are resolved,
and our three heroes return home to Schongau only to find the Plague decimating the town’s inhabitants.
Ratings…
Amazon: 4.4*/5, based on 6,030 ratings
and 2,473 reviews.
Goodreads: 4.02*/5,
based on 15,825
ratings and 1,018 reviews.
Excerpts...
“Dear citizens of Regensburg, step up and
taste my newest miracle cure! This
theriaca is brewed from dried snake meat and a secret mixture of exquisite
herbs I myself gathered in cemeteries by the light of the full moon. It works wonders for cases of infertility,
toothache, and stomach pain. On my
honor, I swear it will give sight to the lame and make the blind walk again.” (pg. 63)
“So this is the devil of Regensburg?” she
said. “If you ask me, he looks more like
an abused circus bear who’s had his claws ripped out. How tall are you anyway, eh? Six feet?” she asked in a snide tone and
laughed. “Be careful you don’t bash your
forehead when you enter my modest home.
By the looks of you, a whore’s fart would blow you over right now.” (pg. 240)
Kindle Details…
The
Beggar King presently sells for $6.49 at Amazon. The rest of the books in the series cost
anywhere from $5.49 to $6.99. Oliver Potzsch has another seven or so e-books
in English; they generally cost anywhere from $5.99 to $12.99,
including a newly-released one titled The
Gravedigger’s Almanac, which is priced at $10.99.
“Holy Saint
Nepomuk, patron protector from the flood, be with us.” (pg. 2)
There’s a dark tone to The Beggar King, therefore a moderate amount of
cussing feels appropriate in it. I noted 15 instances in the first 10%.
It’s hard to find anything to quibble about in the book. One of the main characters is a Venetian ambassador, so some of his comments are given in his native Italian. I enjoyed that, but I love learning snippets of languages I’ve never studied.
17th-century
medical treatments are frequently detailed in the text.
Hangmen apparently often served double-duty as healers. I was amazed by just how advanced their medical
technology was. See the
postscript below for an example.
The Beggar King was a
page-turner for me. This was my fourth
Oliver Potzsch novel, and none of them have disappointed me. The rest of the books in this series are on
my Kindle, plus a couple from his “post-Hangman’s Daughter” series. I’m looking forward to them all.
9 Stars. One last thing: an example of a 17th-century surgery. At one point, Simon very carefully inserts a needle sideways into the white of a patient’s eye, then presses the clouded lens to the bottom of the orb. The result: a blinding cataract is successfully removed! And it was done without any anesthetic or antibiotics. Awesomeness!
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