The Play of Death

It was so nice to drop back into this world again. Jakob had me worried for a while there with all his drinking and especially with what was going on in the end there, but I am so happy that things turned out the way they did.

Barbara really got on my nerves in this one though. She was so incredibly thoughtless and reckless with her actions that I could picture myself cuffing her on the back of the head. I do feel terrible for what happened to her though.

I was pleasantly surprised to see more of Simon and Magdalena's kids this time around, especially since Peter's role was quite important. I do worry about Paul though.

Overall, the story this time around was a bit more convoluted than I thought strictly necessary, but it still made for show more one hell of a good read. show less

It is 1670. Jakob Kuisl is the hangman in Schongau, Bavaria. His daughter, Magdalena, married an almost-doctor (he didn’t quite finish his study/training), Simon, a while back. Even still, hangmen and their families are the lowest of the low in society. Simon is taking his oldest son, Peter to the next town over, Oberammergau, so he will have a better chance at a good education (which is harder for him to get in Schongau, with the prejudices toward him as the hangman’s grandson). Peter will stay with a former teacher of Simon’s, who will teach Peter at the schoolhouse there.

The morning Simon takes Peter to Oberammergau, however, one of the town’s residents is found crucified on a cross. Oberammergau has been planning and show more rehearsing for a Passion play, and the young man playing Jesus is the one found on the cross. One of the town’s council members (a rich man – whose son is the one who died) asks Simon to stay a while to help figure out what happened and to help out as a doctor, as Oberammergau is currently without one. In the meantime, back home in Schongau, Magdalena’s younger sister, Barbara, is finding herself in trouble.

I like historical fiction and I like mysteries, but historical mysteries don’t always pull me in. However, I really like this series. I feel like it’s gotten better as it goes along. This is actually a translation and the author discovered he actually has a hangman in his family’s history, so the series is based on that. There actually ends up being a lot more going on in this than my summary suggests. I’m happy to see that the series continues. show less

a fairly solid plot with the usual characters and some superstitious fun mixed in. the author also dealt with the serious issue of anti-immigrant hostility. A timely and thought provoking slant, saddening to think that of all the things that have changed since back then, this isn't one of them

I won a KINDLE version -- The Play of Death (The Hangman's Daughter, #6) by Oliver Pötzsch -- in a GOODREADS giveaway!