New Year, new goals for my blog. It has sat and sat and I have not posted since I don't really believe anyone cares what I'm doing so . . . . I'm going to talk about the books I read. At least this way I can remember what I've enjoyed.
I just finished reading The Dark Monk (a Hangman's Daughter Tale). Lately most of the mysteries I've been attracted to have a strong historical leaning. This novel/mystery takes place in the Bavarian Alps in 1660. Not knowing anything about hangmen and the fact he has a headstrong independent thinking daughter, Magdalena, made me want to learn more. Being a hangman is a necessary occupation, if feared. Wife, daughter and anyone associated with him brings a strong stigma. The story starts with the death of a parish priest. Jacob, the hangman realizes that the priest was poisoned. As he and his daughter try to make sense of the murder the mystery begins to thicken with the addition of the possibility of of a Knights of Templar treasure. The son of the town's physician, Simon, cares for Magdalena even though their relationship is banned, joins in to learn what the priest knew that got him killed. So you have a hangman, a willful daughter, a well read physician's son, a sister of the murdered priest and 448 pages to heal the sick, learn historical customs, religious insanities, and follow the twisted tale to find the killer(s). The mystery itself was well done, but the immersion into such a lost world was the true reason I kept reading and I did not want the story to end. The epilogue and learning the family history of the author, Oliver Potzsch made the whole experience extremely satisfying.
I just finished reading The Dark Monk (a Hangman's Daughter Tale). Lately most of the mysteries I've been attracted to have a strong historical leaning. This novel/mystery takes place in the Bavarian Alps in 1660. Not knowing anything about hangmen and the fact he has a headstrong independent thinking daughter, Magdalena, made me want to learn more. Being a hangman is a necessary occupation, if feared. Wife, daughter and anyone associated with him brings a strong stigma. The story starts with the death of a parish priest. Jacob, the hangman realizes that the priest was poisoned. As he and his daughter try to make sense of the murder the mystery begins to thicken with the addition of the possibility of of a Knights of Templar treasure. The son of the town's physician, Simon, cares for Magdalena even though their relationship is banned, joins in to learn what the priest knew that got him killed. So you have a hangman, a willful daughter, a well read physician's son, a sister of the murdered priest and 448 pages to heal the sick, learn historical customs, religious insanities, and follow the twisted tale to find the killer(s). The mystery itself was well done, but the immersion into such a lost world was the true reason I kept reading and I did not want the story to end. The epilogue and learning the family history of the author, Oliver Potzsch made the whole experience extremely satisfying.
