The Werewolf Of Bamberg (A Hangman's Daughter Tale)

The Werewolf of Bamberg is the fifth book in Hangman’s Daughter, the million-copy bestselling series.In 1668, hangman Jakob Kuisl, his daughter Magdalena, and her husband Simon travel to the town of Bamberg. But what was planned as a family vacation soon becomes a nightmare: a murderer in Bamberg is leaving the severed limbs of victims in the trash outside the city. When rumors quickly spread that the deaths are the work of a werewolf, Jakob must prove the superstition wrong and embarks on a search for the “devil of Bamberg.”

Publishers Weekly, Starred Review

“Pötzsch effectively conjures up an atmosphere of claustrophobia and paranoia in seventeenth-century Germany in his fifth whodunit featuring the Kuisl family...The tension, as the Kuisl family finds itself in the midst of the hunt, is palpable, leading to a cleverly clued solution.”

Kirkus Reviews

“The setup is delicious...Good fun overall.”

From the Back Cover

In 1668, hangman Jakob Kuisl, his daughter Magdalena, and her husband, Simon, are traveling to the town of Bamberg to celebrate the wedding of Jakob s estranged brother, a fellow hangman. But what was planned as a family vacation and reconciliation soon becomes a nightmare: a murderer in Bamberg is leaving the victims severed limbs outside the city. When rumors quickly spread that the murders are the work of a werewolf, Jakob Kuisl scoffs at the notion and embarks on a mission to unmask the real werewolf of Bamberg. But as he learns more about the city and its long-buried secrets, it appears that discovering the killer s identity might be just as dangerous as facing a true werewolf. Can he stop the killings while navigating the city s turbulent political waters, and his own volatile family members? It is nothing new for a hangman to be the object of scorn and anger, but Jakob has always managed to rise above it all in order to solve the mysteries he encounters, blustering and bullying his way past his opponents with the help of his equally stubborn and clever family. But never have they faced a killer so depraved. This chilling addition to the Hangman s Daughter series will leave even the bravest readers looking over their shoulder. OLIVER POTZSCH was for years a radio personality for Bavarian radio and a screenwriter for Bavarian public television. He is a descendent of the Kuisls, the well-known line of Bavarian executioners who inspired his novels. In addition to the best-selling Hangman s Daughter series, he is the author of the contemporary thriller, "The Ludwig Conspiracy. "He lives with his family in Munich. LEE CHADEAYNE, translator, is a former classical musician and college professor. He was one of the charter members of the American Literary Translators Association and is editor in chief of the ALTA Newsletter."

Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.

Why do we search so diligently for sorcerers? Hear me, you judges, and I will show you where they are. Rise, attack the Capuchins, Jesuits, and all the members of holy orders. Attack them, they will confess. If any deny, torture them three times, four times, and they'll confess. [. . .] If you want more, attack the prelates, canons, theologians and they, too, will confess. How can these delicate, gentle men endure something like that? 'Friedrich Spee von Langenfeld, Cautio Criminalis, AD 1631  PROLOGUE February 16, AD 1626, Schongau  On the day his father died in great agony, Jakob Kuisl resolved to turn his back forever on his hometown.   It was the coldest February anyone could remember. Yard-long icicles hung from the rooftops, the old beams in the half-timbered houses creaked and groaned from the frost as if they were alive, but nonetheless hundreds of people had gathered along the Marktgasse in Schongau, which led from the city hall down to the town gates. Everyone was heavily wrapped in scarves and furs, the richer wearing warm caps of bear or squirrel skin, while many of the poorer had frostbite on their faces or feet that were wrapped in rags, offering only scanty protection from the cold. Silently, but with beady, eager eyes, the residents of Schongau stared as the small group made its way past from the northern town gate on the wide, slush-covered road toward the execution site. Like hunting dogs that had picked up a scent of blood, the crowd followed the condemned man, the four bored-looking bailiffs with the halberds, and the hangman with his two helpers.   At the head of the procession were Jakob and his father, who kept stumbling and had to catch himself on his tall, almost fourteen-year-old son. As happened so often, the Schongau executioner had been drinking far into the morning hours of the execution date. Several times in recent years his hand had quivered while carrying out a beheading, but it had never been as bad as it was today. Johannes Kuisl's face was ashen, he stank of brandy, and he had trouble putting one foot ahead of the other. Jakob was happy his father had to perform only a relatively simple strangulation that day. He and his brother, Bartholomäus, two years younger than himself, could, if necessary, light the fire around the stake.   Jakob cast a furtive glance at the convicted man, who with his torn clothing and battered face looked more like a creature from a dark cave than a human being. In recent years, Hans Leinsamer had lived like an animal, and today he would die like one. Most of the Schongauers had seen the old shepherd one time or another while gathering wood or looking for herbs in the forest. Hans was as dumb as his sheep, bordering on feeble-minded, but until recently was considered harmless. Only the children had been afraid of him when he approached with his toothless grin, muttering as he passed his hand through their hair or handing them a sticky piece of candy. Jakob, too, had met Hans a few times in a clearing while walking through the woods around Schongau with his two younger siblings, Bartholomäus and Elisabeth. Lisl, who had just turned three, always held her brother's hand tightly then, while Bartholomäus threw pinecones at Hans until he ran away, whining. Their mother had often warned the three of the homeless tramp, but Jakob always felt pity when he saw him, while the twelve-year-old Bartholomäus wanted nothing more than to string him up from the next tree as a feast for the ravens. Ever since Jakob could remember, animals had been more important to Bartholomäus than people. He would lovingly care for a sick hedgehog, while at the same time Jakob was helping his father break the bones of a man suspected of stealing from the offertory box.   Jakob cast a sad glance at the simple-minded shepherd limping along beside them toward the execution site, tied up like a beast. Hans gaped like a cow at the Schongauers, some of whom jeered and pelted him with snowballs and clumps of dirt. He babbled on, whining and sobbing. Jakob suspected Hans was not even aware of why he had to die that day. It was shortly after Epiphany when eight-year-old Martha, the youngest daughter of the Schongau burgomaster, had come upon the old man while she was sledding in the forest. He had pounced upon her like a wolf, without anyone ever being able to say why. Did he want to play with her? Did the speeding sled frighten him? Martha had screamed like a stuck pig. When the other children came running, he had already taken off her clothes. Finally woodcutters in the forest heard the cries, seized Hans, and hauled him off to the Schongau dungeon, where, after torture on the rack, he confessed to the most heinous crimes. For many years he'd lived like an animal, copulating with his sheep, and he reportedly confessed he meant to drag Martha into his wagon, rape her, and kill her.   Jakob looked at the mumbling old man and couldn't imagine how he could have come up with a story like that. And, even less, that there was any truth to it.   In the meantime, they had prepared the execution site outside of town in a large clearing, where, the day before, Jakob and Bartholomäus had gathered a large pile of wood and placed it under the scaffold. A ladder led up to a post in the middle of the scaffold to which the convict was now chained. Out of the corner of his eye, Jakob watched how Bartholomäus admired the execution site, and a feeling of disgust came over him. For the first time, Bartl had been allowed to help his older brother prepare for an execution, and for him it was a great day when Hans was sentenced and the punishment was prescribed. Finally his dream of following in the footsteps of his father and his brother would be realized. Actually, Jakob couldn't understand why Bartholomäus admired him so much. Sometimes he teased his slow-witted younger brother, and in secret he even despised him, but that didn't change the fact that Bartl followed him around like a puppy. Bartholomäus watched Jakob when he cleaned up the torture chamber, knotted the ropes used in hangings, or sharpened the hangman's sword, because once again their father was too drunk to do it. And Jakob knew deep down that some day Bartholomäus would be a better hangman than himself.   Jakob himself had decided years ago not to practice this profession when he grew up, but did he have any choice? Executioners' sons became executioners if they didn't want to hire themselves out as knackers working in a slaughterhouse and buying worn-out, old livestock to slaughter in order to sell the meat or hides. By law, the dishonorable vocations were clearly separated from the others. Their only way out was the Great War, which had been raging in the Reich for years and was desperate for soldiers, honorable or not.   'What's wrong with Father, anyway?' whispered Bartholomäus, who was standing alongside Jakob. The question interrupted Jakob's thoughts. They were standing close to the wood piled around the stake, and the crowd stared at them in anticipation. With a worried look, Bartholomäus pointed to his father, who, despite the cold, was wiping the sweat from his brow as he struggled to keep his balance. "Our dear father can barely stand on his two feet. Is he perhaps sick?"   Meanwhile, the four burgomasters and other high dignitaries had arrived at the execution site. Along with the court clerk and a few hundred spectators, they formed a circle around the three Kuisls and the condemned man. Not for the first time, Jakob had the uncomfortable feeling that his own execution was close at hand.   'there's nothing wrong with Father," Jakob replied in a loud whisper, trying to remain calm as a soft murmur went through the crowd. "He's drunk again. We can only pray he won't set himself on fire by accident.'

About the Author

Born in 1970, Oliver Pötzsch is the New York Times bestselling author of The Hangman’s Daughter series and has worked for years as a scriptwriter for Bavarian television. A descendant of one of Bavaria’s leading dynasties of executioners, Pötzsch lives in Munich with his family.

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