The Werewolf of Bamberg

Zusatztext "Pötzsch effectively conjures up an atmosphere of claustrophobia and paranoia . . . . The tension! as the Kuisl family finds itself in the midst of the hunt! is palpable! leading to a cleverly clued solution." -- Publishers Weekly! starred review "The setup is delicious . . . good fun overall." -- Kirkus Reviews Informationen zum Autor OLIVER PÖTZSCH, born in 1970, has worked for years as a scriptwriter for Bavarian television, and is the New York Times bestselling author of The Hangman's Daughter series. A descendant of one of Bavaria's leading dynasties of executioners, Pötzsch lives in Munich with his family. Klappentext 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." Leseprobe 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 see...

Auteur

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

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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."

Échantillon de lecture
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…