The Plague as a Weapon: The Executioner's Daughter on the Trail of a Ruthless Killer. Summer 1679. The plague, which is already raging in Vienna, is spreading to Bavaria. The executioner of Schongau, Jakob Kuisl, is visited by a plague victim who collapses shortly thereafter. Before he dies, he whispers a few cryptic words into Jakob Kuisl's ear: Kuisl must save Kaufbeuren, where a black rider plays a tune on his pipe for the dance, and the murderer has two faces. Together with his daughter Magdalena, Jakob Kuisl follows the mysterious clues. It’s a dangerous undertaking, as the number of dead in Kaufbeuren continues to rise. But what lies behind it – the plague or a cunning murderer? “Back then, herbal and beaked masks, today face masks... One could certainly attribute seismographic abilities to the author in light of this novel.” Süddeutsche Zeitung.