Customer Reviews

The Madonna Murders

5 star:		(9)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This is a fast-paced book that works on many levels, so I think it will be appealing to many different types of readers. My husband enjoyed it because it is a thrilling mystery. My teenage daughter liked the strong sense of place. She really felt like she was there, with the characters, in the Bay Area at a posh restaurant. She said that it was like reading a great travel memoir. I liked how well-researched this book is on so many topics. Whether it is Russian history, or art, or Christianity, the author dives into her subjects with great insight and detail. I hope this is the beginning of a series! I want to read about the trials and tribulations of these characters again and again.

I am not a big mystery fan, but enjoyed this interesting and well written mystery by Pamela Cranston. Cranston's extensive historical research about the icon is evident and adds interest to the mystery aspect of the story. I also enjoyed the familiarity of the San Francisco and Bay Area locales since that is where I live. Cranston gives us clues throughout the book, but does a masterful job of keeping us in suspense until the very end.

"The Adirondacks has Julia Spencer-Fleming, Boston has Michelle Blake and now the San Francisco Bay Area has Pamela Cranston. We welcome Pamela to the world of theology and murder! Her character, Andrea West, a theology professor in Berkeley, is a welcome addition to the new wave of strong and independent female 'theological sleuths'. The Madonna Murders is a damn good mystery. It's not often these days that I can find a good mystery that I can't put down. I am so sure of this book that I have already reserved a place for it on our recommended rack and I can't wait until it comes out. I am looking for more exciting mysteries from Pamela Cranston."

Diane Kudisch, Owner
San Francisco Mystery Book Store

The Madonna Murders is a classically good mystery. It starts with characters you care about -- Andrea West is a literary daughter of both Amanda Cross's academic world and Elizabeth Peters' adventurous women, Keith, the love interest is really loveable, and the villains and Russian holy men are fantastic -- then it adds some really weird and exciting events beginning with murder in the Cathedral, an immersion into the spiritual culture of Russian America and a tense and exciting conclusion. Cranston has done her homework. You can enter her world with confidence. From beginning to hair-raising end, you won't be able to put this one down.

This is the sort of book one wants to dive into on a rainy day, cup of tea at hand. It has the rich texture of a Persian rug. The combination of character development, spirituality, well-paced mystery, icons and Russian history is a can't-miss. Cranston has created believable characters and an intriguing story line, with some real cliff-hangers sprinkled throughout the plot. The only downer about this wonderful book is having to wait for the next one!

Cranston has delivered a masterpiece of "who done it intrigue".

This book is more than a simple mystery novel, the love interest, the sense of locale and history, the vivid personalities and spiritual depth all come together to weave a tapestry that extends well beyond the confines of the pages of the book. This is a work that echoes in the mind of the reader long after they have turned the last page.

Hopefully this is the first of many more good works to come!

Pamela Cranston's 'The Madonna Murders' is a rich and engrossing mystery for everyone. I normally don't like mysteries, but I loved this book. The characters are well-drawn and unique. I particularly liked Andrea West and the progress of her deepening involvement with not only the mystery but the insights her detective work gives her into her personal life. I especially appreciated the excellent research and explanations about iconography and the history of the Russian church. I recommend this book to everyone who loves a good story, mystery or otherwise.

Review by Dr. Roussel Sargent, Retired English Professor, Mills College, Oakland, CA:
"The Madonna Murders by Pamela Cranston is a thriller that admirably fulfills its function of providing suspense and intrigue while doing much else as well. An interesting and varied cast of characters leads the reader on an impeccably plotted progress from the first corpse through the fast moving chase to its final satisfactorily inconclusive conclusion. The author plays fair and there are clues to the murderer's identity scattered throughout, but probably only a practiced few murder buffs will spot them unless rereading the book.

In the meantime, we have watched the growth of a serious relationship between the two major characters: an incipient Professor of Theology and a member of "The Media"; an unlikely couple who start off very much on the wrong foot. Their amusing verbal sparring continues throughout, but their changing and growing feelings have led to the strong possibility of a permanent commitment by the end of the last chapter.

Mixed into all this are many pleasures, such as: the solid particularity of the San Francisco/Bay Area setting; the history of the Russian enclave there in the early part of the last century; fascinating information about icons, and the Orthodox church; thought-provoking discussions of moral and theological matters; a touch of mysticism, a feeling for the holy. The book does no preaching, but certainly it does some teaching for those who are interested in one or more of its themes. It is a 'good read' thriller, stuffed with ideas and constantly garnished with wit."

I read the book in two sittings. It was an easy read, perfect for traveling. I was quickly engaged by the story. The book was entertaining throughout and educational at the same time. I knew little of religious iconography in general and the history of the Russian community in the San Francisco Bay area in particular. I learned a little about both.

The book was particularly timely for me, as I was going out to visit the Bay area for the first time in many years. I live on the east coast. I also learned about the Crystal Skull, another icon featured in the book as well as the latest Indiana Jones movie. Again, the book was particularly timely for me, as I saw Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull right after my reading of the book. It certainly made my viewing of the movie more enjoyable.

I recommend it for someone looking for an entertaining story as well as a little education.

I was very sad when I finished "The Madonna Murders" by Pamela Cranston. I wanted the story to go on and on. For me it is very reminiscent of Armistad Maupin's "Tales of the City", in that the San Francisco Bay Area provides the scenic backdrop. The story involves a ritualistic murder and theft of the miraculous Icon of Our Lady of Kazan from a Russian Orthodox cathedral in San Francisco.

The author is an Episcopal priest and a Russian history scholar. She very artfully incorporates poignant passages from Metropolitan Anthony Bloom's spiritual writings at the beginning of each chapter. She gives the reader a marvelous introduction into the spiritual meaning of Eastern Orthodox iconography. She knows and weaves the history of the Russian Orthodox Church both in the Bay Area and abroad throughout this tale of murder, mystery, and redemption.

I highly recommend the book to anyone who would like to read a delightful "whodunit" whilst feeling inspired at the same time.