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.