The Devil's Madonna

SPOILERS!!! When Kali's 93 year old grandmother Lillian almost kills herself lighting candles, Kali moves in temporarily with her. Lillian is a bit paranoid and is convinced that someone is after her. The story shows glimpses of Lillian's life in 1930's Berlin where she meets a Professor who helps her with her acting career. It turns out that Lillian's lover was Hitler in disguise and that he painted a portrait of her with a child. She had four arms in the shape of a swastika. Hitler's minion is searching for the painting, believing it will show that the holocaust never happened. I thought this plot twist made no sense whatsoever. How in the world would a painting of a woman with arms in the shape of a swastika prove that Hitler was a show more loving caring person? I liked the book right up until that moment, which I found to be completely unrealistic. The improbability of the book's ending just made me shake my head. Although I enjoyed her writing style and characters, the ending of the book was just absurd. I don't think I could recommend this book to others. show less

I wasn't sure what to expect with this book, but what I got was a thrilling tale that grabbed my attention from the beginning and never let go. I found this book very hard to put down. Potts weaves an interesting web of past and present doing a great job at peeling away the layers of the story and her characters. At first Kali seems to have the perfect life with a husband and baby on the way. That all changes when her grandmother is hurt and secrets threaten to come out. Kali's search for her family roots occurs just as a madman is looking for her grandmother. I liked how Potts made the grandmother seem cold at first but actually Kali's grandmother was trying her best to protect her. The book is full of a lot of twists and turns with a show more shocking ending. Overall Potts delivers a thrilling story that is chilling and heartfelt at the same time. show less

Book Review & Giveaway: When the publisher sent me The Devil’s Madonna by award-winning author Sharon Potts, I wasn’t sure what to think about the book cover. Unlike most, it seemed so abstract that it gave me no hint about the content. And then I read the concept and knew this one had a lot of potential. Like psychological thrillers? Like novels filled with family secrets? How about a novel that blends historical and contemporary periods? Well stay tuned because this one has all three in spades! Read the rest of my review & enter our giveaway at http://popcornreads.com/?p=4577.