The Laughing Madonna

A sultry Florentine summer, a lost Leonardo, two dead bodies, an ancient Florentine aristocratic family with terrible secrets, a doomed love, missing jewelry and a sexy Italian policeman ... this novel has it all, including some of the most gorgeous writing it's been my pleasure to read in a long, long time.
Expatriate Canadian Sally Riley makes a precarious living guiding tourists around her adopted hometown of Florence, Italy. When she meets the mysterious Marzottos she is sucked into a web of murder and mayhem and finds herself transformed into an amateur sleuth, trying to track down her missing client while hot on the trail of the legendary lost Leonardo, 'The Laughing Madonna.'
Don't start the book at night or you won't get to sleep. The mystery will keep you involved in the intricate twists and turns of the lively plot, set against a backdrop of the Florence tourists never get to see. The ending is unexpected and yet completely satisfying.
Highly recommended.

Elizabeth Jennings, author of Bernadette's Bluff, Pursued, Joy Forever, Taming Nick, Heart to Heart -- published by Kensington Publishing Corporation

A symbol? An icon? A performer? These photos certainly prove that she still can deliver when it's time to crank the handle.

A friend received this book for Christmas. I went to Crown books and ordered 3 of these books. I waited a month, the told me the publisher was out of stock. I love this book, please republish.

I bought it in 93' and it's been one of my favorite itens on Madonna. Every page has at least a picture, some have lots of pictures and no texts, and several whole page pictures. Doesn't cover Madonna's career until now, of course but it's indeed a collector's piece. The time it covers, it covers you get to know a lot about it, and those pictures.... several are really hard to find!

This is a fantastic and inspiring book. It helps children accept who they are and to understand that everyone is different and special in their own way. I recommend this book to children and adults alike. The pictures in this book are fabulously drawn and are insightful to the statements being made.

"Mommy why are my eyes so big? To see the world. To see beyond the sights of others. To look into hearts and to see how true they ring." Taken from the original poem Mommy, why? written by Madonna Hanna

I found this book fascinating. Written by a Pshychotherapist who has obviously had much experience in dealing with "hard case" personnas, it shows the most intriguing, almost disturbing, conclusions on the way some mothers and their kin relate and behave. Extreme cases are always good for then extrapolating and identifying more subtle traits in normal everyday people, including ourselves! I must say that it made me get into an "auto-therapy" mood while reading it... I was engulfed by this book, which has been written with minimized technical terms, making it of easy access to non-experts as myself.

The Occult Madonna is one of the best horror tales that I have read in many years. Hawke is amazing!!! Plot twists that will surprise you! Characters that you will love and some you will love to hate. Well written... Excellent!!!!!

There are lots of different kinds of people who live in Mexico. I learned that from this book. There were Aztecs, Olmecs, Mayas, and more! I liked reading about all of them, but especially about the big head statues of the Olmecs.

I have read this book a couple of times, and each time picked out new things. It's a thoughtful book of spiritual adventure, one that women especially will relate to. Fascinating look, too, at the feminine side of the divine

Catherine Doherty's book, 'Poustinia', is one of those one-in-a-million books which will change the way you look at life. This book has had a profound influnce on me -- my life as a Catholic Christian has blossomed, and my relationship with God has been profoundly deepened. I heartily recommend this book to all who seek peace.