Review: Married to Madness by Devin Shane
Rating: 4 out of 5
Date: 11 22, 2013
Married to Madness, by Devin Shane was a very interesting story, to say the least.  I traveled into the world of childhood abuse, convenience marriages, murder, jealousy, prescription drugs,  and true love.  Vigilante justice, sometimes paid and sometimes not, runs through the entire plot along with an ample amount of sex.Zack is a military war veteran, father, and stone cold killer.  He is part of a secret group of men who take out the scum of the earth in an effort to rid their town of the low life molesters, abusers, dopers, and murderers.  Most of these criminals are not reported, and if they are, the criminal justice system just turns them back out on the street.  Leon, Zack’s drill sergeant in the military who just happens to also be his father-in-law, leads the group of men.  Brandon is Zack’s beautiful wife.  Her mother expected her to be a boy; hence, the masculine name.  She is abducted, tortured, and raped but from the lessons that Zack taught her she is able to kill her attacker.  This one act of killing fuels her desire to kill again, making her the newest member of a group of sophisticated women who get paid to eliminate portions of the city’s criminal element.  Lucy, a very wealthy older woman, heads this group which she started after the death of her teenaged daughter years ago.  Other characters include children, sisters, brothers, and an entire host of others who make this story come together.Zack and Brandon have a love story that is written in the stars.  Lately their marriage fluctuates from good to bad with them continuously loving each other.  No one can quite understand their madness when they fight, bodily injure each other, live separately, and then come back together without skipping a beat.  Everyone does understand that they love each other and their children and would die to stay together.  The problem is that neither of them knows about the other’s vigilante extracurricular activities and keeping secrets is hurting their relationship.  Zack begins to suspect that Brandon is a killer and wonders when she will trust him enough to let him know.  Brandon has no idea where Zack disappears to at all hours of the day and night and she has no clue what he is up to either.  Join these two as they help people, kill others, and still manage to raise their children.  It is not an easy task and their love and commitment are strengthened when they finally confess to each other.  Can two killers lead a normal family life?Overall I enjoyed the book.  I had a little trouble understanding the flow at first because some characters were introduced out of the blue and there were fluctuations between the past and the present that threw me for a loop.  Once I got into the flow of Mr. Shane’s writing style I was able to enjoy the story as he got around to developing these characters.  I thought about my own husband as I saw how Zack and Brandon loved each other and their children unconditionally, which is the way families should be.  A sequel would get my vote, especially if Zack and Brandon team up.  I will recommend this book to my friends who enjoy this particular genre.