Doctored Evidence is written by Donna Leon.
This title is Book #13 of Ms. Leon’s Commissario Guido Brunetti series.
These books are known for plots that are present-day morality tales. The titles also present the city of Venice as its (often) primary character. The detailed maps are a delight.
Commissario Guido Brunetti is featured as a devoted family man, a lover of his city and culture, a responsible and (very) often conflicted Venetian Police Commissario. His relationships with colleagues, especially Vianello, is ever expanding and very special. The settings, the plots, the characters - all very interesting to read about.
Though I have come late to the series, I have come to love and enjoy every title.
“After a wealthy, elderly woman is found brutally murdered in her Venetian apartment, the police suspect her maid, who has disappeared and is heading for her native Romania.”
But when a neighbor comes forward with an alibi for the maid, Guido decides - unofficially, of course - to take on the case himself.
**** ( )

Guido and Paola consider the murder of an elderly woman (refreshingly, a completely unlovable victim; no pathos here) in terms of the Seven Deadly Sins. In the end, although Avarice is involved, it would be equally valid to consider in terms of classical tragedy. ( )

Another interesting edition in the Brunetti series, this one focusing on the death of old, unloved old woman. The maid is implicated but dies as she tries to escape. Brunetti finds himself puzzled by the death and the testimony of a young woman who lived on the street. ( )

While Brunetti is on vacation, an old woman who noone likes (and for a good reason) is found murdered. Her live-in Romanian maid/housekeeper is missing so Lieutenant Scarpa closes the case quickly - he has a suspect, she is caught at the border with a lot of money and killed while attempting to evade the police. So case closed and Brunetti does not even hear about it.

Until one day, one of the neighbors of the dead woman comes back from abroad and decides to do the most non-Venetian thing ever - she decides to get involved and goes to the police to explain why the Romanian woman could not have been the killer. Scarpa really does not want to hear anything about it and does all he can to intimidate the uncomfortable witness but Brunetti is back in town and hears the altercation -- and decides to deal with the case personally.

And off we go onto another adventure where Brunetti, helped by Signorina Elettra and Ispectore Lorenzo Vianello, finally does what the police should have done from the start - namely: investigate the murder and find some justice for the victim - or at least the truth if justice is impossible.

As with most (all?) Brunetti novels, the crime shares the spotlight with Venice, Brunetti's family and reading and the personal connections of everyone involved. That's what really makes the series much better than the type of crimes it deals with would have made you think it should. And as usual, there is an underlying theme under all of that - in that case, the novel ties to the seven deadly sins - from a chance remark and through the investigation and all the way to the end.

Another solid entry in the series. ( )

Brunetti works to prove the innocence of an immigrant housekeeper. Well written, though Electra seems to have more skills than may be possible! ( )