Donna Leon

Commissario Brunetti # 25

In this latest outing Commissario Guido Brunetti look into a 15 years old mystery. Manuela was almost 16 when she fell into a canal or maybe pushed. She sustained permanent brain damage. The only witness was a drunk that saw a man push her. Manuela’s grand- mother wants to know the truth and asked Brunetti to look into it before she dies. The case brings him around the city.

I haven’t read a Leon’s mystery in a long time and was happy to get back into the swing of thigs. Brunetti hasn’t changed, he is still an unusual character with no major character flaw or trouble with relationship and he has a happy married life with Paola and the typical everyday contacts with his teenage kids. The usual players we came to know and love from the previous books also make their appearance and played their parts as expected. What comes out is how Ms. Leon hasn’t lost her touch in masterfully creating intrigue giving us enough clues so by the end we be satisfied with the solution but of course some may have guess long before. Ms. Leon treats murder as a simple thing....

This 25th book did not disappoint with its wonderful evocation of Venice’s streets and piazzas, food and the atmosphere of an old world confronting the new one.

It is simply well-written, easy to follow and keep a steady pace and of course gives us intrigue and wonderful characters. Although this latest may not have extensive police procedural some may wish for, but be assure the plot concludes with satisfaction.… (more)

I always read Donna Leon books, and if I stumble on them somewhere, I read them again. They aren't mysteries although they are about crime. They are about the ways that Venetians interact. This one is full of lovely lines like: [They were] Venetians and thus at home in any boat. Brunetti and Griffoni switch dialects and accents and tones, and play multiple characters within their own. Another quiet masterpiece.

I received are review copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley.com.… (more)