A Refiner's Fire

This is number thirty three in the Commissario Guido Brunetti series and I have happily read all of them.

Leon is an excellent writer, sharing wit and wisdom and capturing so well the the pulse and rhythm of Venice. Not the Venice that the hoards of day trippers experience, but the real city of the Venetians who reside there. It is a joy to read such a literate writer whose books touch on philosophy, classical literature, political science, history, justice. Her books transcend one genre…they are police procedurals, mysteries, literary fiction.

The cases, while always intriguing, are almost secondary to the wonderful characterizations, musings and observations of life, especially Venetian life, by Brunetti. It is always so nice to show more visit again with all the familiar actors, flamboyant Signora Elletra, strong and wise Paola, philosophical Guido, comical Patta, capable Griffoni, loyal Foa.

The plot of this installment involving the “baby” (underage) gangs trying to wreak havoc on the islands of the Veneto intersects with Brunetti and Griffoni’s interaction with an acclaimed hero from the suicide attack on the Italian carabinieri headquarters at Nasiriyah during the Iraq War twenty years ago. My only hesitation with this story is that I would have liked to have known what happens next for one of the characters. I don’t want to say any more as I don’t write spoilers, but if you read it, you will know who I mean.

Leon conveys so much what Venice is all about....the politics, the cynicism, the decaying beauty. I feel that Brunetti and his family and associates are old friends. Last time we were in Venice, I passed by the Questore fully expecting to encounter him and stopped at his favorite bar for a coffee. Leon's books make me want to return to La Serenissima. show less

In November 2003, a suicide bomber in Nasiriyah, Iraq explodes a truck outside an allied forces military compound that kills 18 Italian servicemembers. That act represents the largest Italian military disaster since World War II and sends the country into a period of deep mourning. Desperate to find a hero in the tragedy, military and political officials settle on a single man—an officer in the Carabinieri deployed at the base—who appears to have risked his life to save two others. However, that appearance proves to be deceptive, and the man soon fades from the collective memory. Twenty years later, modern day Venice is beset with the damaging and violent conflict between rival groups of under-aged youths—baby gangs, they are show more called—and when one of the gang members turns out to be the son of the Hero of Nasiriyah, it sets off a chain of events that involves mayhem such as blackmail, various physical assaults, arson, and the destruction of ancient artifacts. In A Refiner’s Fire, we see this story unfold and learn how Commissario Guido Brunetti and his colleagues at the Venice Questura resolve things.

For me, the real pleasure in reading a new Brunetti novel lies less with the details of the mystery at the heart of the story and more with the incredible sense of time and place that the author creates. Indeed, as has been the case in so many of the previous volumes in this series, the city of Venice—with both its incomparable beauty and its many warts— once again becomes the main focus. Leon’s descriptions of the city as it passes through the changing seasons are simply stunning and so evocative that, for readers familiar with La Serenissima, it is easy to follow along in the footsteps of the people as they go about their daily lives. Beyond that, each new book brings us back in touch with what are by now a beloved collection of characters, starting with Brunetti and his wife Paola, as well as Brunetti’s trusted associates Claudia Griffoni, Enzo Bocchese, and Signorina Elettra in this tale.

As to the actual plot of A Refiner’s Fire, I enjoyed the historical basis for the story, which was a more pronounced feature here than in most of the books that have come before it. The author does a nice job of weaving harrowing facts from the past with some creative modern fictional elements to make a compelling narrative in which the myriad pieces fit together quite nicely. My only quibble (if that is even the right word to use) would be that the ending felt a little rushed given the elaborate set up that preceded it and that not all the plotlines seemed to be fully resolved. Also, while I have always appreciated the thoughtful and allusive way in which Leon chooses the titles for these novels, I thought that this one—with its apparent Biblical reference—was particularly obscure and left me wondering until the very end how it tied into the story. Those minor points aside, this was an extremely satisfying reading experience from a talented author who, having now produced 33 volumes in this series, remains at the top of her game. show less

A very complex novel with the author using as background Italy's involvement as peace keepers in Iraq and the appearance of "baby gangs" in Venice. (see below)

It is also about how reputations are created, how the truth is not always seen, how the truth is whitewashed by journalists and authorities.

I also enjoyed a number of elements of humour generated by the relationship between Brunetti, his boss Vice Questore Patta, and Signorina Elettra. I do think those who haven't read many in the series might find it difficult to enjoy this book as much as I have.
Groups of minors are meeting in the late afternoon on via Poerio and venting their anger in Chinese shops. In the evening they gather there to buy and use drugs.

December 8, 2023

Groups show more of youth who provoke people on the street or go into shops to cause confusion and knock over the merchandise on display for fun are back. Especially in businesses run by Chinese citizens. Every time it happens, a fight ensues which ends with the Chinese man pushing the kids out and calling the police. see more.

I was particularly interested in the meaning of the title. (Clue: Monforte's last words to Brunetti: "He thinks I'm a hero". and finally he is, and that is how he will be remembered.) show less

The baby gangs had been ramping up their violence in Venice - and while noone had died yet, it starts to look a lot more serious than just some young men letting off some steam. So Brunetti and Griffoni decide to dig a bit deeper and try to get to the bottom of it all - at least partially because someone actively tries to make them stop (in a somewhat laughable way) and partially because one of their own seems to be targeted by a gang. As is often the case, this investigation somehow manages to drag another one into their path - the 2003 Nasiriyah tragedy where multiple Carabinieri were killed or severely injured. The 2003 tragedy is real; the story that Leon wrapped around it is fiction.

The novel is following the path of the later show more entries in the series - as Brunetti gets older, the tales get darker and more ambiguous - the early novels where the moral compass of our Commissario often clashed with the orthodoxy in his job had been replaced with a much more cunning ways to getting to where he needs to go. It is a logical progression but I hope to see at least a few more novels like the early ones.

Meanwhile, the usual supporting cast is mostly missing - Signorina Elettra shows up almost like a Deus ex machina to assist when needed, Patta is unusually helpful and Bochesse ends up in the middle of the story (in a very similar way in how Elettra ended up a main character in [A Sea of Troubles] earlier in the series) but that is about it (not counting Griffoni who at this point should be getting a co-star billing).

The end of the novel is a lot darker than usual although it again follows the pattern of the later novels. This may not be a good novel for introducing someone to the series - it is very much a series novel. show less

What’s happening in Venice?

Young teenagers are forming what are called “baby gangs” They’re fighting each other on the streets of Venice late at night. They’re highly volatile, pumped up with testosterone, and heedless of anyone crossing their path when in the grip of battle fever. Commissario Claudia Griffoni confesses to Brunetti the danger she feels, and the trouble brewing.
Arrests are made after one battle in the Piazzetta. Griffoni is on duty that night, taking part in recording names and arranging for parents to collect their sons. All are picked except for one boy, Orlando Monforte. Griffoni walks him home, a somewhat unwise move as it transpires. They have coffee and pizza at various places enroute to his residence.
It show more turns out Orlando's father is a hero of the Iraq War. His troop was on duty as peace keepers in Iraq when their headquarters was rammed by a truck filled with explosives. A conflagration happened, a fireball erupted. Many were killed. Italy was in shock. Amidst the raging fires, Dario Monforte rescued two of his comrades. Newspapers called him the “Hero of Nasiriyah.”
How then did this “baby battle” suddenly have Brunetti immersed in blackmail, investigating a hero’s past, looking into possible art thefts, finding a friend being threatened and his valuable statues smashed, and the baby gangs letting it be known that something BIG was about to happen.
Brunetti is on the cusp of a changing world. His Venice is disappearing, change is afoot. Yet it’s old memories that will shine light on new challenges.
An enigmatic, reflective work, thought provoking without much being said.
As always a pleasure to read Leon’s elegantly crafted and refined works. An exquisite read.

A Grove Atlantic ARC via NetGalley.
Many thanks to the author and publisher. show less

Commissario Guido Brunetti and his colleague Claudia Griffoni are frustrated by “baby gangs” causing trouble in Venice, getting into fights with each other and generally disrupting the peace; worse, because they are underage, the police are not allowed to do much more than take their names and have their parents pick them up. After one such dust-up, Claudia accompanies one of the boys home when his father does not arrive to pick him up from the station, a generous gesture that sets in train a series of events stretching into a dangerous future and leading back to an even more dangerous past…. This is the 33rd book in the series, and as always it is the thoughtful ruminations of Commissario Brunetti that linger in the memory. That show more is not to say that there isn’t plenty of action and plot going on, but it is his character that is the real star of the story. A couple of his usual colleagues are “off-stage” in this one, but that allows the reader to spend more time with Claudia who as a southerner is considered a bit of an enigma to the Venetians. It is always a treat to revisit this version of Venice, but certainly a newcomer should start with the very first book (“Death at La Fenice”) in order to fully savour the beauty of these books. Highly recommended. show less

A thoughtful book, not so much a mystery as the unfolding of 20+ year old facts by those involved and what they say about the truth of what happened. Brunetti's ability to keep his mouth shut at the right time is very helpful, especially as it allows the other character to expand on what he/she understood and is thinking about.