A Sea of Troubles

The 10th installment is somewhat of a departure from the usual formula of the series. The murders that kick off the story happen on the island of Pellestrina and not in Venice proper and then Signorina Elettra ends up under cover on the island - she has relatives there, she needs a vacation so she manages to convince Brunetti that she can be useful. As usual, it is not just human actions that haunt the investigation but unlike the usual problem of bureaucracy and Venice being Venice, it is nature that seems to be going against the detective. The storm at the end of the novel reminded me of the storm in King Lear - and despite knowing that everyone had to survive (as they are in future books), it made me worry about the characters. And show more that says something about the writing of Donna Leon. show less

This was a change of pace from Leon's other novels so far in the Brunetti series. Most of the action takes place on an outlying spit of land separating the lagoon of Venice from the Adriatic. Two murders have taken place and the inhabitants of the (literally and figuratively) insular fishing community close ranks against the outside world... even the Venetians can scarcely understand their dialect, let alone their attitude. Yet one of the victims is somehow an outsider and unmourned. What can he possibly have done to turn his entire community against him? Meanwhile, Signora Elettra leaves her desk, her computer, her network of informants, and her floral arrangements and goes on vacation to stay with her cousin who married a fisherman. show more She picks up virtually no information, but falls hard for an attractive young man who is extremely well dressed. After closing the book, it occurred to me that it really was out of character for Elettra not to do a background search on the fellow. Brunetti has to do the background search himself (good thing, he was relying on Elettra far too much).

Refreshingly, at the end of the book it is clear that the legal case against the murderer is airtight and for once, the criminal is likely to face a lengthy prison sentence. This is not the usual ending to a book in this series! show less

Two clam fisherman, father and son, die in a terrible fire on their fishing boat while moored on the island of Pallestrina, which borders the Venetian lagoon. Although the deaths appear to be accidental, the coroner determines that the men had been murdered before the fire. It’s clear that Commissario Brunetti and his team aren’t going to get any information from the Pallestrinans. Signorina Elettra, secretary to Brunetti’s boss, has relatives on the island, and she insists on going “undercover” to see what she can find out about the murders. Brunetti’s worries about the signorina’s safety raises questions from his wife, Paola.

This isn’t one of the best books in the series. Leon spends more time discussing the show more environmental and health impact of clam fishing in Venice’s lagoon than she devotes to the investigation of the crime. Brunetti really doesn’t solve the case. He just happens to be in the right place at the right time to apprehend the killer.

I listened to this book on a road trip with a friend. We decided that the recurring characters reminded us of the characters in the classic TV series WKRP in Cincinnati, with Brunetti as program director Andy, Signorina Elettra as office paragon, Jennifer, and Brunetti’s clueless boss, Patta, as station manager Mr. Carlson. The book seemed more entertaining in that light! show less

This novel, the tenth in the Guido Brunetti Venetian mysteries, was a powerful offering, with a haunting, disturbing ending. Leon gives us another delicious scene of mental dueling between Brunetti and his boss Patta, and her writing is inspired, with superb imagery particularly near the end. But the crux of this book is the relationships between certain characters that run deeper and richer, with more nuances than in prior books. The issues involve attraction, friendship, loyalty, trust and especially love between and among friends. The ending is a shocker, and makes me wonder how the characters—Brunetti, Elettra, Vianello—will be different in the next novel. I will know when I begin the next installment!

A Sea of Troubles is Book #10 in Donna Leon’s Commissario Guido Brunetti Mystery series.
This series is all things Italian, all things Venice and Commissario Brunetti is the star detective.
This is a disturbing story.
On the island of Pellestrina, south of the Lido on the Venetian lagoon, a small boat suddenly explodes killing 2 local clam fishermen. It soon becomes clear that the fire was deliberately set and Commissario Brunetti decides to investigate.

I don’t know if Ms. Leon set out to disparage Italian law, culture, code of ethics and morality, but
every title has very (this title is #10 of 32 as of 2023) unsatisfying and frustrating endings for me. The everyday tales of graft, corruption, bribery and revenge have me reeling at show more times.
I still read the books - Italy, and Venice in particular, is a very alluring location. And Brunetti is an appealing character. Very well-written. **** show less

The murder of two fishermen off the island of Pellestrina, south of the Lido of the Venetian lagoon, draws Commissario Brunetti into the close-knit community of the island, bound together by a code of loyalty and a suspicion of outsiders worthy of the Mafia. When his boss's secretary Signorina Elettra volunteers to visit the island, where she has relatives, Brunetti finds himself torn between his duty to solve the murders, concerns for Elettra's safety, and his not entirely straightforward feelings for her...

This is a straightforward, slow-burning thriller. The exotic Italian settings are vividly described and the action, when it comes, is exciting. An easy Sunday afternoon read.

I always like crime solving with Guido Brunetti although this time not quite as much as usual.

A fishing boat docked for the night explodes on the small island of Pellestrina. Divers find two bodies inside, the fisherman and his son. Signorina Elletra, a secretary for Brunetti's boss, has relatives on the island and goes there for "vacation" because she might be able to overhear conversation that would be useful to the investigation. In the short time she is there she falls ga-ga in love with a young man on the island.

I thought the Signorina Elletra character was compromised in this 10th title in the series. She has always been the intelligent beauty in control of everyone and everything but was quite different here. This is probably show more one of the difficulties for an author writing a well established series, it's hard for the reader to accept changes to a character, particularly when they go from making excellent decisions to making rather thoughtless mistakes. show less