Publishers Weekly - Publisher's Weekly
The third in Leon's richly evocative mysteries set in Venice and starring police Commissario Guido Brunetti reveals several flaws in Brunetti's character--some endearing, some disquieting, all intriguing. A man's body is found near a place popular with prostitutes. His legs and chest are shaved; his shoes are red, high-heeled and brand new. But what initially looks like the violent death of a transvestite whore may be a different sort of murder ineptly disguised: the victim is middle-aged, his body has been inexpertly shaved and his face is battered beyond recognition. In a tougher story than the previous Death at La Fenice, the Commissario's sensitivity is challenged by his dealings with demimonde creatures to whom he has not previously given much thought. A coincidence directs him, perhaps too easily, toward a villain who is soon covering tracks with more killing; lawyers, laundered money--and sodomy--also figure in the case's resolution. While struggling with his prejudices, Brunetti must hide his glee as the wife of his hated superior makes a highly visible departure into the arms of a famed pornographer. Venice takes on a deep noir tint in Leon's latest well-crafted work. (June)
From the Publisher
“[One of] the real charms of this series [is] the endearing character of Brunetti and his compassionate insights into the heart of Venice and the soul of its people. Here is a man so decent that he reads the Annals for bracing blasts of Tacitus’ ‘fierce, uncompromising morality,’ but so unsanctimonious that he is perpetually on the lookout for ‘the ugliest Christ Child in Western art.’ Truly, a refreshing hero.”—Marilyn Stasio, The New York Times Book Review
“Despite the gruesome way in which this murder, and subsequent ones, take place, it's really a cheery, breezy mystery, filled with good humor and adventure. The ending can only leave the reader waiting avidly for the next time we meet Brunetti and his lively friends and cohorts.”—Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
“Leon delivers her plot in an unassuming, graceful and beautifully paced prose that hides its measured elegance. This is procedural writing at its best, made more interesting still by the Venetian setting. The light comedy and family banter grounds the issues of social disintegration that are the real subject, as Leon takes advantage of her story to comment obliquely about AIDS, the unadmitted gay world that shadows Italian machismo, and the ways altruism and morality blanket greed and corruption.”—The Washington Post
“Richly evocative. . . .Venice takes on a deep noir tint in Leon’s latest well-crafted work.”—Publishers Weekly
“One of the most appealing of recent detectives, Brunetti stars in a case that brings out his canniness and his compassion—and shows his creator spreading her wings more powerfully than ever.”—Kirkus Reviews
“Venice is a perfect backdrop for a crime novel and there can rarely have been one so compulsively readable.”—Mail on Sunday (UK)
“Donna Leon's Commissario Guido Brunetti is a very human cop, quiet but sensitive; and her Venetian atmosphere is beguiling.”—The Times (UK)
OCTOBER 2009 - AudioFile
Commissario Brunetti is a likable and thoroughly modern Venetian detective, and David Colacci enhances Brunetti’s world. Colacci makes us feel the crushing heat of the Venetian summer and employs a slight but authentic-sounding Italian accent for the dialogue. Brunetti is hoping to head for the mountains on a family holiday when the body of a man, beaten beyond recognition, is found dressed in red shoes and a dress. The victim is not a transvestite but the president of a bank, so Brunetti must unravel a web of corporate welfare fraud and sex scandals. Colacci adeptly varies his voice to distinguish multiple characters, including Brunetti’s brilliant wife, Paola; daughter, Chiara; assistant, Vianello; and a number of Venetian transvestites. A.B. © AudioFile 2009, Portland, Maine
