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Commissario Brunetti #5
Acqua Alta
Venice detective Guido Brunetti swings into action when the curator of Venice's most prestigious museum turns up dead, bludgeoned by a priceless artifact, and American archaelogist Brett Lynch, a close friend, narrowly escapes the killer
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First published January 1, 1996
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About the author
Donna Leon
107 books2,921 followersDonna Leon (born September 29, 1942, in Montclair, New Jersey) is an American author of a series of crime novels set in Venice and featuring the fictional hero Commissario Guido Brunetti.
Donna Leon has lived in Venice for over twenty-five years. She has worked as a lecturer in English Literature for the University of Maryland University College - Europe (UMUC-Europe) in Italy, then as a Professor from 1981 to 1999 at the american military base of Vicenza (Italy) and a writer.
Her crime novels are all situated in or near Venice. They are written in English and translated into many foreign languages, although not, by her request, into Italian. Her ninth Brunetti novel, Friends in High Places, won the Crime Writers' Association Silver Dagger in 2000.
Series:
* Commissario Brunetti
Donna Leon has lived in Venice for over twenty-five years. She has worked as a lecturer in English Literature for the University of Maryland University College - Europe (UMUC-Europe) in Italy, then as a Professor from 1981 to 1999 at the american military base of Vicenza (Italy) and a writer.
Her crime novels are all situated in or near Venice. They are written in English and translated into many foreign languages, although not, by her request, into Italian. Her ninth Brunetti novel, Friends in High Places, won the Crime Writers' Association Silver Dagger in 2000.
Series:
* Commissario Brunetti
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 966 reviews
September 9, 2024
Thoughtful!
I did a lot of thinking, while reading this book. I thought a lot about the brutal period of crime that Italy was going through when this book was written.
The real people like Brunetti were rare. Concern about the mafia and their crimes were rampant. No one seemed able to do anything about it.
When an old American friend, who’s an art specialist of ancient ceramics is violently attacked in her home, Commissario Brunetti, a stickler for the law, doesn’t hesitate to help her.
Though he knows the country is impaled by the rich, the powerful and the corrupt.
Five stars. 💫💫💫💫💫
I did a lot of thinking, while reading this book. I thought a lot about the brutal period of crime that Italy was going through when this book was written.
The real people like Brunetti were rare. Concern about the mafia and their crimes were rampant. No one seemed able to do anything about it.
When an old American friend, who’s an art specialist of ancient ceramics is violently attacked in her home, Commissario Brunetti, a stickler for the law, doesn’t hesitate to help her.
Though he knows the country is impaled by the rich, the powerful and the corrupt.
Five stars. 💫💫💫💫💫
November 8, 2025
Two high-powered women live in one of Venice’s beautiful palazzo homes. One woman, an American, is an expert in Chinese art and archaeology. She has just returned from China and is well-known in art circles for having worked with the local museum to put together a display of ancient Chinese art. The other woman, a native of Venice, is an opera diva. They are lovers.
Two thugs break into their mansion and severely beat the art expert, warning her not to have any further contact with the local art museum Director. Commissario Guido Brunetti gets involved and focuses his attention on suspicious doings of the art museum Director.
Then the Director ends up bludgeoned to death in his office. We quickly learn that somehow valuable pieces of Chinese ceramics in the traveling art exhibit have been replaced with fakes.
This is my third novel by this author of the Commissario Brunetti series set in Venice. (The author is an American, so the series is written in English, not translated).
The tone and the flow of the book remind me a lot of Andrea Camilleri’s detective novels featuring Inspector Montalbano. (The two authors have written blurbs for each other’s books.) Both have a lot of food talk. Montalbano has more of an eye for the women, because he’s single, whereas Commissioner Brunetti is a family man: two kids and a wife who is a professor. And yet, I think the Commissioner takes a bit more interest in the beautiful opera diva than he would want his wife to know. (The diva apparently is bi-).
As always in the author’s novels, there's discussion of dialect and how it reveals cultural and class differences among Italian regional cultures.
We get a lot of local color of Venice. The local color in this story focuses on the periodic flooding (the High Water of the title) and how people walk through flooded streets on boardwalks set out to make pathways. Sometimes the water still goes over your boots!
The author (b. 1942) has created an industry out of her Brunetti novels. There are 34 in the series and this review is of #5. There are also books that are travel guides and walking tours of sites in her novels. She lives in Venice and in Switzerland. Her most widely-read book is the first book in the series, Death at La Fenice.
I’ve enjoyed a couple of other Commissario Brunetti novels by Donna Leon, all set in Venice (there are 34 of them) and here are links to two others I reviewed:
The Waters of Eternal Youth #25)
Transient Desires (#30)
Top photo from abcnews.com
The author from inquirer.com
Two thugs break into their mansion and severely beat the art expert, warning her not to have any further contact with the local art museum Director. Commissario Guido Brunetti gets involved and focuses his attention on suspicious doings of the art museum Director.
Then the Director ends up bludgeoned to death in his office. We quickly learn that somehow valuable pieces of Chinese ceramics in the traveling art exhibit have been replaced with fakes.
This is my third novel by this author of the Commissario Brunetti series set in Venice. (The author is an American, so the series is written in English, not translated).
The tone and the flow of the book remind me a lot of Andrea Camilleri’s detective novels featuring Inspector Montalbano. (The two authors have written blurbs for each other’s books.) Both have a lot of food talk. Montalbano has more of an eye for the women, because he’s single, whereas Commissioner Brunetti is a family man: two kids and a wife who is a professor. And yet, I think the Commissioner takes a bit more interest in the beautiful opera diva than he would want his wife to know. (The diva apparently is bi-).
As always in the author’s novels, there's discussion of dialect and how it reveals cultural and class differences among Italian regional cultures.
We get a lot of local color of Venice. The local color in this story focuses on the periodic flooding (the High Water of the title) and how people walk through flooded streets on boardwalks set out to make pathways. Sometimes the water still goes over your boots!
The author (b. 1942) has created an industry out of her Brunetti novels. There are 34 in the series and this review is of #5. There are also books that are travel guides and walking tours of sites in her novels. She lives in Venice and in Switzerland. Her most widely-read book is the first book in the series, Death at La Fenice.
I’ve enjoyed a couple of other Commissario Brunetti novels by Donna Leon, all set in Venice (there are 34 of them) and here are links to two others I reviewed:
The Waters of Eternal Youth #25)
Transient Desires (#30)
Top photo from abcnews.com
The author from inquirer.com
May 30, 2021
Another fine effort in this series, although not quite as good as previous books. This book concentrates on the world of faked museum pieces, specifically ceramics from the digs in Xian, China.
It is different from her other books in that there seems to be a lot more attention paid to details on how ceramics is made, how it can be fake, how one can tell a fake, and more underworld fingers in this very fascinating and lucrative business.
We begin with two characters from one of her earlier book, opera singer Flavia Petrelli and her female lover Brett Lynch who is an expert on all things ceramic and is involved in the Terra Cotta Warrior work over in China. Brett goes to open the door and is viciously attacked, so much so it requires hospitalization. Commissario Brunetti is assigned the case, and attempts to figure out why she was attacked, since the attackers told her to not keep a meeting with a museum official. A few days later that individual was killed in his office. And now Brunetti has to try and determine if the crimes were related and, if so, what is the motive. Of course we also have the typical Sicilian mafia figure who is part of the plot time. And, as it seems with many of Leon's books, there is not an absolute legal justice as part of the solution.
This book had a good beginning and a slam bang ending but just lacked something. First of all, I thought it was too predictable and Brunetti came up with motive and villain way too easily. Second, we did not see much of the usual characters that inhabit these mysteries and which give the books their flavor. We did get an enlarged part for police secretary Signorina Elettra who is a great recent addition, but not much seen of his boss, Patta, or other police officers, nor many worthwhile scenes with his family (who again, are good supporting characters). Instead Brunetti solves the crime himself in a sort of lone wolf manner, all the while Venice is flooded with its usual February rains that makes the city basically a totally inhospitable place.
A good book, not up to par with her earlier efforts but certainly enough to keep this loyal reader happy until I get to Book 6!
It is different from her other books in that there seems to be a lot more attention paid to details on how ceramics is made, how it can be fake, how one can tell a fake, and more underworld fingers in this very fascinating and lucrative business.
We begin with two characters from one of her earlier book, opera singer Flavia Petrelli and her female lover Brett Lynch who is an expert on all things ceramic and is involved in the Terra Cotta Warrior work over in China. Brett goes to open the door and is viciously attacked, so much so it requires hospitalization. Commissario Brunetti is assigned the case, and attempts to figure out why she was attacked, since the attackers told her to not keep a meeting with a museum official. A few days later that individual was killed in his office. And now Brunetti has to try and determine if the crimes were related and, if so, what is the motive. Of course we also have the typical Sicilian mafia figure who is part of the plot time. And, as it seems with many of Leon's books, there is not an absolute legal justice as part of the solution.
This book had a good beginning and a slam bang ending but just lacked something. First of all, I thought it was too predictable and Brunetti came up with motive and villain way too easily. Second, we did not see much of the usual characters that inhabit these mysteries and which give the books their flavor. We did get an enlarged part for police secretary Signorina Elettra who is a great recent addition, but not much seen of his boss, Patta, or other police officers, nor many worthwhile scenes with his family (who again, are good supporting characters). Instead Brunetti solves the crime himself in a sort of lone wolf manner, all the while Venice is flooded with its usual February rains that makes the city basically a totally inhospitable place.
A good book, not up to par with her earlier efforts but certainly enough to keep this loyal reader happy until I get to Book 6!
January 15, 2016
Alta Acqua, the 5th book in the Commisario Brunetti series by Donna Leone. The title of the book refers to the time in winter, where water from the Adriatic Sea overflows into Venice causing homes and places in the city.
Guido Brunetti, the highly skilled, tenacious and very likeable Venetian police detective and family man finds himself investigating a murder and art fraud after his friend, Brett Lynch, an American archeologist and companion of the famous opera singer Flavia Petrelli, who were introduced in the 1st book of the series, Death at La Fenice, is savagely attacked at her home.
He discovers that her assault is linked to the murder and to a conspiracy that involves people in high places who will go to any lengths to silence Brett from delving into the world of art fraud and the stealing of valuable Chinese antiquities.
The author’s vivid and descriptive words give a look into the life in Venice that gives you a picture in your head that you are actually there.
The main characters are so likeable and endearing and most of all incredibly real.
I adore the talented and glamorous secretary, Signorina Elettra and love it when Brunetti describes her clothes….
I loved Brunetti’s family dynamics. His interaction and dialogue with his wife and children is so amazing.
And of course, there’s Brunetti’s boss, the bureaucratic peacock Giuseppe Patta…a total pain in the butt…
Guido Brunetti, the highly skilled, tenacious and very likeable Venetian police detective and family man finds himself investigating a murder and art fraud after his friend, Brett Lynch, an American archeologist and companion of the famous opera singer Flavia Petrelli, who were introduced in the 1st book of the series, Death at La Fenice, is savagely attacked at her home.
He discovers that her assault is linked to the murder and to a conspiracy that involves people in high places who will go to any lengths to silence Brett from delving into the world of art fraud and the stealing of valuable Chinese antiquities.
Guido Brunetti is one of my favorite detective characters. He’s honest, gracious, loyal and resolute but he also sees not only the beauty of the city but also the rise in corruption and crime that is threatening his much beloved Venice. He’s not admitting that there are things in his country that he will never change.
”No Italian would bother to ask why the shipments were not made directory in Germany. The Germans, it was rumored, saw the law as something to be obeyed, unlike the Italians, who saw it as something first to be fathomed and then evaded.”Once again, the city of Venice is as much a character as the setting of this series. Through Brunetti eyes we see the daily life of the city’s inhabitants, the local restaurants, bars, family life, politics the dark alleys and beautiful architecture.
The author’s vivid and descriptive words give a look into the life in Venice that gives you a picture in your head that you are actually there.
The main characters are so likeable and endearing and most of all incredibly real.
I adore the talented and glamorous secretary, Signorina Elettra and love it when Brunetti describes her clothes….
“Signorina Elletra pushed her chair back from her desk and crossed her legs, revealing a short red skirt and a pair of shoes so high they would have raised her above even the worst acqua alta.”I am looking forward to knowing more about her in the next books.
I loved Brunetti’s family dynamics. His interaction and dialogue with his wife and children is so amazing.
And of course, there’s Brunetti’s boss, the bureaucratic peacock Giuseppe Patta…a total pain in the butt…
“He removed his coat and put it on a hanger, then hung it on the curtain rod that ran in front of the window above the radiator. Anyone looking into the room from across the canal would see, perhaps, a man who had hanged himself in his own office. If they worked in the Questura, their first impulse would no doubt be to count the floors, looking to see if it was Patta’s window.”A great addition to this series.
June 27, 2021
This was a very enjoyable read. I was not familiar with author Donna Leon, but this was a book club read. Although it was a murder mystery, it was not heavy with suspense or overshadowed by the deed which hatched its plot.
The story takes place in Venice and bounces between the operatic diva Flavia, the archeologist Brett and the Commissiario Brunetti as they unravel a fraud in the world of the arts which lead to the murder of a museum director. The location, the music, and ancient artifacts, together with the phenomenon of the rising tide, lending to the books title, all serve to make the perfect backdrop for the telling of this mystery. The author imaginatively weaves all these topics together and traipses you across and through Venice, often in the dark of night, and during the cresting waters to create perfect dramatic effect. The history of the artifacts and the music of various operas only lends heighten importance of the perfect location for such criminal activity.
Although the character development was sporadic and not as in depth as I usually prefer, their constant movement, on foot, so aptly describing the bridges, the narrow streets, the alleys, the shops, cafes, piazzas, and museums really carried the day. It truly brought you the places where the characters crossed paths, exchanged voices, conducted business, and lived their lives….all in the name of detective work, to solve the mystery.
This is an author I will gladly read more of particularly for her narrative ability to spin an interesting tale taking place in Venice.
The story takes place in Venice and bounces between the operatic diva Flavia, the archeologist Brett and the Commissiario Brunetti as they unravel a fraud in the world of the arts which lead to the murder of a museum director. The location, the music, and ancient artifacts, together with the phenomenon of the rising tide, lending to the books title, all serve to make the perfect backdrop for the telling of this mystery. The author imaginatively weaves all these topics together and traipses you across and through Venice, often in the dark of night, and during the cresting waters to create perfect dramatic effect. The history of the artifacts and the music of various operas only lends heighten importance of the perfect location for such criminal activity.
Although the character development was sporadic and not as in depth as I usually prefer, their constant movement, on foot, so aptly describing the bridges, the narrow streets, the alleys, the shops, cafes, piazzas, and museums really carried the day. It truly brought you the places where the characters crossed paths, exchanged voices, conducted business, and lived their lives….all in the name of detective work, to solve the mystery.
This is an author I will gladly read more of particularly for her narrative ability to spin an interesting tale taking place in Venice.
September 20, 2018
I needed a reading palate cleanser - a quick and easy read to bridge the gap between two more serious literary works. I decided to go with one of Donna Leon's Commissario Brunetti mysteries, a series that I've discovered fairly recently. It has provided dependable reading pleasure.
Acqua Alta is the fifth book in the series. The title, meaning "high water," refers to a time during full moon in winter when tides bring the waters of the Adriatic into Venice, inundating the barriers meant to hold it back and sloshing into the ground floors of buildings. This phenomenon, aided and abetted by torrential winter rains, creates hazardous conditions in the city.
It is during one of these events that Brett Lynch, the American archaeologist that we met in the first Brunetti mystery, Death at La Fenice, is accosted in her own home and severely beaten by two "gentlemen from the South," a phrase used to denote that organization which must not be named by Venetians but which we would call the Mafia. During the beating, the men warned Brett not to keep her appointment for a meeting with the director of one of Venice's famous art museums. The men are driven off by Brett's lover, the acclaimed opera singer Flavia Petrelli who was in Brett's apartment with her at the time.
The crime is assigned to the regular uniformed branch of the police for investigation, but then Commissario Brunetti notices the name of the victim on a report that crosses his desk and remembers her from his earlier case. He goes to the hospital to visit her. Flavia contacts the high brass of the police and demands that Brunetti be assigned to the case, and since that is the way things work in Venice, he is.
He has hardly begun his investigation when another crime occurs; the art museum director whom Brett was to meet is found dead, beaten about the head, in his office at the museum. It seems clear that the two crimes are connected and Guido Brunetti must call on all the influence he has with various government agencies, as well as that of Signorina Elletra, the glamorous and talented secretary of his boss, Vice-Questore Patta, to find the information he needs to determine what is happening and why.
Guido Brunetti continues to be one of the most engaging characters that I've met in the world of detective fiction. With his wife, Paola, and their two teenage children, he shares a perfectly normal life, virtually unique among all the detectives with dysfunctional private lives that are the norm among the books of this genre.
Moreover, the city of Venice is one of the main characters, perhaps THE main character, in these books, and Donna Leon, who has lived in that city for many years, lovingly describes it with all its eccentricities and makes the reader feel as though she is sloshing along those celebrated streets or traversing the canals in one of the traditional gondolas. It's a city where the culture of ignoring and evading the laws is thoroughly ingrained, making the lot of an honest policeman like Guido, who is not willing to accept the corruption, not a happy one. But this week a visit with Guido was just what I needed.
Acqua Alta is the fifth book in the series. The title, meaning "high water," refers to a time during full moon in winter when tides bring the waters of the Adriatic into Venice, inundating the barriers meant to hold it back and sloshing into the ground floors of buildings. This phenomenon, aided and abetted by torrential winter rains, creates hazardous conditions in the city.
It is during one of these events that Brett Lynch, the American archaeologist that we met in the first Brunetti mystery, Death at La Fenice, is accosted in her own home and severely beaten by two "gentlemen from the South," a phrase used to denote that organization which must not be named by Venetians but which we would call the Mafia. During the beating, the men warned Brett not to keep her appointment for a meeting with the director of one of Venice's famous art museums. The men are driven off by Brett's lover, the acclaimed opera singer Flavia Petrelli who was in Brett's apartment with her at the time.
The crime is assigned to the regular uniformed branch of the police for investigation, but then Commissario Brunetti notices the name of the victim on a report that crosses his desk and remembers her from his earlier case. He goes to the hospital to visit her. Flavia contacts the high brass of the police and demands that Brunetti be assigned to the case, and since that is the way things work in Venice, he is.
He has hardly begun his investigation when another crime occurs; the art museum director whom Brett was to meet is found dead, beaten about the head, in his office at the museum. It seems clear that the two crimes are connected and Guido Brunetti must call on all the influence he has with various government agencies, as well as that of Signorina Elletra, the glamorous and talented secretary of his boss, Vice-Questore Patta, to find the information he needs to determine what is happening and why.
Guido Brunetti continues to be one of the most engaging characters that I've met in the world of detective fiction. With his wife, Paola, and their two teenage children, he shares a perfectly normal life, virtually unique among all the detectives with dysfunctional private lives that are the norm among the books of this genre.
Moreover, the city of Venice is one of the main characters, perhaps THE main character, in these books, and Donna Leon, who has lived in that city for many years, lovingly describes it with all its eccentricities and makes the reader feel as though she is sloshing along those celebrated streets or traversing the canals in one of the traditional gondolas. It's a city where the culture of ignoring and evading the laws is thoroughly ingrained, making the lot of an honest policeman like Guido, who is not willing to accept the corruption, not a happy one. But this week a visit with Guido was just what I needed.
April 25, 2015
Ah, Donna Leon! I will never quit you. I said after the last Brunetti mystery I read that I was going to take a break, which is a ridiculous statement that someone should have tried to refute. I liked this much more than the last installment, so I am officially back on the Leon train (or gondola, I suppose).
Here are some great things featured in this book:
- Brunetti learning what Occam's Razor is, and promptly discarding that silly notion since it would never apply to an Italian crime
- Brett Lynch and Flavia Petrelli!!!! my favorite hotshot lesbian couple of all time
- Art hijinks and inter-continental heists
- Two entire pages describing terrible female tourists ordering gelato in bad Italian, while Brunetti watches and exchanges looks with the bartender (spoiler alert: I am this tourist)
- A sentence about the Grand Canal that includes, "where boats went about their boaty business"
- The endless fight against acqua alta, which made this book very atmospheric and its climax particularly awesome
- My golden prince Raffi has been absent from the last two books, but he came back for this:
As much as I love Brett, I would have actually preferred to get more of the story from Brunetti's perspective. I'm not sure how that would have worked at the ending, but I like these books better when you're able to see the action solely from his point of view. But other than that, I really enjoyed the descriptions of Venice during the winter and found the mystery mildly interesting (which is the best that I can ever actually say for this series).
Here are some great things featured in this book:
- Brunetti learning what Occam's Razor is, and promptly discarding that silly notion since it would never apply to an Italian crime
- Brett Lynch and Flavia Petrelli!!!! my favorite hotshot lesbian couple of all time
- Art hijinks and inter-continental heists
- Two entire pages describing terrible female tourists ordering gelato in bad Italian, while Brunetti watches and exchanges looks with the bartender (spoiler alert: I am this tourist)
- A sentence about the Grand Canal that includes, "where boats went about their boaty business"
- The endless fight against acqua alta, which made this book very atmospheric and its climax particularly awesome
- My golden prince Raffi has been absent from the last two books, but he came back for this:
Raffi closed himself in his room after lunch, saying that he had to do his Greek homework, ten pages of Homer to translate for the next morning. Two years ago, when he had fancied himself an anarchist, he had closed himself in his room to think dark thoughts about capitalism, in the doing perhaps to hasten its fall. But this year he had not only found a girlfriend but, apparently, the desire to be accepted at the university.
As much as I love Brett, I would have actually preferred to get more of the story from Brunetti's perspective. I'm not sure how that would have worked at the ending, but I like these books better when you're able to see the action solely from his point of view. But other than that, I really enjoyed the descriptions of Venice during the winter and found the mystery mildly interesting (which is the best that I can ever actually say for this series).
October 31, 2014
I love Commissario Guido Brunetti of Donna Leon's mysteries almost as much as Louise Penny's Chief Inspector Gamache! He has just the right amount of complexity and humanity, struggles constantly with what is 'right' and why people are like they are, do what they do.
The writing is beautiful, as it should be when an English professor is doing it. And I love the setting of Venice, and the many operatic references running through. The author has lived in Venice for 25+ years, and after she retired from teaching, she was the crime reviewer for Sunday times, and on top of that is an opera expert, having written a libretto for a comic opera herself, and has her own opera company. Quite a resume. Her mysteries reflect the richness of her experience.
The writing is beautiful, as it should be when an English professor is doing it. And I love the setting of Venice, and the many operatic references running through. The author has lived in Venice for 25+ years, and after she retired from teaching, she was the crime reviewer for Sunday times, and on top of that is an opera expert, having written a libretto for a comic opera herself, and has her own opera company. Quite a resume. Her mysteries reflect the richness of her experience.
April 11, 2020
I love Commissario Brunetti. However, this story was a bit more violent than the others I’ve read. It was interesting to read that the Acqua Alta is an annual event in Venice. Just like the King Tide in South Florida. Seems it’s more devastating in Venice.
February 19, 2024
Well done police procedural with Guido Brunetti heading up the investigation in museum artifact forgeries and murder. I found this topic very interesting as well as the reappearance of Flavia, the opera singer from the first book in the series. Even the "acqua alta" is a character in the Venice setting this time. I did miss having Guido's family play more of a role; perhaps due Flavia?!
February 14, 2012
This was the first Commissario Brunetti mystery I have read, but it won't be the last. The series takes place in Venice, and descriptions of the setting and the people add to the story. Commissario Brunetti is investigating the terrible beating of Brett Lynch, an art historian who specializes in Chinese ceramics who is the lover of a famous opera diva. She was told not to meet with the director of a museum where she had organized a show several years prior. Then, the museum director is found dead. Brunetti is thrown into the investigation of a group that steals Chinese antiquities while substituting forgeries. Meanwhile, Venice is trying to cope with acqua alta, which is flooding the streets and buildings of the city.
Commissario Brunetti is a very special investigator because he is a very astute judge of people with a lot of compassion. He's also a wonderful family man, and I enjoyed the humorous interactions he had with his wife and children. Overall, it made for a delightful read.
Commissario Brunetti is a very special investigator because he is a very astute judge of people with a lot of compassion. He's also a wonderful family man, and I enjoyed the humorous interactions he had with his wife and children. Overall, it made for a delightful read.
March 7, 2013
I adore the Commissario Guido Brunetti books. They are always so multi layered and the plot commences so simply and then suddenly it becomes a tapestry of interwoven threads. These threads cone to a conclusion but not always in the way you would expect. After all it is set in Italy, the land of mafia, kickbacks and corruption. All levels of Italian society is dealt with in the books, you see Venice as it is and how the venetian's view it. In Venice as in Italy, there is much to love and much to hate. Donna Leon in her Brunetti Novels helps us to to experience all aspects of this love/hate relationship. Through the voice of her one of the main character's Brunetti, the writer's adoration of Venice expresses itself, but you also experience her profound despair at the corruption At the very heart if it. Venice is the other main character of the books and through the character of Brunetti you see the city in all it's beauty and all its decay and corruption. This series is highly recommended.
January 11, 2013
I have read a few of Donna Leon's books but I have to admit to being very disappointed with this one. There seemed to be no suspense at all, you knew from very early on who had done the murder. It mainly seemed to be about how people cope with flooding in Venice. I also thought it was derogatory towards people from South Italy. If I had read this as the first of her novels, I wouldn't have bothered with others.
July 30, 2017
As usual, an entertaining read, good enough for a few hours of relaxation.
I do enjoy Brunetti's family life, and I think it adds to the cozy atmosphere of this series, but maybe someone who expects a hard mystery thriller will find it annoying and unnecessary.
I do enjoy Brunetti's family life, and I think it adds to the cozy atmosphere of this series, but maybe someone who expects a hard mystery thriller will find it annoying and unnecessary.
March 11, 2024
Einer der frühen Romane aus der Commissario-Brunetti-Reihe, was bedeutet, daß es noch nicht primär um Kritik an den Verhältnissen geht, sondern eine Beziehungsgeschichte in geschickter Weise mit einem Kriminalfall verbunden wird. Dabei geht es um illegalen Kunsthandel und auch um Kunstraub, das Aufeinanderprallen von nord- und süditalienischer Mentalität, das Familienleben der Brunettis und die Unfähigkeit italienischer Männer unterschiedlicher Milieus, mit lesbischen Frauen angemessen umzugehen.
Eine gut geschriebene und unterhaltsame Lektüre.
Eine gut geschriebene und unterhaltsame Lektüre.
September 12, 2016
This is good, and it starts quickly. As opposed to others in the Brunetti series, this beginning is abrupt as a punch. And the first quarter held that action and context interest with art, opera, the high tides of early spring in "Venice with our boots on" detail.
And then there was the middle half. It's filled with inquiry and traipsing details for getting to 50 places and back again, without going into any of the low spots. We also hear about the color of all those boots and their height, or depth (depending how you think about it). But more highly and more often in sopranic tone it is Flavia, Brett, and Guido doing the threesome questions and answers to most anybody associated with the antiques and antiquities businesses in Venice. But do not forget, often accompanied by the opera voice recordings of our dear Flavia. Not also forgetting that we will read large tracts once and again and again and again concerning the prized ability to fake or either discover by dating techniques whether our art displayed in exhibit is 5000 years old, merely 2000 years old- or more like 5. Someone very rich on the Grand Canal's piazza, has restored to splendor and has certain knowledge of such ceramic ages?
Brett is the battered expert. Ceramic Chinese antiquities in particular her savvy and appreciation. Her past, her present, her future also cores much of this story. Flavia is still "the star". But the middle, an entire half of the book, was slower than a High Mass on Holy Thursday. Including all the washing of the twelve pairs of feet. But in this case- first the boots have to be removed and then donned again. And again.
Yes, it was a decent read with considerable depth. And not just for the Brunetti family, either. But it was absolutely the kind of read you can put down, leave for some days, pick up again, put down - do over. Some are slow. This one for more than half was a sloth. Pick up some film clips of Venice under acqua alta and you will see more of what I mean. San Marco one vast huge puddle turning to lagoon. Walking on boards is rather dicey.
Flavia flirts and acts to beguile Guido, at odd times in this one too. Why? Just for the practice. He often falls for it, but at least teeters on the edge of that knowledge. Our perfect make up free face never gets a bruise.
The last 30 pages is filled with action. It ends as it begins, in violence. The perp being more insane than merely criminal- but our friends from Palermo are never for a moment completely absent.
Elettra gets red roses in this one. THAT was a departure. And even I know that you never, never, ever buy Italians carnations or chrysanthemums. Or display them, by choice, around them at home. Sometimes I like the way Leon/Guido describes Americans in these books. Sometimes I don't. In this one he calls them "the pastels" as spring breaks and the American tourists line up by the museum entrance. That one was good and accurate. I liked that one.
Paola laughs at the most terrible, terrible time that a parent can do that to another parent. And gets away with it too. What a window into her soul! That laugh and that long pause was extremely unkind- a type of torture. And that entire explanation didn't work, either. You would never ask your teen age son to get those from a pharmacy. Not even in Italy. And it is such a dichotomy that she does this in the same book in which she gives pages of copy of her own conversation and time spent in organization re Henry James' "kind" quote. Quote to follow:
"Three things in human life are important: the first is to be kind; the second is to be kind; and the third is to be kind.”
Why do those who speak the most often about it and seem to admire kindness do the least of all to actually emulate it? That has always been a mystery to me.
You really can tell this is one of the earlier Guido Brunetti. It shows in several instances, but no more than in that laugh for the "looking for the grey sweater" episode. And also within the nasty smashed toe incident too. Her practical application skills? Other than cooking?
In the latter Brunetti, she isn't as bad as this. And in the very latest she is actually lighthearted on occasion.
Well, his workmate associations, IMHO- are far more interesting.
And then there was the middle half. It's filled with inquiry and traipsing details for getting to 50 places and back again, without going into any of the low spots. We also hear about the color of all those boots and their height, or depth (depending how you think about it). But more highly and more often in sopranic tone it is Flavia, Brett, and Guido doing the threesome questions and answers to most anybody associated with the antiques and antiquities businesses in Venice. But do not forget, often accompanied by the opera voice recordings of our dear Flavia. Not also forgetting that we will read large tracts once and again and again and again concerning the prized ability to fake or either discover by dating techniques whether our art displayed in exhibit is 5000 years old, merely 2000 years old- or more like 5. Someone very rich on the Grand Canal's piazza, has restored to splendor and has certain knowledge of such ceramic ages?
Brett is the battered expert. Ceramic Chinese antiquities in particular her savvy and appreciation. Her past, her present, her future also cores much of this story. Flavia is still "the star". But the middle, an entire half of the book, was slower than a High Mass on Holy Thursday. Including all the washing of the twelve pairs of feet. But in this case- first the boots have to be removed and then donned again. And again.
Yes, it was a decent read with considerable depth. And not just for the Brunetti family, either. But it was absolutely the kind of read you can put down, leave for some days, pick up again, put down - do over. Some are slow. This one for more than half was a sloth. Pick up some film clips of Venice under acqua alta and you will see more of what I mean. San Marco one vast huge puddle turning to lagoon. Walking on boards is rather dicey.
Flavia flirts and acts to beguile Guido, at odd times in this one too. Why? Just for the practice. He often falls for it, but at least teeters on the edge of that knowledge. Our perfect make up free face never gets a bruise.
The last 30 pages is filled with action. It ends as it begins, in violence. The perp being more insane than merely criminal- but our friends from Palermo are never for a moment completely absent.
Elettra gets red roses in this one. THAT was a departure. And even I know that you never, never, ever buy Italians carnations or chrysanthemums. Or display them, by choice, around them at home. Sometimes I like the way Leon/Guido describes Americans in these books. Sometimes I don't. In this one he calls them "the pastels" as spring breaks and the American tourists line up by the museum entrance. That one was good and accurate. I liked that one.
Paola laughs at the most terrible, terrible time that a parent can do that to another parent. And gets away with it too. What a window into her soul! That laugh and that long pause was extremely unkind- a type of torture. And that entire explanation didn't work, either. You would never ask your teen age son to get those from a pharmacy. Not even in Italy. And it is such a dichotomy that she does this in the same book in which she gives pages of copy of her own conversation and time spent in organization re Henry James' "kind" quote. Quote to follow:
"Three things in human life are important: the first is to be kind; the second is to be kind; and the third is to be kind.”
Why do those who speak the most often about it and seem to admire kindness do the least of all to actually emulate it? That has always been a mystery to me.
You really can tell this is one of the earlier Guido Brunetti. It shows in several instances, but no more than in that laugh for the "looking for the grey sweater" episode. And also within the nasty smashed toe incident too. Her practical application skills? Other than cooking?
In the latter Brunetti, she isn't as bad as this. And in the very latest she is actually lighthearted on occasion.
Well, his workmate associations, IMHO- are far more interesting.
August 2, 2010
And after a long break, we're back to Commissario Brunetti and Venice - for a city that's supposedly so crime-free, I'm impressed at how many detective stories Donna Leon's managed to write that take place there.
Before, in Death at La Fenice, the themes of the day were opera and poisoning; now it's counterfeit antiques and the Mafia. (opera is still heavily featured in this book, but turning to the author bio I see that Donna Leon is an opera expert) Brett Lynch and Flavia Petrelli are back (so if you haven't read Death at La Fenice, where the characters are introduced, I'd start with that one), and Brunetti's family continues their tradition of appearing in overly long scenes that have no bearing whatsoever on the actual plot. Also there's a lot of hate directed at anyone who lives in Southern Italy, because apparently every single person in Sicily is a mob boss. That's the impression I got reading this, anyway, and I'm sure Leon has gotten more than a few angry letters about how stereotypical all her Sicilian characters are. It got to the point where someone just needed to be informed "He's from Palermo", and that would be enough for everyone to understand that he was a Very Bad Guy.
Besides those two quibbles, this is a very enjoyable read. The setting, as always, is beautiful and atmospheric; and the story is full of action and drinking and sneering at tourists and good meals. Also lots of violence, and the most graphic is directed at women - this is the Mafia, after all. Fair warning.
Before, in Death at La Fenice, the themes of the day were opera and poisoning; now it's counterfeit antiques and the Mafia. (opera is still heavily featured in this book, but turning to the author bio I see that Donna Leon is an opera expert) Brett Lynch and Flavia Petrelli are back (so if you haven't read Death at La Fenice, where the characters are introduced, I'd start with that one), and Brunetti's family continues their tradition of appearing in overly long scenes that have no bearing whatsoever on the actual plot. Also there's a lot of hate directed at anyone who lives in Southern Italy, because apparently every single person in Sicily is a mob boss. That's the impression I got reading this, anyway, and I'm sure Leon has gotten more than a few angry letters about how stereotypical all her Sicilian characters are. It got to the point where someone just needed to be informed "He's from Palermo", and that would be enough for everyone to understand that he was a Very Bad Guy.
Besides those two quibbles, this is a very enjoyable read. The setting, as always, is beautiful and atmospheric; and the story is full of action and drinking and sneering at tourists and good meals. Also lots of violence, and the most graphic is directed at women - this is the Mafia, after all. Fair warning.
September 7, 2011
I enjoyed this less than other books in Donna Leon's Brunetti series.
It would benefit from editing as there are several sections that add nothing to the plot or to the development of the characters. The bad guys are cardboard cutouts. And there are several extremely violent passages. (I've got nothing against descriptions of violence in principle but some of this felt simply gratuitous.)
As usual the descriptions of Venice are evocative.
Read Death at La Fenice before you read Acqua Alta as the back story to two of the main characters is given there.
It would benefit from editing as there are several sections that add nothing to the plot or to the development of the characters. The bad guys are cardboard cutouts. And there are several extremely violent passages. (I've got nothing against descriptions of violence in principle but some of this felt simply gratuitous.)
As usual the descriptions of Venice are evocative.
Read Death at La Fenice before you read Acqua Alta as the back story to two of the main characters is given there.
September 9, 2018
Brunetti recognizes a name when when looking over the crime report. He visits Brett Lynch, who first appeared in Death at La Fenice as an American with expertise in Chinese antiquities who is the homosexual lover of singer Flavia Petrelli, as the beaten victim in what is assumed to be a robbery gone awry. The thugs warn her not to visit a museum director who turns up dead soon afterwards. Venice is suffering flooding during the installment which adds to the atmosphere and provides an interesting twist in some of the action. The mystery is well-done, compelling readers to stick with the story. I missed a bit of the canal travel and family and food normally featured in the series, but the plot made up for it in other way.
December 5, 2021
Brunetti and the Art Thieves
Review of the Grove Press paperback edition (April 2013) of the original Harper Collins hardcover (January 1996)
The title of this Commissario Brunetti investigation is taken from the annual tidal flooding of Venice described as the Acqua Alta (Italian: High Water). The flooding doesn't play a role in the crime, but it is more of an obstacle to be overcome by everyone having to walk with pullover boots or even hip-waders. In that sense, it is a metaphor for Brunetti's path through the investigation.
Actors Uwe Kockisch as Commissario Brunetti and Leslie Malton as Flavia Pertelli in a film still from the German television adaptation of "Acqua Alta" (2004). Image sourced from IMDb.
A friend of Brunetti is beaten up and warned to not go to a planned meeting with a Venice museum director. At first, Brunetti is investigating the assault, but the crime is eventually revealed to be related to the substitution of fakes for rare museum pieces. A ruthless Mafia crime family is behind the scheme. Brunetti calls on the assistance of the Questora's all-seeing Signora Elettra and reliable Sergeant Vianello, while dodging his always interfering boss Vice-Questore Patta. A dramatic incursion and rescue makes for a suspenseful ending.
This was an excellent entry in the series as it allowed for the return of some favourite earlier characters with expanded roles. I've been trying to follow the series in order of its publication, but I've realized that it is actually mostly frozen in time, with Brunetti's children hardly aging although the books have now spanned almost 30 years.
Trivia and Links
This 5th Commissario Brunetti, Acqua Alta, is a mild spoiler for the 1st book of the series Death at La Fenice (1992), as some of the otherwise apparent suspects from that book return and were therefore not its culprits.
There is a really fascinating interview with author Donna Leon at ItalianMysteries.Com even if it was done 18 years ago. She discusses all sorts of background to the books and characters and also gives the reason that she won't allow the books to be translated into Italian (and it wasn't because she feared criticism by her neighbours in Venice).
Although it was the 5th book, Acqua Alta was filmed as the 8th episode "Acqua Alta" (2004) of the German language TV series (2000-2019) based on the Donna Leon / Commissario Brunetti series. The entire episode is available in a faulty copy on YouTube here which has no sound and no subtitles and repeats the entire 1st third of the episode for no reason.
An English language summary of the German language Commissario Brunetti TV series is available at Fictional Cities (Spoilers Obviously). As explained in the above interview, the TV-series was a German production as the books took off in popularity the most in the German speaking countries of Europe as Leon's publishing agent was Swiss-German and knew that market the best.
Review of the Grove Press paperback edition (April 2013) of the original Harper Collins hardcover (January 1996)
The title of this Commissario Brunetti investigation is taken from the annual tidal flooding of Venice described as the Acqua Alta (Italian: High Water). The flooding doesn't play a role in the crime, but it is more of an obstacle to be overcome by everyone having to walk with pullover boots or even hip-waders. In that sense, it is a metaphor for Brunetti's path through the investigation.
Actors Uwe Kockisch as Commissario Brunetti and Leslie Malton as Flavia Pertelli in a film still from the German television adaptation of "Acqua Alta" (2004). Image sourced from IMDb.
A friend of Brunetti is beaten up and warned to not go to a planned meeting with a Venice museum director. At first, Brunetti is investigating the assault, but the crime is eventually revealed to be related to the substitution of fakes for rare museum pieces. A ruthless Mafia crime family is behind the scheme. Brunetti calls on the assistance of the Questora's all-seeing Signora Elettra and reliable Sergeant Vianello, while dodging his always interfering boss Vice-Questore Patta. A dramatic incursion and rescue makes for a suspenseful ending.
This was an excellent entry in the series as it allowed for the return of some favourite earlier characters with expanded roles. I've been trying to follow the series in order of its publication, but I've realized that it is actually mostly frozen in time, with Brunetti's children hardly aging although the books have now spanned almost 30 years.
Trivia and Links
This 5th Commissario Brunetti, Acqua Alta, is a mild spoiler for the 1st book of the series Death at La Fenice (1992), as some of the otherwise apparent suspects from that book return and were therefore not its culprits.
There is a really fascinating interview with author Donna Leon at ItalianMysteries.Com even if it was done 18 years ago. She discusses all sorts of background to the books and characters and also gives the reason that she won't allow the books to be translated into Italian (and it wasn't because she feared criticism by her neighbours in Venice).
Although it was the 5th book, Acqua Alta was filmed as the 8th episode "Acqua Alta" (2004) of the German language TV series (2000-2019) based on the Donna Leon / Commissario Brunetti series. The entire episode is available in a faulty copy on YouTube here which has no sound and no subtitles and repeats the entire 1st third of the episode for no reason.
An English language summary of the German language Commissario Brunetti TV series is available at Fictional Cities (Spoilers Obviously). As explained in the above interview, the TV-series was a German production as the books took off in popularity the most in the German speaking countries of Europe as Leon's publishing agent was Swiss-German and knew that market the best.
January 28, 2009
I really like Donna Leon. I hope she continues to write forever. Her books are always literate and interesting with marvelous characters. The plots are intricate even if her view of Italian society is dark indeed. For example, in Acqua Alta, a woman is seriously beaten by some thugs. Her partner calls for an ambulance, but she is told there are two people ahead of her and she must be placed on a waiting list. Sorry. Once in the hospital every palm must be greased just to get the sheets changed. Corruption is rampant.
Amidst this corruption, Commisario Guido Brunetti, and his wife, Paola, struggle to remain honest and raise their children. They have a wonderful relationship -- “the radar of a long marriage” -- and Paola provides a nice contretemps to Guido. Leon, who has taught English for many years at University of Maryland extension campus at the U.S. Army's Vicenza (Italy) post, has lived many years in Italy, speaks the language fluently, and captures the nuances of the people and of daily life in Venice.
Acqua Alta refers to the seasonal high water in Venice when the tides flood large sections of the city. Sirens wail before the expected onrush and everyone must wear boots to get around in water that can be knee-deep. The city is always slow to erect the boards that people must traverse to avoid the water (I’m reading a book about Venice that discusses the future of the city -- more in a later issue). The high water and muck it brings provides a thread that nicely parallels the difficulties Guido faces during this investigation.
Flavia Petrelli, an opera singer, and her lover, Brett Lynch, an American archaeologist, return from a previous novel, Death at La Fenice Brett was beaten up as a warning not to meet with the director of a famous art museum (later murdered) and Guido must sort out a series of events in the underbelly of the art world related to an archaeological dig in China. Lurking behind everything is the dampness and the cold fog that seeps into all the old crusty buildings. Guido always solves the crimes, but the guilty often, because of the corruption and their connections, remain unpunished. Unusually, in this one, Guido arrives in time before the tragedy.
Amidst this corruption, Commisario Guido Brunetti, and his wife, Paola, struggle to remain honest and raise their children. They have a wonderful relationship -- “the radar of a long marriage” -- and Paola provides a nice contretemps to Guido. Leon, who has taught English for many years at University of Maryland extension campus at the U.S. Army's Vicenza (Italy) post, has lived many years in Italy, speaks the language fluently, and captures the nuances of the people and of daily life in Venice.
Acqua Alta refers to the seasonal high water in Venice when the tides flood large sections of the city. Sirens wail before the expected onrush and everyone must wear boots to get around in water that can be knee-deep. The city is always slow to erect the boards that people must traverse to avoid the water (I’m reading a book about Venice that discusses the future of the city -- more in a later issue). The high water and muck it brings provides a thread that nicely parallels the difficulties Guido faces during this investigation.
Flavia Petrelli, an opera singer, and her lover, Brett Lynch, an American archaeologist, return from a previous novel, Death at La Fenice Brett was beaten up as a warning not to meet with the director of a famous art museum (later murdered) and Guido must sort out a series of events in the underbelly of the art world related to an archaeological dig in China. Lurking behind everything is the dampness and the cold fog that seeps into all the old crusty buildings. Guido always solves the crimes, but the guilty often, because of the corruption and their connections, remain unpunished. Unusually, in this one, Guido arrives in time before the tragedy.
July 15, 2014
In this fifth installment of the Commissario Guido Brunetti mystery series, author Donna Leon aptly uses the title to foreshadow the vital role the waters of Venice play in the story. From the heavy rains to the overflowing canal, the setting proves as much an impediment to Brunetti’s investigation as the criminals who use the dark depths of injustice to conceal their true nature.
Brief glimpses into Brunetti’s family life and interactions with his office staff, including a boss swayed by political winds, add a personal touch to the story. A well-written series with lots of atmosphere and interesting plots, this book is my favorite one so far.
Brief glimpses into Brunetti’s family life and interactions with his office staff, including a boss swayed by political winds, add a personal touch to the story. A well-written series with lots of atmosphere and interesting plots, this book is my favorite one so far.
November 27, 2017
Five stars to the third reading as well. I noticed many more telling details this time. Many of the scenes are unforgettable.
And then there are descriptions like the following which have a contemporary ring:
"Along with the violence, along with the hired killers who shot twelve-year-olds as messages to their parents, had come the men with the briefcases, the soft-spoken patrons of the opera and the arts, with their university-educated children, their wine cellars and their fierce desire to be perceived as patrons, epicures and gentlemen, not as the thugs they were, prating and posturing with their talk of omertà and loyalty."
And then there are descriptions like the following which have a contemporary ring:
"Along with the violence, along with the hired killers who shot twelve-year-olds as messages to their parents, had come the men with the briefcases, the soft-spoken patrons of the opera and the arts, with their university-educated children, their wine cellars and their fierce desire to be perceived as patrons, epicures and gentlemen, not as the thugs they were, prating and posturing with their talk of omertà and loyalty."
June 6, 2022
4 stars - Dutch hardcover
This book is the 6th Guido Brunetti Mystery I've read. I've loved Donna Leon's previous books very much. However, I do wish "Acqua Alta" hadn't been mentioned so many times in this mystery. I found Acqua Alta very verbose , more characterizations and less "talky" exposition about antiques would have kept the reader's attention, in my opinion..
The two main characters of the opera singer and her lover really never came alive as real people. Anx that is a shame. It would have give the story more character. Guido, of course, is the detective anyone would want to handle a murder mystery. He is a man of exquisite literary taste, as well
This book is the 6th Guido Brunetti Mystery I've read. I've loved Donna Leon's previous books very much. However, I do wish "Acqua Alta" hadn't been mentioned so many times in this mystery. I found Acqua Alta very verbose , more characterizations and less "talky" exposition about antiques would have kept the reader's attention, in my opinion..
The two main characters of the opera singer and her lover really never came alive as real people. Anx that is a shame. It would have give the story more character. Guido, of course, is the detective anyone would want to handle a murder mystery. He is a man of exquisite literary taste, as well
June 21, 2020
The fifth book in one of my favourite crime series. I've never experienced Acqua Alta in Venice. I've been there twice, both times for a week-and-a-half in May. I love the way Donna Leon uses the city almost as an extra character in her books. I also love the fact that it is not just about the crimes but also about food and drink, beautiful music and the couleur locale. I'm looking forward to the next installment.
June 25, 2021
Acqua Alta the rains and flooding of Venice in the fall. As this as the backdrop we learn about early Chinese pottery and the fakes found amid the real thing, the dealing in stolen artifacts and the consequences of exposing them.
Altogether a very satisfying read. Donna Leon has never disappointed me.
Altogether a very satisfying read. Donna Leon has never disappointed me.
December 8, 2019
Definitely not one of the better ones in the series. Feels as if Donna Leon wasn't really interested in the story. As I am not reading this series in order, I know there are better ones later. It makes a good airport read but not more.
December 11, 2018
A great quick read. The mystery wrapped up quickly, but had closure in he ending. It was fun to read about Venice and learn a little about it.
March 3, 2025
Handlung und Kriminalfall plätschern manchmal etwas vor sich hin, in Kombination mit dramatischem Finale und venezianischem Flair überzeugt das Buch dennoch
December 25, 2020
Ich bin ehrlich gesagt kein Fan davon mitten in Reihen zu beginnen. Da ich aber nur diesen einen Band daraus hatte und ich erfuhr das man sie auch gut einzeln lesen könnte, wollte ich mich einmal daran versuchen. dabei heraus kam, das ich diese Aussage voll und ganz unterstützen kann, da es so gut wie keine Anspielungen auf vorherige Bände bzw. Fälle gab.
Aber auch so überraschte mich mein erster Fall mit Brunetti, denn er charismatische Commissario erwies sich als fähiger und auch sehr toleranter Ermittler, welcher dazu auch noch eine unglaubliche Leidenschaft mitbrachte. Diese zeigte sich dazu nicht nur in seinem Beruf, sondern auch in seinem Privatleben. Durch seine liebevolle Frau und die unglaublich sympathischen Kinder lernte man eigentlich 2 verschiedene Menschen kennen. Jedoch muss man sagen das beide Versionen wundervoll harmonierten.
Natürlich war da noch der Fall und die darum liegende Geschichte. Dieser überraschte mich wirklich, da er so viele interessante und auch wichtige Themen ansprach, mit denen ich einfach nicht gerechnet hatte. Zum einen wären da die beiden Frauen, durch welche der Fall erst so richtig ins Rollen gebracht wurde. Ihre Homosexualität war für ihr Umfeld vollkommen ok und wurde ohne Kommentare angenommen. Doch es musste natürlich auch die Gegenseite geben, welche sich über die Frauen lustig machte und sie beleidigte. Die Autorin schaffte es allerdings diese Figuren gerade zu lächerlich wirken zu lassen. Ein aus meiner Sicht toller Schritt gegen Homophobie.
Dann wären da die Eigentümlichkeiten von Venedig selbst. Hier wurde einmal aufgezeigt, was es für einen Unterschied machte, ob man in Venedig wohnte oder es nur als Tourist besuchte. Das Titel-gebende Acqua alta beschrieb den Anstieg der Wasserflächen zu einer bestimmten Zeit im Jahr und lockte so manche Touristen an. Das dies für Bewohner jedoch eher eine Belastung als eine Sehenswürdigkeit war, durfte man anhand von Brunetti nun erfahren.
Schließlich ging es im Buch noch um die Kunst. Vor allem ging es darum wer sie sehen sollte und wieso bestimmte Menschen, Kunstgegenstände unter Verschluss halten, nur damit sie allein, sie betrachten können. Man hatte es hier also wirklich mit vielen wichtigen Themen zutun, welche alle zusammen den 5. Fall Brunettis erstellten. Langweile war hier auf jeden Fall nicht möglich, denn neben den sehr informativen Themen, gab es neben ein wenig Humor, eben auch genug Spannung. Ich war wirklich erstaunt, was dieser von außen sehr unscheinbare Band, für ein Feuerwerk an Lesespaß in sich enthielt. Natürlich hatte ich hin und wieder Probleme mich zurechtzufinden, besonders wenn es um Orte oder Straßenzüge ging, aber ich kam trotz Überlesen dieser Namen sehr gut voran und erfreute mich einfach am Buch.
Wenn dieser kleine Band eines konnte, dann mich zu überraschen. Mein erster Fall mit Brunetti wird auf jeden Fall nicht mein Letzter gewesen sein, denn der Mix aus spannenden Krimi, interessanten Einblicken über das Leben in Venedig und den vielen sozialen Themen sorgte nicht nur für tolle Lesestunden, sondern auch Stoff zum Nachdenken.
Aber auch so überraschte mich mein erster Fall mit Brunetti, denn er charismatische Commissario erwies sich als fähiger und auch sehr toleranter Ermittler, welcher dazu auch noch eine unglaubliche Leidenschaft mitbrachte. Diese zeigte sich dazu nicht nur in seinem Beruf, sondern auch in seinem Privatleben. Durch seine liebevolle Frau und die unglaublich sympathischen Kinder lernte man eigentlich 2 verschiedene Menschen kennen. Jedoch muss man sagen das beide Versionen wundervoll harmonierten.
Natürlich war da noch der Fall und die darum liegende Geschichte. Dieser überraschte mich wirklich, da er so viele interessante und auch wichtige Themen ansprach, mit denen ich einfach nicht gerechnet hatte. Zum einen wären da die beiden Frauen, durch welche der Fall erst so richtig ins Rollen gebracht wurde. Ihre Homosexualität war für ihr Umfeld vollkommen ok und wurde ohne Kommentare angenommen. Doch es musste natürlich auch die Gegenseite geben, welche sich über die Frauen lustig machte und sie beleidigte. Die Autorin schaffte es allerdings diese Figuren gerade zu lächerlich wirken zu lassen. Ein aus meiner Sicht toller Schritt gegen Homophobie.
Dann wären da die Eigentümlichkeiten von Venedig selbst. Hier wurde einmal aufgezeigt, was es für einen Unterschied machte, ob man in Venedig wohnte oder es nur als Tourist besuchte. Das Titel-gebende Acqua alta beschrieb den Anstieg der Wasserflächen zu einer bestimmten Zeit im Jahr und lockte so manche Touristen an. Das dies für Bewohner jedoch eher eine Belastung als eine Sehenswürdigkeit war, durfte man anhand von Brunetti nun erfahren.
Schließlich ging es im Buch noch um die Kunst. Vor allem ging es darum wer sie sehen sollte und wieso bestimmte Menschen, Kunstgegenstände unter Verschluss halten, nur damit sie allein, sie betrachten können. Man hatte es hier also wirklich mit vielen wichtigen Themen zutun, welche alle zusammen den 5. Fall Brunettis erstellten. Langweile war hier auf jeden Fall nicht möglich, denn neben den sehr informativen Themen, gab es neben ein wenig Humor, eben auch genug Spannung. Ich war wirklich erstaunt, was dieser von außen sehr unscheinbare Band, für ein Feuerwerk an Lesespaß in sich enthielt. Natürlich hatte ich hin und wieder Probleme mich zurechtzufinden, besonders wenn es um Orte oder Straßenzüge ging, aber ich kam trotz Überlesen dieser Namen sehr gut voran und erfreute mich einfach am Buch.
Wenn dieser kleine Band eines konnte, dann mich zu überraschen. Mein erster Fall mit Brunetti wird auf jeden Fall nicht mein Letzter gewesen sein, denn der Mix aus spannenden Krimi, interessanten Einblicken über das Leben in Venedig und den vielen sozialen Themen sorgte nicht nur für tolle Lesestunden, sondern auch Stoff zum Nachdenken.
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