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Commissario Brunetti #10
A Sea of Troubles
Donna Leon has amassed devoted fans around the world for her atmospheric and intelligent Commissario Guido Brunetti mysteries. A Sea of Troubles, the tenth book in the series, offers a rare glimpse into the scrupulous Commissario's personal life.
On a beautiful spring morning on the island of Pellestrina, south of the Lido on the Venetian lagoon, a small boat moored at the docks suddenly explodes, killing two local clam fishermen. When it becomes clear that the fire was deliberately set, Brunetti decides to investigate. But when he tries to dig up information about the murder, the island's tight-knit--and closemouthed--community closes ranks, forcing Brunetti to accept Signorina Elettra's offer to visit her relatives there to search for clues. On the island, Brunetti finds himself torn between his duty to solve the murders and his concerns for the Signorina's safety. Though loyal to his beloved wife, Paola, Brunetti's concern for his boss's spirited secretary may be driven by more than platonic feeling. Suspenseful, provocative, and deeply unsettling, A Sea of Troubles is an explosive and irresistible installment in Leon's marvelous series.
On a beautiful spring morning on the island of Pellestrina, south of the Lido on the Venetian lagoon, a small boat moored at the docks suddenly explodes, killing two local clam fishermen. When it becomes clear that the fire was deliberately set, Brunetti decides to investigate. But when he tries to dig up information about the murder, the island's tight-knit--and closemouthed--community closes ranks, forcing Brunetti to accept Signorina Elettra's offer to visit her relatives there to search for clues. On the island, Brunetti finds himself torn between his duty to solve the murders and his concerns for the Signorina's safety. Though loyal to his beloved wife, Paola, Brunetti's concern for his boss's spirited secretary may be driven by more than platonic feeling. Suspenseful, provocative, and deeply unsettling, A Sea of Troubles is an explosive and irresistible installment in Leon's marvelous series.
250 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2001
1742 people are currently reading
2393 people want to read
About the author
Donna Leon
107 books2,920 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 679 reviews
November 16, 2023
…And Sadness.
Today, the Commissario is on a mission in Pellestrina, where a fisherman and his teenager son are murdered.
Brunetti has his work cut out for him. The Pellestrinotti are refusing to talk.
With none of the residents willing to help the police, he enlists the help of Signorina Elettra, who decides to go undercover, he now has eyes and ears on the island.
But it is still not a guaranteed result. Elettra is not getting the responses she desires and her desire has transferred to a handsome fisherman.
Will Commissario Brunetti find his murderer?
Four stars. 💫💫💫💫
Today, the Commissario is on a mission in Pellestrina, where a fisherman and his teenager son are murdered.
Brunetti has his work cut out for him. The Pellestrinotti are refusing to talk.
With none of the residents willing to help the police, he enlists the help of Signorina Elettra, who decides to go undercover, he now has eyes and ears on the island.
But it is still not a guaranteed result. Elettra is not getting the responses she desires and her desire has transferred to a handsome fisherman.
Will Commissario Brunetti find his murderer?
Four stars. 💫💫💫💫
March 3, 2016
A Sea of Troubles, the 10th Commissario Brunetti mystery featuring Venetian police detective, Guido Brunetti starts with the bodies of two fishermen found in a burnt fishing boat in one of the outer islands on the Venice lagoon. The small fishing community offers to share any information about the murders. Signorina Elettra offers to help with the investigation by visiting a friend in the fishing village and be the eyes and ears for Brunetti.
The relationship between Brunetti, Vianello and Signorina Elletra reaches a turning point in this story. They have come a long way since they first met and I am really enjoying their interaction with each other.
Brunetti is an absolute gem of a character. He’s engaging, likeable and a philosopher at heart. I loved reading how he sees his life……
The relationship between Brunetti, Vianello and Signorina Elletra reaches a turning point in this story. They have come a long way since they first met and I am really enjoying their interaction with each other.
Brunetti is an absolute gem of a character. He’s engaging, likeable and a philosopher at heart. I loved reading how he sees his life……
” Brunetti had more modest desires. He was a man of short views, interested in the here, the now, the concrete. He left larger goals and desires to others, contenting himself with smaller ones: a happy family, a decent life, the attempt to do his job as well as he could. It seemed to him little enough to ask of life, and he settled for those hopes."A good mystery and twists and turns that make guessing who the villains are not that easy. And some totally unexpected surprises.
August 16, 2021
The past Brunetti books I’ve read, I’ve been impressed with his wonderful relationship with Paola, his wife. This time, it’s his relationship with his team. Not just his Sergeant, Vionello, but especially Signorina Elettra. The two are both so intelligent and share Brunetti’s dry humor and work-around abilities. And it’s always fun to see how Patta is manipulated.
I’m also noticing a trend for Leon to tackle a specific social injustice in each of her books. This time it’s pollution and what it’s doing to clams. Two clam fishermen are killed and their boat, with their bodies on it, is sunk. They were part of the close knit fishing community on the island of Pellestrina, a place known for its fierce loyalties and suspicions of anyone from the outside. Signorina Elettra has relatives on the island and volunteers to go on a fact finding mission.
This one ends with a huge climax, unlike the other Brunetti books I’ve read. But I found the reason behind the murders to be less coherent and left me somewhat disappointed. But to be honest, these books are much more about the characters than the mystery.
I also found myself wondering if Leon has ever considered putting out a cookbook. Some of the recipes she describes left me almost drooling. This time, it was an apple cake with Grand Marnier that I was dying to try.
I’m so impressed with David Colucci’s narration of these books. He totally captures the characters and the style of the books.
I’m also noticing a trend for Leon to tackle a specific social injustice in each of her books. This time it’s pollution and what it’s doing to clams. Two clam fishermen are killed and their boat, with their bodies on it, is sunk. They were part of the close knit fishing community on the island of Pellestrina, a place known for its fierce loyalties and suspicions of anyone from the outside. Signorina Elettra has relatives on the island and volunteers to go on a fact finding mission.
This one ends with a huge climax, unlike the other Brunetti books I’ve read. But I found the reason behind the murders to be less coherent and left me somewhat disappointed. But to be honest, these books are much more about the characters than the mystery.
I also found myself wondering if Leon has ever considered putting out a cookbook. Some of the recipes she describes left me almost drooling. This time, it was an apple cake with Grand Marnier that I was dying to try.
I’m so impressed with David Colucci’s narration of these books. He totally captures the characters and the style of the books.
May 21, 2022
The 10th book of this series and it is one that is truly a slow build, but my word once this gets going I could not put it down. As with all the books of this series, Donna Leon, weaves her plot and characters around a social/society issue in Venice and this time we are dealing with fishing. Yes, fishing, over fishing, destruction of the clam beds off one of the islands of Venice, and the pollution of the waters in and around Venice. Two of the characters in the book even refuse to eat clams for differing reasons.
But Brunetti finds himself being called to the island of Pellestrina to investigate the deaths of two fisherman (father and son). The islanders refuse to give up their secrets and eventually the lovely Signorina Elletra volunteers to go to the island and "visit" her relative and try to discover some information. Another policeman is assigned to look over her while Brunetti is stuck in his office. This book, as all of Leon's books do, come to a conclusion that is less than satisfying for Brunetti. Some justice is done, some is not. Brunetti discovers that he is enamored with Elettra and worries about her constantly. Then another death is reported and eventually there is the usual tangled web of intrigue that was lurking beneath the surface and which eventually finds everyone in the midst of a monstrous storm (bigger than their famous storm of 1927). Who lives, who survives and what happens to every character in this book as the storms fury reaches epic proportions. As I said, there is so much going on and we are left with our usual feelings of ambiguity about Venice, the law, corruption, and most of all the fate of the now massively polluted waters in and about Venice. Great book!!
But Brunetti finds himself being called to the island of Pellestrina to investigate the deaths of two fisherman (father and son). The islanders refuse to give up their secrets and eventually the lovely Signorina Elletra volunteers to go to the island and "visit" her relative and try to discover some information. Another policeman is assigned to look over her while Brunetti is stuck in his office. This book, as all of Leon's books do, come to a conclusion that is less than satisfying for Brunetti. Some justice is done, some is not. Brunetti discovers that he is enamored with Elettra and worries about her constantly. Then another death is reported and eventually there is the usual tangled web of intrigue that was lurking beneath the surface and which eventually finds everyone in the midst of a monstrous storm (bigger than their famous storm of 1927). Who lives, who survives and what happens to every character in this book as the storms fury reaches epic proportions. As I said, there is so much going on and we are left with our usual feelings of ambiguity about Venice, the law, corruption, and most of all the fate of the now massively polluted waters in and about Venice. Great book!!
July 24, 2022
Charles van Buren
TOP 1000 REVIEWER
2.0 out of 5 stars
Dull
Format: Kindle Edition Verified Purchase
Review of Kindle edition
Publication date: August 25, 2009
Publisher: Grove Press
Language: English
ASIN: B0097D79G4
Commissario Brunetti is a man without faith or religion in the service of a corrupt government and criminal justice system. He contents himself with small victories, willing to ignore the rest. As such, he and his small mysteries are rather boring. Of course if he fought the system he would soon be dismissed or worse and there could not be a series of police detective novels. And without faith or religion on what basis could he fight the system anyway? Having worked under somewhat similar circumstances, I do not see how he continues without a belief in an ultimate right and wrong. He also seems naive. Constantly surprised by revelations of corruption such as seafood from polluted waters being sold to the public. My real life law enforcement experience was surprise when I didn't find corruption. Another downside is that Donna Leon evidences some overt hostility toward Christianity. I can get more of that than I need from the daily news.
This was my first Brunetti book. There will not be another unless one is offered free or at a substantial discount. I am certainly not willing to pay $6 or more for another volume in this series.
Update Friday, July 26, 2019. I have now sampled several of Donna Leon's mysteries. It seems that she generally writes from a leftist point of view with hostility toward Christianity.
TOP 1000 REVIEWER
2.0 out of 5 stars
Dull
Format: Kindle Edition Verified Purchase
Review of Kindle edition
Publication date: August 25, 2009
Publisher: Grove Press
Language: English
ASIN: B0097D79G4
Commissario Brunetti is a man without faith or religion in the service of a corrupt government and criminal justice system. He contents himself with small victories, willing to ignore the rest. As such, he and his small mysteries are rather boring. Of course if he fought the system he would soon be dismissed or worse and there could not be a series of police detective novels. And without faith or religion on what basis could he fight the system anyway? Having worked under somewhat similar circumstances, I do not see how he continues without a belief in an ultimate right and wrong. He also seems naive. Constantly surprised by revelations of corruption such as seafood from polluted waters being sold to the public. My real life law enforcement experience was surprise when I didn't find corruption. Another downside is that Donna Leon evidences some overt hostility toward Christianity. I can get more of that than I need from the daily news.
This was my first Brunetti book. There will not be another unless one is offered free or at a substantial discount. I am certainly not willing to pay $6 or more for another volume in this series.
Update Friday, July 26, 2019. I have now sampled several of Donna Leon's mysteries. It seems that she generally writes from a leftist point of view with hostility toward Christianity.
September 17, 2014
My appetite is huge for Donna Leon's detailed knowledge of Venice, the city and its people, and her cynical take on corrupt institutions in this legendary place. I have great affection for detective Guido Brunetti; his family (notably his wife, Paola, the professor of English literature, a specialist in Henry James, who produces fabulous lunches that are totally but delightfully incredible); and his colleagues. As a result I have read many of her books, always with interest and enjoyment. The quality of the mystery, however, varies considerably from one book to the next. As ethnography, this one is pretty good, but as a mystery, it's thin. The tempo is flat, dragging for 2/3, even 3/4 of the book, before it accelerates quickly at the end for an exciting finale. Nonetheless, the villain turns out to be a one-dimensional cardboard character, and the conflicts at the heart of the crime are poorly explained. Bringing Signorina Elettra, the ever-delightful secretary at police headquarters, into a prominent role was an intriguing idea, but overall, I felt this did her a disservice. Leon should have left her in her familiar niche, as a comic foil; that we don't know much about her private life is perfectly fine. Overall, a disappointment.
July 28, 2021
Another entry into the Brunetti files. This one takes place out on Pellestrina, the narrow strip of land that guards the lagoon from the Adriatic Sea. Brunetti is the fish out of water here, as the insular residents close ranks to protect one of their own.
November 16, 2009
Not as good as some of her others. Not much of a plot, and a strange sub-plot in which Brunetti's wife is jealous of Signorina Elettra for no apparent reason. I also didn't really like the storyline that took Elettra away from her area of strength and reduced her to someone who needed to be protected and was duped by a guy.
June 19, 2019
The 10th of Donna Leon’s tales about Commissario Brunetti, the Venetian detective, worked somewhat less well for me than many others since it is set, not in his usual haunts (the canals and calli of Venice), but on an isolated island in the Venetian lagoon. This means the author’s stable of favorite characters are much less in evidence, depriving readers of the consistent pleasure of reading about them and their interactions. The highly resourceful (and delightful) Elettra, on the other hand, abandons her office and her computer at the police station for less accustomed roles of volunteer, on-site investigator and temporary girlfriend of a murder suspect. (I, for one, prefer her as the aloof, computer-savvy, and deftly controlling secretary who quietly manages the entire prefecture and her superiors.) The book builds to a somewhat atypical, watery, action-packed finale, quite different from Leon’s more usual, equally intense competition of rival personalities, with the action in the dialogue rather than on a storm tossed boat.
May 5, 2024
entspannter krimi-roman, der sich in der mitte des buchs etwas zieht, aber insgesamt sehr angenehm geschrieben ist :) vielleicht lese ich jetzt noch mehr von donna leon
April 10, 2019
This one was perfect. It was my comfort read and it provided everything that I needed just when I needed it. Visits with Commissario Brunetti and his families - both his own and his work family - are like that, but this one was even better than most.
It begins on the island of Pellestrina on the Venetian lagoon. Two clam fishermen, a father and son, have been found murdered on their fishing boat. The older man's head had been caved in by a couple of brutal blows and the younger had been knifed in the stomach and bled to death. But that wasn't the end of it. In the middle of the night, the community was awakened by an explosion as the boat's gas tank exploded and enveloped it in flames. The flames spread to the boats moored on either side and things looked very dicey for a while until the other fishermen managed to get things under control and extinguish the conflagration. When the neighbors finally realized that the owners of the burnt boat were missing, someone thought to dive and look into the cabin of the damaged boat and the bodies were found.
Of course, no one immediately called the police. Calling the police is not something that is routinely done on Pellestrina. At least they brought the bodies out because the crabs had already gone to work on them. Eventually, someone does notify the police and Brunetti and his sergeant, Vianello, head out to investigate. And thus begins their adventure.
This adventure will also directly involve the wonderful Signorina Elletra, super-secretary, who takes on the mantle of an undercover agent to try to break the wall of silence from the villagers about the murders and the men who were murdered. Elletra had relatives and ties to Pellestrina where she often spends summer vacations and she volunteered her services. Brunetti tried to dissuade her, but she is effectively her own boss.
All of this culminates in a horrendous storm on the Adriatic where boats are tossed about like matchsticks and for a while, it seems like this may be the last adventure of Commissario Brunetti. He survives, but sadly, one of the recurring characters readers have come to care about does not. Sigh.
Nevertheless, all of that is in service of the plot and it is a very good, well-executed plot. The action is crisp, the likable characters are really likable, and the hatable characters are deliciously hatable. Really, what more can one ask of the mystery genre?
It begins on the island of Pellestrina on the Venetian lagoon. Two clam fishermen, a father and son, have been found murdered on their fishing boat. The older man's head had been caved in by a couple of brutal blows and the younger had been knifed in the stomach and bled to death. But that wasn't the end of it. In the middle of the night, the community was awakened by an explosion as the boat's gas tank exploded and enveloped it in flames. The flames spread to the boats moored on either side and things looked very dicey for a while until the other fishermen managed to get things under control and extinguish the conflagration. When the neighbors finally realized that the owners of the burnt boat were missing, someone thought to dive and look into the cabin of the damaged boat and the bodies were found.
Of course, no one immediately called the police. Calling the police is not something that is routinely done on Pellestrina. At least they brought the bodies out because the crabs had already gone to work on them. Eventually, someone does notify the police and Brunetti and his sergeant, Vianello, head out to investigate. And thus begins their adventure.
This adventure will also directly involve the wonderful Signorina Elletra, super-secretary, who takes on the mantle of an undercover agent to try to break the wall of silence from the villagers about the murders and the men who were murdered. Elletra had relatives and ties to Pellestrina where she often spends summer vacations and she volunteered her services. Brunetti tried to dissuade her, but she is effectively her own boss.
All of this culminates in a horrendous storm on the Adriatic where boats are tossed about like matchsticks and for a while, it seems like this may be the last adventure of Commissario Brunetti. He survives, but sadly, one of the recurring characters readers have come to care about does not. Sigh.
Nevertheless, all of that is in service of the plot and it is a very good, well-executed plot. The action is crisp, the likable characters are really likable, and the hatable characters are deliciously hatable. Really, what more can one ask of the mystery genre?
April 5, 2025
Not one of the strongest efforts in this series.
September 27, 2021
I love this series but … seriously, did Guido just cause the death of *someone* here?
Completely unnecessarily???
WHY DID YOU MAKE HIM TAKE YOU OUT IN A KILLER STORM, GUIDO???
What the heck just happened???
Oh and also: why is everything so weird with Elettra all of a sudden? What is Paola even trying to say to Guido that neither he nor I ever understood???
Geez Louise! This was a very stressful book!
Completely unnecessarily???
WHY DID YOU MAKE HIM TAKE YOU OUT IN A KILLER STORM, GUIDO???
What the heck just happened???
Oh and also: why is everything so weird with Elettra all of a sudden? What is Paola even trying to say to Guido that neither he nor I ever understood???
Geez Louise! This was a very stressful book!
September 6, 2020
Two fishermen are murdered in a small village near Venice, but no one wants to talk to the police, of course, although eventually they learn that the older man was universally disliked. Signorina Electra wants to help with investigation, and not just with her usual computer work, putting her in harm’s way. One of the more intense in the series, ably narrated by David Colacci.
April 7, 2017
I love this series even when the climax is a little anticlimactic, but the final part of A Sea of Troubles is as exciting as any thriller. Not since Aqua Alta has Brunetti faced anything like this. And my favorite character, Signorina Elettra shows that she's finally human, after all. Five stars.
June 17, 2019
When Patta goes on vacation, Signorina Elletra decides to vacation on Pellestrina. A fishing boat exploded in the island's harbor, and the islanders are very closed about what's going on. Brunetti who was not placed in charge while Patta was out of town ends up in charge because the other man had jury duty. Brunetti is concerned about Elletra's friendship with a man on the island. A few too many loose ends and too little real investigation mar this installment. I listened to the audio version narrated by David Colacci.
January 8, 2013
A fisherman and his son die in a fiery boat explosion on the island of Pellestrina, a barrier island near Venice. Commissario Brunetti is assigned to investigate, and when, as always, he seeks research assistance from Signorina Elletra, she takes it into her head to visit her relatives on the island and do some unofficial undercover work. Brunetti is most discomfited by her decision, and though he tries to dissuade her, feels he can't give her orders about where to take her vacation. He should have taken a firmer stand.
This tenth entry into the Brunetti series gives readers a deeper glimpse into inner emotional life. The knowledge that Elletra could be in serious danger becomes an obsession that threatens to derail his professional objectivity, which comes to the attention of his wife, Paola. When the inevitable problems arise, Brunetti has difficulty restraining his natural impulses. What makes this novel so interesting for those familiar with the long back story is watching how his mistakes play themselves out. There will be more fatalities.
As always, Leon's knowledge of Venice and its environs, her understanding of human nature, and her very natural and fallible characters make for compelling reading.
This tenth entry into the Brunetti series gives readers a deeper glimpse into inner emotional life. The knowledge that Elletra could be in serious danger becomes an obsession that threatens to derail his professional objectivity, which comes to the attention of his wife, Paola. When the inevitable problems arise, Brunetti has difficulty restraining his natural impulses. What makes this novel so interesting for those familiar with the long back story is watching how his mistakes play themselves out. There will be more fatalities.
As always, Leon's knowledge of Venice and its environs, her understanding of human nature, and her very natural and fallible characters make for compelling reading.
August 8, 2020
A strong entry in this venerable series. Leon is so good at mining the Venice environs for locales and locals: places and people who she makes very alive for us. As well, Commissario Brunetti and his family, Brunetti and his co-workers at the Questura are so real we come to feel we know them. Yes, they're "murder mysteries" but written so that they are really more than that, they're portraits of humanity and philosophical musings on society...
Here Brunetti investigates a couple of murders on the island of Pallestrina, south of the Lido on the Venetian lagoon. Soon there is more murder, and yet the tight-knit fishing community on the island are supremely reluctant to open up to the police; Brunetti sends Elettra Zorzi and Officer Pucetti to the island undercover, and things quickly become more complex and ominous. Tension and action build to a crescendo, and the denouement is fast, shocking, and riveting. If you like mysteries but haven't read Leon (this seems somewhat oxymoronic I know), you owe it to yourself to sample any of the 25 or so books in the series - you'll come back for more...
Here Brunetti investigates a couple of murders on the island of Pallestrina, south of the Lido on the Venetian lagoon. Soon there is more murder, and yet the tight-knit fishing community on the island are supremely reluctant to open up to the police; Brunetti sends Elettra Zorzi and Officer Pucetti to the island undercover, and things quickly become more complex and ominous. Tension and action build to a crescendo, and the denouement is fast, shocking, and riveting. If you like mysteries but haven't read Leon (this seems somewhat oxymoronic I know), you owe it to yourself to sample any of the 25 or so books in the series - you'll come back for more...
May 25, 2023
That was a nail biter!
January 4, 2018
The books in this series often focus more than you'd expect on the relationships between the characters than on the mystery itself. I don't mind it, it's one of the things I enjoy (though I know people who like thrillers and more "classic" mysteries would find them boring). However, I think this one leaned a bit too much in that direction. There is almost no investigation to speak of; what there is of it is just an excuse to create tension between the characters. Not the best one in this series.
October 18, 2018
I feel like Leon tried for something different this time - romance and action. Imho it didn't work. Sticking to the mystery, family, food and Venice works. I hope the next one will be back to the tried and trusted devices. I legit thought I'd throw the book against the wall when Brunetti started to think of the secretary in a not work related way.
February 28, 2017
OK, why go out in the sea when you know it's storming?
August 13, 2021
I enjoy listening to these books on my morning walk. David Colacci is the perfect reader. I enjoyed this story and it got pretty intense towards the end. But then seemed to abruptly end.
April 29, 2019
The tenth is the Commissario Brunetti series by Donna Leon, A Sea of Troubles is, as its predecessors, a fun and easy read. This time, previously supporting characters come into greater prominence in solving the murders. It is set outside of Venice proper, in Pellestrina, and gives the reader the opportunity to learn a bit about small Italian town values and norms. As usual, the descriptions of casual corruption in Italy are portrayed at times humorously, and the relationship between Brunetti and his wife and between him and his coworkers is richly described.
September 22, 2019
Donna Leon's books are consistently successful in taking the reader on a rich, fully imagined trip to Venice. I love her descriptions of the streets, the meals, the canals and day-to-day life in what she presents as a corrupt city's goverment.
This novel is predominantly set in a fishing village and lacks some of the glamour and local color of the more sophisticated Venice she usually writes about. I always enjoy her books, but perhaps was les interested in learning the ins and outs of the fishing business than I am in reading about corruption in the city itself.
Another departure for Leon in this book was that she chose to send Inspector Brunetti's superior officer's secretary (Elettra Zorzi) out "in the field" to assist in the investigation of two murders in the fishing village. It presented a different side of Ms. Zorzi and added a degree of humanity to her character that may or may not be appealing to readers. I enjoyed seeing a different side of her in this book, but prefer the brilliant, teflon-coated, fashionista who manipulates her boss and does devilish things on her computer.
Nothing can diminish the pleasure of Leon's series for me, so although this was not my favorite among her books, I enjoyed it.
This novel is predominantly set in a fishing village and lacks some of the glamour and local color of the more sophisticated Venice she usually writes about. I always enjoy her books, but perhaps was les interested in learning the ins and outs of the fishing business than I am in reading about corruption in the city itself.
Another departure for Leon in this book was that she chose to send Inspector Brunetti's superior officer's secretary (Elettra Zorzi) out "in the field" to assist in the investigation of two murders in the fishing village. It presented a different side of Ms. Zorzi and added a degree of humanity to her character that may or may not be appealing to readers. I enjoyed seeing a different side of her in this book, but prefer the brilliant, teflon-coated, fashionista who manipulates her boss and does devilish things on her computer.
Nothing can diminish the pleasure of Leon's series for me, so although this was not my favorite among her books, I enjoyed it.
February 9, 2025
Der Kriminalfall an sich präsentiert sich wieder deutlich zweitrangig und auch teilweise halbwegs unmotiviert, stimmungsvoll und spannend ist die Geschichte durch die Schilderungen des Lebens in Venedig und Palestrina und der zwischenmenschlichen Beziehungen dennoch
June 18, 2025
A favorite in a favorite series. An regulator character takes on a new role, the location is a bit different, and there is a thrilling storm-tossed ending.
June 27, 2023
This book had a very engaging beginning and a very exciting ending, but the middle fizzled. I've read previous books in this series which were much better. There's usually twists in plot and unexpected details, which helps the series flow. I would recommend others in this series, but not-so-much this one.
August 11, 2021
Ich dachte erst, dass bloß der Einstieg in das Buch etwas langsam wäre, aber selbst ab Mitte bis Ende der Geschichte, hat sich das Buch in die Länge gezogen. Es gab keinen wirklichen Höhepunkt der Spannung und ich hatte das Gefühl, dass für einen Krimi nicht wirklich viel passiert, was das Verlangen zum Weiterlesen anregt. Für ein relativ kurzes Buch, musste ich mich doch eher durchkämpfen es zu Ende zu lesen & insgesamt war die Geschichte eher langatmig & man hoffte dass sie endlich zu Ende ist. Selbst der "Plottwist" beziehungsweise das Ende haben mich nicht wirklich gepackt.
Jedoch hat mir der detaillierte Schreibstil der Autorin gut gefallen, wodurch ich die Atmosphäre Norditaliens wie direkt vor meinen Augen hatte!
Jedoch hat mir der detaillierte Schreibstil der Autorin gut gefallen, wodurch ich die Atmosphäre Norditaliens wie direkt vor meinen Augen hatte!
August 6, 2024
when did this start having stakes?? hateful.
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