- Paperback: 384 pages
- Publisher: Arrow; New edition edition (4 Mar 2004)
- Language English
- ISBN-10: 0099469375
- ISBN-13: 978-0099469377
- Product Dimensions: 17.8 x 11.1 x 3.2 cm
- Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars See all reviews (15 customer reviews)
- Amazon Bestsellers Rank: 131,728 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
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Product Description
Book Description
The second novel to feature Guido Brunetti, Donna Leon's much-loved commissario of the Venice Police.
Product Description
'The body floated face down in the murky water of the canal. Gently the ebbing tide tugged it along towards the open waters of the laguna that spread out beyond the end of the canal-'Early one morning Guido Brunetti, commissario of the Venice Police, confronts a grisly sight when the body of a young man is fished out of a fetid Venetian canal. All the clues point to a violent mugging, but for Brunetti robbery seems altogether too convenient a motive. Then something very incriminating is discovered in the dead man's flat, something which points to the existence of a high level cabal - and Brunetti becomes convinced that somebody, somewhere, is taking great pains to provide a ready-made solution to the crime. (20030723)
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
8 of 8 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase
Thus opens Donna Leon's second Brunetti novel, building diligently on her first. The characters become deeper and the criminal landscape of Venice broader. We learn more about Brunetti's personal and professional life and learn to sympathise more with the impediments placed in his way by friend and foe alike.
I will not give details of the plot, save to say that it is credible and clever. We are kept on tenterhooks until the very last chapter, where the disappointment we had envisaged in the sight of crime not paying its proper dues is suddenly lifted through the act of a heartbroken mother.
My only complaint? The map is quite useless without a magnifying glass.
But I'm entranced enough to already be halfway through the third in the series, "The Anonymous Venetian".
I will not give details of the plot, save to say that it is credible and clever. We are kept on tenterhooks until the very last chapter, where the disappointment we had envisaged in the sight of crime not paying its proper dues is suddenly lifted through the act of a heartbroken mother.
My only complaint? The map is quite useless without a magnifying glass.
But I'm entranced enough to already be halfway through the third in the series, "The Anonymous Venetian".
14 of 15 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
This is another of Donna Leon's wonderful books based in Venice which defy simplistic classification. It is beautifully written, and can be appreciated on several levels. It is concerned with international intrigue tied into Maffiosi corruption, but the private life of her honest policeman is fascinating. For anyone who has any knowledge of, and love for, Venice this book is unmissable.
5 of 5 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
Donna Leon definitely caught my attention with the first book in this series, and now she has made me a fan of her wonderful work. Leon's excellence is based on three main concepts: a complex main character, an enchanting environment, and of course a well-crafted mystery. Commissario Guido Brunetti is one of the most interesting detectives I have encountered in quite some time. His personality and family life make him a character with which we can relate fairly quickly, and his uncompromising attitude towards delivering justice for those that have been wronged is one to admire. Venice is the perfect setting for this character, and allows Leon to use its canals and rich history to add mystique to the plot. And then there is the murder case, which is complex without being contrived, and keeps us interested until we find out the truth.
This novel starts at full speed, catching our interest right away, with a body floating in a canal on a quiet morning. Brunetti is soon placed in charge of the investigation and finds out that the victim is an American and that the killer was either very skilled or very lucky, since death came after a perfect stroke with a blade. When the victim is identified as a Sergeant in an army post in Vicenza, the case becomes much more complicated and Brunetti has to deal with people trying to mislead him and cover up the truth. On top of this, there is a second case, involving a robbery, which adds variety to the story and allows for the introduction of some really colorful characters.
Last time, Leon's work incorporated many aspects related to the world of Opera and classical music, and this time the canals and the way in which their currents work take center stage. As happened in the first book of this series, we get to see a fair amount of what transpires in Brunetti's family life. Leon uses the food proficiently to convey how important meals are in the Italian culture, and how this family time results in captivating interactions. We also get to witness situations in which the culture plays an important role, like fights within the police department with the subsequent grudges, or higher-ups in the department sucking up to powerful people.
I believe that there is not much more to say. This novel is definitely a winner and I recommend it without reservations! I am already looking forward to reading the next Brunetti mystery.
This novel starts at full speed, catching our interest right away, with a body floating in a canal on a quiet morning. Brunetti is soon placed in charge of the investigation and finds out that the victim is an American and that the killer was either very skilled or very lucky, since death came after a perfect stroke with a blade. When the victim is identified as a Sergeant in an army post in Vicenza, the case becomes much more complicated and Brunetti has to deal with people trying to mislead him and cover up the truth. On top of this, there is a second case, involving a robbery, which adds variety to the story and allows for the introduction of some really colorful characters.
Last time, Leon's work incorporated many aspects related to the world of Opera and classical music, and this time the canals and the way in which their currents work take center stage. As happened in the first book of this series, we get to see a fair amount of what transpires in Brunetti's family life. Leon uses the food proficiently to convey how important meals are in the Italian culture, and how this family time results in captivating interactions. We also get to witness situations in which the culture plays an important role, like fights within the police department with the subsequent grudges, or higher-ups in the department sucking up to powerful people.
I believe that there is not much more to say. This novel is definitely a winner and I recommend it without reservations! I am already looking forward to reading the next Brunetti mystery.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
AGAINST FORMIDABLE ODDS
The last thing Venice wants - a murdered American. Terrorism? Any such hint could severely threaten the tourist industry. Let it be a simple robbery gone wrong! Read more
Published 1 month ago by Mr. D. L. Rees
Venetian Veneer
Buoyed up by the glut of 5 star reviews, I bought this specifically to take to Venice on a recent holiday. Read more
Published 6 months ago by Roger Risborough
A crime novel with soul
I heard Donna Leon talking about her writing on the radio and was interested enough to read one of her novels. Read more
Published 8 months ago by Giltar
Body in the canal
The body of a young man is pulled out of a Venice canal one morning and Brunetti has to find out not only who the man is but who killed him. Read more
Published 12 months ago by Lady Sophia
A book one can not put down
I really enjoyed the first book in this series and this one was even better than that one. It was exciting from page 1 to page 373, the very last page. Read more
Published on 7 Jan 2010 by Luthien Arnatuile
The Best of Brunetti
I am half way through reading the detective novels of Donna Leon and have had immense pleasure in doing so. Read more
Published on 23 Aug 2009 by E. P. M. Summers
A Book floating face-up in a murky genre
Impossible to demur from the comments of other reviewers here, except perhaps from Professor Mitchell's revelation of too much of the plot and his down-playing of the... Read more
Published on 29 Jun 2009 by G. M. Sinstadt
A very good story
I came a bit late to this one, having already read all her other Brunetti novels. It's, as always, riveting.
Published on 27 Jun 2009 by Gaynor Madoc Leonard
Cynical Digging Pays Off
If you liked Death at La Fenice, the debut of this series, you'll probably like the first 80 percent of Death in a Strange Country even better. Read more
Published on 31 Aug 2007 by Donald Mitchell
Excellent and evocative
Some time ago I wrote in a review of an Ian Rankin book that I wasn't really into crime as a genre. Something's happened since then and it's now my regular stress-busting bit of... Read more
Published on 18 Nov 2004 by Booksthatmatter
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