Reviews

The Jewels of Paradise by Donna Leon

hubsct's review against another edition

mysterious relaxing medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.25

mary_elizabeth's review against another edition

informative mysterious medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.5

xavi3r's review against another edition

informative mysterious medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.0

Caterina Pellegrini, experta en ópera del Barroco, rastrea la existencia de una valiosa herencia en unos documentos hallados por los descendientes de un genial compositor vinculado a la Iglesia católica. Caterina se adentra en la Venecia de finales del siglo XVII, investigando, sin proponérselo, la supuesta implicación del músico en el crimen más famoso de la epoca. En "Las joyas del Paraíso", Donna Leon reúne sus tres grandes pasiones: la novela negra, la ciudad de Venecia y la música barroca. Una trama magistral, como la mejor aria, la partitura perfecta, aquella en la que cada nota, cada protagonista, esconde su propio secreto.

Traducción: Maia Figueroa Evans

cjeanne99's review against another edition

medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No

3.0

Hmmm - not really a gripping tale - but it does give a dose of intrigue, music, history and greed. 
Caterina Pellegrini is hired to research the contents of an Italian baroque composer's estate - which is believed to include a treasure and is being claimed by two distantly related cousins. 
As the author says somewhere in the middle of the book - they are contesting an estate from over 400 years ago - why do they think they have a claim?

sheilaokeefe's review against another edition

2.0

I saw a new title from Donna Leon and checked it out from my library without really looking at it (my bad), so I was expecting a Commissario Brunetti novel. This is not a Brunetti novel. I don't know if it's a standalone or the start of a new series. Maybe if I'd been expecting it I would have been more open to the new main character, but I really didn't like her. It's rare I can get involved in a story if I actively dislike the main character and this book was no exception. I didn't enjoy it and don't recommend it.

mazza57's review against another edition

1.0

this is the most stunningly boring book i have read in a while. The author fails to doany of the things authors are supposed to do such as create characters that are believable, string togethere a narrative build a bit of pace or tension. I have tried other books by this author and I think it is time totake her off my reading list

polyhy_14's review

3.0

This book is a departure from her usual modern mysteries set in Venice. The location hasn't changed, but the subject is a much older mystery involving an obscure composer of early baroque opera, his legacy and possible involvement in a crime of the times. The emphasis is more on research than on action or character development, but I nevertheless found the methodology interesting. The style is witty and there's a delightful twist at the end.

ladulcinella's review against another edition

2.0

I usually enjoy the books of Donna Leon, but this one was not interesting. The story was not interest8ng unless for specialists in componists maybe, the characters were very superficial and flat. The only good thing is the setting Venice and the comments on the Italian way of life.

lidiamageuchnicht's review against another edition

adventurous mysterious fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.5

Am Anfang dachte ich es ist wieder ein Krimi von Donna Leon allerdings war es dann ein Roman, was mich zu Beginn erstmal verwirrt hat. Um ehrlich zu sein finde ich ihre Krimis besser als diesen Roman, aber der Roman ist nicht schlecht. Mir hat auch der geschichtliche Anteil an der Story gefallen auch, wenn es eher um eine bestimmte Nische ging in der ich noch gar nichts wusste. Der Schreibstil war realtiv einfach also gut lesbar. Bei der Story hat mir besonders die Schwesternkombi gefallen also Caterina und Cristina, wo ich ganz klar sagen muss Cristina ist mein favourite von beiden, ich meine sie ist schlau, hinterfragend und eine Nonne, was will man mehr? Was mir nicht so gut gefallen hat war, dass Ende ein bisschen aus dem Kontext rausgefallen ist und einiges offen blieb. Als Beispiel: Wieso hat der Anwalt Caterinas E-Mails mitgelesen und wollte er wirklich was von ihr oder war es rein geschäftlich in Bezug auf die Klienten, um sie auszuspionieren? Deswegen Abzug!

diannel_04's review

3.0

I picked this book up again and this time I actually enjoyed it. It just goes to show that sometimes the time just isn't right.

I love the Guido Brunetti series but I had to DNF this book. I never knew there were so many obscure classical composers.