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usbsticky's review against another edition
4.0
I haven't been reading these in order but this happens to be my 4th Brunetti book that's also 4th in the series.
Setting: Commissario Brunetti is a Venetian cop solving crimes in Venice. He's ably assisted by sergeant Vianello a big gruff veteran and secretary Elettra Zorzi, an elegant fashionista. His helpers allow him to solve crime in easy mode as both of them are very competent in what they do. In contrast his boss Vice-Questore Patta is a self-serving bureaucrat and politician whose only goal is to make himself look good without doing any work. Fortunately he also operates in easy mode as he doesn't put many obstacles in Brunetti's way. Also in the cast of characters are Brunetti's family who provides some drama away from the office.
I like the books not because of the crime but because of the characters and the setting. The author does a good job of making the characters real and also telling us what real Italian politics is like (corrupt and incompetent).
Spoilers ahead:
I read somewhere that Donna Leon focuses on a particular subject in each book and in this book she focuses on white slavery where women are tricked or coerced into coming to Italy where they are forced to work as prostitutes. There's also a bit on snuff films and CP. It makes for serious reading and cogitation.
Spoilers end.
As usual the start can be slow but builds up as we follow Brunetti on his dogged investigation. The ending (also as usual) is a bit abrupt.
Setting: Commissario Brunetti is a Venetian cop solving crimes in Venice. He's ably assisted by sergeant Vianello a big gruff veteran and secretary Elettra Zorzi, an elegant fashionista. His helpers allow him to solve crime in easy mode as both of them are very competent in what they do. In contrast his boss Vice-Questore Patta is a self-serving bureaucrat and politician whose only goal is to make himself look good without doing any work. Fortunately he also operates in easy mode as he doesn't put many obstacles in Brunetti's way. Also in the cast of characters are Brunetti's family who provides some drama away from the office.
I like the books not because of the crime but because of the characters and the setting. The author does a good job of making the characters real and also telling us what real Italian politics is like (corrupt and incompetent).
Spoilers ahead:
I read somewhere that Donna Leon focuses on a particular subject in each book and in this book she focuses on white slavery where women are tricked or coerced into coming to Italy where they are forced to work as prostitutes. There's also a bit on snuff films and CP. It makes for serious reading and cogitation.
Spoilers end.
As usual the start can be slow but builds up as we follow Brunetti on his dogged investigation. The ending (also as usual) is a bit abrupt.
richardpierce's review against another edition
5.0
Very very dark, this one. It leads you mentally and physically up any number of blind alleys, and then, when the twist comes, it's not the final one. Also exposes the conflict between duty and love, and how parenting is quite often more brutal than anything else in our lives.
raphaliest's review against another edition
challenging
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
vita_s_west's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
ruinedbyreading's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
claudia2945's review against another edition
2.0
I mostly enjoy reading this series, but this was too violent for me.
d_ae's review against another edition
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Diverse cast of characters? No
2.75
Quite a rushed ending
Content Warnings
Graphic: Murder
Moderate: Trafficking and Rape
govmarley's review against another edition
3.0
Boy, oh boy, do these books make me want to visit Venice.
Guido dives into the dirty underbelly of Venice's sex trade and saves the day. This one stayed with the same successful formula, with interesting twists and turns, and just the right amount of family interactions.
Really looking forward to book 5.
Guido dives into the dirty underbelly of Venice's sex trade and saves the day. This one stayed with the same successful formula, with interesting twists and turns, and just the right amount of family interactions.
Really looking forward to book 5.
awebofstories's review against another edition
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
3.0
I'm back with Guido Brunetti after DNF'ing the 3rd book in the series. I can't yet say that this is a series you don't need to read in order, but you can skip the 3rd book and be just fine in the 4th!
Donna Leon did some interesting things with this book that I felt had mixed results. The first is that she opens with the scene of a truck accident, which is clearly more than just a case of cargo moving. While this will definitely hook you in, it doesn't quite hook into the story as much as I would hope. It also robs the narrative of the mystery of "what is going on," as you will know from the first scene what the underlying situation is. The ending didn't quite work either. While I always knew what was happening, I didn't know who the culprit was until Leon let all the pieces fall into place. But, then, it seems like she wanted the ending to be slightly open, but to me, it just felt rushed, as if she had written herself into a corner.
However, beyond that, this was a pretty strong mystery. The clues are meted out at a good pace, and while we know what is going on, it doesn't seem crazy that Guido doesn't know what is happening. I also really enjoyed the fact that Leon pulled Paola and Chiara more into this story. So far, they've been in the background, but they have their own roles here. On a less generous note, I was also pleased that Raffi was elsewhere for this book as I have yet to warm to Guido's son.
As always, Leon brings Venice and its environs to life. I love all the little geographical details she includes. She also brings the secondary and even tertiary characters to life and keeps them interesting for the reader. As this book was written in the 1990s, there are a few moments where there is a bit of "time shock," such as when Guido wishes he had one of those "portable phones." These bits are not flaws in the book but rather entertaining reminders of the past.
I'm glad to be back with this series, and I look forward to continuing on as it comes closer to the present day.
Donna Leon did some interesting things with this book that I felt had mixed results. The first is that she opens with the scene of a truck accident, which is clearly more than just a case of cargo moving. While this will definitely hook you in, it doesn't quite hook into the story as much as I would hope. It also robs the narrative of the mystery of "what is going on," as you will know from the first scene what the underlying situation is. The ending didn't quite work either. While I always knew what was happening, I didn't know who the culprit was until Leon let all the pieces fall into place. But, then, it seems like she wanted the ending to be slightly open, but to me, it just felt rushed, as if she had written herself into a corner.
However, beyond that, this was a pretty strong mystery. The clues are meted out at a good pace, and while we know what is going on, it doesn't seem crazy that Guido doesn't know what is happening. I also really enjoyed the fact that Leon pulled Paola and Chiara more into this story. So far, they've been in the background, but they have their own roles here. On a less generous note, I was also pleased that Raffi was elsewhere for this book as I have yet to warm to Guido's son.
As always, Leon brings Venice and its environs to life. I love all the little geographical details she includes. She also brings the secondary and even tertiary characters to life and keeps them interesting for the reader. As this book was written in the 1990s, there are a few moments where there is a bit of "time shock," such as when Guido wishes he had one of those "portable phones." These bits are not flaws in the book but rather entertaining reminders of the past.
I'm glad to be back with this series, and I look forward to continuing on as it comes closer to the present day.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual assault and Rape
Moderate: Trafficking