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the_fabric_of_words's review against another edition
4.0
I was a bit underwhelmed by this one. Still good, and I always love reading about Venice, will never tire of that! But the murder, centered around corruption and water testing results being faked, seemed a bit ...predictable, and bound to be discovered, and I wasn't entirely sure it was worth killing over, but there you have it. Perhaps I'm more cynical than Brunetti? I do still enjoy his character, quite a bit
luisas_library's review against another edition
reflective
relaxing
slow-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
3.5
heidml's review against another edition
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
1.0
nonna7's review against another edition
4.0
The book opens in a sweltering July in Venice. After a series of torrential rains, it hasn’t rained in weeks. The city is full of tourists and too many cruise ships. This heat was not normal until recently and more and more residents understand the concept of climate change.
When a dying woman asks to speak with a female police officer to come to her hospice room, Bruno assigns Claudia Griffoni although he comes along as her secondary. Claudia is tall, blonde and blue eyed and comes from Naples. The traditional disdain that northern Italians have had for southern Italians is discussed here as it is in the other books. Venetians assume that Claudia is one of their own until she speaks. Venice has a dialect that is distinctly different from the Italian taught in school. Claudia is able to switch from her Napolitano speech to “educated” Italian whenever she wishes although she is still trying to learn Venetian.
The dying woman is only 37. She has two daughters and her husband had been killed in a motorcycle accident a few weeks before. Now she has something urgent to tell the police. She can barely speak and they have to work to get the information they need. She talks about “bad money” and whether her husband’s accident was actually an accident or something else.
With the help of Signorina Elletra’s amazing computer skills they learn about the company he worked for - one that monitored local water supplies for local government. It doesn’t take long to see where this is going.
At the same time two young “Rom” girls (gypsies) were caught by the wife of the mayor trying to steal from her purse. The mayor wants them gone. Unfortunately it’s not that easy.
There is a lot of irony and sadness in this book. It doesn’t have a particularly happy ending and there’s no action. Donna Leon has lived in Italy for a long time and has the same relationship with that country as the native born: love and despair.
lorkay's review
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
carolsnotebook's review against another edition
3.0
I’ve read many of the Brunetti series, but generally out of order. I like Brunetti. He’s a reader and a thinker. He loves Venice, but isn’t fond of the heat and the tourists. He’s doesn’t approve of the corruption but realizes that to some extent it’s what makes Venice run.
In Trace Elements, Brunetti and Claudia Griffoni are called to the bedside of a dying woman. She tells them that her husband was killed because of the “bad money,” but dies before she can tell them more. With no real evidence of a crime, Brunetti and Griffoni start investigating, feeling they owe it to the dead woman. Their clues take them to a water testing lab where perhaps not everything is handled as it should be.
The plot was just complicated enough. Of course, we know that it was a murder, it always is in these books, and we know that with Brunetti’s perseverance and intuition, he and Griffoni will find the solution. But even when they know what happened, true justice is a bit trickier.
My favorite part of Trace Elements, like the rest of the series, is the characters. Brunetti and his wife, Paolo, have a wonderful relationship and I like the scenes of them at home resting or eating or talking. Signora Elettra is as awesome as always, clever and self-indulgent in a good way. Griffoni is relatively new to the series, but I like her so far.
I didn’t love the ending of Trace Elements, though. It was just too abrupt. Interestingly enough, I said the end of Beastly Things, #21, “left me a bit discombobulated.” And when talking about Through a Glass, Darkly, #15, I said “the end wasn’t resolved enough for me. I was left with a “that’s it?” feeling.” In the Girl of His Dreams, #17, the mysteries are “solved even if the resolutions aren’t entirely satisfying.” Maybe I just don’t like how she ends her books.
In Trace Elements, Brunetti and Claudia Griffoni are called to the bedside of a dying woman. She tells them that her husband was killed because of the “bad money,” but dies before she can tell them more. With no real evidence of a crime, Brunetti and Griffoni start investigating, feeling they owe it to the dead woman. Their clues take them to a water testing lab where perhaps not everything is handled as it should be.
The plot was just complicated enough. Of course, we know that it was a murder, it always is in these books, and we know that with Brunetti’s perseverance and intuition, he and Griffoni will find the solution. But even when they know what happened, true justice is a bit trickier.
My favorite part of Trace Elements, like the rest of the series, is the characters. Brunetti and his wife, Paolo, have a wonderful relationship and I like the scenes of them at home resting or eating or talking. Signora Elettra is as awesome as always, clever and self-indulgent in a good way. Griffoni is relatively new to the series, but I like her so far.
I didn’t love the ending of Trace Elements, though. It was just too abrupt. Interestingly enough, I said the end of Beastly Things, #21, “left me a bit discombobulated.” And when talking about Through a Glass, Darkly, #15, I said “the end wasn’t resolved enough for me. I was left with a “that’s it?” feeling.” In the Girl of His Dreams, #17, the mysteries are “solved even if the resolutions aren’t entirely satisfying.” Maybe I just don’t like how she ends her books.
ellenbrickley's review against another edition
3.0
I love a good Brunetti, but as soon as I heard what the target of his investigation did for a living, I knew how this would end. Donna Leon writes really well about environmental issues but she has tackled them in so many of her novels that I'm a bit desensitised. Still, it's always nice to visit Venice and spend some time with Guido and Paola and the kids.
memphisholli's review
challenging
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5