Reviews

Kasvot kuvassa by Donna Leon

blairewithane's review against another edition

3.0

Greed in all its forms and the various justifications for it and how society views those it assumes are motivated by greed. This one felt a little long in parts as Brunetti investigates a mafia connection to the dumping of toxic trash and tries to help his father in law with a business decision. The main character is a woman who has had what appears to be a botched facelift at a young age and society’s gossip about her and her older husband.

emilinaaaaa's review against another edition

mysterious medium-paced

3.5

My first Commissario Brunetti novel, and while he is no Poirot, his well written personality comes through and I enjoyed his vibe. This mystery starts out slow, but tension builds to a mostly satisfying resolution, though some threads feel unfinished. 

rerine's review against another edition

reflective medium-paced

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

4.25

stelaw's review against another edition

2.0

I just couldn't get into this. Maybe I've read too many Leon books too closely together. It took over 100 pages for a dead body to appear. I didn't care about the characters and it all seemed too familiar and the same as the previous 17 novels. Time for a change methinks

tedjgraham's review against another edition

4.0

It has been too long since I read one of Leon’s Brunetti stories. Reading this one, I felt like I was back amongst old friends. Though I feel that the story is a sobering one, it is unsurprisingly well written, with minute detail paid attention to the setting. There is also the introduction of a new character whom I hope we get more of in the next installment and further development of some of my favorites.

briel_reads's review against another edition

4.0

This was a surprising and quieter take for this series, in my opinion. I always appreciate diving into Venice.

plax1612's review against another edition

5.0

I am fascinated by Donna Leon's books and the portrait they paint of contemporary Italian society and Guido Brunetti in particular. I'm seduced by the beautiful images of Venice, contrasted with the dark tones of corruption and scandal. I love the relationships between Guido and his colleagues, his wife and children, and his in-laws.

This book brings together two disparate stories -- a woman with unfortunate plastic surgery, and illegal dumping of toxic wastes. The connection is a bit too coincidental for me, but that doesn't matter because of the pleasure of reading about this world and its people.

booksuzi54's review against another edition

4.0

About Face by Donna Leon is 18th in the Venice series. This book is different from most of the series, in that we learn so much more about Commissario Brunetti and his family, the corruption in politics, the garbage crisis, and still makes the story engaging and satisfying. I especially loved how she added in examples of how Brunetti loves the classics. I enjoyed this one on audio, too.

hanna7's review against another edition

adventurous challenging mysterious medium-paced

4.0

This book is about the apperance of beauty and the preducice that come with it. It's about how beauty does not only is on the outside.
It's about the ethics of buisness. That you can do nothing illegal and work with criminals at the same time.
I enjoyed the relationship between Brunetti and his parents in law that is shown on the page.

caringcatiecary's review against another edition

dark mysterious tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5