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A review by bhnmt61
Death in a Strange Country by Donna Leon
4.0
Guido Brunetti, a police supervisor in Venice, Italy, is called to the scene when a body is found floating in a canal. He turns out to be an American from the military base nearby, and within a few days, another American is dead. It’s a murder mystery, of course, but an unusual one because the murders aren’t really ever solved. There is a sort of raw justice dealt at the end, but we never actually find out who killed the two Americans.
So, as a novel about a good man confronted with government corruption and corporate greed, it’s great, five stars- and the ending is probably more realistic than it would have been if we found out every little detail. But as a murder mystery and police procedural, not so much- I was really curious about who planted the drugs, and who actually murdered the victims.
Brunetti, his family, his co-workers, and the city of Venice are all warmly and richly described- even though this is only the second book, I’m already attached to the characters.
Good entry to the series, but I suspect if I continue reading them this will not end up being one of my favorites.
So, as a novel about a good man confronted with government corruption and corporate greed, it’s great, five stars- and the ending is probably more realistic than it would have been if we found out every little detail. But as a murder mystery and police procedural, not so much- I was really curious about who planted the drugs, and who actually murdered the victims.
Brunetti, his family, his co-workers, and the city of Venice are all warmly and richly described- even though this is only the second book, I’m already attached to the characters.
Good entry to the series, but I suspect if I continue reading them this will not end up being one of my favorites.