Donna Leon

I really enjoy Donna Leon's Guido Brunetti crime novels and the latest - A Question of Belief is excellent. Venice is sweltering in the heat and humidity of August. Brunetti is about to go on holiday with his family when two potential problems come his way. His colleague - Vianello - is worried about his favourite aunt who seems to be spending a lot of money on fortune tellers and charlatans; and he is presented with a list of court cases featuring the same judge and court clerk which appear suspicious.

Brunetti asks Elettra - his boss's secretary - to do some research for him and the results lead him to think there may be something serious going on in both cases. Neither seem urgent so he sets off on holiday by train. He has not reached his destination when he is called back to Venice. The court clerk has been murdered.

What follows is a convoluted and very satisfying story involving influence and privilege and some very mixed motives. Excellent reading as ever and better than a guide book for getting to know Venice.

Donna Leon

I am currently reading Donna Leon's latest Brunetti novel - About Face. As ever it repays careful reading. There are so many nuances in every conversation. This time it is corruption in the disposal of hazardous waste. This is a subject which has cropped up before in Leon's stories especially with regard to the industrial side of Venice at Maghera and Mestre. Anyone reading fiction set in any part of Italy will know that all official operations are based on corruption or the Mafia - usually both.

In Venice the Mafia have not yet managed to gain very much of a hold but are starting to make progress. Brunetti's father -in-law - Conte Falier - asks his advice about a businessman he is considering dealing with. Brunetti finds his personal and professional loyalties in conflict and wonders how much the business man is connected with the murder he is investigating. This looks like it is going to be one where no one is arrested for the crime - but we will see.

Books and other things

This week I finished reading Donna Leon's 'The Girl of his Dreams'. It definitely came up to her usual standard. I'd always avoided crime stories set 'abroad' until a friend recommended Donna Leon. Once I started reading them I was hooked. Her writing style is very plain and straightforward and you are almost unaware of the words when you're reading. The story sucks you in and seems to seep into your brain through osmosis. Her characters are three dimensional with Guido Brunetti himself being one of the most believable detectives I've come across in fiction. Venice - the setting - is a character in itself. The sights and sounds and the people of the city come alive on the page. The plots are never simple and always leave you wondering about the very fine line between right and wrong. Brunetti is always battling the inherent corruption in his attempts to put the guilty behind bars. Frequently he does not succeed or the ending is ambiguous.
This latest book is every bit as good as her previous ones. Brunetti continually grows and matures. He is far from immune from things like impatience and irritability making him a very human character. The girl of the title is pulled out of a canal ostensibly drowned. But Brunetti is not convinced it is just a tragic accident, and the startling post mortem results merely fuel his disquiet. Running alongside the main plot is a personal investigation into a semi religious sect which appears to be persuading people to part with large amounts of cash. Intertwined is the vexed question of gypsy migrants and the way the forces of law and order are hamstrung by the laws they are meant to be enforcing. I loved it.

I've also read Trisha Ashley's 'Happy Endings'. This is a light and frothy chick lit type of story. Its heroine is Tina Devino who writes 'sex and gardening' novels and runs a part time literary agency/critique service. Each chapter begins with a letter to or from one of her clients - which would also make a book in themselves. Tina has an on-off relationship with Sergei - a former Russian ballet dancer. She has reached crisis point when her ex-husband - Tim - goes to work for the publishers of her moderately successful books, and threatens to dispense with her services. What she needs is a rich husband or a successful book. What happens and how she deals with it prove humorous and entertaining. One of the best of its kind in my opinion and I recommend it if you want a little light reading with an approaching middle age heroine.

I've just started reading 'Mothernight' by Sarah Stovell - which Anne has reported on in her blog - link at the top of the page. I came across it as an Amazon recommendation and it looks good. I will report on it at a later date.

Off to look at some favourite sites and then relax with a book - nearly the weekend.