• By Its Cover

  • Commissario Guido Brunetti, Book 23
  • By: Donna Leon
  • Narrated by: David Colacci
  • Length: 8 hrs and 18 mins
  • 4.3 out of 5 stars (444 ratings)

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By Its Cover  By  cover art

By Its Cover

By: Donna Leon
Narrated by: David Colacci
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Publisher's summary

Donna Leon's critically acclaimed, internationally bestselling Commissario Guido Brunetti series has attracted listeners the world over with the beauty of its setting, the humanity of its characters, and its fearlessness in exploring politics, morality, and contemporary Italian culture. In Leon's novels, the beloved conversations of the Brunetti family have drawn on topics of art and literature, but books are at the heart of this novel in a way they never have been before.

One afternoon, Commissario Guido Brunetti gets a frantic call from the director of a prestigious Venetian library. Someone has stolen pages out of several rare books. After a round of questioning, the case seems clear: The culprit must be the man who requested the volumes, an American professor from a Kansas university. The only problem-- the man fled the library earlier that day, and after checking his credentials, the American professor doesn't exist.

As the investigation proceeds, the suspects multiply. And when a seemingly harmless theologian, who had spent years reading at the library turns up brutally murdered, Brunetti must question his expectations about what makes a man innocent, or guilty.

©2014 Donna Leon and Diogenes Verlag, Zurich (P)2014 Recorded Books

What listeners say about By Its Cover

Average customer ratings
Overall
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    219
  • 4 Stars
    145
  • 3 Stars
    62
  • 2 Stars
    12
  • 1 Stars
    6
Performance
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
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    261
  • 4 Stars
    100
  • 3 Stars
    26
  • 2 Stars
    7
  • 1 Stars
    2
Story
  • 4 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    194
  • 4 Stars
    114
  • 3 Stars
    62
  • 2 Stars
    17
  • 1 Stars
    7

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Colacci is BACK!!!

How delighted I was to hear David Colacci narrating this series again. His performance is perfect, as always. But the story is too brief by far, and it ends so abruptly I was caught completely off-guard. Ms. Leon left me sorely missing the familial warmth of earlier mysteries and the wonderful and wry humor of Senorina Electra, along with the many other riches of most Guido Brunetti stories. It is still a 5-star listen, but be prepared for an almost breathless pace compared to the slow and steady soulfulness and the intelligent and cultured ruminations we've come to expect from Comissario Brunetti!

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16 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    1 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    1 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    1 out of 5 stars

Boring

What disappointed you about By Its Cover?

Story was so boring and I couldn't follow it. I just read it and can't even remember what it was about. She used to write such great mysteries but her last 3 have missed the mark for me.

Would you ever listen to anything by Donna Leon again?

No

Would you be willing to try another one of David Colacci’s performances?

I like his performances.

What character would you cut from By Its Cover?

None

Any additional comments?

Go back to what made her books to popular. The interactions between her characters. A lot less pontificating about today's society and more compelling stories.

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4 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Finely crafted, believable characters and situations, up to her usual excellence. More books, many more books please

Leon keeps on doing it, and keeps on doing it well. As usual, she starts with some small fact of life, and drop by drop builds a sandcastle that can withstand all waves, based on a current social issue or perhaps even a trial. Her characters are believable and stay so from one book to the next, becoming people you know and usually like. Her stories are solid in themselves and do not depend on gratuitous sex or violence. its not that there isn't a dead body or two or that married or unmarried people sleep together, but if so, it's part of the tale that will keep you reading to the end. Perhaps you will reread even more than once.

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3 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    3 out of 5 stars

Interesting subject, but too short

Is there anything you would change about this book?

I usually enjoy Donna Leon books about Inspector Brunetti, but this one seemed very rushed, with an abrupt ending. It seemed like the author suddenly tired of the story and just wanted to get it over with. Too bad, because the subject of stolen pages from very valuable old books could have been so much more. I knew the audio would be short, but when "the end" came, I could hardly believe it.

If you’ve listened to books by Donna Leon before, how does this one compare?

There was much less interaction with Brunetti's wife and children, and his fellow police. The story line was good, but could have been developed more deeply.

Did the narration match the pace of the story?

The narrator is ok, but a bit bland.

Any additional comments?

I hope this book doesn't signal the end of the series, if the author is tired of writing them.

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3 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars

Back on track

It's great to have Colacci back and also to have one of the more enjoyable plots from among the last several books in the series.

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2 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Always the pleasure that was expected

An adventure into a new area of human greed with great detail. Characters created reflecting all classes. And the decay of Venice reflecting the decay of modern culture.

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1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    3 out of 5 stars

Great narration again

I gave this four stars, rounded up from 3.5, only because it’s Guido Brunetti. He’s one of my favorite book characters. After 23 books, that’s a good thing.

However, this is not a favorite. It was rather boring. Even the regular characters lacked the polish that the author has given them in previous books. The endings have been abrupt lately and this is no exception. It was understandable and I’m not sure what would have been gained by drawing it out more so I can’t really fault Donna Leon on this one. I look forward to lunches at the Brunetti home and interaction with Paola and the kids and that was lacking. (I usually end up craving some great Italian meal after reading these books.)

Worth an extra star is the fact that David Colacci is back as the narrator. He does a fine job and his talent was missed in the previous book.

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1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    2 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    3 out of 5 stars

Disappointing

Would you recommend this book to a friend? Why or why not?

I can't say I will.

What was your reaction to the ending? (No spoilers please!)

I didn't mind how it ended. Good writers should let readers conclude on their own.

What didn’t you like about David Colacci’s performance?

Truly poor, I can his hear his spit all through the reading. Ms Leon need to consider a new narrator.

If this book were a movie would you go see it?

It won't.

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1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Good, but I was left unfulfilled (see why below).

I've binged the first 23 Donna Leon Brunetti books so far. I loved all of them except the ones narrated by Brits. I prefer the Italian accent for these books. it just seems to make more sense.

in this audio book, I hated the loudmouth who introduces and ends the audiobook! His accent and the volume of what he says is loud and crass.

PLUS there isn't a quote from an Opera in Italian or German (or French or...), translated into English in this A-book. It's just in plain ol' English, with no reference to an opera. I hope this isn't a trend from here on out.

AND please, please, please mind these details, and bring them back! All through the audio book, I felt slighted. Having them makes Donna Leons' thrillers that much more special!

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Good mystery with a tragic side

Being a book lover, it was hard to read about ancient books being mutilated. The human aspect of the story was just as sad. But with all the sadness I loved the story. Brunetti is such an interesting investigator and I love all of the insights into life in Venice.

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