Author Donna Leon and narrator David Colacci area a marvelous duo. Leon's books are literary mysteries. They aren't blood and guts and violence (wel..Show More »l, there is some) and they aren't page turners. Leon brings you into the Italian culture as she weaves a nice mystery. The narrator is superb.

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Love the narration of this book, you can see the streets of Venice and Padua as the story is read. The book itself was well done, I was immersed in th..Show More »e story from the start. There is murder, human trafficking and stolen innocence. Step into the pages of Northern Italy for a short while.

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Nice information on Venice, and if accurate an unfortunately sad tale of arrogance and greed in present day Italy. The story line is secondary to the ..Show More »extremely detailed description of the main characters psyche; the ending is flat.

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This author is my favorite mystery writer. I feel like I know his detective his wife and kids. They don't get any better than this. The plot in thi..Show More »s book is excellent, great characters, lots of questions to answer, all tied up by the end. Don't miss this one (or any other by Donna Leon.)

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At times this was the sterotypical contemporary detective story with corny novel/audiobook devices like Italian accented English (to make us believe w..Show More »e are following "authentic" Venetians in the storyline) and Italian phrases and cuisine thrown in to make us further feel an "exotic" setting -- BUT, overall, it was superior to most in that genre. Superior, that is, if you are looking for a mystery/ detective listen with a reasonable storyline and no graphic sex or violence, as I do. What raises this to a four star listen is 1. the excellent narration and 2. the presentation of a social justice issue (conflict diamonds), well addressed in the guise of fiction without being pedantic.

These are a novel and author I would never have downloaded had it not been for the free first chapter to capture my interest. I will download more of Leon now, especially since a couple of her well-rated listens are so well-priced.

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Like so many good series, the Brunetti books have gone from good stories to too much information. Not info about the crime or follow-up, but too much..Show More » about our hero. Exactly what he eats and where? I blame word-processing and not enough plot.

Also I found the Italian accent the reader used, to be unecessary and a bit silly.

Who would like this book more than I did? An Italian cook or cook-wanna-be.

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I have tried to "read" this series of books in sort of chronological order but have discovered it doesn't matter too much. The plot lines are stellar,..Show More » the reader SO convincing, and the humanity of the characters encouraging and uplifting -- and in this book, like the others, the "bad guy" is not the cutout black and white character of so many detective novels. Once again, humanity abounds. Bravo, Donna Leon.

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Though slow to start, if you give this novel a chance, you will be drawn in very deeply. The characterizations are strong, the characters fascinating ..Show More »in an intellectually satisfying sense. These are not cardboard people walking around a famous city. They are warm, wry and wonderful. If you like psychological mysteries and can live without action in every paragraph, you will love this. Haunting and memorable. My first Brunetti mystery, not my last.

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I liked this book, but take note that it doesn't move quickly and it's not just a detective mystery. Leon's detective Guido __ solves the case but alo..Show More »ng the way one is treated to a view of Italian life, specifically Venice. A good deal of time is spent on Guido's family with sharp dialogue with his wife, who is a gem, kids and in-laws. The narrator is top notch and his performance makes it a delight to listen to.

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I have read (in print) and admired all of the preceding Commissario Brunetti titles and this is my first disappointment, partly because the novel is a..Show More »typically slow-starting and slow in general, but mostly because of the oddly stilted narration. David Colacci apparently decided that because the story takes place in Venice and the characters are Italian he would need to give them a phony and forced Italo-American accent. This is unsuccessful and distracting in the extreme. If Mr. Colacci read Tolstoi in translation would he provide an American's notion of a Russian accent? Should Madame Bovary, narrated in English, speak with a pseudo-French accent? It does not work and frankly spoils the book.


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a somewhat disappointing entry into this excellent series. Well-narrated as ever by David Colacci, and filled with the familiar characters and local ..Show More »color, I found that the plot didn't gel on this one. A retired teacher is found dead in her apartment and in the course of the investigation it is revealed that she worked with two service agencies: a home for the elderly and a group which provides abused women refuge and a new start. Although interesting dirt is discovered in both camps, the mystery tailed off without real resolution and leaving a number of loose ends. Brunetti seems a bit tired.

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I have been fan of Leon for years and this book didn't disappoint! It is a solid Brunetti book. If you haven't read any of Leon's books I suggest you ..Show More »start with book one since it is a series where the characters (especially Signorina Elettra and Vianello) developing over time. If you have read Brunetti before and disliked his ending I will tell you that this one is more satisfying than usual.

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I didn't fully appreciate how much I have come to equate David Collaci with Brunetti until listening to the new narrator for this addition to the seri..Show More »es. It just didn't seem "right." The story is interesting, includes some fun twists, and the various musings are as enjoyable as ever.

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