By Its Cover

Commissario Guido Brunetti, Book 23

By: Donna Leon

Narrated by: David Colacci

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

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.

Murder among rare books

Vintage Leon but a very slow book which ended too soon without much resolution. I was shocked at the ending since it was abrupt as if author was bored with story

l loved it

great as usual with this wonderful author her books are mesmerizing bravo again!hope to read more of her

Leon the magician

Once more she enchants us with one more intimate glimpse into the everyday life and ancient treasures of Venice

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!