By Its Cover: Commissario Brunetti, Book 23

David Rintoul is the best narrator ...of any genre & any authors work. This story is a typically enjoyable Brunetti outing. Well written with thoughtful content & language.
Always a gentle approach to an investigation without the need for spurious "action" type sequences.

I’ve read/listened to all the Brunetti series of novels (this is the 23rd) and have enjoyed following his life and career. For me the detective element in these novels is subsidiary to the strong characterisation, the atmosphere of Venice and the cynicism over Italian bureaucracy. In this book the author seems to be just going through the motions of creating another book in the series. The story plods on and has little of the humour of previous books provided by the relationships between Brunetti and his boss Patta or the clandestine computer hacking skills of the secretary Signorina Electra. I missed the descriptions of the lovely meals prepared by Brunetti’s wife, Paula and the sparky dinnertime conversations with his wife and teenage children.

Thefts of pages from rare books is the main theme which is interesting but not enough to make for a completely satisfying listen. The solution to the crime is abruptly revealed at the end.

David Rintoul is, as usual, an excellent narrator.

As always loved the atmosphere of Venice and the character of Brunetti

As always, irritated by the lack of any time between the finish of the story (in this case excellently narrated) and the announcement about the publisher or Audible or whatever that acts like a cold deluge of water. Have these people never been immersed in a good story?