Earthly Remains

By: Donna Leon

Narrated by: David Colacci

Length: 10 hrs and 27 mins

Publisher's summary

Donna Leon's best-selling mystery novels set in Venice have won a multitude of fans for their insider's portrayal of La Serenissima. From family meals to coffee bars, and from vaporetto rides to the homes and apartments of Venetians, the details and rhythms of everyday life are an integral part of this beloved series. But so are the suffocating corruption, the never-ending influx of tourists, and crimes big and small. Through it all, Leon's Commissario Guido Brunetti has been an enduring figure. A good man who loves his family and his city, Brunetti is relentless in his pursuit of truth and some measure of justice.

In Earthly Remains, the 26th novel in this series, Brunetti's endurance is tested more than ever before. During an interrogation of an entitled, arrogant man suspected of giving drugs to a young girl who then died, Brunetti acts rashly, doing something he will quickly come to regret. In the fallout, he realizes that he needs a break, needs to get away from the stifling problems of his work.

When Brunetti is granted leave from the Questura, his wife, Paola, ships him off to a villa owned by a wealthy relative on Sant'Erasmo, one of the largest islands in the laguna. There he intends to pass his days rowing, and his nights reading Pliny's Natural History. The recuperative stay goes according to plan until Davide Casati, the caretaker of the house on Sant'Erasmo, goes missing following a sudden storm. Now, Brunetti feels compelled to investigate, to set aside his leave of absence and understand what happened to the man who had become his friend.

Earthly Remains is quintessential Donna Leon, a powerful addition to this enduring series.

©2017 Donna Leon and Diogenes Verlag (P)2017 Recorded Books

like life, nothing - well, you'll see.

I read Donna Leon for the characters. (I want to be friends with Paola) The backstory on Davido was touching. And, I read for her plots. This one may be at the top of the list - 20 hours after completing it I'm still getting flashes of understanding. Leon is a craftmaster.

One of my favorite series

Donna Leon comes through again. I love hearing Guido Brunetti with an accent. I never tire of this series.

Not her best

Kind of slow. Story a bit thin. Seemed to take forever to end. Characters fine. Looking forward to the next and hoping for the best.

Disappointing ending

The narration was great - like all of the others in this series narrated by David Colacci. The always interesting information about Venetian culture was there. The metaphorical descriptions of people and thought processes were as good as usual. But the ending was either a setup for a sequel or was simply incomplete. This aspect was unlike the first 25 books in this great series.

The ending!!!!

The end of the story is so very much unsatisfying! I guess the author was late for an engagement and just decided to end the story.

Dona Leon Has Done It Again

Dona Leon knows how to grab the reader and never let go. This story is a bit different than the first 25 Brunetti novels in that he is more on his own in this one. He has an episode in his office which results in him taking some quiet time to destress. He goes to a villa owned by Paola's family where he becomes friendly with the caretaker who it turns out knew Brunetti's father. The caretaker and Brunetti become friendly and row every day. The caretaker tells Brunetti that he has things to do over the weekend and he will see him on Monday. Monday comes around and there is no caretaker. His daughter is worried and they start looking for him. They eventually find him drowned. This starts an investigation. Did he commit suicide? Was it an accident? Was it murder? Read this gripping story and find out. These books are so well written that you will not want to read other novels but you must since a new Brunetti novel is an annual event.
David Colacci is the narrator and he is the voice of Brunetti. Love this author and this narrator.

Earthly Remains

This book is so good! I always like when stories have a detective that goes away on a mini vacation and someone goes missing or they need their detective skills to help solve a case.

Slow But Lots Revealed About Guido's Past

I listen to everything in this series so I am not only a big fan, but feel like I know Guido. The flaw is as others have said, it was slow. Nothing in this series is fast, but this was really slow.

What saved it for me was that this was a very different situation. Guido was out of his element, away from his family and his normal environs. Plus he revealed much of his life story, talking about both his father and mother, and his history of rowing as a sport.

Actual "mystery" concerned corruption (in Italy, whoever who have guessed!) in toxic waste disposal and Leon took about 2/3 of the book before getting to that. And whether a death was a suicide or murder which wasn't much of a mystery either.

But if you love Guido, and want to know more about him and see him in a different setting with different people (and I do), then this is worth the slow slog.

Someone with an interest in the environment will like this!

This is a story with very intriguing characters and a lovely setting. I couldn’t stop listening! Half the book is spent in developing the characters and telling us more about Guido. I wondered where the murder or the mystery was. It snuck in! Fascinating!

Donna Leon doesn’t disappoint

Donna Leon develops her characters so thoroughly and gives you a feel for what Venice and Venetian’s must truly be like!