The finding of a disfiguraded corpse dressed in woman clothes forced detective Guido Brunetti to investigate - from the lower districts where male prostitution is a daily routine to the higher districts of Venice where lawyers and financers living a double life used the male prostitute to satisfy their vices and corrupted planes - to find the killer of the faceless corpse. A very well written novel that keep the reader intrigued since the first pages.

It's not that Venetians are unaccustomed to discovering a body in and about one of its many canalas, but when this particular body is found to be that of the director of a local, influential, bank, eyebrows and curiosity are raised. And even more so when this body is presented as a transvestite prostitute! All Venice is in an uproar!

Donna Leon returns triumphantly in another of her brilliant Commissario Guido Brunetti episodes, and the reader is not left for one second in anything but gripping suspense. Leon, an American writer who is enjoying incredible success at writing police procedurals set in Italy, presents "the Pearl of the Adriatic" in more than all its glory. With Brunetti, she explores not only its grandeur but reveals the city's mud as well.

Just as the body is not as it seems, Brunetti finds that there is even more deception to come. Two more bodies are found that are related to this case, and the author examines more than just police procedures here, as she seems to do in all of her novels. The various aspects of Venetian life are examined, the corruption of government officials, the criminal activities (covering a wide range of subjects from drugs to illecit sex trade), and, of course, the personal lives of her central characters. She has a great knack for character presentation that make them more than just "interesting and lovable"! I have found few authors who do so with such dedication and thoroughness.

Leon, who lives in Italy, certainly seems to know her subjects well, beginning with the first Brunetti novel, "Death at La Fenice." None of her books should be missed, not simply because she has a glorious setting, or fantastic characters, or plots that are convincing, but simply because she is a good read!

Billyjhobbs@tyler.net

Picked up an English copy of this with the title "The Anonymous Venetian" in a bookstore in Venice. It was a fascinating experience not only to read such a wellcrafted mystery but to be able, literally, to walk along with Inspector Brunett as he investigated this murder. The twists and turns of the plot are neatly matched by the twists and turns of the calles and canals of its location.

This is another outstanding entry in the Guido Brunetti mystery series set in the incomparable Venice. My only question is why the entire series isn't published in the United States? For other Brunetti fans, be advised that the entire series is published in the United Kingdom and can be obtained from Amazon.UK.

I have not listened to the audio version, but the book is very, very good. It is the seventh novel in the series of (currently) twelve starring the Venetian detective Guido Brunetti. As a mystery it works quite well on its own: a body unexpectedly discovered on an abandoned farm in the Dolomites is identified as the scion of a noble Venetian family whose kidnapping had never been solved, and Brunetti must struggle to determine the identities and motives of those responsible before they claim another life. What readers of the previous books in the series will particularly appreciate, however, is the subtle mystery Brunetti finds himself facing within his own family. The solutions to the Comissario's personal and professional challenges are ultimately intertwined in a conclusion which does not represent perfect justice (as is typical in Ms. Leon's novels) but is nevertheless extremely moving. Because Brunetti's relationships with his wife and growing children broaden and deepen over the course of the series, I would recommend that readers start with "Death at La Fenice" if possible, and enjoy the first six books in eager anticipation of this one.

This was my first Donna Leon book, and I loved it.
It's extremely intriguing and very intelligent. Remember that feeling of being glued to the pages up to the end? That's it, but without the ups and downs of emotion that you can find in a super-thriller; here you are guided cleverly into a life you didn't know about, and you become part of the scene.
You'll love Brunetti and his wife Paola, you'll feel as if they all were your friends.
Donna Leon is fantastic at depicting thoughts and images... no complicated sintaxes, but simple words conjured in the perfect way. Perfect to make you feel what she is imagining and you can't see.
If anyone of you loves Venice and knows the Italians, this is the book for him. Donna Leon is obviously extremely familiar with the city and its people - with the true italian behaviour, in fact.
Oh no, this review is a mess! :) I really cannot write!
Anyhow, do remember this book when you search for a memorable read. It won't last long, though. I rushed through its 356 pages in little more than a day. SOB!

Another entry in the long line about nefarious things going on in this wonderful city. If you liked Leon's other books, you will not want to miss this one. She writes with her usual craftsmanship and knowledge of the city.

Having read all of Helen MacInness and Sherlock Holmes (after midnight) as a grad student I couldn't stand reading anything less and so gave up mysteries for over 35 years. Looking for something to read on the train, I bought my first Donna Leon book (A Noble Radiance) in the station in Stuttgart and have read nine of her novels so far. Commisario Brunetti and his sharp-tongued wife (who, like Leon, accidentally teaches English in Venice) are never boring. So far, I've not guessed the plot before it developed, and the description of Venice and Italian life is fantastic. A wonder that she's not been run out of town tarred and feathered, if not be the city fathers or the patrici, then by The Church. Enjoy, when you need something entertaining and intelligently written, with attention to geographic and cultural detail.

Without a doubt, "Friends in High Places" is Donna Leon's best book in her mesmerizing Commissario Brunetti series. "Friends" is the ninth in this outstanding series and Leon has not failed her fans with this latest edition, which, for some unfathomable reason, is not yet published in the States!

The author is able to capture what very few writers in the mystery genre do-- she creates such memorable characters that the reader actually feels he really knows--and even possibly understands--her creations. Certainly, Leon does to Venice what few other writers do to their settings. It is unbelievable that she is able to understand fully the mechanizations of the modern Venetian. She has weaved her plots so intricately--and plausibly--in her series, which seems short of a miracle for some "outsider"--she's an American!--to be able to grasp the bureaucracies of that system, be it religious, political, social, even the illicit "trade" bureaucracies.

With her unforgettable Brunetti and his family, Leon's themes run throughout her novels: among them the "moral path" which is at odds with what Venetians have come to expect and to accept, it seems. If one has a problem, the solution is to utilize his "friends in high places"--a favor for a favor--to solve it. The corruption seems to permeate all aspects of their lives.

But, of course, first, this is a murder mystery, and here, again, Leon is in top form. How exquisitely she leads the reader through this valley of temptation and evil! Yet, despite the impossible task of ever "cleaning up Venice," Brunetti plods on. He alone, it seems at times, knows right from wrong. He takes refuge and solace from his wife Paola; he loves his two children, and his greatest fear is that something evil might harm them.

He senses something is very wrong when a local bureaucrat is found dead; it is labeled an accident, but Brunetti has his suspicions, especially after this bureaucrat had previously contacted him to tell him that he had vital information that he must reveal to him, and to him alone. Before this revelation can occur, he is found dead. Brunetti doesn't believe in coincidences, especially when an attorney who is involved in a corruption investigation is found murdered by a sniper--an attorney whose telephone number Brunetti had found in the bureaucrat's wallet.

From this point on, Leon and Brunetti move cautiously--and sensibly--through this tangled, deceitful web.

The author is quite astute in her observations and realist she is, the endings of her books are not always the "happy ever after" type. Frequently, Brunetti has to con- cede to powers greater than his; he alone cannot stem the flow of corruption--and the Brunetti world, as seen through the series, seems to have no boundaries on corruption, be it from illegal dumping of toxic wastes to the illegal sex trade with local travel companies to the smuggling of drugs from Eastern Europe. Leon leaves no holds barred and the reader is often left to wonder if there really are truly decent folk anymore. Leon does not imply that the corruption is only in Venice, that Pearl of the Adriatic, but leads us to assume that such corruption--especially with today's big bucks, can be anywhere. The average reader knows this all too well, anyway.

For Leon fans, reading this book is not just an inclination, it is a must, naturally;

for new readers, it's also a great read, after reading this one, they will want to go back to the eight previous ones. Indeed, it's a "aventura felice della lettura"! (...)

One of the things that I so love about Donna Leon's books is that in addition to being terrific mysteries - they evoke all of the smells and tastes, and sights and sounds of this wonderful city. Having been to Venice I love to read about where Guido is sitting down for a coffee or a drink, and which alleys he crosses and which vapos he takes, and what he notices in the streets and canals because these things are all real! In this latest Guido Brunetti mystery Leon resurrects two protagonists from "Death at La Fenice", the diva soprano, Flavia Petrelli and her lesbian lover Brett Lynch (an American archeologist). Brett opens the door of Flavia's and her apartment to find a couple of thugs who tell her not to make a meeting with the director of a museum who recently showed some of her rare pieces of ancient pottery from China. Although Brett is hurt but not killed, the director is murdered before she can speak to him. Brunetti weaves his way through the alleys of Venice's hoodlum underground, finds himself in the home of one of the Venice's greatest art collectors (whose son is one of those hoodlums.... could there be a connection), and must reexamine the "accidental" death of Brett's young assistant while on a dig back in China. Of course it all comes together one night during the infamous high waters (when the full moon causes the monthly flooding of the narrow Venetian streets and plazas), hence the name of this particular mystery.

"Aqua Alta" is another splendid, can't-put-it-down engagement with Guido Brunetti. I despaired of reading any more of Donna Leon's fine prose and carefully crafted plots when notified last year that publication had been cancelled of a forthcoming book. Led by a note in another review, I checked out Amazon.co.uk, where I found "Death of Faith," "A Noble Radiance," and the book I just finished, "Fatal Remedies." Each is as good or better than its predecessor. I remain a dedicated fan. (Be aware, "The Anonymous Venetian" was published in the US with the title "Dressed for Death.") Also, some of Leon's works that are out-of-print in the US are available in the UK.

"Acqua Alta" is the fifth in Donna Leon's mesmerizing series featuring Commissario Guido Brunetti of the Venice police and, as in the previous works, the author once again manages to capture not only the soul but the heart, literally, of modern day Venice. Reality lurks behind every page, it seems, of a Donna Leon novel, from the cold, creaking listings of ages-old buildings almost atop the famed canals to the musty, bone-chilling foggy days as the "high waters" begin to permeate the once Serene Republic's confines. And, of course, thre's a murder or two lurking around some hidden corner of some fourteenth-century palazzo and naturally, as in the other works, it is Brunetti's dedication, his loyalty, and above all else his honesty in seeking out the truth that eventually bring about the solution. Leon's conclusions, however, are not always the easiest, most convenient, or happiest, as she gallops away from the melodramatic and lets reality win again. She underscores the fact that there are evil people about and, yes, occasionally, they win. Sometimes, by the end of her books, not all the guilty are punished, but the cases are solved, nonetheless. To say Venice, or even Italy itself, is any more corrupt than any other place is not the question, but Leon, herself an American English teacher at the University of Maryland extension campus at the U.S. Army's Vicenza (Italy) post, has spent quite a number of years in Italy, speaks the language, and captures the nuances of the people and of their daily lives, it seems; indeed, quite an accomplishment for an outsider. "You don't want to keep Doctor Semenzato's appointment." With this warning, two men proceed to beat Brett Lynch within an inch of her life. Thus, the action really begins in this fast-paced book. We'd met Brett in the previous Leon book. Brett is a famed anthropologist (NOT an architect as the writer in a preceding review asserts) and is the lover of noted Italian soprano Flavia Petrelli; she is involved in an extensive dig in China where she has helped uncover a priceless "find." Enter the art thieves, murderers, and con men. Indeed, from this point, murder and mayhem do follow and Commissario Brunetti is quick to pick up the case, indeed, he is eager for it. For in the previous case, Flavia and Brett had both been chief suspects in the case. Since then, Guido has come to respect them both and, to some extent, even considers them friends. He is appalled at the brutality of the assault and fears for Brett's life. In the course of this investigation, more than one murder transpires, with art-world theft as the circulating theme. What has "high water" (Acqua Alta) to do with the book? Acqua alta is the dread of every Venezian, as climatic changes cause the water in the canals to rise above their normal levels and a city ordinarily accustomed to much water anyway finds itself literally being inundated by even more of it! Thus, like Sandburg's fog in Chicago, the water becomes another character, always looming, always rising, always threatening. But unlike Sandburg's fog, it doesn't creep in on little cat's feet. And it comes not to wash away the sins but to underscore them. The end comes with the usual "bang" and Brunetti is left to ponder the aftermath. His path of glory indeed leads but to the grave for his villains, as Thomas Gray might have written in his "Elegy." (Leon has pubished her latest--and seventh--Brunetti novel, "A Noble Radiance" which is not yet available in the States. I had the great fortune to buy a copy on a recent trip to London. It is another Brunetti worth waiting for!)

When a young American man is found floating dead in one of Venice's canals, our man Guido Brunetti is on the case again. In this story, Brunetti discovers that the john doe is an American sergeant from the nearby US military base in the Veneto hills whose job was as the public health inspector for the military hospital. In all of Leon's books, Brunetti frequently finds himself constrained by those who should otherwise be assisting him. His supervisor, Patti, urges him to avoid digging and brushes it off as a mugging gone bad (in all of the Brunetti cases Patti finds more reasons than not to either pull Guido off a case, or insist that the important people who begin to appear implicated in a given murder could not possibly be involved and must be left alone) and even dismisses the case and has Guido assigned to a burglary of some art work in one of the wealthy homes on the Grand Canal. Brunetti finds planted cocaine in the man's small apartment, and has an initial interview with the man's associate, a young woman who is found later to have (questionably) committed suicide. The more obvious it becomes that Guido is not meant to discover what actually happened to the sergeant or more importantly, why, the more urgent his investigation becomes. Again, a delight to read Leon weave all the pieces together.

I continue to be an enormous fan of the Commisario Brunetti series. For those of you who may have missed my earlier reviews, Donna Leon teaches English for the University of Maryland Extension near Venice and has lived in Italy for many years. She portrays the flavor of Italian life vividly, and it's clear that while she must love living there, petty and not-so-petty corruption is rampant. She makes delightfully wicked little comments. For example, the Carabineri major, interviewed by Brunetti on an American army post - not base, that's for the Air Force - waxes on about the characteristics of Americans. They tend to be arrogant, of course, but Americans are really too insecure to be truly arrogant, "unlike the Germans." Classic.

Brunetti is walking home through "battalions of ravaging tourists who centered their attacks on the area around San Marcos. Each year it grew harder to have patience with them, to put up with their stop-and-go walking, with their insistence on walking three abreast through even the narrowest calles. There were times when he wanted to scream at them, even push them aside, but he contented himself by taking out all of his aggressions through the single expedient of refusing to stop, or in any way alter his course, in order to allow them a photo opportunity. Because of this, he was sure that his body, back and elbow appeared in hundreds of photos and videos. He sometimes contemplated the disappointed Germans looking at their summer videos during the violence of the North Sea storm as they watched a purposeful, dark-suited Italian walk in front of Tante Gerda or an Onkel Franz, blurring, if only for a moment the lederhosen-clad tourists" with what was probably the only real Italian they would see during their stay.

An American soldier, Sgt. Michael Foster, an American public health inspector at the American military hospital in Vicenza, has been found floating in one of the Venetian canals. In an act of true heroism, two policemen jump in the water - the water being so dirty, hence the heroism - and drag him out. Brunetti's superior would like nothing better than to have the case buried, because the idea of an American being killed in Venice would ruin the tourist trade. Brunetti purposefully manipulates his boss into thinking the murder might have been committed elsewhere - must think of tourism, of course - so he can be authorized to travel to the man's post and investigate. An army captain, Dr. Peters, a woman doctor, who had come to Venice to identify the body in the morgue, had vomited from what Brunetti thought was from fear, when she saw how the man had been killed, by a knife plunging directly through the ribs into the heart. He suspects something is rather odd about this case, especially when he finds some cocaine that was not well hidden in the dead soldier's apartment, apparently after it had been thoroughly searched by the military authorities. The case becomes more complicated as both he and the Carabinieri major are politely warned off the case after they discover a connection between the dead soldier, a sick boy, contracts for the disposal of toxic waste, Brunetti's father-in-law, and the ostensible suicide by heroin overdose of Dr. Peters, not to mention the theft of some famous paintings from a prominent businessman.

As with many of her other books, you are left at the end deeply saddened by the corruption, the illicit use of power and its effect on Brunetti, who, despite all, struggles on trying to stay an honest cop. He is a wonderful character.

As a USAF officer stationed in Northern Italy, this story brought knowing smiles and head-nods as I read it. Ms Leon has lived in this area for years and teaches at one of the American universities located on the major military bases here. Her depiction of the Italian view of our presence in their country was especially enlightening for those of us trying to live in our host nation without acting like "ugly Americans". Even if her characters and plots weren't interesting on their own--which they are--this book would still be worth it for any American living in the Venice area--especially those connected with the military. I've enjoyed all the books I've read by Donna Leon, but this one really hit home--I just hope it's not true!

If I remember right, I first came across this mystery series completely by accident. With time, though, I've become an utterly devoted fan of Donna Leon. It's highly unfortunate that her books have fallen out of print in the USA. Just recently, however, they've started reappearing in these paperback editions. "La Fenice" is the first in the series. You don't have to read them in order, but it does add to your experience if you do.

Donna Leon is a GREAT writer! I guarantee that you will utterly adore the characters in these novels. All the stories take place in Venice, Italy (near where Leon lives and teaches English). Herein, we follow the life and investigations of Vice-Commisario Guido Brunetti. There's a certain brutality and social consciousness to *all* the crimes Brunetti ultimately uncovers (the brutality "off-camera" for the most part). Meanwhile, we follow (as the novels progress) Brunetti's family life, and the development of his relationship with his wife and children. Extremely good books, on all counts.

I rather suspect the reason these books have been virtually ignored in the USA is that Commisario Brunetti's wife is a professed Communist. Brunetti, on the other hand, does not share this point of view. Their diverse polical views create a necessary tension, yet it's interesting how often their practical goals regarding human relationships are really much the same. These are very European novels, obviously. And they are absolutely some of the *best* mysteries you will ever read. VERY highly recommended!

Out of the famous theater of Venice, La Fenice, sounds the music of „La Traviata". It should be an amazing premiere - the singers are wonderfull and the conductor is one of the famoust in the world, Helmut Wellauer. But after the break Wellauer's not appearing on the podium. He's death, he has been poisoned with cyanide. Guido Brunetti, a middleaged Commissaro of the police, is charged with the case. Brunetti is surching for suspects. But it is difficult to get known all the many people, which knew the famous conductour, and to figure out which of them could be the murder. Is the murder found in the theater? Maybe the famous soprano, Flavia Petrelli, whose been said to have a liason with a british woman, Brett Lynch. The director of La Fenice, Franco Santore? The bariton, the tenor? Or does Mrs Wellauer, the conductors very much younger wife, have a reason to kill him? Brunetti is surching in the present relations and the past happenings of Wellauer's life.

Venice is for lovers, or so they say. It is also the setting in this thriller, the first of a series by Donna Leon, titled "Death at La Fenice."

La Fenice is the name of Venice's famed opera house and in this novel, death is the event de jour, as a well-known German conductor Helmut Wellauer is found dead in his dressing room, shortly before he was to conduct "La Traviata." Of course, the show must go on. Of course, the police must be called.

And we are introduced to Guido Brunetti, vice-commissario of police in Venice. He's also a brilliant detective. With suspects galore, Brunetti finds the early going to be confusing and not all what the "facts" may seem.

In Brunetti, Donna Leon has created the quintessential police detective. He is a man whom we are proud to call an acquaintance as we follow his trail in all the Leon books. She describes him: "He was a surprisingly neat man: tie carefully knotted, hair shorter than was the fashion; even his ears lay close to his head, as if reluctant to call attention to themselves. His clothing marked him as Italian. The cadence of his speech announced that he was Venetian. His eyes were all policeman."

Leon, in addition to being a first rate novelist, has been an American English teacher aboard, and healthy international sales have made her vision of Venice well known. She seems to love the city, but with an attitude that shows her feet are on the ground. She lets Brunetti characterize the city: "And then he was at the water's edge, the bridge to his right. How typically Venetian it was, looking, from a distance, lofty and ethereal but revealing itself, upon closer reflection, to be firmly grounded in the mud of the city."

One of the chief suspects is diva and prima donna soprano Flavia Petrelli, who certainly has motive, and is high on Brunetti's list. Flavia, along with her American archeologist and companion Brett Lynch, present more than a conundrum to Brunetti. (We are re-introduced to them in a later book Acqua Alta.) This is no easy crime for the commissario to solve.

Leon creates, certainly, one of the best police procedurals of the last decade. Her books are hard to come by in the U.S., but she has a large following in international circles, especially in Germany and in England. While it is not necessary to read her books in order, naturally, her progression moves more smoothly when done so. "Death at La Fenice" is pure symphony and not a note is to be missed.

Billyjhobbs@tyler.net

This book did not please me. It is a poor example of the murder mystery genre. While the story was well set up, and unfolded in an interesting way, the ending was all botched. The "mystery" of several deaths was not solved, and the killer had no rational motive.

Donna Leon takes the mystery genre beyond the standard "who-done-it" and that what makes her novels so enjoyable. The endings of all of the Brunetti novels I have read (most of them) are rather dark and unresolved. She has a very cynical (realistic?) view of the way the Italian world works - or doesn't work. Corruption is rampant and Commissario Brunetti struggles to maintain a commitment to justice amidst the corruption. He also has a wonderful relationship with Pauola, his wife, that is so nice. Donna Leon really makes you want to meet the characters. I think she's wonderful and hope she never stops writing.

While in the UK last year, I took the advice of a bookseller and discovered a fabulous mystery writer: Donna Leon, a best selling writer in the UK who is little published in the USA. Her mysteries are wonderfully plotted and her prose impecable! Venice, its people and traditions come vividly alive, adding to the books' appeal. This audio is a prime example of the author's mastery of her craft. My only question: why hasn't she been more widely published in the United States?

The fourth in a five book series (oh, that Donna Leon would keep writing these....), Death and Judgment brings us back to our dear detective, Guido Brunetti and his family, and his work in Venice. I will steal from a reviewer who suggested that Leon writes three novels in one: about murder, about Venice, and about relationships, because it is true and it is just this that brings us back again and again to see what Brunetti is up against this time. An important lawyer is found dead on the train from Padua to Venice (and of course, Brunetti's supervisor, Patti urges him to consider this a simple robbery "gone bad"). At about the same time a large truck slides off an ice-y mountain road in Northern Italy and the dead bodies of a number of young women are discovered in the back (crushed by the load of lumber in the truck). Then when the dead lawyer's accountant is also found murdered, Brunetti slowly begins to find the connections and uncovers a horrible web of international prostitution and a pornographic film industry built by some truly evil but highly influential and powerful Venetian citizens. As Leon always involves us with Guido's family, especially his dear wife (and local English professor) and children, this novel is no different and Guido's precocious daughter actually helps him solve this case, which has a typically complex yet logical conclusion.

Donna Leon is a quietly perceptive and at times a forgivingly cynical narrator of human foibles and relationships under the stress of daily life, politics, bureaucracy and crime.This novel once again brings Commissario Guido Brunetti's empathetic pragmatism and integrity into conflict with the entrenched egocentricity and greed of Venice's and Italy's ruling classes. This is a piece of literature, not just a wonderful novel of crime and detection. Leon manages to make us question our assumptions about everything from political apathy and corruption, to what is honour, and how we live out our values. What a gift this woman must be to her students. Highly recommended for a desert island collection, as well as being a great primer for visitors to Venice. Not to mention being a damn good read.