We both read this - the latest in Donna Leon's series of novels about a police detective in modern-day Venice, and it's an amiable ramble.It's definitely not a thriller. Everything happens at a stately pace, and none the worse for that. It's only about one-third of the way in that the main event happens - the discovery of the body of a young Romany girl in the Grand Canal. By the end we know who did it, and also know that as a result of corruption in high places they'll almost certainly get away with it, which Brunetti (the detective) has learned to accept with a world-weary sadness.
En route - and this is what Rachel enjoys most about this series - we get a glimpse of middle-class Venetian family life in Brunetti's loving home. We get to know his wife and (now) teenage kids and our mouths water at the descriptions of the food they eat.
If like us you know and love Venice there's a bonus in all the descriptions of Brunetti's walks and boat-rides through the city.
No comments:
Post a Comment