A Refiner’s Fire

A Refiner’s Fire (2024) Donna Leon (Commissario Brunetti #33)

Apparently I borrowed this book at the start of 2025, started reading, got distracted, and the the book was returned without me finishing it.

And then I completely forgot about it. So when I borrowed the book this time and started reading, I remembered what I was reading. But checked and hadn’t written a review, so kept reading. And kept thinking “Is this where I stopped reading?” and then come across another passage I recognized.

‘And, so far as I can see, you have no more complicated reason than simple human curiosity.’

That silenced them. But only for a moment. Brunetti smiled across at her and, in an entirely normal voice, asked, ‘Is there a better reason?’

But eventually I moved to where I’d dropped the story before, and finished the book.

Then I spent an inordinate amount of time trying to figure out how to get the annotations from a library book off my Kobo.

Anything worth studying?’

Her question surprised him, and he gave it some consideration before he said, ‘Only maths.’

That stopped Griffoni in her tracks. ‘Maths?’ When Orlando nodded, she asked, ‘Why?’

With no hesitation, he said, ‘Because it’s so clean.’

‘You ask it a question and it gives you the answer. It shows you a rule, and that won’t change, no matter how much someone prays about it or threatens you if you don’t change the answer to the one he wants.’

This story opens with Griffoni dealing with a fight between baby gangs, and walking one boy home at 5 AM after all the other teens had been picked up by their parents.

Then we switch back to Brunetti for most of the rest of the story.

The book has several themes: the ‘baby gangs’ of teen boys, bored and connected through social media. The Nasiriyah suicide bombing of 20 years earlier (when Raffi and Chiari were still the teens they continue to be in this book). The looting of artifacts from Iraq during the war. And Bocchese’s small bronze statues and the teen who kept threatening him.

Bocchese stepped back from the door to let Brunetti into the apartment. ‘My God, I’m sorry, Guido,’ he said and set the gun on a small table near the door. ‘It’s not loaded. They never gave me any bullets.’

This story has the feel of a final book in a series: Donna Leon is, after all, in her 80s. (And there hasn’t been a Brunetti book published since this one.) For the first time we see Patta changing, becoming more than he has ever been.

No sooner had he thought it than Patta decided. ‘Tell Signorina Elettra if she has any trouble getting . . . access to the Carabinieri files, to try the password ATTAP with them. All capitals.’ Having said that, he added, ‘And be sure you spell it that way,’ and gave a small, very clever smile.

Honestly, this was a bit jarring 33 books into the series, and made the theme of redemption feel especially heavy handed. The bits about looting in Iraq also felt heavy-handed, but perhaps that’s because she was preaching to the choir. There were threads picked up and dropped without consequence, such as the threats from Beni Borsetta.

I finished the story, but this doesn’t feel like one I’d want to revisit, and I’m not sure how I feel if this is to be the final book in the series.

Characters: Commissario Guido Brunetti, Paola Brunetti, Raffaele (Raffi) Brunetti, Chiara Brunetti, Conte Orazio Falier, Contessa Donatella Falier, Vice-Questore Giuseppe Patta, Signorina Elettra Zorzi, Commissario Claudia Griffoni, Officer Alvise, Bocchese, Rodella, Genesin, Dottor Ettore Rizzard, Maria Grazia Riccio, Major Massimo Fede, Valeriano Anzoletti, Daniele Campi, Lino Riccio, Dario Monforte, Orlando Monforte, Beniamino Cresti/ Beni Borsetta, Gianpaolo Porpora, Marylou Wilson

Publisher: Atlantic Monthly Press

Rating: 7/10

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