Death at La Fenice

Death at La Fenice (1992) Donna Leon

I love Donna Leon’s Guido Brunetti series. It’s set in Venice, Italy, and the place is a much a character as Brunetti, his family, and the other members of the Questura.

Like all street addresses in Venice, the one the American had given him was virtually meaningless in a city with only six different names for street addresses and a numbering system without plan or reason. The only way to find it was to get to the church and ask someone who lived in the neighbourhood.

More importantly, this book introduces us to Commisario Brunetti.

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.

That may well be one of the only descriptions we get of him–I can’t think of another description of him, but I might just have glossed over it.

A world-renowned conductor has been murdered at La Fenice between acts on opening night, but like many artists, he’s managed to anger plenty of people, and his history in Germany during WWII doesn’t help.

(W)e all deserve to die, but no one should get to decide for us when that will be.

I love this series, and I love immersing myself in Brunetti’s Venice. That there is an interesting murder mystery is just a bonus.
Rating: 8/10

Published by Grove Press

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