Doctored Evidence

Doctored Evidence (2004) Donna Leon

A querulous old woman is killed in her apartment, and suspicion automatically falls upon the maid. Scarpa closes the case, but when Brunetti comes back into town, new evidence–that Scarpa wants to dismiss unheard–comes to light.

This book is not just about discovering who killed a nasty old woman and why, it also looks at Brunitti’s relationship with his co-workers, not just the positive relationship with Vianello and Signorina Elettra, but also his antagonistic relationship with Scarpa. We also see a deeper look into police work in Venice, and why one wouldn’t want to be caught up in a crime in Venice.

What I found interesting was that the story at some point became less and less about justice for the maid, and more and more about the actions of the dead son.

Although you could easily enjoy this mystery if you’ve never read a previous Brunetti book, the delving into the relationship between Brunetti and his co-workers is much deeper if you’ve been reading along for awhile. Whose actions are truly immoral and whose actions are illegal? It’s a fine line Brunetti walks, and sometimes it’s hard to see what is good from what is right.
Rating: 8/10

• Browse the archives:
  
• Harbingers » »
• « « Uniform Justice