this review was written by Ro Bennett and read live on the bookshow 30th April 2014
This is the second book I have read by Donna Leon. I
reviewed Uniform Justice on April 25th last year - doesn’t time fly! This is the
tenth book in the series, Uniform Justice was the twelth and I have yet to read
the first book. They are set in Venice and its surroundings and this book
focuses on Pellestrina, a thin strip of island south-west of the city of Venice
with a tiny close-knit, closed-mouth fishing community. There is a very useful
map at the beginning of the book.
Product description
The murder of two clam fishermen off the island of
Pellestrina, south of the Lido on the Venetian lagoon, draws Commissario
Brunetti into the close-knit community of the island, bound together by a code
of loyalty and a suspicion of outsiders worthy of the Mafia. When the boss'
secretary Signorina Elettra volunteers to visit the island, where she has
relatives, Brunetti finds himself torn between his duty to solve the murders,
concerns for Elettra's safety, and his not entirely straightforward feelings for
her ...
Having seen the characters develop over these two
books I have decided to read the other books in chronological
order.
I enjoyed the book initially. It was a gentle
relaxing read. The characters and their way of life were well described and the
descriptions of Venice and Pellestrina were interesting and informative and I
could visualise the setting. The reader learns about the problems facing the
locals who fish - stocks in decline because of pollution and the illegal
dredging of clams. Crippling quotas add to the difficulties, but many officials
are corrupt and accept bribes.
I enjoyed the author’s pokes at the corruption and
incompetence of the the police bureaucracy, the courts, the government the tax
department- her focus on moral and political issues. Apparently because of this
tendency her books aren’t published in Italy.
However I didn’t enjoy the last couple of chapters
or the ending which although there was an element of suspense, I found so
implausible I felt myself getting impatient, so I skimmed them. Neverthe less it
was a good read on the whole.
Donna Leon has lived in Venice for many years and
previously lived in Switzerland, Saudi Arabia, Iran and China, where she worked
as a teacher. Her previous novels featuring Commissario Brunetti have all been
highly acclaimed. She writes for pleasure and that comes across in the
books
Ro Bennett
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