When Brunetti receives a call from a hospice saying a dying woman has asked to speak to the police, he and his colleague, Claudia Griffoni, respond quickly. “They killed him. It was bad money. I told him no” was all she whispered, and Brunetti quietly promised that he would help. All he and Griffoni knew was that she was talking about her husband who had recently died in a motorcycle accident. As they unravel the threads, corruption and graft show themselves, and Brunetti must decide how to best dispense justice.

The Comessario Brunetti books are not your usual “collect the clues and solve the mystery.” Instead, the focus is on the everyday life of Comesario Brunetti and his family and co-workers. The mystery seems not so important. Donna Leon writes beautiful prose and places the reader in the scene. I enjoy descriptions of Venice, the meals, the weather, the walks and the canals. This thought-provoking book also quietly addresses the effects of tourists and climate change on Venice.

eGalley review                                                    Publication date 3.3.2020