Death in a Strange Country - (The Commissario Guido Brunetti Mysteries) by Donna Leon (Paperback)

About the Book

Aggressively investigating an American's murder in tranquil Venice despite his superior's order to keep things clean and quiet, Commissario Guido Brunetti finds himself knee-deep in a toxic waste cover-up with political ties.

Book Synopsis

Early one morning Commissario Guido Brunetti of the Venice Police confronts a grisly sight when the body of a young man is fished out of a fetid canal. All the clues point to a violent mugging, but for Brunetti the motive of robbery seems altogether too convenient. When something is discovered in the victim's apartment that suggests the existence of a high-level conspiracy, Brunetti becomes convinced that somebody is taking great pains to provide a ready-made solution to the crime.

Rich with atmosphere and marvelous plotting, Death in a Strange Country is a superb novel in Donna Leon's chilling Venetian mystery series.

Review Quotes

"A measured, thoughtful conspiracy investigation that goes a long way toward extending Leon's range. This is definitely an author to watch." --Kirkus Reviews

"Intriguing plot... Venice looms large as a well-painted backdrop. Its damp, crumbling beauty and tourist-mobbed sites are as vivid in Leon's depiction as the rich tang of espresso boiling over." --Publishers Weekly

"What makes Leon's work especially unnerving is the sense that corruption is a continuing process. . . . The characters of Brunetti and his family continue to deepen throughout this series." --The Times (UK)

"This series has become one of the adornments of current crime fiction. A gem."
--The Scotsman (UK)

About the Author

Donna Leon is the author of the international best-selling Commissario Guido Brunetti series. The winner of the CWA Macallan Silver Dagger for Fiction, among other awards, Leon was born in New Jersey and has lived in Venice for thirty years.