This is the first Donna Leon book I have read and I guess it just isn't my thing. It wasn't long enough to properly build intrigue and suspense in the murder mystery. I felt no connection to any of the characters. It was set in Venoce in August and every page had at least one reference to the heat, most pages had two or three or four references to the heat. Enough already! In that way, this book was much too long. Perhaps fewer heat references and more character/murder investigation references would have helped? Also, what was the story with the judge? That just got left hanging and forgotten, when in my mind, that was the most interesting part. Another fine read from American expatriate Donna Leon, who herself has lived in Venice for twenty-five years. I read this on a steamy July day, when I too might have wished for a vacation in the mountains. Brunetti finally gets his, as he finally gets his murderer. Leon's descriptions of Venetian sites and culture provide a believable backdrop for the story's slow, sure progress, and the conveying of the operations of its government are spot on. Brunetti, meanwhile, personifies a hopeful mix of necessary cynicism and unwavering dedication to justice.
What do You think about Uskon Asia (2010)?
After reading a dozen or so of Leon's novels, this one seems disjointed and is disappointing.
—Kait
#19Leaving for vacation in mts w/ family, Guido is called back.(chiming of bells?)
—sheila
You have to love the Commisario. He doesn't always win but he is always right.
—cindygonzales
