The team will split up to tackle different parts of the story, from people to financial and building records, and then reconvene before producing answers to Elisabetta’s concerns.

What can I say about Donna Leon and her wonderful creation, Venetian detective Brunetti, that hasn't already been said?I would always recommend giving them a go, start with Death at La Fenice and see if you fall in love with Brunetti. Her son-in-law has alarmed his wife by telling her they might be in danger because of something he's involved with. Before long, Brunetti has enlisted Officer Pucetti for a little undercover nosing about, Signorina Elettra Zorza (who has a certain bug concern of her own) to gather information, and his mother-in-law, Contessa Donatella Falier to broker introductions, all without official sanction.

Bruno is closely involved with the hospital in Belize which he's supporting and goes out there for a month, twice a year. As is the case with most of the other 30 Brunetti novels that precede it , Give unto Others is a largely character- and milieu-driven novel. Sadly, Paola hardly appears and says very little and we don't even see Brunetti's family, usually a source of much warmth and light-heartedness. Raffi made no appearance and I suspect Donna Leon will soon need to develop the restricted growth of both Brunetti offspring before they resemble permanently stunted half beings, capable only of ever being obedient adolescents; I’d not wish that on them. However, when his friend's daughter's place of work is vandalized, Brunetti asks his own favors--that his colleagues Claudia Griffoni, Lorenzo Vianello, and Signorina Elettra Zorzi assist his private investigation, which soon enough turns official as they uncover the dark and Janus-faced nature of a venerable Italian institution.Brunetti holds forth on philosophical meandering about friendship, loyalty, dementia etc and I enjoyed the slow-paced investigation in his and his colleagues' company.

Meanwhile, he is alerted to an attack on the veterinary hospital where Elisabetta’s daughter, Dottoressa, works. Brunetti ultimately realizes that because Elisabetta’s request was “clothed in the trappings of old friendship” (p.

Still, it's always fun to be in Brunetti's company even if this isn't a showcase book in the series. Is this what's happened here, or does it relate to what Elisabetta Foscarini has told Brunetti and Griffoni? Paola and children only make very brief appearances in this installment but are as charming as ever. I see from other reviews many people have given five star reviews so maybe this one just wasn’t for me. the author wasted good characters (as shown in previous novels) as bumbling, not-sure-what-to-do-next police officers.