by Donna Leon
Part of Commissario Brunetti, book 10
First published 2002
Two clam fishermen turn up dead in the waters near Pellestrina, a tight-knit island community south of Venice's Lido. Commissario Guido Brunetti must penetrate this closed world where residents follow an unwritten code of silence and view all mainlanders with deep mistrust. The islanders' loyalty to each other rivals that found in organized crime families. When Signorina Elettra, the boss's resourceful secretary, offers to help by visiting her relatives on Pellestrina, Brunetti faces competing pressures. He needs to crack the case and bring the killers to justice. He worries about putting Elettra in danger among people who don't welcome outsiders asking questions. Most complicated of all, he struggles with his own conflicted emotions toward this intelligent woman who works so closely with him. The investigation forces Brunetti to navigate not only the treacherous social currents of an isolated fishing community but also his own uncertain feelings.
Genres: suspense, mystery, crime, detective
Vibes: atmospheric, emotional, suspenseful, thought-provoking
Tropes: fish-out-of-water, found-family
Setting: Pellestrina, Venice, Lido
319 pages · Paperback · Gardners Books