by Donna Leon
Part of Commissario Brunetti, book 17
First published 2008
Commissario Brunetti pulls a small body from the Grand Canal on a wet morning. The dead girl wears expensive gold jewelry, but no one reports her missing. Her silken blonde hair and tiny foot offer the only clues to her identity. Brunetti and Ispettore Vianello begin searching for answers about who she was and how she died. The investigation leads them from Venice's elegant palazzi to a Roma settlement on the mainland. No family steps forward to claim the child. Brunetti faces prejudice from institutions and resistance from criminals as he digs deeper. He must uncover not just the girl's name and background, but the secrets that families guard to shield their children. The case forces Brunetti to confront how far people will go to protect those they love, whether those children deserve protection or not.
Genres: mystery, crime, thriller, detective
Vibes: atmospheric, emotional, suspenseful
Tropes: amateur-sleuth, investigation
Setting: Grand Canal, Italy, Venice
Period: contemporary
276 pages · Hardcover · Atlantic Monthly Press
Content warnings: child-death