by Donna Leon
Part of Commissario Brunetti, book 29
First published 2020
A woman lies dying in a Venice hospice when she gasps out an accusation that stops Commissario Brunetti cold. Her husband was murdered, she insists, killed over bad money. Brunetti gives his word that he and Inspector Claudia Griffoni will investigate what looks like family grief and paranoia. The dead husband had worked collecting water samples to test Venice's supply for contamination. His recent death in a motorcycle crash seemed like an accident. As Brunetti digs deeper into the case, he uncovers connections that transform a widow's desperate words into something far more dangerous. The investigation reveals threats that reach beyond one family to endanger the health of the entire region. Brunetti finds himself weighing justice against ambiguity, drawing lessons from his reading of Aeschylus's The Eumenides as he navigates the murky waters between truth and consequences.
Genres: mystery, crime, thriller, detective
Vibes: atmospheric, emotional, suspenseful, thought-provoking
Tropes: amateur-detective, family-drama, moral-ambiguity
Setting: Venice, Italy
320 pages · Kindle Edition · Atlantic Monthly Press