Product Description

In Death in a Strange Country Commissario Guido Brunetti confronts a grisly sight when the body of a young American is fished out of a fetid Venetian canal. Though all the signs point to a violent mugging, something incriminating turns up in the victim’s apartment that suggests the existence of a high level conspiracy—and Brunetti becomes convinced that somebody is taking great pains to provide a ready-made solution to the crime. As dark and riveting as its predecessors, Death in a Strange Country will provide Leon’s growing fan base with another chilling read.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #12671 in Books
• Published on: 2005-01-04
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 400 pages

From AudioFile
To solve the murder of a young American soldier, commissario of Venice police Guido Brunetti encounters investigational constraints that leave him awed and embittered. Anna Fields's narration resonates with the emotional upheavals Brunetti feels as he conforms to police procedures that leave him stonewalled. Fields cautiously portrays the cast of characters, differentiating each one uniquely. We sense the sinister and innocent via her mediated expression, and appreciate the difficult case Guido Brunetti has undertaken. B.J.L. (c)AudioFile, Portland, Maine

From Kirkus Reviews
Something different for Venetian Commissario Guido Brunetti, whose first case (Death at La Fenice, 1992) so expertly resurrected the closed-circle whodunit. This time, the murder of Sgt. Michael Foster, public health inspector at the American military hospital at Vicenza, produces such a pronounced lack of reaction--Brunetti's officious boss Patti insists it be written off as a mugging; somebody plants cocaine in Foster's quarters in the hope of heading off further questions; even Foster's lover and commanding officer insists she has no idea why he's been killed--that the fix is clearly in with either the American military or the Italian police. Patti pulls Brunetti off the case to work a burglary from a Grand Canal palazzo, but that--and more sinister high-level skullduggery--are predictably tied in too. No whodunit, but a measured, thoughtful conspiracy investigation that goes a long way toward extending Leon's range. This is definitely an author to watch. -- Copyright ©1993, Kirkus Associates, LP. All rights reserved.

Guardian
Commissario Brunetti, most charismatic current Euro-cop, uncovers deadly ants' nest of corruption. A highly accomplished, scary read.

Customer Reviews

LOVE THE HIGH CALIBER DETECTING;
MS. LEON KEEPS YOU GUESSING THROUGHOUT, LIKE THE VERY, VERY BEST OF THIS GENRE. THE VENETIAN LOCAL COLOR MAKES THE SERIES AN ITALIAN HOLIDAY. I INTENED TO READ EACH AND EVERY OF HER GUIDO BRUNETTI MYSTERIES. I WILL NOT GIVE ANY STORY-LINE AWAY; JUST FINISH BY SAYING 'EXCUISITO!'

"You are a stubborn devil, aren't you?"
Donna Leon definitely caught my attention with the first book in this series, and now she has made me a fan of her wonderful work. Leon's excellence is based on three main concepts: a complex main character, an enchanting environment, and of course a well-crafted mystery. Commissario Guido Brunetti is one of the most interesting detectives I have encountered in quite some time. His personality and family life make him a character with which we can relate fairly quickly, and his uncompromising attitude towards delivering justice for those that have been wronged is one to admire. Venice is the perfect setting for this character, and allows Leon to use its canals and rich history to add mystique to the plot. And then there is the murder case, which is complex without being contrived, and keeps us interested until we find out the truth.

This novel starts at full speed, catching our interest right away, with a body floating in a canal on a quiet morning. Brunetti is soon placed in charge of the investigation and finds out that the victim is an American and that the killer was either very skilled or very lucky, since death came after a perfect stroke with a blade. When the victim is identified as a Sergeant in an army post in Vicenza, the case becomes much more complicated and Brunetti has to deal with people trying to mislead him and cover up the truth. On top of this, there is a second case, involving a robbery, which adds variety to the story and allows for the introduction of some really colorful characters.

Last time, Leon's work incorporated many aspects related to the world of Opera and classical music, and this time the canals and the way in which their currents work take center stage. As happened in the first book of this series, we get to see a fair amount of what transpires in Brunetti's family life. Leon uses the food proficiently to convey how important meals are in the Italian culture, and how this family time results in captivating interactions. We also get to witness situations in which the culture plays an important role, like fights within the police department with the subsequent grudges, or higher-ups in the department sucking up to powerful people.

I believe that there is not much more to say. This novel is definitely a winner and I recommend it without reservations! I am already looking forward to reading the next Brunetti mystery.

Cynical Digging Pays Off
If you liked Death at La Fenice, the debut of this series, you'll probably like the first 80 percent of Death in a Strange Country even better. Seldom have I experienced the joy of seeing most of the second novel in a series far exceed the debut. Unfortunately, the last 20 percent isn't nearly as good as the ending of Death at La Fenice so you will conclude on a down note.

A body floats facedown in a Venetian canal, bumping against the steps of the embankment in front of the Basilica of SS. Giovanni e Paolo. No one notices the corpse until an early rising woman peeks out to see if her husband's boat needs to be bailed out. I'm sure you can feel the rich setting that Donna Leon has wonderfully described for the beginning of the investigation. When no one can be roused on the night shift, Commissario Guido Brunetti is called at home and grumpily heads to the scene. Finding American coins in the deceased's pockets, Brunetti immediately knows he has a hot potato on his hands. Vice-Questore Patta, his superior officer, makes that point even more obvious by poking his nose into the case soon after the beginning.

When the autopsy reveals someone with expert knife skills has dispatched the young man with the American coins in his pocket, Brunetti realizes that this may not be a simple murder. The dead man's teeth show American dental work, and the police begin calling hotels but find no one missing. By analyzing some papers in the corpse's pockets, it looks like the man has come from the American base in Vicenza, near Venice. Could terrorism be involved?

Contacting the base, the MPs don't seem very interested that one of their own might be dead. Eventually, they do find that Sergeant Michael Foster, the base's public health inspector, is missing and send his superior officer, Captain Terry Peters, a female pediatrician. Captain Peters identifies Foster and seems unusually upset and inquisitive. What does she know that she's not sharing?

Traveling to the American base, Brunetti is astonished to see the lengths that Americans go to in recreating their home country on foreign soil. He's even more certain that he's being frozen out of the investigation by the Americans. A surprise find at the dead man's apartment seals that impression and makes him wonder when the attractive Captain Peters will spill the beans to him.

Although I am making this sound like this novel is all about the investigation, that's a false impression. Interspaced with the investigation, Brunetti tends to his family, and we learn a lot about their relationships and family culture. I think you'll be charmed by the Brunettis, especially the parents. They get along well and make room for one another. As with Death at La Fenice, Brunetti also has a social evening with his patrician in-laws. You'll have fun watching how Brunetti has a hard time enjoying himself in a casino.

The case seems at a dead end with key witnesses become unavailable. But a surprise resurrects the opportunity. Brunetti rapidly makes progress. The faster he unravels the mystery, the stronger the forces are that he arouses to put pressure on him to stop investigating.

The first 80 percent of the book has everything you might like in a mystery: a troubling case, unclear motives, a lack of suspects, slender clues, an amusing detective, good character development involving the detective and his family, and a delightful setting to contemplate . . . Venice.

If you don't expect much from the book's conclusion, you won't be as disappointed as I was. The quality of the first 80 percent and the excellent ending of death at La Fenice had led me to expect something brilliant. Instead, I found a cynical ending.