Synopsis (from
the publisher):
On a luminous spring day in Venice, Commissario Brunetti and his
assistant Vianello play hooky from the Questura in order to help
Vianello’s friend Marco Ribetti, arrested during an environmental
protest. They secure his release, only to be faced by the fury of the
man’s father-in-law, Giovanni De Cal, a cantankerous glass
factory owner who has been heard in the bars of Murano making violent
threats about Ribetti.
Brunetti’s curiosity is piqued, and he finds himself drawn to
Murano to investigate. Is De Cal the type of man to carry out his
threats? By all accounts he is constantly angry, bullying suppliers and
fuming against environmentalists. Then one morning the body of De
Cal’s bookish night watchman is found in front of the blazing
furnace. Could the old man have killed him?
Over long lunches, on secret boat rides, in quiet bars, and down
crowded narrow streets, as the weather heats up and the flowers come
into bloom, Brunetti searches for the killer. The dead man’s
annotated copy of Dante’s Inferno, found at the scene of the
crime, may contain the clues Brunetti needs to solve the murder as well
as uncover who is ruining the waters of Venice’s lagoon. Will he
unravel the poetic clues before the night watchman’s death is
allowed to be forgotten?
— ◊ —
— ◊ —
Through a Glass, Darkly
A
Commissario Guido Brunetti Mystery
Donna
Leon
Atlantic Monthly Press (Hardcover)
ISBN-10: 0-87113-937-5 (0871139375)
ISBN-13: 978-0-87113-937-5 (9780871139375)
Publication Date: May 2006
List Price: $23.00
— ◊ —
Review: Donna
Leon's Commissario Brunetti mysteries are like finely cut gemstones.
The storylines are multi-faceted, each side amplifying another, to
produce a brilliance that is rare in detective fiction today. Through a Glass Darkly is the 15th
mystery to feature Venice Commissioner of Police Guido Brunetti, and is
a fine example of her body of work.
In Through a Glass Darkly,
Brunetti must navigate more than just the canals of Venice to solve a
series of puzzling mysteries: Was the night watchman's death accidental
or murder? Was the dead man really concerned about the environment or
simply trying to assuage his guilt over his daughter's illness? Are the
Murano glass factory owners rivals looking for a competitive edge, or
allies for some greater cause? Within this mystery, Leon also carefully
and thoughtfully presents both sides to an environmental situation
facing most metropolitan areas: What compromises are required to retain
a local industry while safeguarding the health of the community?
The ending of the book also deserves mention. Whereas most authors
would have felt compelled to continue writing, Leon wisely ends the
book, letting the reader's imagination complete the story.
A new Commissario Brunetti mystery is always something to look forward
to, and Through a Glass Darkly
doesn't disappoint.
Special thanks to Atlantic Monthly Press for providing an ARC of Through a Glass, Darkly for this review.
Review Copyright © 2006 — Hidden Staircase Mystery Books — All Rights Reserved
Have you read Through a Glass, Darkly? How would you rate it?
Mysteries in this series …
Death
at La Fenice
HarperCollins (Hardcover), July 1992
ISBN-10: 0-06-016871-4 (0060168714)
ISBN-13: 978-0-06-016871-1 (9780060168711)
Death
in a Strange Country
HarperCollins (Hardcover), June 1993
ISBN-10: 0-06-017008-5 (0060170085)
ISBN-13: 978-0-06-017008-0 (9780060170080)
Dressed
for Death
HarperCollins (Hardcover), June 1994
ISBN-10: 0-06-017795-0 (0060177950)
ISBN-13: 978-0-06-017795-9 (9780060177959)
Death
and Judgment
HarperCollins (Hardcover), June 1995
ISBN-10: 0-06-017796-9 (0060177969)
ISBN-13: 978-0-06-017796-6 (9780060177966)
Acqua
Alta
HarperCollins (Hardcover), October 1996
ISBN-10: 0-06-018651-8 (0060186518)
ISBN-13: 978-0-06-018651-7 (9780060186517)
Quietly
in their Sleep
HarperCollins (Hardcover), July 1998
ISBN-10: 0-06-018695-X (006018695X)
ISBN-13: 978-0-06-018695-1 (9780060186951)
A
Nobel Radiance
Fatal
Remedies
Friends
in High Places
A
Sea of Troubles
Wilful
Behaviour
Uniform
Justice
Atlantic Monthly Press (Hardcover), August 2003
ISBN-10: 0-87113-903-0 (0871139030)
ISBN-13: 978-0-87113-903-0 (9780871139030)
Doctored
Evidence
Atlantic Monthly Press (Hardcover), April 2004
ISBN-10: 0-87113-918-9 (0871139189)
ISBN-13: 978-0-87113-918-4 (9780871139184)
Blood
from a Stone
Atlantic Monthly Press (Hardcover), April 2005
ISBN-10: 0-87113-887-5 (0871138875)
ISBN-13: 978-0-87113-887-3 (9780871138873)
Through a Glass, Darkly
Atlantic Monthly Press (Hardcover), May 2006
ISBN-10: 0-87113-937-5 (0871139375)
ISBN-13: 978-0-87113-937-5 (9780871139375)
Suffer
the Little Children
Atlantic Monthly Press (Hardcover), May 2007
ISBN-10: 0-87113-960-X (087113960X)
ISBN-13: 978-0-87113-960-3 (9780871139603)
The
Girl of His Dreams
Atlantic Monthly Press (Hardcover), May 2008
ISBN-10: 0-87113-980-4 (0871139804)
ISBN-13: 978-0-87113-980-1 (9780871139801)
About
Face
Atlantic Monthly Press (Hardcover), April 2009
ISBN-10: 0-8021-1896-8 (0802118968)
ISBN-13: 978-0-8021-1896-7 (9780802118967)
Omnimystery keywords for Through a Glass, Darkly ...
Location(s) referenced: Venice, Italy.
