Review ~ The Temptation of Forgiveness by Donna Leon

William Heinemann
5 April 2018

My thanks to the publisher for my copy of this book

This is the twenty-seventh book in the Commissario Brunetti series of crime novels which follow the crime investigations lead by Brunetti and his team in and around the beautiful city of Venice. 

In this story Brunetti gets caught up in a complex mystery surrounding the alleged vicious attack on a man who is discovered unconscious near Ponte de Forner and whilst the man is not personally known to Brunetti, it appears that the man's wife, Professoressa Crosera, is a colleague of Brunetti's wife. That this may be connected with a visit that Professoressa Crosera has just made to Brunetti’s office may, or may, not have a bearing on the investigation. With few clues to the alleged crime, Brunetti with his customary persistence sets out to solve the mystery in his own inimitable style.

I think what comes across in any of these stories is the study of Brunetti himself, and of the way he carefully considers every possibility before deciding on a course of action. However, to me, in The Temptation of Forgiveness, Brunetti seems more measured than usual and I'm not sure whether this was a deliberate slowing down of the character but I felt that sometimes he seemed to lose his way only to be brought back by the resourcefulness of his colleagues particularly, Signorina Elettra and fellow  Commissario, Claudia Griffoni.

I am sure that readers who have followed the Commissario Brunetti series from the beginning will be just as eager to read this latest mystery. And as always the darker side of Venice takes centre stage although relatively new readers may have to keep referring to the map to see just where Brunetti shows up in the city. However, it must be mentioned that readers coming new into the series at book twenty-seven may well wonder what on earth is going on, so, although the story is a standalone read, I really don't advise starting here as so much of the richness of Brunetti's character is lost when you don't know and understand him.

Having read this twenty-seventh book, I am sure that there are still more adventures for Commissario Brunetti and even more corners of Venice still to be explored.

About the Author

Donna Leon was named by The Times as one of the 50 Greatest Crime Writers, She is an award winning crime novelist, celebrated for her bestselling Brunetti series. Her books have been translated into thirty-five languages and have been published around the world.

Amazon UK

Review ~ Earthly Remains by Donna Leon

William Heinemann
 April 2017

In 'Earthly Remains', the twenty-sixth novel in this series, Brunetti’s endurance is tested more than ever before. During an interrogation of an entitled, arrogant man suspected of giving drugs to a young girl who then died, Brunetti acts rashly, doing something he will quickly come to regret. In the fallout, he realizes that he needs a break, needs to get away from the stifling problems of his work.

When Brunetti is granted leave from the Questura, his wife, Paola, suggests he stay at the villa of a relative on Sant’Erasmo, one of the largest islands in the laguna. There he intends to pass his days rowing, and his nights reading Pliny’s Natural History. The recuperative stay goes according to plan until Davide Casati, the caretaker of the house on Sant’Erasmo, goes missing following a sudden storm. Now, Brunetti feels compelled to investigate, to set aside his leave of absence and understand what happened to the man who had become his friend.

My thoughts...

Even if you haven't read any of the excellent books in the Commissario Brunetti series of crime novels, and this is now number 26, you will be able to pick up and understand the story from the start as each of the novels work well as stand alone stories. Of course, if you have followed Brunetti's progression from the start, you will pick up the subtle references to what has sometimes gone before, however, I do think that new readers, coming straight into book 26, might be a little perplexed by some of the more subtle references.

In Earthly Remains, Brunetti is granted leave to recuperate following an incident in which he acted rather out of character. Staying on the island of Sant' Erasmo, he  tries to relax and enjoy the tranquility of his surroundings. When he is befriended by the caretaker of the house in which he staying, Brunetti becomes embroiled in a series of events which will have devastating consequences.

The story flows well and the authors attention to even the smallest, detail cannot be faulted. The mystery at the heart of the novel is revealed quite slowly and there were times when I felt like nothing much was happening but I think this is quite deliberate. as at times the place with its beautiful scenery almost takes over from what is happening with the people. That the author knows and understands this area is obvious in the way that she lovingly recreates Brunetti's world.

I am sure that fans of this author will find much to enjoy in this latest book and like all fans will look forward to see what is coming along in book number 27 😊

About the Author

Donna Leon was named by The Times as one of the 50 Greatest Crime Writers, She is an award winning crime novelist, celebrated for her bestselling Brunetti series. Earthly Remains in the #26 book in the Commissario Guido Brunetti series , set in Venice.

My thanks to the publishers for my review copy of Earthly Remains. 



~***~

Review ~ Midnight at the Bright Ideas Book Store by Matthew Sullivan

William Heinemann
2017

What's it all about...

Lydia Smith lives her life hiding in plain sight. A clerk at the Bright Ideas bookstore, she keeps a meticulously crafted existence among her beloved books, eccentric colleagues, and the 'BookFrogs' the lost and lonely regulars who spend every day marauding the store’s overwhelmed shelves.

But when youngest BookFrog Joey Molina kills himself in the bookstore’s upper level, Lydia’s life comes unglued. Always Joey’s favorite bookseller, Lydia has been bequeathed his meager worldly possessions: Trinkets and books, the detritus of a lonely, uncared-for man. But when Lydia pages through his books, she finds them defaced in ways both disturbing and inexplicable. They reveal the psyche of a young man on the verge of an emotional reckoning. And they seem to contain a hidden message. What did Joey know? And what does it have to do with Lydia?

My thoughts about it...

I was really excited to receive my review copy of Midnight at the Bright Ideas Bookstore, not just because of the tactile nature of its beautiful midnight blue hardback cover but also because any novel which features a book store is a sure fire winner with me.

When Lydia Smith discovers Joey Molina, one of her regular book customers, dead on the upper floor of her bookstore, this sad event opens up, for Lydia, a whole heap of secrets which she never knew existed. That Joey's life may be interwoven with Lydia's comes as something as a shock to her and the journey she must take in order to discover more about herself, and Joey, is both enlightening and frightening in equal measure.

I found that I was soon engrossed in the story, the writing is good and the plot development is maintained with a fine eye for detail and the complicated nature of the relationships within the novel added necessary light and shade. There are some deeply flawed characters, particularly Lydia's widowed father, Tomas, who had more than enough secrets of his own and the relationship between father and daughter is upsetting and at times, reveals far more questions than it does answers. I enjoyed the way the story combined both past and present . The mystery at the heart of the story is interwoven with some quite dark moments, particularly with those uncomfortable secrets which, if left unchallenged, can fester and destroy everything around them. 

Midnight at the Bright Ideas Bookstore is a well written debut novel by a talented new author.

About the Author

Matthew Sullivan grew up in a family of eight spirited children in suburban Denver, Colorado. In addition to working for years at Tattered Cover Book Store in Denver and at Brookline Booksmith in Boston, he has taught writing and literature at colleges in Boston, Idaho and Poland, and currently teaches writing, literature and film at Big Bend Community College in the high desert of Washington State. He is married to a librarian and has two children and a scruffy dog named Ernie.

More about the author can be found on his website by clicking here 

My thanks to the publishers for my review copy of Midnight at the Bright Ideas Bookstore

~***~