- Beastly Things by Donna Leon
- August 10, 2017
PERSONAL INFORMATION: Born September 28, 1942, in Montclair, NJ. Avocational Interests: Baroque opera. Addresses: Home: Venice, Italy.
CAREER: Writer. Former crime reviewer for the Sunday Times, London, England; University of Maryland University College, Italy campus, former English professor; American military base of Vicenza, Italy, English professor, 1981-99. Has also taught at American military bases in Italy. Founder of Il Complesso Barocco (an opera company), Venice, Italy. Worked as a teacher in Switzerland, Saudi Arabia, England, Iran, and China.
An American living in Venice, Italy, Donna Leon was initially more widely known in Europe than in the United States for her best-selling series of mysteries featuring Guido Brunetti, a commissario of the Venice police. Brunetti is devoted to his family, which consists of two demanding teenagers and his wife, Paola, whose passion is reading Henry James and who is the daughter of an Italian aristocrat. Brunetti's personality is complex. Kindhearted but intelligent with a razor-sharp wit, he has compassionate insights into the heart of Venice and the soul of its people. His home life is incorporated into the stories, and Venice itself is a character in each of Leon's fictional works.
Inspector Guido Brunetti series:(* titles from TV series that are available on DVD)
- *Death at La Fenice #1
- *Death in a strange country, #2
- *Dressed for death #3
- *Death and judgment, #4
- *Acqua Alta, #5
- The death of Faith, #6
- *A noble radiance, #7
- *Fatal remedies #8
- *Friends in high places #9
- *A sea of troubles #10
- *Wilful behavior #11
- *Uniform justice #12
- *Doctored evidence #13
- *Blood from a stone #14
- *Through a glass darkly #15
- *Suffer the little children #16
- *The girl of his dreams #17
About face #18
- A question of belief #19
- Drawing conclusions #20
- Beastly things #21
- When the body of man is found in a canal, damaged by the tides, carrying no wallet, and wearing only one shoe, Brunetti has little to work with. No local has filed a missing-person report, and no hotel guests have disappeared. Where was the crime scene? And how can Brunetti identify the man when he can't show pictures of his face?
- The golden egg (Mar 2013) #22
- By its cover (Apr 2014) , #23
- Falling in love (Apr 2015) #24
- Waters of Eternal Youth #25
- Earthly Remains #26
Readalikes:
Dead lagoon by Michael Dibdin,l Reason: Though Beastly Things concerns the discovery of a corpse and Dead Lagoon involves a missing person, both atmospheric, intricately plotted mysteries, set in Venice, feature world weary Italian policemen whose determination to solve cases outweighs their distaste for official corruption. Gillian Speace
Bruno, chief of police by Martin Walker, Reason: NoveList recommends "Bruno Courreges mysteries" set in St. Denis in the Perigord Region of France for fans of "Guido Brunetti mysteries". Check out the first book in the series.
Nic Costa mysteries by David Hewson, Reason: Both of these series feature men of conscience who refuse to give up and are not afraid to challenge their superiors. These intricately plotted, well written books explore the agonies of everyday life through humane policemen who want justice. Merle Jacob
Commissario Alec Blume novels by Conor Fitzgerald, Reason: Although the Commissario Alec Blume novels take place in Rome while the Guido Brunetti mysteries are set in Venice, both series feature appealing detectives, well realized settings, and intricate storylines. Victoria Caplinger
Urbino Macintyre Venetian mysteries by Edward Sklepowich Reason: While Guido Brunetti is a police investigator and Urbino Macintyre is an amateur sleuth, both thoughtful, leisurely paced series vividly portray Venice, making the city itself a character in the stories. Katherine Johnson
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