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20th out of 76 books
—
24 voters
The Jewels of Paradise
by
Donna Leon
Donna Leon has won heaps of critical praise and legions of fans for her best-selling mystery series featuring Commissario Guido Brunetti. With The Jewels of Paradise, Leon takes readers beyond the world of the Venetian Questura in her first standalone novel.
Caterina Pellegrini is a native Venetian, and like so many of them, she’s had to leave home to pursue her career. Wit...more
Caterina Pellegrini is a native Venetian, and like so many of them, she’s had to leave home to pursue her career. Wit...more
Hardcover, 244 pages
Published
October 2nd 2012
by Atlantic Monthly Press
(first published 2012)
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Dec 26, 2012
Jo (Mixed Book Bag)
rated it
5 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
mystery,
audio-book
I love the Commissario Brunetti books by Donna Leon so when I say The Jewels of Paradise audio CD on a recent trip to the library I immediately picked it up. I was not disappointed.
The book is filled with wonderful characters. Caterian is the main character but there are other scattered in the story that add to the richness of the tale. I only met Caterian’s sister, a nun, through their emails but she comes across fully developed. The Romanian, a scholar who is seldom sober, is a very nice touch...more
The book is filled with wonderful characters. Caterian is the main character but there are other scattered in the story that add to the richness of the tale. I only met Caterian’s sister, a nun, through their emails but she comes across fully developed. The Romanian, a scholar who is seldom sober, is a very nice touch...more
Donna Leon traded Commisario Guido Brunetti for Dottoressa Caterina Pellegrini. As it happens many times when writers of series novels and characters strike out to write a stand-alone, their fans are disappointed. This was the case for me with Donna Leon’s The Jewels of Paradise.
The plot is good--actually two plots--what is happening in the novel and the investigation into a Baroque composer the dottoressa is undertaking. But she lacked Brunetti’s charm. Again, Venice is the big protagonist in t...more
The plot is good--actually two plots--what is happening in the novel and the investigation into a Baroque composer the dottoressa is undertaking. But she lacked Brunetti’s charm. Again, Venice is the big protagonist in t...more
Page 23
Like most people, Caterina disliked being told she could not do something. Like most professional women who had risen in a male-dominated profession by dint of skill and tenacity and superior talent that was never acknowledged and seldom could be admitted, she had learned to stifle her instinctive desire to shout at the source of the prohibition, tough she had never learned to control the pounding of her heart that resulted from unexplained opposition.
Page 76
Transit aetas / Volant anni /...more
Like most people, Caterina disliked being told she could not do something. Like most professional women who had risen in a male-dominated profession by dint of skill and tenacity and superior talent that was never acknowledged and seldom could be admitted, she had learned to stifle her instinctive desire to shout at the source of the prohibition, tough she had never learned to control the pounding of her heart that resulted from unexplained opposition.
Page 76
Transit aetas / Volant anni /...more
As I have so often said lately, I received this book as part of the GoodReads FirstReads program. Despite the fact that I didn't pay a farthing for this novel I will endeavor to review it with baldfaced honesty.
Leon, from all I can tell is a widely acclaimed author and you can see shadows of her skill in this offering but sadly, they are just shadows. "The Jewels" is erudite as it demonstrates the author's research into Baroque music and she does a good job of education but I think most readers...more
Leon, from all I can tell is a widely acclaimed author and you can see shadows of her skill in this offering but sadly, they are just shadows. "The Jewels" is erudite as it demonstrates the author's research into Baroque music and she does a good job of education but I think most readers...more
For the first time, Donna Leon has written a standalone novel after so many successful and popular Commissario Brunetti mysteries. Apparently opera is the author’s other passion, and so a once famous 17th century Italian Baroque composer, Steffani, serves as the focal point of this novel, set in the familiar Venice that serves so well in the Brunetti series, but to this reviewer hardly adds to this story.
When two trunks containing the composer’s last worldly goods arrive in Venice, two cousins c...more
When two trunks containing the composer’s last worldly goods arrive in Venice, two cousins c...more
I note from Donna Leon's fan page that she has requested that her books not be translated into Italian. Since she lives and works in Italy, this seems wise. She lovingly describes Venetians' greed and lack of scruples in each of her novels.
In this 2012 work she leaves Commissaire Guido Brunetti, to describe the world of research, in this case into music history. Was Antonio Sartorio a castrati? Was he a convinced Catholic or a political game player who served only his own best interests?
The th...more
In this 2012 work she leaves Commissaire Guido Brunetti, to describe the world of research, in this case into music history. Was Antonio Sartorio a castrati? Was he a convinced Catholic or a political game player who served only his own best interests?
The th...more
It is said that Agatha Christie tired of Poirot, and that Conan Doyle wanted, after a time, to kill off Sherlock Holmes. I cannot imagine what induced Donna Leon to write this long winded and meandering novel, The Jewels of Paradise, except perhaps boredom with her highly successful series featuring Venetian detective, Guido Brunetti.
Let me say at the onset that Leon is incapable of writing anything but highly literate, beautifully thought-out prose. That is as true of The Jewels of Paradise as...more
Let me say at the onset that Leon is incapable of writing anything but highly literate, beautifully thought-out prose. That is as true of The Jewels of Paradise as...more
I love Donna Leon's Venice so I was pleased to find this new stand alone novel in which the city is a character. The main character here, Catarina Pellegrini, is a musicologist. This is such a specific field that she has had to leave her beloved Venice to find work, traveling to Germany, then St. Petersburg and finally to three years of exile in Manchester. Now she is home, working on a temporary basis for a pair of cousins who think they may have inherited something valuable from an eighteenth...more
There is no doubt a thrill to library research. I have felt it myself, wearing my academic hat. When people ask about what I like about research, I have often talked metaphorically about the pleasures of "detective work." This book captures that kind of enjoyment well enough (A. S. Byatt's *Possession* remains the unattainable model of my research life!). But I did not enjoy it as much as Leon's Guido Brunetti stories. The heroine of this book, alas, leads the all too familiar lonely research li...more
I was disappointed by this novel. Having read and enjoyed all of Leon's Brunetti novels, I had hoped that this would be a nice change. Sadly, it fails in several ways and offers little in compensation for its failures.
A musicologist originally from Venice is working as a researcher in Manchester when she hears about a temporary research job in Venice. She applies for the job and is accepted, and gladly abandons her job in England to return to her birthplace. Her task is to analyze the contents o...more
A musicologist originally from Venice is working as a researcher in Manchester when she hears about a temporary research job in Venice. She applies for the job and is accepted, and gladly abandons her job in England to return to her birthplace. Her task is to analyze the contents o...more
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I've always liked Leon's police procedurals set in Venice but was beginning to feel the sameness of that formula might be going a little stale. This new standalone novel was a pleasure to read. Not only is the main character an academic musicologist, she is a Venetian returned home to provide research for some venal cousins regarding two trunks newly discovered. They were once owned by Steffani, a (real) composer in the 1700s and the cousins are sure there must be a will and valuable things for...more
This is the first of her books I've read that isn't part of the Commissario Brunetti series, and I enjoyed it. Food wasn't as prevalent here as in the Brunetti books, but it still gets a mention every now and then.
Here we have musicologist Caterina Pellegrini, as the main character. Caterina has a love for song, but knew she wasn't of the caliber to go far in a singing career. She tried law, and was unsatisfied so decided to go into the study of music, specializing in baroque opera. Unfortunatel...more
Here we have musicologist Caterina Pellegrini, as the main character. Caterina has a love for song, but knew she wasn't of the caliber to go far in a singing career. She tried law, and was unsatisfied so decided to go into the study of music, specializing in baroque opera. Unfortunatel...more
First Sentence: Caterina Pelligrini closed the door behind her and leaned her back and then her head against it.
Caterina Pelligrini has a degree in baroque opera and is Venetian by birth but working in Oxford, England. The offer of a job allows her to return home. Two locked trunks, centuries old and thought to belong to a mostly forgotten composer, have been discovered. Although there are no direct descendants, two cousins claim inheritance and are anxious to discover the rumored treasure thoug...more
Caterina Pelligrini has a degree in baroque opera and is Venetian by birth but working in Oxford, England. The offer of a job allows her to return home. Two locked trunks, centuries old and thought to belong to a mostly forgotten composer, have been discovered. Although there are no direct descendants, two cousins claim inheritance and are anxious to discover the rumored treasure thoug...more
Though I had not read a book by this author before, I can tell she knows how to write. So why has she presented us with this mishmash of meaningless (and sometimes downright boring) narrative? There were some glimpses of what the author is capable of in the letters between the main character and her sister. But most of the book leads you on to expect things you never get--such as an understanding of the lawyer, why he is involved and what motivates him. Furthermore, there were times when the mai...more
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Donna Leon is best known for her Inspector Brunetti series. However, she has apparently always been a serious student of music. In this novel we are treated to an interesting mystery about the inheritance left by an obscure Baroque musician. His papers are contained in two trunks which are being fought over by two cousins, both of whom are trying to lay claim to whatever "treasure" is in the trunks. They have employed an attorney who hires Caterina, a young Italian woman who is a professor of mu...more
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Disappointment! This novel lacks everything that her Brunetti series has--warm, intelligent, interesting characters that the reader can care about, a good plot to follow, plenty of comments on Venice, Italy, and fabulous descriptionsof good food. These characters remained mostly a mystery to me and I did not care about them! Darn! I just love Brunetti, his family, the secretary, his coworkers (even his ridiculous, pompous superiors) and sometimes even the evildoers. The plot in Jewels of Paradis...more
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I've always thought it must be difficult for established authors famous for a particular series character or genre, to break out of the mould and write something different. What should they do? Hope their fans will stay with them even though the book is different? Or do they branch out under another name and hope the book will stand on its own and gain them a following?
Ruth Rendell wrote as Barbara Vine and did well with her stand alone thrillers after her success with the Wexford series; Agatha...more
Ruth Rendell wrote as Barbara Vine and did well with her stand alone thrillers after her success with the Wexford series; Agatha...more
I have read all of Donna Leon's Brunetti mysteries set in Venice and was looking forward to this book coming out as well. I was sadly disappointed. The local color of Venice which shines in the Guido series is just not there this time. Instead, there is a rather dry, slow moving story about a box of letters from a 1700s opera composer which might contain a "treasure". Whether it did ot not was really of little importance by the time I finished the book as my attention had lagged well beyond the...more
I’ve read and enjoyed all of Dona Leon’s previous books featuring Commissario Guido Brunetti and have been eagerly anticipating her latest book, THE JEWELS OF PARADISE. Had it been written by an author I didn’t know, I would have given up on in after the first few chapters.
The story is set in Venice where Caterina Pellegrini has just come home from England to decipher two trunks of documents which have been untouched since the early 1700s. The trunks belonged to an Italian Baroque composer and...more
The story is set in Venice where Caterina Pellegrini has just come home from England to decipher two trunks of documents which have been untouched since the early 1700s. The trunks belonged to an Italian Baroque composer and...more
" It's a gentle cerebral mystery", I stole this quote from someone else, though I have to say that it was very much on the gentle side, barely a mystery, more of a tale about researching Baroque music.
Leon really didn't flesh out any of the secondary characters, all except a drunken romanian seemed pretty lost in two dimensionality. There really wasn't much to the mystery, she could have made more out of the secondary mysteries, like was the lawyer really what he seemed? Who was he REALLY workin...more
Leon really didn't flesh out any of the secondary characters, all except a drunken romanian seemed pretty lost in two dimensionality. There really wasn't much to the mystery, she could have made more out of the secondary mysteries, like was the lawyer really what he seemed? Who was he REALLY workin...more
(Thank you to netgalley.com for an early copy!)
Although set in Venice like many of her other books, Donna Leon's new book, The Jewels of Paradise, is a refreshing change of pace from her Commisssario Guido Brunetti Mysteries. that's not to say that Commissario Guide isn't interesting, but in Jewels of Paradise Donna Leon introduces is to a new protagonist, Caterina Pellgrini. Like Venice herself, the story takes you through tangled streets, with mysterious strangers and lots of interesting but n...more
Although set in Venice like many of her other books, Donna Leon's new book, The Jewels of Paradise, is a refreshing change of pace from her Commisssario Guido Brunetti Mysteries. that's not to say that Commissario Guide isn't interesting, but in Jewels of Paradise Donna Leon introduces is to a new protagonist, Caterina Pellgrini. Like Venice herself, the story takes you through tangled streets, with mysterious strangers and lots of interesting but n...more
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it,
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I am a huge fan of Leon's Brunetti mystery series. This is a stand alone novel , but still set in Venice. I did not find it as much fun to read as her others, probably because I didn't find the heroine as compelling a character as Brunetti. But I love any novel where I learn something about a particular topic through an intriguing story. I am also a big fan of Baroque opera but I had never heard of Agostino Steffani. This novel combines Leon's characteristically wonderful evocation of Venice wit...more
What a delight! History flowing though the main Baroque area of Europe both music, royal houses, the church and politics. The joys of one of my favorite cities in the world ...life there, walking and dining and the infrastructure so familiar and lovable in the Beunetti novels and Donna Leon's walking and food books, expanded upon with a new character, an academic musicology research specialist. Two mysterious old sealed chests, letters and some music. Research revealing connections, murders, aff...more
For anyone who has felt the pull of mystery when looking at this past, this is a great (short) read. Especially if you have doubts about the Catholic Church, think Venice is lovely, and adore food. What I truly appreciate about Leon, aside from her ability to capture the inner thoughts of characters I wish I knew in real life, is her ability to capture the beauty of day-to-day life. Much of this book takes place in a library and a small rental apartment with Ikea furnishings and yet, it is a wor...more
I do so love Donna Leon - sarcastic, sparkling, witty, warm all at once. This the first book of hers I've read without Supt. Brunetti, but it's still and investigation. Brunetti without the food, since this young(-ish) lady skips meals and nibbles chocolate instead. One of the joys of modern technology is that one can look things up - with my iPad beside me, I looked up the composers and participants of the "affaire"; I saw the same paintings, and best of all, while I was reading YouTube gave me...more
Geheimnisvolle Truhen, uralte Briefe, stundenlanges Suchen in der Bibliothek nach dem entscheidenden Hinweis - wer so etwas mag, wird an Himmlische Juwelen sicher seinen Spaß haben. Mit einem richtigen Kriminalfall hat man es hier allerdings nicht zu tun. Eine Musikwissenschaftlerin bekommt von zwei zerstrittenen Cousins den Auftrag, den Nachlass ihres Vorfahren, dem Barockkomponisten Steffani, nach Wertvollem zu durchforsten und herauszufinden, wem der beiden das Erbe nun zukommt. Sie vertieft...more
As a thriller, the story is not very thrilling. Much space is devoted to the main character's historical research and the resulting hypotheses, which are only marginally relevant to the eventual (unexciting) outcome, but which are cleverly developed as the pieces of the puzzle are gathered by painstaking searches in libraries and through privileged contacts. As a Venetian novel, Donna Leon has already done better in the creation of atmosphere. There is an attempt at romance which falls flat, non...more
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it,
click here.
Donna Leon has taken the life of Agostino Steffani (1654 – 1728), Italian abbé, composer, and diplomat, and constructed a riff on Venetian faith and cupidity, seen through the eyes of Caterina, a skeptical Venetian musicologist hired to go through his effects for items of value. Steffani composed numerous successful operas while he was Kapellmeister at the court of Hanover, working for the Elector Ernst Augustus who became King George I of England in 1714. The history involved in explaining his...more
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Donna Leon (born September 29, 1942, in Montclair, New Jersey) is an American author of a series of crime novels set in Venice and featuring the fictional hero Commissario Guido Brunetti.
Donna Leon has lived in Venice for over twenty-five years. She has worked as a lecturer in English Literature for the University of Maryland University College - Europe (UMUC-Europe) in Italy, then as a Professor...more
More about Donna Leon...
Donna Leon has lived in Venice for over twenty-five years. She has worked as a lecturer in English Literature for the University of Maryland University College - Europe (UMUC-Europe) in Italy, then as a Professor...more
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Mar 03, 2013 10:46am