Drawing Conclusions (Commissario Brunetti, #20) by Donna Leon

Jun 02, 2013 Nancy rated it 3 of 5 stars

One of the pleasures of reading books in a series is that we have a chance to become really familiar with a set of characters. This particular mystery was not necessarily my favorite of Donna Leon's but it drew on Commissario Brunetti's romantic nature and also refined for the reader his very personal moral code. And, that I liked.

Food and family are usually very important in Leon's series and I was a bit disappointed that Brunetti missed so many meals in this book. It is always a great pleasure...more

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Apr 14, 2013 Judie rated it 5 of 5 stars

Commissario Guido Brunetti is called to investigate the death of middle-aged woman in her apartment. She had been dead for a few days. There was a cut on her scalp, blood on the floor and radiator, and a few light marks near her neck. The death appeared to be a heart attack.
The woman was the mother of Vice-Questore Guiseppe Patta’s son’s former veterinarian and Patta wanted to know what happened. Fast.
His first priority is learning about the woman. With the help of his assistant Vianello and...more

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Nov 10, 2012 Nancy added it

Though there are some signs of a struggle, the medical examiner rules that a widow died of a heart attack. Brunetti can't shake the feeling that something or someone may have triggered her heart attack. With the help of Inspector Vianello and the ever-resourceful Signorina Elettra, perhaps Brunetti can get to the truth and find some measure of justice.

Brunetti finds that the widow volunteered at an old age home. There she met a woman who told her that she and her man friend witnessed the will of...more

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Aug 19, 2012 Jack rated it 3 of 5 stars

An adequate but not great detective story. This is a recent story about Leon's recurring character, Guido Brunetti, a detective in Venice, Italy. I liked Brunetti, refreshingly he is a detective without a flawed personal life.

The story is unusual for the detective genre. A woman is dead, but it isn't clear if it is murder or a natural death. One of the problems with the story for me is that the question is never resolved, at the end we don't really know how the woman died.

Along the way there are...more

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Jul 26, 2012 Judy rated it 3 of 5 stars

This is the 20th book in this series and only the second one that I have read. I read #18 and this one. I have a feeling that to do justice to the series that I should start at the beginning and read them in order so that the characters and the relationships can unfold and mature. But until then--Venetian Commissario Guido Brunetti is called to the apartment of a woman in her 60s who is found dead by her neighbor. Although the autopsy reveals that she died of a heart attack, Brunetti thinks that...more

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Jul 14, 2012 Cameling rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: mystery

When an elderly woman is found dead in her apartment, with no sign of an intruder, and the coroner reports her death as the result of a heart attack, there should not have been any inquiry into her death. However, since Commissario Brunetti was called out to the scene of the crime, he experienced a sense of disquiet over her death. More so when he speaks with the coroner and is informed that there were some faint bruises on the woman's shoulder, which could have been caused by a person's grippin...more

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Apr 02, 2012 Ms.pegasus rated it 5 of 5 stars Recommends it for: anyone who loves mysteries

Shelves: mystery, fiction

DRAWING CONCLUSIONS is one of Donna Leon's best. The Italy she portrays is one of regional differences – in particular southern Italy contrasted to Venice. To the casual reader, Sicily is automatically associated with the mafia. To Commissario Brunetti, it suggests a society that nurtures caution and circumspect response to police questioning. The ambiguity the answers to an interrogation are not so much intended as obstruction as a subtle guide.

The novel is peopled with interesting female char...more DRAWING CONCLUSIONS is one of Donna Leon's best. The Italy she portrays is one of regional differences – in particular southern Italy contrasted to Venice. To the casual reader, Sicily is automatically associated with the mafia. To Commissario Brunetti, it suggests a society that nurtures caution and circumspect response to police questioning. The ambiguity the answers to an interrogation are not so much intended as obstruction as a subtle guide.

The novel is peopled with interesting female characters. First, there is Paola, Brunetti's wife. Since we see her through the Commissario's eyes, her quick wit and loquacious observations are a perfect foil to the reticent Brunetti whose verbal activity is more mental than spoken. The second female is Signorina Elettra Zorgi, a secretary in name only. She has a gift for teasing out secrets that would make a journalist envious. The fact that she can hack into any computer with ease is a reflection of the government's ineptitude more than her own flexible attitude toward legality. Brunetti is the grateful recipient of her findings, even as he rationalizes to himself their dubious source. Finally, we meet Madre Rosa, mother superior at the nursing home where the victim was a volunteer, voicing some startling opinions about the wisdom of honesty -- a scrap of oblique information released only after a prolonged interview with Brunetti. That this book is both a mystery and a succession of character studies will come as no surprise to followers of this series.

Subtle humor is here as well. One of the opening scenes finds Brunetti trapped at a restaurant at a supposed working dinner with his superiors, Vice Questore Patta and Lieutenant Scarpa. Brunetti is writhing in agony at this social engagement and relieved to receive a call summoning him to the crime scene. “Trouble Commissario? [Patta] asked in a tone that made Brunetti aware of how different curiosity was from interest.” This is only one of the many pointed observations that instantly cross Brunetti's mind, even as he maintains a deceptively placid mien of dutiful politeness.

This is the 20th book of the series, and the writing is as fresh and thought-provoking as the first in the series.
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Nov 15, 2011 David Harry rated it 5 of 5 stars Recommends it for: Anyone who loves mysteries

Shelves: mystery

I love Venice and one of the reasons I loved Donna Leon’s latest book, Drawing Conclusions, is because it is set in Venice. The famous Commissario Guido Brunetti return again to investigate the apparent heart attack of an older woman.

The other reason I loved Leon's novel is because it perfectly captures the imperfections of the human condition. These human imperfections are as apparent as the crumbling imperfections of the once great city.

Commissario Brunetti probes what, to the professionals...more

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May 11, 2011 Lynn Harnett rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: mystery-foreign-setting

As he has been praying for the end of the world to release him from an interminable dinner with his superior, Vice Questore Patta, and his nemesis Lt. Scarpa, Commissario Guido Brunetti of the Venetian police is not entirely sorry to be called away to a possible crime scene.

The dead woman is Costanza Altavilla, a retired schoolteacher, a widow, who volunteered in a Catholic-run nursing home. There’s a wound to her head, but a heart attack was the cause of death. The blow to the head could have b...more As he has been praying for the end of the world to release him from an interminable dinner with his superior, Vice Questore Patta, and his nemesis Lt. Scarpa, Commissario Guido Brunetti of the Venetian police is not entirely sorry to be called away to a possible crime scene.

The dead woman is Costanza Altavilla, a retired schoolteacher, a widow, who volunteered in a Catholic-run nursing home. There’s a wound to her head, but a heart attack was the cause of death. The blow to the head could have been caused from hitting her head on the radiator as she fell after heart failure.

However, some bruising marks on her collarbone give Brunetti pause. And her son, a veterinarian, seems a little jittery. Then there’s the Spartan guest room, furnished with sample toiletries and with new utilitarian clothing in various sizes in the drawers.

The nursing home’s Mother Superior, a southerner with a somewhat hardened view of the police, tells them Altavilla had “a terrible honesty,” believing “that one should always tell the truth, whatever the cost.”

“ ‘Do you think that’s an error?’ Brunetti asked with real curiosity.

“ ‘No, gentlemen,’ she said….’It’s a luxury.’ “

As Brunetti pursues the oddities of the case he reflects on Venetians’ views of the less fortunate among them and forms an evolving picture of Altivilla and her death.

Not that he does it all on his own. Patta’s secretary, the inestimable Signorina Elettra performs her usual wizardry with the computer, prompting Brunetti to wonder how far into illegality he will actually go in pursuit of criminals. And Brunetti’s assistant, Inspector Vianello, emerges with a bit more sparkle.

Leon’s fans will be pleased to hear that this 20th character-driven novel is as crisp, humorous and literate as its predecessors, with delightful glimpses of Brunetti’s home life and dining table, his favorite reading (Tacitus) and his wife’s (Henry James), and their views on Venetian politics, journalism and corruption.

Brunetti does much of his musing as he walks the city, never tiring of its views, architecture and idiosyncrasies. Inside-cover maps allow the reader to keep pace. A delightful experience, all round.
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May 04, 2011 LJ rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: arc, contemporary_post_1945, italy, female_author, mystery, police_procedural

First Sentence: Because she had worked for decades as a translator of fiction and non-fiction from English and German to Italian, Anna Maria Giusti was familiar with a wide range of subjects.

When a woman finds the body of her neighbor, Comm. Guido Brunetti is called to the scene. The medical examiner pronounces the cause of death to be a heart attack, but Brunetti has questions created by the blood from a wound on the victim’s head and a bruise near her throat. A search for the truth leads Guido...more First Sentence: Because she had worked for decades as a translator of fiction and non-fiction from English and German to Italian, Anna Maria Giusti was familiar with a wide range of subjects.

When a woman finds the body of her neighbor, Comm. Guido Brunetti is called to the scene. The medical examiner pronounces the cause of death to be a heart attack, but Brunetti has questions created by the blood from a wound on the victim’s head and a bruise near her throat. A search for the truth leads Guido to a home for the elderly, but it takes the assistance of Insp. Vianello and the talented Signorina Electtra to learn the truth surrounding the victim’s life and death.

There are many reasons to love Ms. Leon’s books. From the very first page, you are drawn into the story with no desire to leave it until the final line.

Leon creates such a definitive sense of place you feel you are by Brunetti’s side. The love both the author, and thus the character, have for Venice is apparent yet not idealized. They are aware of the flaws and decay which surrounds them, while realizing the irony of the city’s physical decay adding to its perceived charm. Her description of meals always leaves me hungry.

Brunetti’s relationship with Paola creates a solid core to both Brunitti’s character and the story. The dialogues between them bespeak a long marriage between two people who love, respect and understand one another as often exemplified by the humor in their conversations. One characteristic which makes Brunetti such a good policeman is that he accepts the possibility of “less tangible phenomenon.” In this case, it is feeling the “traces of a troubled death” in the victim’s apartment that causes him to investigate further in spite of the examiner declaring the cause to be a natural death. Including such details as Brunetti’s view of faith adds to our understanding of the character.

The somewhat enigmatic Signorina Elettra Zorzi is brilliant and clever and someone from whom no information is safe. You also feel she would be a dangerous person to annoy as her revenge would be subtle yet effective. Leon does not slight the supporting characters either. Even the most minor player is fully developed and memorable.

Even the strongest opening, the most evocative sense of place, and the most natural dialogue can’t support a book without a compelling plot. No worries here. There are interesting observations on the differences between Italians from the North and South as well as a fascinating insight of battered women and the private system of safe houses to protect them. There are intriguing ethical and legal questions to make you think. And there are truths; some simple, but truths nonetheless, about that which is really important and the lengths to which one will go to protect it.

If you’re looking for car chases and fist fights; look elsewhere. “Drawing Conclusions” is a wonderfully written book that will stay with you after closing the cover.

DRAWING CONCLUSIONS (Pol Proc-Comm. Guido Brunetti-Italy-Cont) – Ex
Leon, Donna – 20th in series
Atlantic Monthly Press, ©2011, ARC – Hardcover ISBN: 9780802119797
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Apr 22, 2011 Beth rated it 5 of 5 stars

Guido Brunetti is having dinner with Vice-Questore Patta and Lieutenant Scarpa, forced into this social occasion ostensibly to discuss promotions. Guido is praying for the end of the world or, at least, some violent distraction by armed intruders so that he could grab a gun and rid himself of the two men. Brunetti is not a a violent man but dealing with these men at the Questura is one thing, dealing with them on his own time is something else again.

When his cell phone rings, Brunetti thinks it...more

Guido Brunetti is having dinner with Vice-Questore Patta and Lieutenant Scarpa, forced into this social occasion ostensibly to discuss promotions. Guido is praying for the end of the world or, at least, some violent distraction by armed intruders so that he could grab a gun and rid himself of the two men. Brunetti is not a a violent man but dealing with these men at the Questura is one thing, dealing with them on his own time is something else again.

When his cell phone rings, Brunetti thinks it might be his wife, calling him in order to offer him a pretext for leaving. Instead, it is a real call is from the Questura. A woman has been found dead in her apartment, within walking distance of the restaurant. Neither Patta nor Scarpa would ever answer such a call, so Guido is free to leave and do his job as required. He arrives to learn that Anna Maria Giusti, returning from a few days in Sicily, had gone to her neighbor’s apartment to collect her mail. Signora Altavilla, a retired teacher in her sixties, is dead. There is some blood near her head but there are no signs of overt violence.

Brunetti has been doing his job for a long time but he has not become jaded. “A short time later, the men emerged with a stretcher, the form on it covered by a dark blue blanket. Brunetti was glad to see that the blanket was clean and freshly ironed, though he knew it made no difference.” Doctor Rizzardi, the pathologist, refuses to give Brunetti any opinion on the cause and manner of death but Guido “has a feeling” that something other than natural causes is at play. Inspecting her apartment, the police discover packages of unopened women’s underwear in a variety of sizes and individually wrapped toiletries The quiet schoolteacher opened her home as a safe haven for battered women. Men who attack the women they know would not be likely to have qualms about attacking a woman they didn’t know.

As the police continue learning about the dead woman, they discover another aspect of her life, another example of her altruism. She was a frequent visitor to a home for the aged, a willing listener to the stories told by people in their latest years. The director describes Signora Altavilla as a “confessor”, hearing things that people would never tell members of their families. “Madre Rosa referred to her terrible honesty….”. The confessor believed that absolution required restitution of goods and of reputations. Perhaps someone was afraid of the knowledge she had for even old stories can be dangerous.

In this book, there is one crime but two strands that lead to it. Leon again wraps the story around societal problems. Signora Altavilla was poking at the people who live in the shadows, those who abuse women and those who take advantage of the elderly. Brunetti is the heart of the story as he is in all the books in the series. He has not lost his humanity and he does not close his eyes to the difficulties imposed by following the letter of the law. His partnership with Signorina Elettra, the force behind the Venice police, has always led to criminal behavior. She steals information and he aids and abets her by using what she finds. Together, they work for the people of their city in ways best not investigated. Their’s is a business relationship, evolving over the years as they deal with the bureaucrats responsible for serving the best justice money can buy.

Leon seasons the story with moments that reflect Brunetti’s compassion, principles, and love of the ordinary things in life. As the family gathers for dinner, “It simply filled Brunetti’s heart to have them there and to be able to see and hear them, knowing they were safe and warm and well-fed.” He wants nothing less for the people who come into his professional life, whether old or young, wealthy or not. He is from the working class and married into the ruling class. He knows that despite their differences, he and his father-in-law are kindred spirits when it comes to family. The battered women have no family to whom they can turn. The elderly have their welfare in the hands of strangers. Guido wants to protect them as he protects his own children.

When one of the strands leads back to events fifty years before, Brunetti has to look at a basic truth from which choices are made. “…even the worst of men wanted to be perceived as better than they were.” History is always being re-written by those who abandoned conscience for cash and convenience. As Brunetti discusses bad choices made in order to bring about a positive result, he thinks of Henry of Navarre. In 1589, when the French Protestant was the last man standing in the line for the throne of France, he had to return to the Catholic Church in order to be crowned king. Henry, eager to be Henry IV, said “Paris is worth a Mass.” For Guido life in twenty-first century Italy is about the end justifying the means.

Donna Leon fills every page with details that can be spoilers. As with all the Brunetti books, DRAWING CONCLUSIONS moves very quickly. Leon is another author whose books beg to be read at one sitting. She does not provide pat endings but she provides endings that are true to her character. Brunetti is a rock. He may be worn by storms but they never change the essence of the decent man that he is.(less)

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Apr 13, 2011 Ricki Nordmeyer rated it 4 of 5 stars

Few mystery series get to the 20th title, but Donna Leon’s “Commissario Brunetti “ novels have reached that point with Drawing Conclusions. And Amen to that! Scores of readers of this series consider each new volume as comfort candy and devour them happily. The plus is that Leon has created a rich world of contemporary Venice with a protagonist who is not only a thinking, but more to the point, a feeling investigator. Guido Brunetti loves his city, his wife and his work. This time an elderly ret...more

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Mar 13, 2011 Biblio Files rated it 4 of 5 stars

After the disappointing A Question of Belief and About Face, I had resolved to quit reading Donna Leon's new books and go back to her excellent first mysteries. The way she combined social issues with fast-paced detective work in the early books was irresistible. My favorite was her first -- Death at La Fenice.

Then her books started to emphasize the social issues more than the mysteries until in the last few books the murders seemed to take a back seat. I stopped reading about halfway through A...more

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May 06, 2013 Shari rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

As usual with Leon, Venice takes centerstage. The rhythm of life in the serene city is adapted to foot traffic, as well as the taxi service being via canal. It never seems to take Guido Brunetti long to get anywhere on foot--15 minutes, 10 minutes--or he takes long walks around his floating city just to clear his mind, to see the light on the water, the rooftops and domes. He goes home for lunch, enjoys his meals, complete with wines, enjoys his family, is puzzled by his children, enamored with...more

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Nov 16, 2011 Josh Mcdonald rated it 4 of 5 stars

For some time now my wife has been prodding me to read Donna Leon's "Commissario Brunetti" series, and I started with this one mostly because it was on hand when I needed something new to read. She tells me it's not the best of the series, so I'll be sure to read more before making any definitive judgements.

This book doesn't resolve itself the way one expects from a typical mystery-story. It's not a bad resolution, and it is satisfying in a literary way, but it does leave the central mystery som...more

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Jun 19, 2011 Dale rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: fiction, mystery, italy

Drawing Conclusions is the 20th in the Brunetti series. Though I enjoyed the book, it seemed that it was not really up to the generally high standard of the series. The characters seemed a bit wooden, like puppets rather than fully formed characters. It is as if the author is getting tired of her characters and simply going through the motions. Don't get me wrong: if this book were written by another author I would rate it highly and recommend it. But it's just not up to Donna Leon's standards.

O...more

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Apr 07, 2011 Teri Kelly rated it 3 of 5 stars

From what I can ascertain, having not read Donna Leon or her Commissario Brunetti novels previously, this is the twentieth instalment of the criminal detection capabilities of said Commissario. Having said that, it would then come as no surprise (and especially not to Brunetti devotees) that Leon’s Venice and her detective are sufficiently enough drawn and developed to afford her writing an authenticity sometimes lacking in fictional crime. Leon obviously knows her man and his locale intimately,...more

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Nov 07, 2011 Jon rated it 4 of 5 stars

If you're looking for car chases, explosions, high drama, and tense confrontations, look someplace else. This book is adagio from the first page to the last, and the highest tension arises from wondering when Brunetti's boss will realize that he isn't putting in any productive work. But for those who love Brunetti, Paola, Vianello, Signorina Elettra and Leon's evocative descriptions of Venice and its way of life, this is one of the better books in a long time. Like some other Goodreads reviewers...more

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May 10, 2011 Lynne-marie rated it 4 of 5 stars

Commissario Guido Brunetti's Venice is full of the details that make some of our most honored novelists their best: the family daily drama or lack of it, the map of Venice "imprinted in Brunetti's genes" that automatically tells him the shortest way to get anywhere, the details of each meal, the drop into dialect and it's translation. On top of that, there is the philosophical Brunetti who reads Tacitus and worries if an incident is a crime or not and follows it up until he's certain, passing no...more

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Jul 29, 2011 Rdonn rated it 4 of 5 stars

I like Donna Leon's Commissario Guido Brunetti mysteries. They portray Venice in its everyday life, not the tourist one. The characters are interesting and I think well developed. When offered a mystery on my Kindle for a dollar, chose this without any problem. There are a lot of good mystery writers out there I don't know, but I was pleased I chose this. There is compassion in her books. I find it amazing that she is an American, who did teach for DODDS (as I did), at least I've been told she d...more

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Mar 04, 2011 Kae Cheatham rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: mystery

I was given the chance to read the ARC of this mystery, due out in April 2011. It is the 20th Commissario Guido Brunetti novel, the first published in 1992. As an overall tag for what the book is about, I would say it's a story of possible crimes.

Guido Brunetti is an interesting, thoughtful person; highly observant, very little escapes his notice, from the color of grass, to faint bruises along the neck of a dead woman, Signora Altavilla. Along with the bruises, he considers the placement of fur...more I was given the chance to read the ARC of this mystery, due out in April 2011. It is the 20th Commissario Guido Brunetti novel, the first published in 1992. As an overall tag for what the book is about, I would say it's a story of possible crimes.

Guido Brunetti is an interesting, thoughtful person; highly observant, very little escapes his notice, from the color of grass, to faint bruises along the neck of a dead woman, Signora Altavilla. Along with the bruises, he considers the placement of furniture in the woman's apartment as peculiar. These are two of the elements that set him on an examination of Altavilla's life and habits. Coroner Rizzardi states the woman's death was from a heart attack and she was known for heart problems. Brunetti wonders if the heart failure could have been precipitated by an act of violence against her.

He pursues the possibility, aided by his assistant, Inspector Vianello, and by Signorina Elletra, the secretary of his immediate supervisor, who is adept at finding all kinds of info. These characters are ongoing in the series, but I had no trouble picturing them and understanding the relationships Brunetti had with them. The same is true with his wife, Paola, and their two teenage children. I enjoyed the family scenes and the loving sparring between them.

I did find Giuseppe Patta, Brunetti's immediate supervisor, is a bit of a cliché--more interested in appearances than crime solving. But Signorina Elettra's personality is so smartly drawn, I think I could recognize her on a street.

Brunetti's wonderment if a crime had been committed against Signora Altavilla is the focus of the book; his quest for information turns up other elements that are also possible crimes—events dealing with the an estate and a will; a game of swindle among charity cases. Brunetti pondered them all as he tried to decide what really happened to Altavilla.

As he does this, he is still ever observant to his surroundings; descriptions of the Venetian cityscape are nicely presented, and (I haven't been to Venice) I assume they are accurate since Donna Leon has lived in Italy for more than 25 years.

I am, however, dissatisfied with ending; I kept checking to see if there was more and still wonder if the e-galley I rec'd was missing a chapter. Although Brunetti seemed satisfied with what he learned, other possibilities remained as to what happened to Signora Altavilla. Her "guest," who left suddenly, hadn't been ruled out (it was a didn't-seem-to-fit phone call cast suspicion here); I even have unanswered questions about her son. And then there are the missing pictures...

I also wonder why so much information is given in Chapter 1 about Signorina Guisti, who found Altavilla's body. Do we really need to know about her breakup with a guy and what his family was like? I kept waiting for something about that to resurface later in the story; but actually, the signorina is mentioned only a few times after chapter 6.

The intricacies of the government agencies and public services was at times funny and interesting. In all, I enjoyed the book, Well crafted with interesting characters.
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Nov 30, 2012 Sheila rated it 4 of 5 stars

When I first saw the title, I thought Oh no! she's finishing off Commissario Brunetti! However the conclusions are not so final for him at least. I am always much taken by the motivations of the Italian (or Venetian) characters - and it's always clear that Italy is a collection of states that often regard each other's citizens with contempt or suspicion. Commissario Brunetti sails through as usual. An old couple with very little income live in a palatial apartment. A woman gives shelter to women...more

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May 16, 2011 Lynne Perednia rated it 4 of 5 stars

Commissario Guido Brunetti has seen many kinds of crimes in his long career, giving him a deep knowledge of human behavior which he can use to ascertain guilt or innocence. But in Drawing Conclusions, the 20th Brunetti novel by Donna Leon, the Venetian copper will be surprised by the people he meets and impressed by his colleagues.

The story begins with translator Anna Maria Giusti arriving home early from a weekend with her boyfriend and his closed family. She discovers the body of a neighbor. S...more Commissario Guido Brunetti has seen many kinds of crimes in his long career, giving him a deep knowledge of human behavior which he can use to ascertain guilt or innocence. But in Drawing Conclusions, the 20th Brunetti novel by Donna Leon, the Venetian copper will be surprised by the people he meets and impressed by his colleagues.

The story begins with translator Anna Maria Giusti arriving home early from a weekend with her boyfriend and his closed family. She discovers the body of a neighbor. Signora Altavilla, a quiet, dignified older woman, died of a heart attack. But there is a bit of blood and a radiator nearby. Did she hit her head on the radiator? Or was she pushed into it? Are those bruises on her? What at first looked straightforward may be more complicated.

The victim had people stay with her -- only women. And she went to nursing homes to listen to old people talk. Her son once was a veterinarian to the son of Brunetti's craven boss, who expects a speedy resolution and a thorough investigation. Until he wants only the speedy resolution. And, of course, no press coverage.

According to the mother superior at the convent's spendy nursing home, Signora Altavilla had the fault of believing the truth should always be told. That, the old nun says, is a luxury.

The crux of Leon's story rests on what may or may not have happened, depending on one's point of view. Early on, one character tells another the story of a rhinoceros in a church during Medieval times. Did a rhino get into a church or not? Either it happened or it did not. But the story lives on regardless. As is noted: "People invent stories, and then after a time there's no telling what's true and what isn't."

Brunetti's wise wife, Paola, has ideas to contribute. At work, Signorina Elettra practically performs magic. Vested interests of the various characters can contribute to solving the puzzle of what happened when Signora Altavilla died or impede Brunetti, but only because the characters are concerned about themselves and not about the victim, who cared about other people and the truth. Leon adds one more layer to her theme: "Even the worst men wanted to be perceived as better than they were."

All the ideas, all the characters' separate paths, converge to show Brunetti that sometimes people tell the truth and other times, they should not. Sometimes those who tell the truth pay a very high place. Other times, those who keep secrets even while not lying to themselves about other things are made to suffer.

In keeping with her theme, the realizations characters make about the truth, what they have done with it and whether they made the right choice provide powerful revelations for the reader.

Much of Drawing Conclusions could be seen as insubstantial as meringue. But underneath is as deep and rich and even bittersweet a filling as the freshest lemon pie with fruit scraped a bit too close to the skin.
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Jun 03, 2011 Mackay added it

Shelves: mystery

Leon's Brunetti mysteries are always delightful, at least for me. Partly what I love about them is the Venetian setting, but what I most love is that they aren't really about the mystery--they are about people. Brunetti is a great character, and he loves his two families, his wife and two children, and his cops, even when they exasperate him. He also loves his city and can't help thinking it and its denizens superior to people from, say, Rome or anywhere "south." This book has a death, which see...more

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Jun 24, 2011 Beth666ann rated it 3 of 5 stars

A quiet entry in the Brunetti series: the crime is maybe a crime or maybe not, and Brunetti is maybe committed to it, or maybe not. Satisfying and well done, as are all of the books in this series. It is interesting that in this one, Brunetti's colleague Elettra is for the first time (I think) portrayed as aging a bit; strange to see her portrayed in more realistic terms physically. Brunetti's ethical concerns/conundrum about her computer searching are revisited. There is a subplot about having...more

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Jul 22, 2011 Ellen rated it 4 of 5 stars

After listening to four of the five George R.R. Martin books (ugh)it was time to retreat to Venice. Things go slowly and beautifully there, amid good wine, grapa, and amazing food cooked by the amazing wife of Commissario Brunetti (she's beautiful, the daughter of a count, with two teenagers and she is a professora at the university, yet she has time to come home and cook a full gourmet meal at lunch time).

The mystery here is negligible--no horrible murders, no torture, no twisted sadistic pers...more

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May 10, 2013 P.d.r. Lindsay rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: mystery-thrillers

Lovely intelligent read. Each main character has depth and reality. Venice is lovingly depicted as the setting and almost a character.

I really enjoy Donna Leon's writing and her sarky asides which slide in with the MCs thoughts.

Commissario Brunetti has to struggle to maintain justice within a corrupt system and in a corrupt Italy. He manages, crossing the line of what is legal, and using those brilliant acting skills he has developed to cope with his boss and the bureaucracy. An old lady is foun...more

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Apr 29, 2013 Gerald Sinstadt rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: crime

Hard for an admirer of Donna Leon to say, but this is a huge disappointment. The ragged structure feels as though nothing had been preplanned but rather the author were knocking out random chapters until she had enough for a novel. Meeting the Brunetti family is usually a pleasure of this series, but here they had little or no relevance to the plot.

Such plot as there is. After Signorina Elettra has made her (increasingly improbable) illegal contribution, the plot ambles towards a tediously protr...more

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May 03, 2013 Andrew rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Guido Brunetti's 20th investigation involves the unexplained death of an elderly woman in a situation which leaves the perspicacious Venetian policeman uneasy & perplexed.His persistence unravels a complex criminal conspiracy reaching back decades,which Leon relates with some sensitivity to 'anziani'...old people...& their plight in modern Venice,changed beyond their understanding.Some poignant characters are delineated, for whom Brunetti has some fellow feeling , despite their transgres...more

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Jul 27, 2011 Andrew Smith rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This is the 20th book in the crime series featuring Venice based police Commissario Guido Brunetti. If you are a devotee of this series – like me – then you’ll know that the pace and style of these books is nothing like American or British crime novels: it meanders along with the narrative focusing as much on the city and the ways and customs of its inhabitants as it does on the crime itself or its protagonists. In fact, the books (to me) are more a commentary on the way of life and, perhaps, a...more

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title link	preview: Drawing Conclusions
avg rating	preview: Drawing Conclusions Goodreads rating: 3.81 (1661 ratings)
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BBCode	[url=http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/9693927-drawing-conclusions?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_book][img]http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1328824047l/9693927.jpg[/img][/url] [url=http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/9693927-drawing-conclusions?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_book]Drawing Conclusions by Donna Leon[/url]

Drawing Conclusions (Commissario Brunetti #20)

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