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Commissario Brunetti #18
About Face
At a dinner party given by his parents-in-law, Commissario Brunetti meets Franca Marinello, the wife of a prosperous Venetian businessman. He's charmed - perhaps too charmed, suggests his wife Paola - by her love of Virgil and Cicero, but shocked by her appearance.
A few days later, Brunetti is visited by Carabinieri Maggior Filippo Guarino from the nearby city of Marghera. As part of a wider investigation into Mafia takeovers of businesses in the region, Guarino wants information about the owner of a trucking company who was found murdered in his office. He believes the man's death is connected to the illegal transportation of refuse - and more sinister material - in his company's trucks. No stranger to mutual suspicion and competition between rival Italian police departments, Brunetti is nevertheless puzzled by the younger man's behaviour.
Eventually Guarino agrees to email a photo of his suspect, but by the time the photograph arrives, he himself is dead. Was he killed because he got too close? And how is it that Franca Marinello is involved?
A few days later, Brunetti is visited by Carabinieri Maggior Filippo Guarino from the nearby city of Marghera. As part of a wider investigation into Mafia takeovers of businesses in the region, Guarino wants information about the owner of a trucking company who was found murdered in his office. He believes the man's death is connected to the illegal transportation of refuse - and more sinister material - in his company's trucks. No stranger to mutual suspicion and competition between rival Italian police departments, Brunetti is nevertheless puzzled by the younger man's behaviour.
Eventually Guarino agrees to email a photo of his suspect, but by the time the photograph arrives, he himself is dead. Was he killed because he got too close? And how is it that Franca Marinello is involved?
278 pages, Hardcover
First published April 8, 2009
1135 people are currently reading
1885 people want to read
About the author
Donna Leon
98 books2,907 followersDonna 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 from 1981 to 1999 at the american military base of Vicenza (Italy) and a writer.
Her crime novels are all situated in or near Venice. They are written in English and translated into many foreign languages, although not, by her request, into Italian. Her ninth Brunetti novel, Friends in High Places, won the Crime Writers' Association Silver Dagger in 2000.
Series:
* Commissario 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 from 1981 to 1999 at the american military base of Vicenza (Italy) and a writer.
Her crime novels are all situated in or near Venice. They are written in English and translated into many foreign languages, although not, by her request, into Italian. Her ninth Brunetti novel, Friends in High Places, won the Crime Writers' Association Silver Dagger in 2000.
Series:
* Commissario Brunetti
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 701 reviews
June 5, 2025
That there is a sense of déjà vu in About Face is immaterial, Leon’s mission is to expose the corruption behind the glorious façade of Venice and over sixteen books her protagonist, Commissario Brunetti, does just that. This detective is unique - a lover of ancient campaigns and philosophers, of good food and wine, he is a complex man who adores his native city while deploring her politicians whom he views with the same kind of contempt he holds for Rome and the Mafia.
The plot of this latest novel is simple. Garbage containing toxic waste is being off-loaded, first to Africa where governments demand payment for accepting it, then to China which will take anything, select what can be re-cycled and dump the more dangerous stuff in Tibet. The trade it too profitable to be left in the hands of the locals and the Camorra has moved north to take over - specifically a company transporting waste from a petrochemical plant near Venice. The unhappy contractor is murdered and the police have a suspect.
Brunetti is approached for his cooperation, the investigator is shot but not before he has provided a photograph of the suspect. That man turns out to be affiliated to the Camorra - he is vulgar and violent but appears to have an intimate relationship with the wife of a respectable Venetian. This woman has had so much facial surgery that she is referred to as La Super Liftata.
Always a wily man of integrity Brunetti has become more so, and often, one suspects, speaking with his creator’s voice, as does his staunchly left wing wife, Paola. And no doubt are the children, equally opinionated, and of course Signorina Elettra - that elegant and enigmatic vixen who can work miracles with computers and men. Even Brunetti treats her as the Delphic oracle where Paola treads a fine line between resentment and respect. No one can draw a character like Leon!
The plot of this latest novel is simple. Garbage containing toxic waste is being off-loaded, first to Africa where governments demand payment for accepting it, then to China which will take anything, select what can be re-cycled and dump the more dangerous stuff in Tibet. The trade it too profitable to be left in the hands of the locals and the Camorra has moved north to take over - specifically a company transporting waste from a petrochemical plant near Venice. The unhappy contractor is murdered and the police have a suspect.
Brunetti is approached for his cooperation, the investigator is shot but not before he has provided a photograph of the suspect. That man turns out to be affiliated to the Camorra - he is vulgar and violent but appears to have an intimate relationship with the wife of a respectable Venetian. This woman has had so much facial surgery that she is referred to as La Super Liftata.
Always a wily man of integrity Brunetti has become more so, and often, one suspects, speaking with his creator’s voice, as does his staunchly left wing wife, Paola. And no doubt are the children, equally opinionated, and of course Signorina Elettra - that elegant and enigmatic vixen who can work miracles with computers and men. Even Brunetti treats her as the Delphic oracle where Paola treads a fine line between resentment and respect. No one can draw a character like Leon!
November 18, 2021
In this 18th book in the 'Commissario Brunetti' series, the detective investigates two murders. The story can be read as a standalone with regard to the mystery, but readers familiar with the characters will enjoy it more.
*****
Police Commissario Guido Brunetti and his wife Paola have been invited to dine at the home of Paola's wealthy, aristocratic parents - Conte and Contessa Falier - so Guido can meet businessman Maurizio Cataldo. Cataldo wants the Count to invest in China with him and Falier - a cautious man - asks his son-in-law to check the businessman out.
At the elegant dinner, Guido is seated near Cataldo's much younger wife, Franca Marinello. Guido is struck by Franca's face, which has an oddly frozen expression. Franca's 'mouth is permanently parted in a small smile; her cheekbones swell up in knots the size of a kiwi fruit; and her nose starts higher on her forehead than is normal and is strangely flat' - all clearly the work of a plastic surgeon. Guido is intensely curious about Franca, wondering why a beautiful woman would do this to herself.
To investigate businessman Cataldo, Guido asks his boss's secretary - Signorina Elettra - to work up a file on the man. Signorina Elettra is a whiz with computers while Guido can barely log in. Nevertheless, Guido gets a yen for his own computer in this book....and we'll see if he gets one. LOL
Meanwhile, another case crops up. Maggiore Filipo Guarino of the Carabinieri (military police) asks Brunetti to help find the killer of a truck company owner named Stefano Ranzato. Ranzato had been caught cooking the books, and was pressured into becoming a police informant.
Moreover, Ranzato - who was hauling goods for the Camorra (organized crime) - had a lot to inform about. Guarino suspects the Camorra discovered Ranzato's double dealing and murdered him.
The issue central to the plot is Italy's trash problem. Naples has mountains of uncollected garbage that can't be burned because the incinerators are being used to torch trash that's trucked in from other areas. Even worse, industrial waste is being brought to Italy from other countries. These toxic substances are disposed of locally or shipped to third world nations. Apparently, garbage is a very lucrative business....and the Camorra is at the heart of it.
Before long another person connected to the Ranzato case is murdered, and Brunetti has two crimes to solve. The Commissario follows various clues and identifies a suspect who likes to gamble at the local Casinò. A couple of trips to this gaming establishment uncovers some surprising things.
In the end, the murder cases are resolved, we find out what businessman Cataldo is up to with China, and we learn about Franca Marinello's face. Not surprisingly, all these threads are connected.
Though the Brunetti books are mysteries, they always have a heavy dose of the Commissario's personal life, including his interactions with family and colleagues. In this story Bruno takes a lot of boats around Venice; has coffee and hot punch at the local café; has home-cooked meals with his family (these sound scrumptious); marvels about his wonderful children; has heart-to-heart talks with his in-laws; deals with jealous, underhanded cops; has discussions about Virgil, Cicero, Ovid, and Henry James; and so on.
Some of my favorite parts of these books are the scenes where Brunetti and Signorina Elettra slyly maneuver around their vain, blowhard boss - Vice-Questore Patta - who never saw a job he couldn't evade doing.
For me this book is just average. I enjoyed visiting with favorite characters, but the plot is too convoluted - and the ending doesn't provide total closure. It seems like 'justice' is impossible to get in Italy, since half the officials are corrupt....which is too bad. :(
Still, I'd recommend the book to fans of the series.
You can follow my reviews at https://reviewsbybarbsaffer.blogspot....
June 15, 2009
I am a big fan of Comissario Brunetti and I enjoyed reading this book but the ending was so stupid it ruined the whole thing for me. Stop reading if you don't want to know the end... The woman who was the central character was a victim of medical malpractice and had to have extensive facial reconstruction, but she would rather people think that she had had way too many facelifts than let them know about the medical issue. That is totally unbelieveable to me. Then when her husband lets slip about the malpractice, she would rather submit to blackmail and commit adultery than tell her husband he blew it. To solve her problems, she kills the blackmailer and Brunetti feels sorry for her. No way!
May 15, 2022
I needed some good beach read and this book has worked brilliantly as such. It wasn't so complicated that I wouldn't be able to follow the plot if I put the book aside for a while or something distracted me. But at the same time it is good enough that I wanted to come back to it every time. It was really good entertainment.
Perhaps the most surprising thing for me was how funny this book is. Although I remember that I had a lot of fun with the previous ones too. But the fact that I laughed so many times as I read this book really surprised me. Commissario Brunetti's conversations with his wife are really fun. I had a great time.
But of course the investigation was also interesting. Donna Leon never avoids including brutal scenes in her stories. Even if they are about the characters that we have already met. This series is not cozy mystery. The crimes are dark and brutal, often linked to organized crime. And so is this book.
Donna Leon's Venice is a city that tourists cannot see. And I mean both the picture of the ordinary everyday life of its citizens, as well as the darker side of the city - full of corruption, secret agreements and brutal crimes. And Commissario Brunetti has no illusions about a city that he loves so much. He can function pretty well in this complicated system without losing too much of his sense of justice.
This is a really good addition to this series. I definitely needed such a book at this point.
Perhaps the most surprising thing for me was how funny this book is. Although I remember that I had a lot of fun with the previous ones too. But the fact that I laughed so many times as I read this book really surprised me. Commissario Brunetti's conversations with his wife are really fun. I had a great time.
But of course the investigation was also interesting. Donna Leon never avoids including brutal scenes in her stories. Even if they are about the characters that we have already met. This series is not cozy mystery. The crimes are dark and brutal, often linked to organized crime. And so is this book.
Donna Leon's Venice is a city that tourists cannot see. And I mean both the picture of the ordinary everyday life of its citizens, as well as the darker side of the city - full of corruption, secret agreements and brutal crimes. And Commissario Brunetti has no illusions about a city that he loves so much. He can function pretty well in this complicated system without losing too much of his sense of justice.
This is a really good addition to this series. I definitely needed such a book at this point.
December 6, 2011
Anyone who follows my reviews will know that I am a fan of Donna Leon and love her characters. Emphasis on character. If you want action you will be bored. On the other hand if you enjoy character development with occasional lapses into discussion of Cicero and Ovid, not to mention Henry James, and biting commentary on the state of Italian government and the corruption of Italian society, you cannot help but love Leon’s books.
My biggest complaint with this audiobook is the reader, David Colacci. The earlier titles were all read by Anna Fields/Kate Fields who, I thought, did a magnificent job. Perhaps I just resent Colacci’s taking over for her following her 2006 tragic early death in a flash flood that overwhelmed her Seattle basement studio. She had been one of my favorite readers. Now, I like David Colacci, but when you have grown used to a particular voice who has become like an old friend, the adjustment can be jarring and perhaps that explains why I didn’t seem to like About Face as much as some of the earlier books. A stupid reason, I know, but, there it is. Since I fully intend to listen/read the several remaining books in the series (I see there is another due to be released soon - The Jewels of Paradise) I’m just going to have to adjust.
All of her books that I have read reveal the underbelly of Italian (Venetian especially) society and Guido must usually walk a tightrope over the incompetent and corruption that surrounds him and the city I will always hear her voice as Commissario Brunetti.
There is a wonderful scene in the beginning of About Face where Paolo and Brunetti have been invited over to the Count’s (I’ll assume you have read other Leon titles so no explanations will be needed of the characters,) and Guido is faced with an evening he hates: small talk. But to his surprise, the beautiful woman across the table has read Virgil and Cicero and Brunetti indulges his love of books. On the way home, Paola accuses him of being too attentive to the woman: Paola stopped and looked him in the eye. Instead of answering, she asked, coolly, 'And what, pray tell, was that all about?' 'I beg your pardon,' Brunetti answered, stalling. 'You beg my pardon because you don't understand my question, or you beg my pardon because you spent the evening talking to Franca Marinello and ignoring everyone else?' The vehemence of her question surprised Brunetti into bleating out, 'But she reads Cicero.' 'Cicero?' asked an equally astonished Paola. 'On Government, and the letters, and the accusation against Verres. Even the poetry,' he said. Suddenly struck by the cold, Brunetti took her arm and started up the bridge, but her steps lagged and slowed him to a halt at the top. Paola moved back to get perspective on his face, but kept hold of his hand. 'You realize, I hope, that you are married to the only woman in this city who would find that an entirely satisfactory explanation?'
I was struck by one metaphor and comment. Brunetti is musing about how the Mafia has become so interwoven in Italian society with support of the Allies after WW II who were totally paranoid about the Italian Communists. (This had me rushing to the web, but it appears to have a factual basis although I remain skeptical.) Brunetti then likens the Mafia to the poisonous cane toad, a noxious little creature that can't be killed by stabbing or other means and only crows have become their natural enemy by flipping them over and pecking out the entrails. Lovely image but, Brunetti surmises, the only way to eliminate the Mafia.
That scene encapsulates the Leon series and why they are so wonderful.
Ref: http://www.bunker8.pwp.blueyonder.co....
My biggest complaint with this audiobook is the reader, David Colacci. The earlier titles were all read by Anna Fields/Kate Fields who, I thought, did a magnificent job. Perhaps I just resent Colacci’s taking over for her following her 2006 tragic early death in a flash flood that overwhelmed her Seattle basement studio. She had been one of my favorite readers. Now, I like David Colacci, but when you have grown used to a particular voice who has become like an old friend, the adjustment can be jarring and perhaps that explains why I didn’t seem to like About Face as much as some of the earlier books. A stupid reason, I know, but, there it is. Since I fully intend to listen/read the several remaining books in the series (I see there is another due to be released soon - The Jewels of Paradise) I’m just going to have to adjust.
All of her books that I have read reveal the underbelly of Italian (Venetian especially) society and Guido must usually walk a tightrope over the incompetent and corruption that surrounds him and the city I will always hear her voice as Commissario Brunetti.
There is a wonderful scene in the beginning of About Face where Paolo and Brunetti have been invited over to the Count’s (I’ll assume you have read other Leon titles so no explanations will be needed of the characters,) and Guido is faced with an evening he hates: small talk. But to his surprise, the beautiful woman across the table has read Virgil and Cicero and Brunetti indulges his love of books. On the way home, Paola accuses him of being too attentive to the woman: Paola stopped and looked him in the eye. Instead of answering, she asked, coolly, 'And what, pray tell, was that all about?' 'I beg your pardon,' Brunetti answered, stalling. 'You beg my pardon because you don't understand my question, or you beg my pardon because you spent the evening talking to Franca Marinello and ignoring everyone else?' The vehemence of her question surprised Brunetti into bleating out, 'But she reads Cicero.' 'Cicero?' asked an equally astonished Paola. 'On Government, and the letters, and the accusation against Verres. Even the poetry,' he said. Suddenly struck by the cold, Brunetti took her arm and started up the bridge, but her steps lagged and slowed him to a halt at the top. Paola moved back to get perspective on his face, but kept hold of his hand. 'You realize, I hope, that you are married to the only woman in this city who would find that an entirely satisfactory explanation?'
I was struck by one metaphor and comment. Brunetti is musing about how the Mafia has become so interwoven in Italian society with support of the Allies after WW II who were totally paranoid about the Italian Communists. (This had me rushing to the web, but it appears to have a factual basis although I remain skeptical.) Brunetti then likens the Mafia to the poisonous cane toad, a noxious little creature that can't be killed by stabbing or other means and only crows have become their natural enemy by flipping them over and pecking out the entrails. Lovely image but, Brunetti surmises, the only way to eliminate the Mafia.
That scene encapsulates the Leon series and why they are so wonderful.
Ref: http://www.bunker8.pwp.blueyonder.co....
September 30, 2024
A carabinieri from another jurisdiction visits Venice. He wants some help with perhaps identifying a murder suspect who investigation has discovered makes contact from Venice. That murder involves trucking of garbage, and probably not actual garbage, but hazardous materials. I know I'm not up on the ins and outs of crime, but I continued to be perplexed on how organized crime could make money collecting industrial waste. Let's just say I went with it.
The series always includes some Brunetti family activity. It seems this one had a bit more - or maybe it was just that I liked it more. Paola, Brunetti's wife, is the only daughter and sole heir to the extremely wealthy Conte Falier. They are invited to dinner with others, including a man who is asking Conte Falier to invest in his company. Brunetti is seated near the wife and he and Marinella discuss books. Cicero, to be exact. I love that Guido and Paola both are readers. In one scene Paola is happily reading Henry James while waiting for Guido to conduct some business.
But the best of these family scenes takes place after Venice experiences an overnight snowfall. Guido rises early - even while it is still dark - to see how much has fallen. He looks out first one window and then another while he supposes his wife continues to sleep. Is the snow wet or dry? He must open the terrace door to find out and puts his hand down in the snow. It is dry!
The series always includes some Brunetti family activity. It seems this one had a bit more - or maybe it was just that I liked it more. Paola, Brunetti's wife, is the only daughter and sole heir to the extremely wealthy Conte Falier. They are invited to dinner with others, including a man who is asking Conte Falier to invest in his company. Brunetti is seated near the wife and he and Marinella discuss books. Cicero, to be exact. I love that Guido and Paola both are readers. In one scene Paola is happily reading Henry James while waiting for Guido to conduct some business.
But the best of these family scenes takes place after Venice experiences an overnight snowfall. Guido rises early - even while it is still dark - to see how much has fallen. He looks out first one window and then another while he supposes his wife continues to sleep. Is the snow wet or dry? He must open the terrace door to find out and puts his hand down in the snow. It is dry!
He closed the door and came back to sit on the bed.Some of this mystery is darker than others in the series. These lighter interludes were wonderful. Because I like this series so much, I have a hard time knowing which are my favorites and which are more "meh". This one, I think is a favorite and I'm giving it a strong 4-stars.
‘It snowed,’ he said. He raised the hand that had left the print in the snow and moved it closer to her shoulder. Though her head was turned away from him and mostly covered by a pillow, he had no trouble hearing her say, ‘If you put that hand anywhere near me, I will divorce you and take the children.’
September 8, 2025
Donna Leon surprised me with this one. Her main man, Guido Brunetti, is a humanist but he is also a Commissario in the police force. He doesn't ordinarily stray far from the law, imperfect though he may find it.
This case is full of his weaknesses and doubts. He and his team uncover environmental damages perhaps unwittingly perpetuated by a company known to his powerful father-in-law. He has to weigh that as part of his need to place blame and assign knowledge of the damages. Part of his calculation must also include a beautiful woman who herself has been damaged as the result of a crime.
He, for the first time I recall, does something I consider personal justice. That is, he takes into account the law but also takes into account the rightness of the law in this case. He acts as judge.
This case is full of his weaknesses and doubts. He and his team uncover environmental damages perhaps unwittingly perpetuated by a company known to his powerful father-in-law. He has to weigh that as part of his need to place blame and assign knowledge of the damages. Part of his calculation must also include a beautiful woman who herself has been damaged as the result of a crime.
He, for the first time I recall, does something I consider personal justice. That is, he takes into account the law but also takes into account the rightness of the law in this case. He acts as judge.
September 5, 2009
I love Leon's characters--Venitian Police Commissioner Guido Brunetti, his colleagues, and his family. These relationships are well developed, believable, and crafted with humor and love. I was tired of her American bashing in previous book and happy that this quirk of the American-born ex-pat Leon was absent from this latest instalment. However, there does seem to be a pattern of developing one mystery quite thoroughly but then not resolving it. A secondary, or offshoot, mystery is usually resolved. Upon finishing this book, I remembered back to others that had left too many questions unanswered at the end of the book. I will continue to follow this series for the wonderful descriptions of Venice, Italian politics, and, as stated, the character development. Another down-side to her books is that the descriptions of the Italian cuisine drives me to the kitchen for a big pasta fix.
March 18, 2024
I always enjoy being back in Venice with Brunetti. I like knowing the characters in the story. But the story line was improbable.
September 22, 2012
Yet another great book by Donna Leon featuring the wonderful Commissario Brunetti. Leon is the queen when it comes to writing a crime book where the actual crime is such a small part of the story...vital...but not the beginning and end point. She writes about what it is to be human, to be compassionate. She writes about Venice in a way that makes me want to be there. Brunetti is such a strong and well developed character...I expect to meet him any now.
August 10, 2020
Although the book begins with a social outing at the in-laws in which Brunetti's seating across from a disfigured woman gives him an enjoyable evening discussing classic literature. A carabinieri officer's death brings Brunetti and a new lady officer in to investigate. By the time they arrive at the scene, a cover-up is already underway. Brunetti learns the death may be tied to another death which was in another jurisdiction. His father-in-law asks him to investigate a man who proposed a joint business deal in China. As usual, the mystery contains an environmental theme--toxic waste this time. I enjoyed listening to the book narrated by Colacci. (3.5 stars)
June 18, 2016
Oh, some of the Brunetti relationships (familial and otherwise) do grab some depth in this one. Especially between Guido and his father-in-law, the Conte. And he also has a new equal in rank colleague Griffoni at work. She sounds like she physically fits into a Swedish modeling job gig more than into the police bureau. But no, she's apt!
I wanted to give it a 4 star but I just could not. 3.5 it is, at least. But Paola's remarks, especially upon the readings discussed and also the politico assumptions she pontificates! There is hubris, arrogance, pretentious attitude so embedded. Yet in her studious self-identity she never detects a whiff of the real irony within her own self-cognition. She and the "face" character both in their literate asides. They just topped over the edge of my arrogance coupled with intellectual hubris tolerance bar in this one. Particularly Paola. At least the other in ruined condition has to show that there's more to herself than jut her face. Still, giving a literature interpretation when being charged and interviewed for a murder you just committed before witnesses? Snob tendencies in nearly every issue of judgments, yes we know about Paola. Here we have it in duo. And when it also crosses into the consumption and use evaluations? But especially Paola, rich from her first breath and the only offspring heir with nary a material want in choices. In each additional book Leon seems to be making this aspect of her (Paola's) outlook more developed than the last.
The corruption and the governmental disconnect to the garbage problem is just another link in the fence that Leon puts up in that specific Italian category too, for this series.
Because this one was about garbage and the mob. Camorra in one of the businesses they know so well. And also in a retribution for a medical hacking gone wrong that gets twisted into the players' revenge pay-offs.
But just like any other Brunetti, this is all character driven and the case or action toward plot progression is secondary. So if you love action novels, you will find this slow or boring.
The Conte is more interesting and far sharper than I had supposed and he raised it almost a whole star in this one. He didn't get that rich by being thick or inert for changing trade, either.
Not enough Elettra or the Brunetti kids in this book. Scarpa, Patta and their hierarchy plays for work related duties and fall-outs almost made up for it though.
Venice, of course, and this time in winter and with one snowfall- is a whole star.
It didn't surprise me that Brunetti was not the one who got polluted/hurt by chemicals in the tank reserves. Nor that he didn't by any minor fraction outside of losing a handkerchief or his drink, mess up and/or stain his clothing.
Leon has certainly made this people seem essentially real. But here in this particular case I could not round it up. Primarily after all was completed it was because the explanation for her crime and involvement with this Camorra linked predator was not believable.
I wanted to give it a 4 star but I just could not. 3.5 it is, at least. But Paola's remarks, especially upon the readings discussed and also the politico assumptions she pontificates! There is hubris, arrogance, pretentious attitude so embedded. Yet in her studious self-identity she never detects a whiff of the real irony within her own self-cognition. She and the "face" character both in their literate asides. They just topped over the edge of my arrogance coupled with intellectual hubris tolerance bar in this one. Particularly Paola. At least the other in ruined condition has to show that there's more to herself than jut her face. Still, giving a literature interpretation when being charged and interviewed for a murder you just committed before witnesses? Snob tendencies in nearly every issue of judgments, yes we know about Paola. Here we have it in duo. And when it also crosses into the consumption and use evaluations? But especially Paola, rich from her first breath and the only offspring heir with nary a material want in choices. In each additional book Leon seems to be making this aspect of her (Paola's) outlook more developed than the last.
The corruption and the governmental disconnect to the garbage problem is just another link in the fence that Leon puts up in that specific Italian category too, for this series.
Because this one was about garbage and the mob. Camorra in one of the businesses they know so well. And also in a retribution for a medical hacking gone wrong that gets twisted into the players' revenge pay-offs.
But just like any other Brunetti, this is all character driven and the case or action toward plot progression is secondary. So if you love action novels, you will find this slow or boring.
The Conte is more interesting and far sharper than I had supposed and he raised it almost a whole star in this one. He didn't get that rich by being thick or inert for changing trade, either.
Not enough Elettra or the Brunetti kids in this book. Scarpa, Patta and their hierarchy plays for work related duties and fall-outs almost made up for it though.
Venice, of course, and this time in winter and with one snowfall- is a whole star.
It didn't surprise me that Brunetti was not the one who got polluted/hurt by chemicals in the tank reserves. Nor that he didn't by any minor fraction outside of losing a handkerchief or his drink, mess up and/or stain his clothing.
Leon has certainly made this people seem essentially real. But here in this particular case I could not round it up. Primarily after all was completed it was because the explanation for her crime and involvement with this Camorra linked predator was not believable.
June 6, 2009
My faith in Donna Leon is restored, after what was for me the disaster of "The Girl of his Dreams." All the regular characters are here, with the addition of a new one--the fascinating Commissaria (same rank as Brunetti) Claudia Griffoni. She is beautiful, a bit mysterious, and Brunetti is as smitten as anybody married to Paola could be. She looks to become a regular. I hope so. The mystery is a good one and is solved. Justice is done, although not in a way that would appeal to American jurisprudence. The picture of a rudderless Italy sinking slowly into lawlessness is, I'm afraid, probably pretty accurate. The title is ambiguous, and Leon plays nicely with all its possible meanings. And one of the characters has book discussions with Brunetti, revealing that her favorite authors are Virgil, Cicero, and Ovid! What could be better? And some knowledge of Book 2 of Ovid's Fasti helps, not in solving the mystery, but in understanding some of its motivation. (You don't have to have read Ovid to get it--Leon summarizes what's important--but she waits until fairly late, and knowing sooner makes you feel comfortably smug and complicit.)
January 21, 2018
Leisured. but sturdy, Venetian procedural.
June 12, 2014
Donna Leon's eighteenth book, About Face, is ostensibly a mystery about the accumulation (and storage and transport) of trash in Venice, Italy. It also concerns the fate of a woman with excessive facial plastic surgery. Leon's recurring character, Commissario Guido Brunetti, is tasked with finding the killer of a fellow police officer, who was investigating the illegal transport of environmental waste.
This is the first Brunetti mystery I've read and I recognize the protagonist as a very likable, even interesting, character. I also understand that there are numerous recurring characters in the series and it appears that many readers have come to know and love these characters. However, it seems to me that Ms. Leon is becoming quite comfortable with her players and, for a new reader of her series, there is a kind of numbness, a sense of taking-it-for-granted, a feeling that the author is simply paying the bills with this novel.
I have several problems with this book. First, for a mystery, there is a lack of drama or tension. Everything is very routine, very comfortable. There is no sense of impending drama or plot turns that keep the reader riveted or even interested. Secondly, there are two story lines: the trash (and the murder of the officer investigating its illegal transport) and the final shooting at the casino at the end involving the disfigured woman. These stories touch each other, but they do not intertwine in interesting, deep or intriguing ways.
Lastly, without spoiling the plot, there is a rationale for the woman's behavior revealed at the end that is beyond believable.
I am intrigued by this series and I have seen several European television shows featuring Commissario Brunetti. The location and culture of Venice is very appealing and I would have loved to have enjoyed this book. But I didn't. The question becomes, does one read earlier works, hoping for a fresher, less jaded voice?
This is the first Brunetti mystery I've read and I recognize the protagonist as a very likable, even interesting, character. I also understand that there are numerous recurring characters in the series and it appears that many readers have come to know and love these characters. However, it seems to me that Ms. Leon is becoming quite comfortable with her players and, for a new reader of her series, there is a kind of numbness, a sense of taking-it-for-granted, a feeling that the author is simply paying the bills with this novel.
I have several problems with this book. First, for a mystery, there is a lack of drama or tension. Everything is very routine, very comfortable. There is no sense of impending drama or plot turns that keep the reader riveted or even interested. Secondly, there are two story lines: the trash (and the murder of the officer investigating its illegal transport) and the final shooting at the casino at the end involving the disfigured woman. These stories touch each other, but they do not intertwine in interesting, deep or intriguing ways.
Lastly, without spoiling the plot, there is a rationale for the woman's behavior revealed at the end that is beyond believable.
I am intrigued by this series and I have seen several European television shows featuring Commissario Brunetti. The location and culture of Venice is very appealing and I would have loved to have enjoyed this book. But I didn't. The question becomes, does one read earlier works, hoping for a fresher, less jaded voice?
June 7, 2010
This mystery writer is renowned for capturing the color and geography of Venice, Italy. If that’s all you need in a book, read this. I don’t care about local color – unless it supports and helps drive the plot. For a mystery writer, she generates little suspense. A real bore.
September 3, 2024
Fand ich an sich sehr gut - ausreichend Spannung & mehrere Handlungsstränge die zusammen führen. Das Ende fand ich allerdings etwas abrupt und nicht wirklich ausreichend.
August 10, 2022
Standard mystery. Not quite believable twist at the end.
August 8, 2017
For fans of Guido Brunetti, this book features a fair amount of family drama, beginning with Brunetti being seated at dinner near an old friend of the Contessa's (his mother-in-law). The lady is married to a high-powered merchant acquaintance of the Conte. She is also delightfully well read, and Brunetti enjoys a deep discussion around his favorite topic, books. So much so, His wife, Paola, chastises him for paying her too much attention!
But the policeman soon has other worries. A Carabinieri officer named Guarino comes to Venice seeking assistance on an unsolved murder, but is strangely reluctant to share details that might be helpful. Perhaps understandably; the Comorra, a Mafia family, may be involved. The mafia are hauling Europe's toxic trash, and dumping it in Italy and overseas... Guarino's murder victim was letting the Comorra use his trucks for illegal shipping. And Contessa's friend is married to a man who may also be involved in illegal trucking operations. When another murder occurs, Brunetti quietly looks for answers, pulling cautiously on the threads of clues, dismayed by their drawing closer to the lady.
All of our favorites at the Questura appear- Signorina Elettra, Vianello, eager Pucetti, and others--and we are a deeper look at Brunetti's family life and his wife Paola, a fiery academic who is not averse to giving Guido a piece of her mind if she feels he needs it. I love this series, and look forward to reading many more of these wonderful books.
But the policeman soon has other worries. A Carabinieri officer named Guarino comes to Venice seeking assistance on an unsolved murder, but is strangely reluctant to share details that might be helpful. Perhaps understandably; the Comorra, a Mafia family, may be involved. The mafia are hauling Europe's toxic trash, and dumping it in Italy and overseas... Guarino's murder victim was letting the Comorra use his trucks for illegal shipping. And Contessa's friend is married to a man who may also be involved in illegal trucking operations. When another murder occurs, Brunetti quietly looks for answers, pulling cautiously on the threads of clues, dismayed by their drawing closer to the lady.
All of our favorites at the Questura appear- Signorina Elettra, Vianello, eager Pucetti, and others--and we are a deeper look at Brunetti's family life and his wife Paola, a fiery academic who is not averse to giving Guido a piece of her mind if she feels he needs it. I love this series, and look forward to reading many more of these wonderful books.
July 29, 2020
Random thoughts about this book and the series:
* I'm getting to know Brunetti's habits; for example, how he pulls out his bottom desk drawer to prop up his feet.
*The lunch time in Venice (well, all of Italy and many other countries) is sacred family time. Brunetti enjoys a meal and time with his wife and two teenaged children over some deliciously-described food.
*While at a casino on a case, Brunetti brings along his wife, Paola, so he won't be so obvious as a cop. While waiting for him while he's speaking to an employee, she whips out a book to read. An English professor whose specialty is Henry James, she is NEVER without a book (and a woman I completely relate to)!
*The descriptions in this series, while not overly done, are beautiful: the play of light when it snows and Brunetti's childlike glee in walking in it.
*Lt. Scarpa, Brunetti's nemesis, is a nasty, small, mean man who is always in competition with Brunetti and, incidentally, reminds me of a colleague of my own.
*Brunetti has a smooth and perceptive way of "handling" Vice-Questore Patta, his supervisor, much like a child. He knows his moods, his weaknesses, his ego; in other words, he knows how to play him.
*The Mafia is named as the third largest industry and source of corruption, after the government and politics.
Run, don't walk, to read this series. For serious readers of good writing and clever mysteries.
* I'm getting to know Brunetti's habits; for example, how he pulls out his bottom desk drawer to prop up his feet.
*The lunch time in Venice (well, all of Italy and many other countries) is sacred family time. Brunetti enjoys a meal and time with his wife and two teenaged children over some deliciously-described food.
*While at a casino on a case, Brunetti brings along his wife, Paola, so he won't be so obvious as a cop. While waiting for him while he's speaking to an employee, she whips out a book to read. An English professor whose specialty is Henry James, she is NEVER without a book (and a woman I completely relate to)!
*The descriptions in this series, while not overly done, are beautiful: the play of light when it snows and Brunetti's childlike glee in walking in it.
*Lt. Scarpa, Brunetti's nemesis, is a nasty, small, mean man who is always in competition with Brunetti and, incidentally, reminds me of a colleague of my own.
*Brunetti has a smooth and perceptive way of "handling" Vice-Questore Patta, his supervisor, much like a child. He knows his moods, his weaknesses, his ego; in other words, he knows how to play him.
*The Mafia is named as the third largest industry and source of corruption, after the government and politics.
Run, don't walk, to read this series. For serious readers of good writing and clever mysteries.
July 20, 2010
To be fair, I have to say I had a lot going on in my mind as I was trying to read this book. However, if someone is trapped in air flight for 6 hours one would think that one would be able to find some fortitude to read this book. I made it through Chapter 4 and just could not go any further. The story seemed so bland that I often found myself rereading to determine if I'd missed something--nope, still nothing happened.
I was feeling a little guilty for not reading the book until my book club meeting tonight. The moderator asked, "Did ANYONE like this book?" and the answer was a resounding "NO!" According to the consensus of the group there seemed to be a lot of "nothing-ness" to the story. If you're hoping for a nice little mystery, this probably will not be the book for you--even the draw of another place and culture was not enough to sustain my curiosity.
I was feeling a little guilty for not reading the book until my book club meeting tonight. The moderator asked, "Did ANYONE like this book?" and the answer was a resounding "NO!" According to the consensus of the group there seemed to be a lot of "nothing-ness" to the story. If you're hoping for a nice little mystery, this probably will not be the book for you--even the draw of another place and culture was not enough to sustain my curiosity.
December 19, 2014
An interesting story, but not that compelling. It's kind of interesting that at the end, the main character chooses corruption with honour(?) over blind justice.
Perhaps the problem is that the main compelling point seems to be that a woman's face looks horribly disfigured by cosmetic surgery, and everyone wonders why. Who cares? How does it actually affect the world? It's some gossipy rag that doesn't affect anyone one way or another. It takes about 1/3 of the book before something actually interesting happens, and even then the other detective is so not forthcoming that you feel the main character's frustration and just say out loud, "Get on with it!" Philosophically, the book isn't bad. Near the last part there's a reveal, and things are explained, but without having been invested in the first place, at the end it doesn't feel satisfying.
Perhaps the problem is that the main compelling point seems to be that a woman's face looks horribly disfigured by cosmetic surgery, and everyone wonders why. Who cares? How does it actually affect the world? It's some gossipy rag that doesn't affect anyone one way or another. It takes about 1/3 of the book before something actually interesting happens, and even then the other detective is so not forthcoming that you feel the main character's frustration and just say out loud, "Get on with it!" Philosophically, the book isn't bad. Near the last part there's a reveal, and things are explained, but without having been invested in the first place, at the end it doesn't feel satisfying.
December 8, 2016
This title is the first novel I read from American author Donna Leon, but it is the 18th novel of the Commissaire Brunetti investigation. I guess it is nice to finally read police stories in which the main officer has a family, a functionnal family, and a personnal life beyond his job unlike the too many stories and TV series we're very familiar with. However, there is little action and little suspense in this book. I am not thrilled by this particular book, but I'll give another try to another of Donna Leon's book.
February 28, 2023
Sehr entspanntes Buch, zieht sich bisschen zu sehr aber ich mag es wie Donna Leon Dinge und Menschen umschreibt. Nicht unbedingt mein Genre, deshalb nicht so begeistert
5/10
5/10
April 20, 2018
Like so many of Donna Leon's Brunetti fictions, we learn so much more about the author's beliefs (some might say her prejudices) and what she thinks is right and just. This is no more so than in About Face, a fine and elegantly written story about the malpractice of a phony dentist, the love of an aging and wealthy Venetian for his disfigured wife, a rich entrepreneur who does business or had done business with the Conte Falier, Poala's father. Along the way, we learn just how unbridled and corrupt the reign of the Mafia is in Italy and their shameless practice bribing Ministers so they can commit their crimes with impunity. Leon's righteous crusade against gender discrimination and sexual assault fully blossoms in this book.
The reader devotes a number of pleasant hours learning through the behaviour of her characters causes Leon will lead--usually 2/3 to 3/4 of the early part of the book--before Brunetti and Viannello and whoever else Brunetti enlists swing into action, where the crime committed becomes more clear, where Brunetti's skills as a cop come into focus, and where we begin to appreciate why the study of the Classis and Ancients are important, something that binds me to these novels. In this particular episode, we seem to learn more about the Vice-Questore Patta than in other books, a character so focused on his own personal advancement in Venezian society and in the ranks of the police that he overlooks the commission of crimes until Brunetti and Viannello force the evidence upon him.
I do not object to learning about the author's political and social beliefs, largely because I am in agreement with her on the issues she finds most important: official corruption, environmentalism, gender and ethnic discrimination, and her objections to the fear, loathing, and disdain for migrants seen throughout Western Europe (now, sadly, also a central issue in America under the puppet President Donald Trump, a man so riddled with corruption and beset by ignorance that many, like me fear for the longevity of American democracy).
But, there always seems to be a point too far where credulity is tested, as in this book, Paola's lecturing Brunetti in bed about sexual assault and rape as though incredulously, the Commissario of police married to an outspoken college professor would be unaware of the brutality of it. The wisdom of the lectures are important because of the prescience of what we must do to curb this brutality--it is the believability of it, though, that strikes me as misplaced. After all, Brunetti had just released the woman who committed murder because he believed she had been abused by her lover and he understood clearly the brutality of sexual assault, sexual extortion, and sexual harassment. Brunetti, it seemed to me, did not have to be told about the brutality against woman, unless, of course, every man, regardless of how sensitive and aware they are of such issues, has to be told so that they never forget, something, I think, that is important to remember always and because our wives should be listened to. We become better men. Nevertheless, sometimes, it strains credulity.
I really do enjoy the writing and its nearly elegant construction, the attention to grammar, detail, and description, the portraits of Venice painted by the author, and our evolution toward understanding the brutality of the crimes that have been committed.
The reader devotes a number of pleasant hours learning through the behaviour of her characters causes Leon will lead--usually 2/3 to 3/4 of the early part of the book--before Brunetti and Viannello and whoever else Brunetti enlists swing into action, where the crime committed becomes more clear, where Brunetti's skills as a cop come into focus, and where we begin to appreciate why the study of the Classis and Ancients are important, something that binds me to these novels. In this particular episode, we seem to learn more about the Vice-Questore Patta than in other books, a character so focused on his own personal advancement in Venezian society and in the ranks of the police that he overlooks the commission of crimes until Brunetti and Viannello force the evidence upon him.
I do not object to learning about the author's political and social beliefs, largely because I am in agreement with her on the issues she finds most important: official corruption, environmentalism, gender and ethnic discrimination, and her objections to the fear, loathing, and disdain for migrants seen throughout Western Europe (now, sadly, also a central issue in America under the puppet President Donald Trump, a man so riddled with corruption and beset by ignorance that many, like me fear for the longevity of American democracy).
But, there always seems to be a point too far where credulity is tested, as in this book, Paola's lecturing Brunetti in bed about sexual assault and rape as though incredulously, the Commissario of police married to an outspoken college professor would be unaware of the brutality of it. The wisdom of the lectures are important because of the prescience of what we must do to curb this brutality--it is the believability of it, though, that strikes me as misplaced. After all, Brunetti had just released the woman who committed murder because he believed she had been abused by her lover and he understood clearly the brutality of sexual assault, sexual extortion, and sexual harassment. Brunetti, it seemed to me, did not have to be told about the brutality against woman, unless, of course, every man, regardless of how sensitive and aware they are of such issues, has to be told so that they never forget, something, I think, that is important to remember always and because our wives should be listened to. We become better men. Nevertheless, sometimes, it strains credulity.
I really do enjoy the writing and its nearly elegant construction, the attention to grammar, detail, and description, the portraits of Venice painted by the author, and our evolution toward understanding the brutality of the crimes that have been committed.
March 14, 2021
I know many women in my church and in my wife's book club who just love Donna Leon's Commissario Brunetti books. I keep on reading them to try and figure out why they like them so much, and I still haven't figured it out.
Take this one, for example. The whole book is about conversations between Brunetti and others, about how he kowtows to his sinecure boss, uses his boss' attractive and highly intelligent secretary to hack into computer systems to learn about people and their businesses, goes home to his wife who cooks very good meals that sound delicious, drinks wine and grappa with her, and has deep, often confrontational conversations with her (in this case about whether she feels that he's truly understanding the female persona -- she doesn't).
There is barely any real plot. Nothing much happens until eventually there's a murder. There is a lot about how dysfunctional the Italian government is, and how corrupt. And basically acceptance that that's the way it is, and it's not going to change.
And, often, there's no true resolution at the end of the book. True for this book, too.
So, perhaps the answer to my question is as simple as: I look for an interesting plot that's well-paced, with interesting characters, and some kind of resolution at the end. And I don't find those in the Brunetti books. Maybe that's my male perspective, and that I don't understand the female persona?
Take this one, for example. The whole book is about conversations between Brunetti and others, about how he kowtows to his sinecure boss, uses his boss' attractive and highly intelligent secretary to hack into computer systems to learn about people and their businesses, goes home to his wife who cooks very good meals that sound delicious, drinks wine and grappa with her, and has deep, often confrontational conversations with her (in this case about whether she feels that he's truly understanding the female persona -- she doesn't).
There is barely any real plot. Nothing much happens until eventually there's a murder. There is a lot about how dysfunctional the Italian government is, and how corrupt. And basically acceptance that that's the way it is, and it's not going to change.
And, often, there's no true resolution at the end of the book. True for this book, too.
So, perhaps the answer to my question is as simple as: I look for an interesting plot that's well-paced, with interesting characters, and some kind of resolution at the end. And I don't find those in the Brunetti books. Maybe that's my male perspective, and that I don't understand the female persona?
August 30, 2020
This is one of my favorites in the series so far, and that's saying something. This story sees Commissario Guido Brunetti dealing with toxic waste dumping, gangsters, the powerlessness of many women, and, as always, the overwhelming corruption found in Italy. Leon, as usual, weaves that together with the ongoing story of Guido and Paola's marriage, his wealthy in-laws, the ongoing game-playing within the police, and somehow manages to tell the truth, as dispiriting as it is, while also showing the true heroism of people like Brunetti, who see the ugliness all around them, yet get up every day and do their jobs, and appreciate their good fortune in having loving family and friends while sometimes managing to do a little good in the world.
I want this series to go on forever, especially now, when there is so much trouble all around us...
I want this series to go on forever, especially now, when there is so much trouble all around us...
October 6, 2022
Hmmm. So the last two 'bestsellers' that I have read, both thrillers, have both disappointed me. One so much so that I couldn't even finish it. This was worth finishing, but I certainly won't be rushing out to buy any more. I enjoyed the setting in Venice, and when on page 216 (yes, really) we finally got some action, as opposed to endless conversations, I enjoyed the rest.
But ... so much 'telling' rather than 'showing.' Each and every conversation, and that is 80% of this book, is accompanied throughout with an explanation of what is being said, and why, and what it means, etc. Talk about laboured. Every Italian term is italicised, the author's research proudly displayed at every opportunity with characters explaining things to each other that they would never do in real life. My editor would have torn me to pieces for writing like this.
And yet, it's a bestseller. And you can't argue with that. I am probably being far too picky, but I think I'll try reading Andrea Camilleri's Montalbano series ...
Last but not least, there is so much
But ... so much 'telling' rather than 'showing.' Each and every conversation, and that is 80% of this book, is accompanied throughout with an explanation of what is being said, and why, and what it means, etc. Talk about laboured. Every Italian term is italicised, the author's research proudly displayed at every opportunity with characters explaining things to each other that they would never do in real life. My editor would have torn me to pieces for writing like this.
And yet, it's a bestseller. And you can't argue with that. I am probably being far too picky, but I think I'll try reading Andrea Camilleri's Montalbano series ...
Last but not least, there is so much
January 15, 2025
"About Face" by Donna Leon is, unfortunately, a departure from the charm and familiarity of her other Guido Brunetti mysteries. While fans of the series might be accustomed to the intricate dance of Venetian bureaucracy and crime, this installment introduces an unsettling atmosphere that feels discordant.
In "About Face," Brunetti seems to act out of character, which might be disconcerting for those who've come to know and love his measured detective work. The characters, usually so well-defined, come across as slightly off-kilter, contributing to a general sense of unease throughout the narrative.
The book does manage to tie up its ending more neatly than some of its predecessors, providing a resolution that is perhaps the highlight of the read. However, the overarching mood of the book lingers unpleasantly, making this the least favorite in the series for me. If you're a die-hard fan, you might still want to read it for completeness, but it won't leave you with the satisfaction typically associated with Leon's work.
In "About Face," Brunetti seems to act out of character, which might be disconcerting for those who've come to know and love his measured detective work. The characters, usually so well-defined, come across as slightly off-kilter, contributing to a general sense of unease throughout the narrative.
The book does manage to tie up its ending more neatly than some of its predecessors, providing a resolution that is perhaps the highlight of the read. However, the overarching mood of the book lingers unpleasantly, making this the least favorite in the series for me. If you're a die-hard fan, you might still want to read it for completeness, but it won't leave you with the satisfaction typically associated with Leon's work.
November 19, 2024
I confess that I kinda got lost at the outset. I had the audio, and my mind wandered a bit (probably the election and other external factors), but I stuck with it. The characters were quite interesting, and there was more of Brunetti’s personal life, with more glimpses into him/his family life. I really like the family dynamic, their dinners, the conversation, it just adds so much to the overall story.
On to the next…
On to the next…
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