'Complex and thought-provoking and lingers in the mind' Sunday Times

Neither Commissario Brunetti nor his wife Paola have ever had much sympathy for the Italian armed forces, so when a young cadet is found hanged, at Venice's elite military academy, Brunetti's emotions are complex: pity and sorrow at the death of a boy close in age to his own son, and contempt and irritation for the arrogance and high-handedness of the boy's teachers and fellow students.

The young man is the son of an ex-politician, a man of an impeccable integrity all too rare in Italian politics. But as Brunetti - and the indispensable Signorina Elettra - investigate further, no one seems willing to talk. Is this the natural reluctance of Italians to involve themselves with the authorities, or is Brunetti facing a conspiracy of silence?

'Silken prose and considerable charm . . . an unlovely story set in the loveliest of cities' Washington Post

Commissionario Brunetti returns for the twelfth novel in this best selling crime fiction series. This is Donna Leon at her most human, darker and more moving than ever before.

About the Author

Donna Leon was named by The Times as one of the 50 Greatest Crime Writers. She is an award-winning crime novelist, celebrated for the bestselling Brunetti series. Donna has lived in Venice for thirty years and previously lived in Switzerland, Saudi Arabia, Iran and China, where she worked as a teacher. Donna's books have been translated into thirty-five languages and have been published around the world.

Her previous novels featuring Commissario Brunetti have all been highly acclaimed; including Friends in High Places, which won the CWA Macallan Silver Dagger for Fiction, Fatal Remedies, Doctored Evidence, A Sea of Troubles and Beastly Things.

Reviews
There is the joy of contemplating Venice: the veiled and ancient heroine, with a sad haunted beauty slipping away year by year. Read it is the dusk, with a grappa -- Libby Purves * Good Book Guide *
Brunetti ... long ago joined the ranks of the classic fictional detectives * Evening Standard *
Complex and thought-provoking and lingers in the mind * Sunday Times *
Wonderfully familiar characters, a powerful sense of place and expert plotting * Guardian *



Book Information
ISBN 9780099536659
Author Donna Leon
Format Paperback
Page Count 336
Imprint Arrow Books Ltd
Publisher Cornerstone
Weight(grams) 234g
Dimensions(mm) 198mm * 129mm * 21mm