'Atmospheric, clever, witty and amusing. If I were only allowed to read one crime series again it would be that of Donna Leon.' The Times

A NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER
SHORTLISTED FOR THE CRIME WRITERS ASSOCIATION GOLD DAGGER AWARD

As a favour to his wealthy father-in-law, the Count Falier, Commissario Guido Brunetti agrees to investigate the seemingly innocent wish of the Count's best friend, the elderly and childless Gonzalo, to adopt a younger man as his son. Under Italian inheritance laws, this man would become the sole heir to Gonzalo's substantial fortune, something which Gonzalo's friends, including the Count, find appalling. For his part, Brunetti wonders why they're so intent on meddling in the old man's business.

Not long after Brunetti and Gonzalo meet, Gonzalo passes away. Old and frail, his death goes unquestioned, until one of his closest confidantes is strangled in her hotel room after sending an email about the adoption. To find the killer and solve a murder most foul, Brunetti must rely on his instincts which lead him to untangling long-buried secrets from Gonzalo's past.

'Leon's novels are unshowy and imbued with the humanist outlook that makes Brunetti such an appealing character.' Sunday Times

In the twenty-eigth novel in Donna Leon's bestselling crime series, Commissario Guido Brunetti is drawn reluctantly into an old friend's long-hidden mystery.

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
Leon's novels are unshowy and imbued with the humanist outlook that makes Brunetti such an appealing character. * Sunday Times *
[A] charming series, and it is a pleasure to spend time with Brunetti, his academic wife, Paola, and their children as they eat delicious food and drink good wine. * Literary Review *
Once again, Leon transforms what might have been a straightforward mystery into something much richer and more resonant ... Far more than whodunit, the real subject of this novel (and Leon's work in general) is what we all do to one another. * Booklist *
Just as exciting as anything by Lee Child or Jeffrey Deaver. * Evening Standard *
Atmospheric, clever, witty and amusing. If I were only allowed to read one crime series again it would be that of Donna Leon. * The Times *



Book Information
ISBN 9781787463196
Author Donna Leon
Format Paperback
Page Count 272
Imprint Arrow Books Ltd
Publisher Cornerstone
Weight(grams) 192g
Dimensions(mm) 198mm * 129mm * 17mm