Books by Donna Leon

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Book Synopsis'Donna Leon provides another delectable slice of the thoughtful policeman's life at work and at home... So Shall You Reap is as witty and wise as anything Leon has written. To read her is to restore the soul.' The TimesOn a cold November evening, Guido Brunetti and Paola are up late when a call from his colleague Ispettore Vianello arrives, alerting the Commissario that a hand has been seen in one of Venice's canals. The body is soon found, and Brunetti is assigned to investigate the murder of an undocumented Sri Lankan immigrant. Because no official record of the man's presence in Venice exists, Brunetti is forced to use the city's far richer sources of information: gossip and the memories of people who knew the victim. Curiously, he had been living in a garden house on the grounds of a palazzo owned by a university professor, in which Brunetti discovers books revealing the victim's interest in Buddhism, the revolutionary Tamil Tigers, and the last crop of Italian political terrorists, active in the 1980s.As the investigation expands, Brunetti, Vianello, Commissario Griffoni, and Signorina Elettra each assemble pieces of a puzzle-random information about real estate and land use, books, university friendships-that appear to have little in common. Until Brunetti stumbles over something that transports him back to his own student days, causing him to reflect on lost ideals and the errors of youth, on Italian politics and history, and on the accidents that sometimes lead to revelation.PRAISE FOR DONNA LEON'A splendid series . . . with a backdrop of the city so vivid you can almost smell it' Sunday Telegraph'One of the most exquisite and subtle detective series ever' Washington Post'Rich entertainment' Sunday TimesTrade ReviewDonna Leon provides another delectable slice of the thoughtful policeman's life at work and at home... So Shall You Reap is as witty and wise as anything Leon has written. To read her is to restore the soul -- Mark Sanderson * The Times *Like all of Leon's novels, it ultimately feels like a glorious invigorating holiday * Daily Express *[Leon's] success lies in the kindness and the decency of her main character as well as in the backdrop of Venice, the city that all of her books are set in, and the way she combs through its street and canals for stories of corruption and power and greed and hubris, always allowing Brunetti to sink back into the loving embrace of his family and food * Off Air with Jane & Fi *Much more than a whodunnit -- Christina Hardyment * The Times *Donna Leon's novels appear as regularly as the season and - it really is true - they get better and better. * The Tablet *

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Book Synopsis‘As the author reaches her 9th decade [this makes] for a fascinating insight into her life and world, albeit with discretion and leaving tantalising hints at what lies beyond. One for the fans (and friends).’ Crime Time'Leon's elegant, witty prose . . . is a joy. One of the best European novelists around' Amanda CraigIn a series of vignettes full of affection, irony, and good humor, Donna Leon narrates a remarkable life she feels has rather more happened to her than been planned.From a childhood in the company of her New Jersey family, with frequent visits to her grandfather's farm and its beloved animals and summers spent selling homegrown tomatoes by the roadside, Leon has long been open to adventure. In 1976, she made the spontaneous decision to teach English in Iran, before finding herself swept up in the early days of the 1979 Revolution. After teaching stints in China and Saudi Arabia, she finally landed in Venice. Leon vividly animates her decades-long love affair with Italy, from her first magical dinner when serving as a "chaperone" to a friend, to the hunt for the perfect cappuccino, to the warfare tactics of grandmothers doing their grocery shopping at the Rialto Market. Some things remain constant throughout the decades: her adoration of opera, especially Handel's vocal music, her advocacy for the environment, embodied in her passion for bees - which informs the surprising crux of the Brunetti mystery in Earthly Remains - and her eager imagination for crime as she watches unsuspecting travelers on trains. Yet as Leon inspects the cracks in the wall of a friend's bedroom, caused by the seven-story cruise ships making their way down Venice's canals, she admits regretfully that the thrill may be gone as mass tourism renders the city less and less appealing to its longtime chronicler.Having recently celebrated her eightieth birthday, Leon now confronts the dual challenges and pleasures of aging. Complete with a brief letter dissuading those hoping to meet Guido Brunetti at the Questura, and always suffused with music, food, and her fierce sense of humor, Wandering Through Life offers Donna Leon at her most personal.'Few detective writers create so vivid, inclusive and convincing a narrative as Donna Leon, the expatriate American with the Venetian heart' Washington PostTrade ReviewA delightful companion in life and on the page -- Mark Sanderson * The times *As the author reaches her 9th decade [this makes] for a fascinating insight into her life and world, albeit with discretion and leaving tantalising hints at what lies beyond. One for the fans (and friends). -- Maxim Jakubowski * Crime Time *Warm, witty and engaging * The Wall Street Journal *

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Book SynopsisDonna Leon is author of the much-loved, best-selling series of novels featuring Commissario Brunetti and one of The Times' 50 Greatest Crime Writers. Widely considered one of the best detective series ever, with admirers including Ursula K. Le Guin and Val McDermid, the Brunetti Mysteries have won numerous awards around the world and been translated into thirty-five languages.

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Book SynopsisAn engaging collection of stories and essays by the celebrated author of the internationally bestselling Guido Brunetti series, infused with her ever-present and delightful senses of humor and ironyDonna Leon's memoir, Wandering Through Life, gave her legions of fans a colourful tour through her life, from childhood in New Jersey to adventures in China and Iran, to her love of Venice and opera. Nowhere, however, did she discuss her writing life. In Backstage, Donna reveals her admiration for, and inspiration from, the great crime novelists Ruth Rendell and Ross Macdonald, examining their approach to storytelling as she dissects her favorite books of theirs. She expresses her love for Charles Dickens' Great Expectations and her appreciation of Sir Walter Scott's generosity of spirit. And she chronicles the lengths amount of research she undertakes to be able to present authentically, through Guido Brunetti and his colleagues, places and characters far from her own experience: interviewing a diamond dealer in Venice to open up the world of blood diamonds; meeting, through back channels, a courageous sex worker and women's rights activist to depict accurately the trafficking of women in Italy. Venice is central in her memory, whether recounting the semi-comic irritation of a noisy elderly neighbor or the origins of the city's Carnevale. Her teaching career yields memorable tales: helping a young Black boy in a Newark, New Jersey elementary school; instructing young Iranian pilots in English just before the 1979 Iranian Revolution; taking her students at a Swiss private high school to the famous Frank Zappa concert in Montreux interrupted by fire. Throughout, she is as good a storyteller about herself as she is a chronicler of Guido Brunetti's crime adventures. Readers will be as caught up in her world as she is in his.

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Book Synopsis'Crime writing of the highest order' GUARDIAN'Donna Leon has been giving unto us for all of the thirty years since Death at La Fenice introduced us to Brunetti' Val McDermidThe gifted Venetian detective returns in his 31st case - this time, investigating the Janus-faced nature of yet another Italian institution. Brunetti will have to once again face the blurred line that runs between the criminal and the non-criminal, bending police rules, and his own character, to help an acquaintance in danger.'Both tremendously enjoyable and deeply humane' JESSIE GREENGRASS, Costa-shortlisted author of The High House'Leon's elegant, witty prose . . . is a joy' AMANDA CRAIGTrade ReviewCrime writing of the highest order * Guardian *The series that has shadowed Brunetti for three decades is an epic achievement - in its own way quite the equal of Anthony Powell's A Dance to the Music of Time * The Times *Few detective writers create so vivid, inclusive and convincing a narrative as Donna Leon, the expatriate American with the Venetian heart . . . One of the most exquisite and subtle detective series ever * The Washington Post *Virtually every page contains a sentence that demands to be quoted ... reading Leon is always an uplifting experience -- Mark Sanderson * The Times *Leon started out with offhand, elegant excellence, and has simply kept it up * Guardian *

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Book Synopsis'Every detail on every page forms part of a succession of clues, planted with exquisite precision, to unravelling the mystery' Sunday Times In a small village at the foot of the Italian Dolomites, a grave is discovered by the owner of a deserted farmhouse, which has been untouched for decades. While the body is badly decomposed, a valuable signet ring is found close by, providing the first vital clue which will lead Commissario Brunetti right to the heart of aristocratic Venice, to a family still grieving their abducted son. 'Donna Leon can paralyse the reader with a joyful suspense' Mail on Sunday'Goes a long way to confirming Donna Leon's claim to have taken literary possession of Venice' Independent on SundayTrade ReviewIn her detective novels with Commissario Brunetti, Donna Leon can paralyse the reader with a joyful suspense, lost in the environs of Venice and hopelessly in love with her central character and his wife * Mail on Sunday *The marvel of this book is that almost every detail on every page forms part of a succession of clues, planted with exquisite precision, to unravelling the mystery * Sunday Times *Goes a long way to confirming Donna Leon's claim to have taken literary possession of Venice . . . A Noble Radiance gives the reader a delightful foretaste of the summer holidays to come, but it also offers much more than that * Independent on Sunday *

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Book Synopsis'There is no one better than Donna Leon at showing the ripple effects of a single traumatic event . . . Leon has recast the city in her own venerable image: full of surprises and hidden beauty.' Evening StandardFifteen years ago the teenage granddaughter of the grand Contessa Lando-Continui was rescued at the last moment from drowning in the canals. But young Manuela's life was never the same again. Now aged thirty, she lives trapped in an eternal youth.The Contessa, certain that this was no accident, implores Brunetti to find the culprit she believes ruined Manuela's life.But once Brunetti starts to investigate, he finds a murky past and a dark story at its heart . . .'Brilliantly done, with a sense of place rarely matched in any fiction' The Times'A sparkling summer read.' The Tablet

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Book Synopsis'Leon...has once again, apparently effortlessly, produced a wholly absorbing read.' Sunday TelegraphIt is a luminous spring day in Venice, as Commissario Brunetti and Inspettore Vianello take a break from the Questura to come to the rescue of Vianello's friend Marco Ribetti, who has been arrested while protesting against chemical pollution of the Venetian lagoon, only to be faced by the fury of Marco's father-in-law, owner of a glass factory on the island of Murano.But it is not Marco who has uncovered the guilty secret of the polluting glass foundries of the island of Murano, nor he whose body is found dead in front of the furnaces which burn at 1400 degrees, night and day. The victim has left clues in a copy of Dante and Brunetti must descend into an inferno to discover who is burning the land and fouling the waters of the lagoon...'As usual, Leon's witty portrayal of modern Venetian life, and Brunetti's model marriage, are as entertaining as the working out of the whodunnit. A joy from start to finish.' Evening Standard'A smart and stylish, fast-paced case of intrigue and corruption, written with wit, affection and authority. . . . Impressive.' Los Angeles Times

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Book Synopsis'Donna Leon's deft and descriptive words do for Venice what Canaletto did for this serenest of cities with his brushes and paint palette and bring it to life in all its reach and colourful gaiety...[An] intriguing tense thriller. The ending is to die for.' Daily ExpressA New York Times BestsellerA National Indie Bestseller__________________________________In Death at La Fenice, Donna Leon's first novel in the Commissario Brunetti series, readers were introduced to the glamorous and cut-throat world of opera and to one of Italy's finest living sopranos, Flavia Petrelli - then a suspect in the poisoning of a renowned German conductor. Now, many years after Brunetti cleared her name, Flavia has returned to the illustrious La Fenice to sing the lead in Tosca.As an opera superstar, Flavia is well acquainted with attention from adoring fans and aspiring singers. But when one anonymous admirer inundates her with bouquets of yellow roses - on stage, in her dressing room and even inside her locked apartment - it becomes clear that this fan has become a potentially dangerous stalker. Distraught, Flavia turns to an old friend for help. Familiar with Flavia's melodramatic temperament, Commissario Brunetti is at first unperturbed by her story, but when another young opera singer is attacked he begins to think Flavia's fears may be justified. In order to keep his friend out of danger, Brunetti must enter the psyche of an obsessive fan and find the culprit before anyone comes to harm.Trade ReviewDonna Leon’s deft and descriptive words do for Venice what Canaletto did for this serenest of cities with his brushes and paint palette and bring it to life in all its reach and colourful gaiety…[An] intriguing tense thriller. The ending is to die for. * Daily Express *This is Leon at her best … Her writing is as ever subtle and elliptical and conversations and people always have multiple layers which often only reveal themselves on second reading … This is a compelling read and kept me up long past my usual bed time as I just had to finish it to find out what happened. The nail biting finale was well worth staying up for. * JillySheep *The star of the story is Venice itself and Donna Leon, who has lived there for thirty years, brings the city to life . . . I read the book in two sittings . . . glued to the page as the tension ramped up - and everything came to a very satisfying finale. * The Book Bag *The author provides us once again with an entertaining mystery and an opportunity to catch up with the estimable Guido Brunetti. Leon never disappoints. * Crimesquad *As always, a gentle and intriguing look at life in Venice, the vagaries of the police force, and a sharp and clever investigation from Brunetti mixed in a delightful way, is at the heart of this novel. Another enjoyable outing for this complex, intelligent detective. * Eurocrime *

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Book Synopsis'When she's writing about her beloved Venice, Donna Leon can do no wrong. And Earthly Remains, her new mystery featuring Commissario Guido Brunetti, is one of her best. It's also one of her saddest, dealing as it does with the seemingly unstoppable polluting of the great lagoon . . . Leon dares to try, once again earning the gratitude of her devoted readers.' New York TimesA New York Times BestsellerA New York Times Top Ten Crime Novel of 2017A New York Times Book Review Editors' ChoiceAn Amazon Best Book of the Month (Mystery)__________________________________Granted leave from the Questura, Commissario Guido Brunetti decides to finally take a well-earned break and visit Sant'Erasmo, one of the largest islands in the Venetian laguna. The recuperative stay goes according to plan until Davide Casati, the mysterious caretaker of the villa Brunetti has been staying in, goes missing following a sudden storm. Nobody can find him - not his daughter, not his friends, and not the woman he's been secretly visiting . . . Convinced that this was no accident, Brunetti feels compelled to set aside his holiday and discover what happened to the man who had recently become his friend.Trade ReviewWhen she's writing about her beloved Venice, Donna Leon can do no wrong. And Earthly Remains, her new mystery featuring Commissario Guido Brunetti, is one of her best. It's also one of her saddest, dealing as it does with the seemingly unstoppable polluting of the great lagoon . . . Leon dares to try, once again earning the gratitude of her devoted readers. * New York Times *Donna Leon’s recreation of Venice and her depiction of the series’ core characters … is, as always in this long-running series, a triumph. * Literary Review *Leon has done for Venice what Morse did for Oxford, or Aurelio Zen for Rome … Leon is a wonderful writer, the sentences as beautifully crafted as the puparin Casati’s father had long ago built. * The Arts Desk *The latest - and 26th - instalment in the best-selling Commissario Brunetti series will not need any recommendation for those familiar with Leon’s accomplished detective series. * RTÉ Guide *I sometimes find it difficult to review Donna Leon's books with any original comment as they are consistently good. However, this is an excellent example and as with all her other books I have read, comes highly recommended. * Crimesquad *

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Book Synopsis'Donna Leon has a wonderful feel for the hidden evils that lie below the façade of the magical city' The TimesImportant information is leaking from inside the Venetian Questura, and Commissario Guido Brunetti is tasked with uncovering the culprit. But before Brunetti can begin his investigation, a friend of his wife's comes asking for his help, fearful that her son is using drugs.A few weeks later, the woman's husband is found unconscious at the foot of a bridge.With only contradictory leads to follow, Brunetti navigates his way through Venice's underworld in an attempt to understand who is responsible for the vicious attack. But as he gets closer to discovering what happened, Brunetti is faced with a difficult truth: sometimes, it's the best intentions that lead to the darkest of consequences . . .'En­chanting . . . drolly amusing . . . it's the living, bleeding humanity of the characters that makes Donna Leon's police procedurals so engaging' New York Times Book ReviewTrade ReviewThe Venetian settings are en­chanting and Commissario Guido Brunetti’s investigative methods are drolly amusing. But it’s the living, bleeding humanity of the characters that makes Donna Leon’s police procedurals so engaging … Tagging along after this sleuth is a wonderful way to see Venice like a native, especially since Leon takes care to give us precise directions for his routes. * New York Times Book Review *Leon remains fresh and thoughtful in this gargantuan series … It left me with the satisfaction of a mystery unravelled, the experience of eating a beautifully made cannoli and drinking a pleasant glass of wine together with a close observation of human nature and, as ever with Brunetti, food for thought. * Euro Crime *

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Book Synopsis'Atmospheric, clever, witty and amusing. If I were only allowed to read one crime series again it would be that of Donna Leon.' The TimesA NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLERSHORTLISTED FOR THE CRIME WRITERS ASSOCIATION GOLD DAGGER AWARDAs 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 TimesTrade ReviewLeon’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 *

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Book SynopsisChosen as Star Pick in the Sunday Times Crime Club Chosen as a 'Best New Crime Novel' in the Sunday Times'The series that has shadowed Brunetti for three decades is an epic achievement' The Times 'Leon's books are a joy' GuardianWhen two young American women are badly injured in a boating accident, Commissario Brunetti's eye turns to the two young Italians they were with, who abandoned them in the hospital. When one of the young men is found to be involved in more sinister night-time activities in the Laguna, Brunetti has to enlist the help of Italian institutions to get to the bottom of the mystery. But can Brunetti trust unfamiliar colleagues? Could there be another motive behind this horrible crime? 'She is a truly fine novelist, period, and should be acclaimed as such'TLSTrade ReviewThe climax is nothing less than a trip - across the laguna - into the heart of darkness . . . Leon's special skill is to splice glimpses of la dolce vita with acute analysis of moral and ethical dilemmas * The Times *It's colourful and beautifully written * Peterborough Telegraph *Needless to say, by venturing outside the comfort zone of his own prejudices, this deeply simpatico detective learns a lot about his city, his countrymen and himself. And so do we * The New York Times Book Review *Make way for the thirtieth novel in Leon's beloved, bestselling series about Commissario Guido Brunetti * Crimereads *Leon's devoted audience may be shocked to realize that this latest Guido Brunetti novel is the thirtieth in the series, which only goes to show that sometimes abiding relationships never lose the shock of the new . . . Leon's beloved series shows no signs of aging * Booklist *

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Book SynopsisPRE-ORDER THE NEXT INSTALMENT IN DONNA LEON'S COMMISSARIO BRUNETTI SERIES, A REFINER'S FIRE, NOW. AVAILABLE JULY 2024.'Donna Leon provides another delectable slice of the thoughtful policeman's life at work and at home... So Shall You Reap is as witty and wise as anything Leon has written. To read her is to restore the soul.' Mark Sanderson, The Times'Like all of Leon's novels, it ultimately feels like a glorious invigorating holiday.' Daily Express---On a cold November evening, Guido Brunetti and Paola are up late when a call from his colleague Ispettore Vianello arrives, alerting the Commissario that a hand has been seen in one of Venice's canals. The body is soon found, and Brunetti is assigned to investigate the murder of an undocumented Sri Lankan immigrant. Because no official record of the man's presence in Venice exists, Brunetti is forced to use the city's far richer sources of information: gossip and the memories of people who knew the victim. Curiously, he had been living in a garden house on the grounds of a palazzo owned by a university professor, in which Brunetti discovers books revealing the victim's interest in Buddhism, the revolutionary Tamil Tigers, and the last crop of Italian political terrorists, active in the 1980s.As the investigation expands, Brunetti, Vianello, Commissario Griffoni, and Signorina Elettra each assemble pieces of a puzzle-random information about real estate and land use, books, university friendships-that appear to have little in common. Until Brunetti stumbles over something that transports him back to his own student days, causing him to reflect on lost ideals and the errors of youth, on Italian politics and history, and on the accidents that sometimes lead to revelation.Trade ReviewDonna Leon provides another delectable slice of the thoughtful policeman's life at work and at home... So Shall You Reap is as witty and wise as anything Leon has written. To read her is to restore the soul -- Mark Sanderson * The Times *Like all of Leon's novels, it ultimately feels like a glorious invigorating holiday * Daily Express *[Leon's] success lies in the kindness and the decency of her main character as well as in the backdrop of Venice, the city that all of her books are set in, and the way she combs through its street and canals for stories of corruption and power and greed and hubris, always allowing Brunetti to sink back into the loving embrace of his family and food * Off Air with Jane & Fi *Much more than a whodunnit -- Christina Hardyment * The Times *Donna Leon's novels appear as regularly as the season and - it really is true - they get better and better. * The Tablet *

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Book SynopsisCommissario Guido Brunetti returns with a gripping and powerful case about the murkiness of power and a test of loyalties'Perfectly crafted . . . this only proves what a truly great writer [Leon] has become' Mark Sanderson, The Times'One of the most subtle and exquisite detective series ever' Washington PostWhen two teenage gangs are arrested after clashing violently in one of Venice's campi, the son of a local hero is implicated. But when Commissario Guido Brunetti is asked by a wealthy foreigner to vet this man, Monforte, for a job, he discovers that Monforte might not be such a hero after all. This seeming contradiction, and a brutal attack on one of Brunetti's colleagues by a possible gang member, concentrate Brunetti's attentions. Soon, he discovers the sordid hypocrisy surrounding Monforte's past, culminating in a fiery meeting of two gangs and a final opportunity for redemption. A Refiner's Fire is Donna Leon at her very best: an elegant, sophisticated storyteller whose indelible characters become richer with each book, and who constantly interrogates the ambiguity between moral and legal justice.

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Book SynopsisCommissario Guido Brunetti returns with a gripping and powerful case about the murkiness of power and a test of loyalties'Perfectly crafted . . . this only proves what a truly great writer [Leon] has become' Mark Sanderson, The Times'One of the most subtle and exquisite detective series ever' Washington PostWhen two teenage gangs are arrested after clashing violently in one of Venice's campi, the son of a local hero is implicated. But when Commissario Guido Brunetti is asked by a wealthy foreigner to vet this man, Monforte, for a job, he discovers that Monforte might not be such a hero after all.This seeming contradiction, and a brutal attack on one of Brunetti's colleagues by a possible gang member, concentrate Brunetti's attentions. Soon, he discovers the sordid hypocrisy surrounding Monforte's past, culminating in a fiery meeting of two gangs and a final opportunity for redemption.A Refiner's Fire is Donna Leon at her very best: an elegant, sophisticated storyteller whose indelible characters become richer with each book, and who constantly interrogates the ambiguity between moral and legal justice.

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