Wednesday, August 01, 2018

Doctored Evidence


Doctored Evidence is the 13th book in the Commissario Guido Brunetti mystery series by Donna Leon. I'm enjoying working my way through these books as I come across them. The setting is Venice, and I feel like I'm actually there. The detective is a joy, a family man whose private life and thoughts fill out the story and add to the plot. You can't go wrong here.

from the dust jacket:
The New York Times Book Review has raved that Donna Leon's evocative, riveting crime novels "shimmer in the grace of their setting and are warmed by the charm of their characters." Her highly anticipated new novel once again follows Commissario Guido Brunetti through the winding streets of contemporary Venice as he throws open the doors to a case his fellow policemen would rather leave closed.

After the body of a wealthy elderly woman is found brutally murdered in her Venetian apartment, the police suspect her maid, who has disappeared and is heading for her native Romania. When the woman is approached by the border police as her train is leaving Italy, she makes a run for it and is killed as she crosses the tracks. She has a considerable sum of money on her and her papers are obvious forgeries. Case closed.

But when the old woman's neighbor returns from a business in London, it becomes clear that the maid could not have had time to kill the old woman before catching her train and that the money on her was not stolen. Commissario Guido Brunetti decides -unofficially- to take on the case himself.

At home, Brunetti's loving wife, Paola, reads the chapter in her daughter's religious instruction book about the Seven Deadly Sins. As he investigates the case, Brunetti realizes that this is probably not a crime motivated by Greed, rather that the motive may have more to do with the temptations of Lust. But perhaps Brunetti is following a false trail and thinking of the wrong sin altogether.

Doctored Evidence is an impeccable novel of suspense that once more finds Commissario Brunetti and his indispensable aid, Signorina Elettra, navigating the murky backwaters of Venetian society. Donna Leon brilliantly recreates contemporary Venice, showing why she has been praised around the world as a masterful storyteller.
I have also read these:
#1 Death at La Fenice (1992)
#2 Death in a Strange Country (1993)
#3 Dressed for Death (1994)
#4 Death and Judgment (1995)
#18 About Face (2009)
#19 A Question of Belief
#20 Drawing Conclusions

16 comments:

  1. Sounds interesting.

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    1. If you like mysteries it's a good series.

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  2. I love books that transport you to the place and Venice is such an amazing city! I remember you talking about this series before, it sounds fabulous 😀. Happy Wednesday! J 😊 x

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    1. Venice! I can almost feel like I'm there. Almost ;)

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  3. You've mentioned these before and I have yet to read one. I need to remember to check them out. I love arm chair traveling and seeing the world-both in person and through books. Happy August my friend. Hugs-Erika

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    1. I hope you can find one to try. I do enjoy the feeling that I'm on a canal in Venice. Because that'd be a good thing :)

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  4. I remember how much you enjoy this series and would LOVE to read this one. Unfortunately, our library system doesn't have any books by Donna Leon.

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    1. She's prolific. It's a shame they don't have a few of them. There are so many books, though, and so little money and shelf space for libraries :(

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  5. I love Donna Leon and Commisario Brunetti! ♥♥♥

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  6. I enjoyed the two of these I read. :)
    You introduced me.

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    1. Actually I found audio versions online for those two I mentioned so I went on youtube and found several more audio versions!! Nice! Now that I plan to be in the studio more (first cleaning and organizing) I can play the books while I work. :)

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    2. I wish audio books worked for me. My mind wanders, and I forget I'm reading lol

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  7. I am liking this series of books, thank you for recommending. I'll see if we have this one at the library.

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    1. I'm so glad you like them :) He's a likable detective, I think, and the stories are always interesting.

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