The outside world has moved on and there are references to a post-pandemic situation where some are reluctant to wear masks or are forgetful about it. While the Brunetti books, with their abundance of local color and gastronomic treats, appeal to the fans of the traditional mystery, Leon has something darker and deeper in mind. On the positive side, the ending was closed and it did not leave any loose threads, which have not always been the case in some of the latest books in the series.

Donna Leon's latest in the Commissario Guido Brunnetti series is an intelligent, slow burn, meandering unofficial investigation led by Brunnetti, in which he ropes in fellow Questura colleagues, Claudia Griffoni, Lorenzo Vianello and the woman from whom very little can be hidden, secretary Signorina Elletra Zorza.

A panoramic view of the Campo Santi Giovanni e Paolo in Venice with the equestrian statue of mercenary Bartolomeo Colleoni on the extreme right. I wonder if Ms Leon would ever think of spin offs as her secondary characters like Elettra, Vianello, Griffoni and his in laws are more interesting than he is now. and there is a certain Netflix conversation with a colleague that cleverly disguises the real subject of their discussion from unwanted listeners.

The reader has watched his children grow and mature, seen his relationship with his wife Paola define and deepen and eaten many a mouth-watering meal around their kitchen table. Foscarini's son-in-law, Enrico Fenzo, has alarmed his wife (her daughter) by confessing their family might be in danger because of something he's involved with.

Revenge, that deformed child of justice, fed itself with blind desire incapable of seeing what was ahead, caring nothing about means or method and about what it destroyed in its wake. Often the spotlight is on a specific crime that’s been committed but on other occasions it's focus can feel somewhat nebulous. You're a good man without dangerous vices, have a kind heart, adore your beloved and historic city (despite the annoying tourists, especially those Americans with their white tennis shoes), and have the citizens and safety of visitors in mind as you do your job. Some people are still wearing masks, there is talk about the lack of tourists and closed businesses, people hesitate to touch other people the way they would in normal conversations, the hospitals have restrictions, but other things are business as usual.

It’s a long time since I read a Donna Leon, whose Inspecttor Brunetti books seemed to get darker and darker as they dealt with horrific crimes like people trafficking, child sex abuse and making snuff movies. Brunetti and Commissario Claudia Griffoni (because he brings her in without hesitation) quickly conclude that Enrico Fenzo’s remarks must refer to one of his clients who, on initial examination, seem innocuous, not ringing any alarm bells. The crime itself – if you can actually identify one – is often inconsequential to my enjoyment of these books, what I most enjoy is the verbal jousting that takes place between the various players and the frequent tangential musings on art, food, literature and history, or simply on the overt bureaucracy that is an inescapable component of life in this country.

I see from other reviews many people have given five star reviews so maybe this one just wasn’t for me. The author’s stories do, though, paint a warts and all picture of the city of Venice, showing us the underbelly of a place replete with high culture and wealth. Leon’s thirty-first novel in the Brunetti series is about human weakness of all kinds: drugs, dementia and dietrologia or, to put it another way, the need to know.

Talking of the state of play, I loved how Leon described the task of plotting out the characters to unravel the mystery. The book is steeped in a gray, murky atmosphere as Leon describes the pandemic-related devastation of Venice’s tourist-dependent economy—a devastation that mirrors Brunetti’s inner turmoil as he tries to determine where his loyalty lies in the increasingly disturbing—and puzzling—investigation. When reading a Brunetti novel, you expect to get more than just the story with which to immerse yourself.One night at dinner, Chiara asks for her father’s help with an assignment --- they are to choose their favorite Greek play and scene. The books often look at political, environmental or social issues, commenting on the frustration of people having to face bureaucracy and corruption in the process. Yet his clients seem benign: an optician, a restaurateur, a charity established by his father-in-law. They are written in English and translated into many foreign languages, although not, by her request, into Italian. Meanwhile, he is alerted to an attack on the veterinary hospital where Elisabetta’s daughter, Dottoressa, works.