FALLING IN LOVE
Donna Leon
April 2015
Atlantic Monthly Press
All the characters Leon’s many readers have learned to love are back in her latest novel featuring Comissario Brunetti. Guido Brunetti himself, of course; his wife and children; Inspector Vianello; and Signorina Elettra. And the city of Venice itself, increasingly beset by the stress and strain of hordes of tourists, yet retaining all its allure and sense of home for those who live and work there.
Flavia Petrelli has returned to Venice – readers of the earlier books in this series will remember her – a soprano often in demand for performances at La Fenice, Venice’s little gem of an opera house. Guido was instrumental in helping her in those early books, first when she was accused of murder and in a later volume when her lover was brutally attacked.
She is now being stalked by an unknown fan, besieged with gifts of flowers and obscenely expensive jewelry. More worrisome are vicious attacks on two other people who are close to Flavia. These attacks bring Brunetti into the action. He must first convince his superior office, Patta, that an investigation would be appropriate, and as expected Guido’s remarkable diplomatic skill succeeds and Patta give the go ahead.
Leon’s readers are always ready for another adventure for Brunetti. In addition to a very skillful and realistic police procedural, Leon fills her books with mouthwatering Venetian meals and atmospheric strolls along the canal and through the many campos.
This reviewer highly recommends all of Leon’s books. Although it’s helpful to be familiar with the returning cast of characters, a reader new to the series can begin with any of them. Like all the books that preceded it, FALLING IN LOVE is a treat to be anticipated and enjoyed.
A R Pickett aka Woodstock
