Author: Donna Leon
Title: Death At La Fenice
Publisher: Arrow
Published: 1992
Pages: 352
Genre: Crime Thriller
The twisted maze of Venice's canals has always been shrouded in mystery. Even the celebrated opera house, La Fenice, has seen its share of death ... but none so horrific and violent as that of world-famous conductor, Maestro Helmut Wellauer, who was poisoned during a performance of La Traviata. Even Commissario of Police, Guido Brunetti, used to the labyrinthine corruptions of the city, is shocked at the number of enemies Wellauer has made on his way to the top - but just how many have motive enough for murder? The beauty of Venice is crumbling. But evil is one thing that will never erode with age.
Recently I was lucky enough to take a trip out of the country for the first time in a good long while. Whenever I go somewhere new I try and hunt out a book set there. It's something I usually buy whilst there or at the airport on the flight out. I think this time around however I was just far too excited to be going on holiday again. So whilst in Venice even having visited the most beautiful bookstore in the world Librairie Acqua Alta I still forgot to get myself a book to commemorate the trip. I honestly dont know what I was thinking. Anyway having come back I was telling someone about my recent trip when they asked if I had ever read Dona Leon. Now, Whilst I had heard the name I had never actually gotten around to reading any of her books. So with some amazing memories still fresh in my mind of such a wonderful and unique place I thought it was probably the best time to finally pick up one of her books and give it a shot. And for once I came to the startling conclusion that I would go right back to the being rather than my usual habit of stumbling in part way through a series
Leon has centered her tales around Commissario Guido Brunetti a Venician born and bread. Even having spent time away for his job he is a man who has come back to live and work in the place that is home in his heart. What was great to see was that for once this is not a man with a broken life. He has a loving and very normal family. They get on as much as any of us get on with our families. The scenes with his wife seemed very warming and at times funny. It also works well with the pacing of the crime story which is the main driver of this tale. These lighter moments lift the tale and show us that it is possible to deal with death and corruption on a daily basis and still be a functioning human being. Brunetti is also very good at his job, even when this tale gets to be it's most complex and twisted he is still pulling at all the strands to see where we will finally end up. I liked that Leon has crafted a hero so confident in his abilities. Brunetti not only knows he is perfectly capable but he also knows how to run his team with great effect. When to give them room to run with an idea and when to pull them in. But she is not completely immune to some of the standards of the genre. His boss does like to think he knows best and is more than capable of taking credit for others' work. But once again our hero knows how to deal with this to.
It's funny how books seem to read a little differently to you when you have been to the places they are set. Now whilst I didn't get the chance to actually go into La Fenice I did walk past it whilst I was there and a few other locations mentioned in this book. I was also as it turned out staying just around the corner from the police station that is supposed to be Brunetti's. This for me all added to my enjoyment of the book. But let's be honest with the best will in the world even with all this if the story sucked then it wouldn't have mattered for squat. Luckily Leon is very good at what she does although I suppose you don't get to thirty-two books by only being ok. Here I found the story to be very engaging and she brings you into the world of the grand opera with ease. These people may not live lives even remotely close to what we do but Leon manages to bring them right down to earth. I suppose people's drives and passions are not all that different no matter which path we walk. What we get then is a tale that is complex enough to keep even the best of us on our toes. All the while delivering characters that you can't wait to find out more about. But with this being a crime novel they are all dripping in secrets that are bound to leave you in shock with each revelation.
Death At La Fenice is a book that delivered for me on every level. This is a well-thought-out and paced crime novel. Leon gets you so totally invested in her characters that you are left wanting to know what is going to become of our heroes and how their lives might just turn out. It is also a taught and gripping thriller that leads you by the nose from one revelation to the next. The way it all ends up playing out was something I don't think I have seen in a novel such as this before. Whilst the motives we see in crime novels are more often than not played out countless times before us. It is the how that keeps us coming back time and again. It's in the nitty-gritty of these devilish acts that we come to find our enjoyment in reading such books. Leon has certainly managed to take me by surprise with this book. Something that doesn't seem to happen so often anymore. So not only can I recommend this book but I already have the next two sitting next to me as I write this so...
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