Give Unto Others (A Commissario Brunetti Mystery)

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I had looked forward to reading this latest offering from Donna Leon but sad to say it did not engage me as much as many of her other books. A woman Brunetti knew from his childhood seeks him out, allegedly to help figure out what is happening with her adult daughter. In this instance, a certain female neighbour from yesteryear requests Brunetti’s assistance confidentially, he has to decide whether to involve his professional colleagues on an “informal basis”, or not.

Brunetti is approached by a woman who knew him and his family long ago, asking his “advice”; she is worried about her daughter because of the behaviour of the daughter’s husband. But Brunetti also decides to look into a charity that Enrico helped his father-in-law set up pro-bono, something that seems to have potential when his colleague Ispettore Lorenzo Vianello explains how little official oversight there appears to be on these entities. Talking of the state of play, I loved how Leon described the task of plotting out the characters to unravel the mystery. What they provide is an attractive escape amongst a well fleshed out cast of characters, while providing a great sense of place and of Italian attitudes to many social issues. An annual blessing, a fine series—one of the finest (see what I mean) in the mystery (or any) genre .I would always recommend giving them a go, start with Death at La Fenice and see if you fall in love with Brunetti. One of my favorite parts of the series is reading about Brunetti and his family life, and here that was moved to the very back with just a couple of appearances from Paola, so it was a bit disappointing. I appreciate how Donna Leon skillfully builds the story slowly, adding new characters and laying out the state of play. Leon throws in distractions and red herrings and leads the reader not at all where they thought they were going. Find a comfortable chair, pour a goblet of Italian wine, maintain social distancing at all times and settle back for several hours of living inside Guido Brunetti’s head.

Brunetti has all of the facts, but if there is no proof will it be another case where the guilty go unpunished.Some of the highlights of this addition to the series are the insightful pictures provided of class, dementia, the way that charities can be seen and utilised in society and the parallels to be found of the experience of Covid and the police investigation. In Venice the first wave of the pandemic is beginning to wane, with lockdowns and curfews at last being wound down. I’m always sad to reach the conclusion to one of these books as it means I’ll have to wait a further twelve months for the next one. I have always enjoyed the Venetian setting, the Venetian foods, and the Venetian customs found in Ms.

Commissario Brunetti is asked by a childhood acquaintance to look into the behaviour of her son-in-law, who is described as having said something to frighten her daughter. Of course, Brunetti and his team will wrap up everything but not without some big surprises and revelations that were never meant to see the light of day. It isn't against the law for husbands to be a little short with their wives and he wonders if he can justify spending police time for the benefit of someone he wouldn't even have described as a friend.Her son-in-law has alarmed his wife by telling her they might be in danger because of something he's involved with. 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. The pace of this novel is slow and stately but save it for the weekend when you don’t have to put it down even for a meal.