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jennmb's review
dark
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
cerisecarrot's review against another edition
3.0
Got a bit bored with this book. Far too much description and the outcome was obvious from early on.
kjersa's review
4.0
Didn’t expect to enjoy it this much, tbh! I think my reading the plot summary ahead of time helped synthesize clues as they were coming in. Audiobook reader did some great Italian accents.
firecrackeruk's review against another edition
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
I had to check when this book was published because it felt like it should have been the 70s or 80s (it was 2015). A lot of casual xenophobia and homophobia (which to be fair, was part of the plot). It just felt dated..
Content Warnings
Moderate: Pedophilia, Homophobia, and Rape
Minor: Abortion, Suicide, and War
magiasson's review
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
outcolder's review
3.0
My current obsession with La Traviata brought me to this book, in which a Karajan-ish conductor is poisoned after the first act. Leon’s Venice is wonderful, kind of run down, cold, wet, foggy... a glorious relic. The characters are all lots of fun, although there wasn’t much reason to care about whodunnit... the conductor is particularly unpleasant and I wasn’t feeling much sympathy for his widow, either. Cool politics too, decidedly antifascist, something you can’t take for granted anymore. Does Brunetti kind of bumble around in the other books, or do the plots get a little tighter?
mike_word's review against another edition
dark
informative
lighthearted
mysterious
reflective
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
l_o_t_rfan's review
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Homophobia and Murder
rodney1946's review
mysterious
relaxing
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
3.0
My addiction to mysteries continues, with two books by Donna Leon, set in Venice (which of course is half the charm). The first of her series concerns a poisioned conductor at the opera and is called Murder at La Fenice. The detective, Guido Brunetti is attractive and certainly smart, but a little mysterious himself (this despite the wife at home and other homely details). The writing is gracious and interesting and the political convictions are honorable. Uniform Justice, a later book in the same series is actually much better (better paced and more complicated a crime). Interestingly enough, so far, no one ever comes to justice!
posted by RodneyPhillips @ 7:23 AM