Reviews

Dressed for Death by Donna Leon

nigel1962's review against another edition

challenging mysterious tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

outcolder's review against another edition

2.0

She could have done a better job with the queer characters. That the police and the average Venetian are homo- and transphobic even if they mean well seems reasonable but I couldn’t shake the feeling that Donna Leon is herself in that well-meaning but off-key category. Still, I read it to the end, enjoyed the crime and I also enjoyed Brunetti’s visit to his mother.

gmamartha's review

dark mysterious

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes

3.0

3 with writing, but I do not like thinking of all the corruption in power and other matters.

deedee63's review

dark tense medium-paced

3.0

sjyudelson's review against another edition

mysterious medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

gladbelief's review against another edition

adventurous funny tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No

3.75

book_concierge's review

3.0

Audio book performed by David Colacci

Commissario Guido Brunetti’s plans for a family getaway to the mountains are waylaid when a body is found, the face so badly beaten as to be unrecognizable. What is clear, however, is that the man was a transvestite, and probably a prostitute. Or was he?

I love Guido and this series of mysteries set in and around Venice. Brunetti is methodical and unflappable; he understands the Italian bureaucracy, and how to get around it. Not a man who suffers fools gladly, he prefers to use his brains to outwit the bad guys, but isn’t above using some brawn when called for. Colacci’s performance on the audio is great, bringing this quiet hero to life.

d_audy's review against another edition

dark funny informative mysterious fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.25

Another good mystery from Donna Leon, slightly darker in tone than her preceding two.  Once again she weaves a story set well away from the tourist traps and brings us deeper in the maze of calle and canals where the true heat of the city beats, not afraid to expose the darker sides, from the corruption to all the housing difficulties that drive citizens away. The true magic of Leon is that she manages to do that while showing the daily life of the Venetians and the charms of living in the city.   Leon also challenges a bit the traditions of whodunnits, as sometimes identifying killers is half the job.  

Here Commissario Brunetti, left alone while his family left for the mid-August vacations, has to solve the gruesome murder of a transvestite found near a slaughterhouse, a case that proves murkier and more dangerous as it progresses.  

kvlreader's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional funny hopeful mysterious sad tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

5.0

thebacklister's review against another edition

dark mysterious medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.0