{"id":33701,"date":"2017-10-27T22:06:48","date_gmt":"2017-10-28T02:06:48","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/sonderbooks.com\/blog\/?p=33701"},"modified":"2017-10-27T22:06:48","modified_gmt":"2017-10-28T02:06:48","slug":"review-of-earthly-remains-by-donna-leon","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sonderbooks.com\/blog\/?p=33701","title":{"rendered":"Review of Earthly Remains, by Donna Leon"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/a>Earthly Remains<\/em><\/p>\n

by Donna Leon<\/p>\n

Atlantic Monthly Press, 2017. 308 pages.
\nStarred Review<\/p>\n

I have long meant to read a Donna Leon Commissario Guido Brunetti<\/em> mystery. Her books are set in Venice \u2013 and who can help but love Venice? I finally got my hands on an advance reader copy \u2013 and I like to bring those on vacation \u2013 so I finally got one read, and think I will have to read some more.<\/p>\n

I haven\u2019t read any others, but I was quickly involved in this book. The Commissario gets himself in a situation where he\u2019s given medical leave to take a vacation. <\/p>\n

He goes out into the laguna<\/em> to a villa of a family friend of his wife. He does daily rowing with the old caretaker, who it turns out was a friend of his father. But after some time together, rowing and caring for the old man\u2019s bees \u2013 the old family friend turns up dead after a storm. <\/p>\n

Guido is enough involved to want to figure out what happened. One thing leads to another\u2026.<\/p>\n

I enjoyed this book very much. I expected Venice and got the laguna<\/em> where I\u2019ve never been \u2013 but the writing was wonderfully descriptive and atmospheric. But I loved the characters. Guido Brunetti has been around and understands people. I like his curiosity that won\u2019t simply let this rest.<\/p>\n

I will say I wasn\u2019t completely happy with how things turned out. When I read a mystery, I expect to see justice done, and there was more than one instance that seemed to be coming up short. But \u2013 it\u2019s all presented with Guido Brunetti\u2019s pragmatic awareness of what can be done and his philosophical attitude about what people are really like. And it all makes for enjoyable reading. I think I\u2019m going to be looking for the first book in this series and get some history with these characters whom I liked so much.<\/p>\n

groveatlantic.com<\/a><\/p>\n

Buy from Amazon.com<\/a><\/p>\n

Find this review on Sonderbooks<\/a> at: www.sonderbooks.com\/Fiction\/earthly_remains.html<\/a><\/p>\n

Disclosure: I am an Amazon Affiliate, and will earn a small percentage if you order a book on Amazon after clicking through from my site.<\/p>\n

Source: This review is based on an Advance Reader Copy I got at ALA Midwinter Meeting.<\/p>\n

Disclaimer: I am a professional librarian, but I maintain my website and blogs on my own time. The views expressed are solely my own, and in no way represent the official views of my employer or of any committee or group of which I am part.<\/p>\n

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