So Shall You Reap
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- Create Date：2023-03-15 21:22:43
- Update Date：2025-09-06
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- Author：Donna Leon
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Summary
In the thirty-second installment of Donna Leon’s bestselling series， a connection to Guido Brunetti’s own youthful past helps solve a mysterious murder
On a cold November evening， Guido Brunetti and Paola are up late when a call from his colleague Ispettore Vianello arrives， alerting the Commissario that a hand has been seen in one of Venice’s canals。 The body is soon found， and Brunetti is assigned to investigate the murder of an undocumented Sri Lankan immigrant。 Because no official record of the man’s presence in Venice exists， Brunetti is forced to use the city’s far richer sources of information: gossip and the memories of people who knew the victim。 Curiously， he had been living in a small house on the grounds of a palazzo owned by a university professor， in which Brunetti discovers books revealing the victim’s interest in Buddhism， the revolutionary Tamil Tigers， and the last crop of Italian political terrorists， active in the 1980s。
As the investigation expands， Brunetti， Vianello， Commissario Griffoni， and Signora Elettra each assemble pieces of a puzzle—random information about real estate and land use， books， university friendships—that appear to have little in common， until Brunetti stumbles over something that transports him back to his own student days， causing him to reflect on lost ideals and the errors of youth， on Italian politics and history， and on the accidents that sometimes lead to revelation。
On a cold November evening， Guido Brunetti and Paola are up late when a call from his colleague Ispettore Vianello arrives， alerting the Commissario that a hand has been seen in one of Venice’s canals。 The body is soon found， and Brunetti is assigned to investigate the murder of an undocumented Sri Lankan immigrant。 Because no official record of the man’s presence in Venice exists， Brunetti is forced to use the city’s far richer sources of information: gossip and the memories of people who knew the victim。 Curiously， he had been living in a small house on the grounds of a palazzo owned by a university professor， in which Brunetti discovers books revealing the victim’s interest in Buddhism， the revolutionary Tamil Tigers， and the last crop of Italian political terrorists， active in the 1980s。
As the investigation expands， Brunetti， Vianello， Commissario Griffoni， and Signora Elettra each assemble pieces of a puzzle—random information about real estate and land use， books， university friendships—that appear to have little in common， until Brunetti stumbles over something that transports him back to his own student days， causing him to reflect on lost ideals and the errors of youth， on Italian politics and history， and on the accidents that sometimes lead to revelation。
Reviews
Susan
，
This is a series that continues to be one of my favorites。 Commissario Guido Brunetti is a wonderful character， a man we have seen grow in his job， seen interacting with family and friends and we look forward to catching up with him in each new mystery。 I'm never disappointed。Venice is more than a location to showcase his cases。 She is a living， breathing character and each book transports me back to the times I have spent there。 Donna Leon has a way with words and setting scenes that is pitch p This is a series that continues to be one of my favorites。 Commissario Guido Brunetti is a wonderful character， a man we have seen grow in his job， seen interacting with family and friends and we look forward to catching up with him in each new mystery。 I'm never disappointed。Venice is more than a location to showcase his cases。 She is a living， breathing character and each book transports me back to the times I have spent there。 Donna Leon has a way with words and setting scenes that is pitch perfect。 For example， instead of going on trying to show how well Guido and his two fellow officers get along， she shows the reader。 Guido， Vianello and Griffoni are walking three abreast， conversing about local crime。 "Hearing his question， Griffoni， who has been walking on the right side， closest to the buildings， changed places to walk between the two men， the better to hear what Vianello， who was walking near the water， had to say" They are in perfect harmony and they make a great investigative team。 This time they are faced with a body found in a canal。 The man was an immigrant from Sri Lanka and Guido had spoken with him only the day before。 When they search his residence - the guest house of a palazzo - they find books that paint a puzzling picture of his interests and politics。 Without official documentation at hand Guido turns to local gossip， the man's friends and lots of old fashioned foot work。 The puzzle is very satisfying， there is a good balance of humor and seriousness， light and dark - both in tone and in weather and I very much enjoyed my armchair visit to one of my favorite cities。My thanks to the publisher Atlantic Monthly Press and to NetGalley for giving me an advance copy in exchange for my honest review。 。。。more
Jean Kolinofsky
，
So Shall You Reap is the thirty-second book in Donna Leon’s Commissario。 Brunetti series and the reader is once again treated to all of the charm that Venice has to offer。 In the late evening Brunetti receives a call regarding a possible body in one of the canals。 The victim is Inesh Kavinda， a Sri Lankan immigrant who is living in the guest house behind a palazzo。 The palazzo is owned by a university professor and his wife， a woman that Brunetti has previously met。 She had found Inesh mugged in So Shall You Reap is the thirty-second book in Donna Leon’s Commissario。 Brunetti series and the reader is once again treated to all of the charm that Venice has to offer。 In the late evening Brunetti receives a call regarding a possible body in one of the canals。 The victim is Inesh Kavinda， a Sri Lankan immigrant who is living in the guest house behind a palazzo。 The palazzo is owned by a university professor and his wife， a woman that Brunetti has previously met。 She had found Inesh mugged in front of their home eight years ago and offered him a home in exchange for some maintenance。 On Inesh’s shelves Brunetti finds books on Buddhism as well as those on Italy’s political problems of the 1980s。 They take him back to his own days at the university when students fought for change。 There is also a scrapbook filled with articles reflecting the ideas and threats of the time。 Brunetti is sure that the scrapbook is tied to the murder。 The articles were all written under assumed names。 If he can discover the actual names of the authors， it may reveal the connection。Commissario Brunetti is joined by his associates Claudia Griffoni and Inspettore Vianello。 They have a comfortable working relationship and their mutual respect is evident。 Brunetti is also a devoted husband and father。 Scenes around a dinner table with his family evoke a feeling of comfort。 Brunetti finally ties Inesh’s death to an unsolved crime from those earlier years， but it is Sara， Inesh’s dog， who points him to the solution。 Fans of Louise Penny will fall in love with Commissario Brunetti and his Venice。 I would like to thank NetGalley and Grove Atlantic for providing this book for my review。 。。。more
Kaye Fraser
，
This is the first of the Brunetti novels I have read and I have an awful out of catching up to do！ What a joy it is to be in Venice with this thoughtful， cultured and insightful detective。 This book has it all - a really gripping story， superb writing， brilliant characterisation and descriptions of place that make the city come alive。 What a joy that there are thirty books to read to get to know Guido Brunetti better。
Geoff Jones
，
This is the first book by the author set in Venice and featuring Commisario Guido Brunetti that I have read。 I've certainly missed a treat and will catch up on the previous thirty one books。 Happilly married with two children， he and his colleagues Claudia Griffoni and Vianello make a good partnership。 When a man's dead body is pulled from one of the canals and Guido realises he has met him， a intriguing case starts。 Gently paced but very enjoyable， definitely recommended as a good read。 This is the first book by the author set in Venice and featuring Commisario Guido Brunetti that I have read。 I've certainly missed a treat and will catch up on the previous thirty one books。 Happilly married with two children， he and his colleagues Claudia Griffoni and Vianello make a good partnership。 When a man's dead body is pulled from one of the canals and Guido realises he has met him， a intriguing case starts。 Gently paced but very enjoyable， definitely recommended as a good read。 。。。more
Jill Stirling
，
I nearly didn't finish this one。 I find the moral ambivalence very disturbing。 As the detectives try to solve and crime and get justice， the forces of relative humanism that seems inherent in the Italian judicial system and these detectives stymie their efforts。 They bend and break the law at ill。 Even getting colleague off the hook involved blatant lies。 The colleague was then treated like victim throughout the book。 The secretary's absolute disregard for the rule of law gets a bit wearing。 It I nearly didn't finish this one。 I find the moral ambivalence very disturbing。 As the detectives try to solve and crime and get justice， the forces of relative humanism that seems inherent in the Italian judicial system and these detectives stymie their efforts。 They bend and break the law at ill。 Even getting colleague off the hook involved blatant lies。 The colleague was then treated like victim throughout the book。 The secretary's absolute disregard for the rule of law gets a bit wearing。 It seems that without her the detectives or the forensic team cannot do their job。 In fact I wonder why they try so hard at times only to have the judges decide there is no case。 The rude， sneery and prejudiced way the two policemen spoke about demonstrators against Gay pride and "anti -vax" rallies was nearly a book refund moment。 The most interesting bits are the flights of philosophical thinking that is involved。 Clever writing but dispiriting at times。 。。。more
S Richardson
，
Good。 A pleasure to read， clean，clear and simple。 Considerably less introspective than Donna Leon’s usual style， perhaps shorter than most modern stories， which can only be a benefit ！
TonyR
，
This 32nd instalment regarding criminals in the lagoon city did not disappoint。 A number of threads some very relevant and others left hanging。 There seemed more detail than in other recent volumes both about Italian society but also about how people interact。 At least a portion of the troubles were solved in this one。
Janet
，
On a cold November evening， Guido Brunetti and Paola are up late when a call from his colleague Ispettore Vianello arrives， alerting the Commissario that a hand has been seen in one of Venice's canals。 The body is soon found， and Brunetti is assigned to investigate the murder of an undocumented Sri Lankan immigrant。 As the investigation expands， Brunetti， Vianello， Commissario Griffoni， and Signorina Elettra each assemble pieces of a puzzle-random information about real estate and land use， book On a cold November evening， Guido Brunetti and Paola are up late when a call from his colleague Ispettore Vianello arrives， alerting the Commissario that a hand has been seen in one of Venice's canals。 The body is soon found， and Brunetti is assigned to investigate the murder of an undocumented Sri Lankan immigrant。 As the investigation expands， Brunetti， Vianello， Commissario Griffoni， and Signorina Elettra each assemble pieces of a puzzle-random information about real estate and land use， books， university friendships-that appear to have little in common。 Until Brunetti stumbles over something that transports him back to his own student days， causing him to reflect on lost ideals and the errors of youth， on Italian politics and history， and on the accidents that sometimes lead to revelation。Another engrossing read in this long running series & I thoroughly enjoyed it。 This is a well written book which saunters rather than runs， which made me able to appreciate the prose， descriptions & characters。 As this book deals with events from a few decades ago， details about Brunetti as a student are revealed。 An enthralling read， which I thoroughly enjoyedMy honest review is for a special copy I voluntarily read 。。。more
Mary Picken
，
As Brunetti undertakes a regular cull of his books to make way for new ones and muses on the three sessions a week that his wife Paola teaches at the University he is called to the aid of a colleague。 Alvise has surprised Brunetti and Ispettore Vianelli by becoming caught up in a protest and arrested。 Such matters are delicate not so much because of the nature of the protest， but rather because the delicacy of navigating the protocols over the arrest of a fellow officer is a tricky one to traver As Brunetti undertakes a regular cull of his books to make way for new ones and muses on the three sessions a week that his wife Paola teaches at the University he is called to the aid of a colleague。 Alvise has surprised Brunetti and Ispettore Vianelli by becoming caught up in a protest and arrested。 Such matters are delicate not so much because of the nature of the protest， but rather because the delicacy of navigating the protocols over the arrest of a fellow officer is a tricky one to traverse。 But this is， of course， where Brunetti excels – in understanding the language and the body language and what needs not to be said in order to bring matters to a satisfactory conclusion。Signora Elettra has been away at an important cyber security conference but returns unimpressed。 The Italian Police have a long way to go before they catch up with her quietly impressive skills。Brunetti hears news of a well-known burglar who is reputedly now back in operation in Venice but that has to be put aside when he is called out to the discovery of a hand， quickly followed by a body， lifted from the Canal。 Brunetti is surprised to discover that he has met the man， a Sri Lankan， only recently。 Such is the way of Venice that， in the course of following up a query from his father in law， he had enquired only recently at the Palazzo in whose somewhat neglected grounds the Sri Lankan lived ， to see if the property might be for sale。The Palazzo has a nunnery as a neighbour and as Guido investigates he finds more about Inesh Kavinda， the murdered man， who was undocumented。 He used to do odd jobs for the Palazzo’s owners， including helping Professore Molin to take his daily walks。 So the team have to piece together the scraps of information they can find in order to make a complete picture of the man。 One of the odd things they discover from looking through his shed/cottage in the grounds is a scrapbook of newspaper cuttings that he has kept。Kavinda had a finger bone in his pocket which is curious to say the least。 And the newspaper cuttings relate to past terrorism activities in Italy which seems very much at odds with the Buddhism he practiced。 Brunetti is acquainted with one of the owners。 Gloria Molin he knew from his youth， though they have not met since。 Professore Molin， in the process of trying to lay claim to a noble heritage， is not very helpful but Brunetti is effusive in his humility as befits one of the lower orders。 “Brunetti gushed with thanks， as though he were the public fountain in Campo Santa Margherita， free to spill its freshness at the feet of Professor Molin。” Flattery and obeisance is clearly the way to secure the co-operation of such an esteemed figure and as always it is Brunetti’s understanding of the human psyche that gives him his advantage。Gloria Molin describes Inesh as a man who was a tireless worker; who helped many older people and was kind and gentle with them and who loved his family and his books。 Though his reading matter was mainly English novels， he also had an interest in Italian History and had asked her about The Red Brigade。As Brunetti， Vianello and Claudia Griffoni investigate， with the help of Signora Elettra’s distinct specialist skills， they have to piece together the various scraps of information they are able to garner in order to establish a fuller picture of what happened。It is Brunetti’s understanding of life， the class system and Venetians that makes these books so special。 Together with his trusted team， they work diligently on the small bits of information they gather until they can see the whole picture and when it comes together it isn’t pretty。But as always， Brunetti is calmed by his contact with the rhythms and cadences of the city and its people and as he follows the case through we learn a little more about Guido as a young man and why especially he is less than fond of jackets with leather patches on the elbows。Verdict: Donna Leon again delights with the well-plotted investigations of Guido Brunetti。 We love to understand his resentment of the surveillance age even as his investigations benefit from it。 We enjoy his reflections over various espressos – because leaving his place of work at the Questura helps to restore balance to his life and certainly nothing does that more than heading home for lunch with his wife and children。 It is in the trivialities of life that Guido finds his peace; that and knowing that wrongdoing will not prevail under his watch。 。。。more
Scilla
，
This is another great story about Venice， and policeman Bruno Brunetti and his his colleagues Vianello and Griffoni。 Brunetti is a great character - a compassionate police man and good husband and father。 He and Vianello rescue Alvise from being arrested at a march for gay rights。 When Bruno’s wife Paola tells him the son of a friend of wants to buy the palazzo belonging to a university professor， he remembers that his friend Luigi’s daughter Gloria is married to Molin。 Brunetti goes to the pala This is another great story about Venice， and policeman Bruno Brunetti and his his colleagues Vianello and Griffoni。 Brunetti is a great character - a compassionate police man and good husband and father。 He and Vianello rescue Alvise from being arrested at a march for gay rights。 When Bruno’s wife Paola tells him the son of a friend of wants to buy the palazzo belonging to a university professor， he remembers that his friend Luigi’s daughter Gloria is married to Molin。 Brunetti goes to the palazzo。 A Sri Lankan who answers says the palazzo is not for sale。After dinner， Vianello calls to to tell Brunetti that a body has been found in the canal。 When the body is pulled out， Brunetti immediately recognizes him as the Sri Lankan。 He had defense wounds on his hands， blood stains on his clothing， and puncture wounds on his body。 Later a witness says he saw someone push a man off the bridge。Gradually Brunetti gets more clues。 He knew Molin， Rubini， and Nesi were friends who were in university when he was， and that they were all in a class with Professor Loreti just before Loreti disappeared after going out to meet someone after dinner for a drink。 When Brunetti asks Elettra to find the films on the street cameras， the case can be closed。 Of course， Brunetti always solves his case; this time he solves a cold case as well。 。。。more
Denis Wheller
，
An unregistered Sri Lankan， Inesh Kavinda， is found dead of multiple stab wounds。 Commissario Guido Brunnetti of the Venice Police investigates in this， the 32nd book in the series。 The dead man had been living in a small ‘house’ in the overgrown garden of a Palazzo tucked away in a backwater area。 The palazzo is owned by Professore Renato Molin， a lecturer at the University， and his wife Gloria。 Guido knows her and has， in fact， previously met Inesh， which might seem an excess of coincidence bu An unregistered Sri Lankan， Inesh Kavinda， is found dead of multiple stab wounds。 Commissario Guido Brunnetti of the Venice Police investigates in this， the 32nd book in the series。 The dead man had been living in a small ‘house’ in the overgrown garden of a Palazzo tucked away in a backwater area。 The palazzo is owned by Professore Renato Molin， a lecturer at the University， and his wife Gloria。 Guido knows her and has， in fact， previously met Inesh， which might seem an excess of coincidence but， as Brunetti frequently points out， everybody in Venice knows everybody else。 A search of Inesh’s house turns up some interesting eclectic reading， including a surprising amount of material relating to the terrorist activities of the Red Brigade and its adherents during the 1970s and 1980s。 Guido had been a student in the latter part of this period and had briefly become involved with the political landscape but not the violent methods of the time。 With some insight， therefore， he employs logic， not necessarily supported with evidence， to untangle and explain the motive for the murder and identify the killer。The Commissario and his team are well loved characters with a large fan base。 This is the first book about them I have read so I come with no prejudices。 As a police procedural it follows a standard path， albeit a rather nonchalant one。 Readers who like fast pace， dynamic story lines will not find them here。 The plot is not particularly complex and the case easily solvable， but that is a minor concern。 The story is really about Italian history， and political conflicts， and a philosophical observer who happens to also be a participant。 It is also about Venice as a character in the proceedings; indeed the basic plot could happen anywhere but the story could only be in Venice。I would like to thank NetGalley， the publishers and the author for providing me with a draft proof copy for the purpose of this review。 。。。more
Michael Neill
，
What a pleasure to once again sink back into the enchanting Venetian world of Commissario Guido Brunetti。 Donna Leon is so clever the way she not only provides a thrilling mystery plot for her sleuth to solve but also incorporates bits of history， philosophy， politics and art lessons all punctuated with wonderful caricatures of Venice and the Venetians。 In her latest story， So Shall You Reap， Guido has to piece together the interesting life of a Sri Lankan whose body turns up in a canal and who What a pleasure to once again sink back into the enchanting Venetian world of Commissario Guido Brunetti。 Donna Leon is so clever the way she not only provides a thrilling mystery plot for her sleuth to solve but also incorporates bits of history， philosophy， politics and art lessons all punctuated with wonderful caricatures of Venice and the Venetians。 In her latest story， So Shall You Reap， Guido has to piece together the interesting life of a Sri Lankan whose body turns up in a canal and who has been living under the radar acting as a handyman for an aristocratic University Professor。 As always， the gulf between Brunetti’s working class roots and the more privileged life he now appears to lead brings conflict in his introspection when faced with arrogance and prejudice。 In addition， he has to reflect on how his view of society has changed since being an idealistic college student。 Those who are already devotees of Donna Leon will lap this up and not find any disappointment。 For those who are new to him， be prepared for a wonderful adventure in this ancient city。 Many thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for providing access to this pre publication edition。 。。。more
Marianne
，
So Shall You Reap is the thirty-second book in the Commissario Brunetti series by award-winning American-born author， Donna Leon。 Another visit to Guido Brunetti’s Venice， and it’s a good one！ While there are plenty of day-to-day tasks and issues keeping Commissario Guido Brunetti busy， it’s the vicious stabbing murder of an undocumented Sri Lankan servant that draws his attention from them。What is unsettling is that Guido spoke to the man only the day before his death， while trying to do his fa So Shall You Reap is the thirty-second book in the Commissario Brunetti series by award-winning American-born author， Donna Leon。 Another visit to Guido Brunetti’s Venice， and it’s a good one！ While there are plenty of day-to-day tasks and issues keeping Commissario Guido Brunetti busy， it’s the vicious stabbing murder of an undocumented Sri Lankan servant that draws his attention from them。What is unsettling is that Guido spoke to the man only the day before his death， while trying to do his father-in-law a favour。 Those who know Inesh Kavinda well pronounce him a good， kind man， so Guido is puzzled to find “the books he’d seen on the shelves: they were morally at odds with the man described to him” on topics like the Tamil Tigers and the Italian terrorists of the 1980s。Guido patiently talks to the man’s employer and the neighbours， but he is still mystified as to why someone would want to kill him。 By the time Guido has gathered a number of apparently-unrelated names that he feels are somehow connected to the murder， Signorina Elettra Zorzi has returned from a cybersecurity conference with a handy website address that may just help to tie it all together。 Against a background of a Sardinian pecorino tasting， a respected colleague’s imminent retirement， a call from Genova about a Venetian stalker， the relocation of a walnut door and frame at the Questura， baby gangs progressing from looting and vandalism to violence on the vulnerable， the tedium of personnel assessments， and an art thief taking a different career direction， the true facts of the mystery gradually unfold。As well， a certain incident in Treviso causes Guido and Lorenzo realise how little they know about the personal lives of those they work with every day; Guido narrowly escapes a cobra-like attack from Paola about sensitivity; and he wishes for a Roman augur to help him deal with Vice-Questore Patta。 One thing that will endear Guido to the reader is his ready acceptance that he does not know it all， that others might know better: he is willing to learn and seems utterly devoid of arrogance。Leon’s descriptive prose is delightful: “Bocchese was at his desk， along with the detritus of days， if not years。 Papers， reports， surveys， drawings lay across his desk like leaves in October。 There was no order， no plan， only apparent chaos， anti-design， mess。 Yet Bocchese， by some system he nursed in his bosom and revealed to no one， could find in that clutter， with the accuracy of a heron spearing a fish， any paper requested of him。” Leon manages to convey her setting with consummate ease。 This is another excellent dose of Italian crime fiction。 This unbiased review is from an uncorrected proof copy provided by NetGalley and Grove Atlantic 。。。more
Miki Jacobs
，
Brunetti is asked by his father in law to find out if a rumour that a particular property is up for sale has any truth in it。 He knocks on the door in question and is greeted by a Sri Lankan man， He is told no， it is not for sale。Later he is called to a body in the canal is stunned to discover that it is the same man who answered the door to him earlier in the day。The investigation leads back to a time of politics， kidnapping and terrorism and bad memories surface for Brunetti。Interesting。
Jo Ann
，
I received this book as an ARC from NetGalley。This is the latest and， in my opinion， one of the best Donna Leon novels with Commissario Brunetti as the main character。 As always， the city of Venice plays a major role in the police procedural。 The attention to detail in the local settings and navigation on the canals makes you feel that you are there。 I particularly enjoy the emphasis on Brunetti's relationships with his family and his colleagues。 The reader feels that he knows all of them person I received this book as an ARC from NetGalley。This is the latest and， in my opinion， one of the best Donna Leon novels with Commissario Brunetti as the main character。 As always， the city of Venice plays a major role in the police procedural。 The attention to detail in the local settings and navigation on the canals makes you feel that you are there。 I particularly enjoy the emphasis on Brunetti's relationships with his family and his colleagues。 The reader feels that he knows all of them personally。In this episode， there are three sub-plots。 One of the police officers is arrested at a gay-rights parade and we watch how his fellow officers react。 The second story revolves around an art thief who has recently been released from prison。 Rumor has it that he is "back in business。" The most upsetting case begins when a hand is seen above the waters of a canal。 The hand is attached to a body and this murder is the principle mystery needing closure by Brunetti and his crew。As ever， I look forward to future novels in this great series。 。。。more
Avril Hemingway
，
I found this book a little confusing and slow going。 The plot seemed to meander without much direction or even investigation。 Also minor character's seemed to come into play for no real purpose and no link to the mystery。 There seemed to be a lot moving between the past and present that didn't help。 Having said all that this is a new series to me so this might explain some of my confusion。 The story did do a great job of bringing Venice of the era to life。 I received an advance review copy for f I found this book a little confusing and slow going。 The plot seemed to meander without much direction or even investigation。 Also minor character's seemed to come into play for no real purpose and no link to the mystery。 There seemed to be a lot moving between the past and present that didn't help。 Having said all that this is a new series to me so this might explain some of my confusion。 The story did do a great job of bringing Venice of the era to life。 I received an advance review copy for free， and I am leaving this review voluntarily。 。。。more
Jerri White
，
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers。 To view it， click here。 I received this book in a Goodreads giveaway。 I am a fan of this series， having read all of them。 This installment was engaging and informative。 As always， I try to reach the conclusion myself， before reading the author’s。 I didn’t get there as quickly as usual this time and that’s wonderful！ I intentionally tried to read just a few chapters daily， as I didn’t want it to be over。 The characters are so well written， and the descriptions of locations are vivid enough that you can picture them in y I received this book in a Goodreads giveaway。 I am a fan of this series， having read all of them。 This installment was engaging and informative。 As always， I try to reach the conclusion myself， before reading the author’s。 I didn’t get there as quickly as usual this time and that’s wonderful！ I intentionally tried to read just a few chapters daily， as I didn’t want it to be over。 The characters are so well written， and the descriptions of locations are vivid enough that you can picture them in your mind。 I have become so familiar with these characters， that it feels as if I’m reading letters from friends。 I won’t describe the actual plot， but I am adding one spoiler， because I was concerned about it as I read。The dog lives。 。。。more
Carole Tyrrell
，
On a cold Venetian winter’s night， Commissario Guido Brunetti is called out by a colleague， Ispectorre Vianello。 A body has been seen in the waters of a canal and he goes to investigate。 It’s soon apparent that what happened to the victim was no accident and that it will now become a murder investigation。 But Brunetti recognises the victim as they had briefly met when he had been asked by a friend of a friend to ascertain if the Palazzo Zatto dei Leoni was for sale。 The victim had been the man w On a cold Venetian winter’s night， Commissario Guido Brunetti is called out by a colleague， Ispectorre Vianello。 A body has been seen in the waters of a canal and he goes to investigate。 It’s soon apparent that what happened to the victim was no accident and that it will now become a murder investigation。 But Brunetti recognises the victim as they had briefly met when he had been asked by a friend of a friend to ascertain if the Palazzo Zatto dei Leoni was for sale。 The victim had been the man who had answered the door and informed him that it was not。 And at the mortuary the staff find a mysterious object in his waistcoat pocket。 – part of a human fingerbone。 He is soon identified as Inesh Kavinda， an undocumented Sri Lankan， who had been living in the garden house of the palazzo。 As Brunetti searches the house he discovers books on Buddhism， the Tamil Tigers and a scrapbook which Kavinda had bought from a local bookstore。 It features clippings， maps and manifestos that relate to a chapter in Italy’s more troubled past。 The 1970’s were a time of protest and factions resorting to violence to achieve their aims in overturning the current political order。 It makes Brunetti recalls his youthful aspirations from the 1970’s and idealism that could have found form in these same ways。 It was also a time of alliances and in the scrapbook Brunetti finds the names of a group of three men; Rubini， Neri and Molin。 The latter， now a university professor， is the owner of the palazzo and Inesh had been helping him with his mobility after a stroke as well as assisting his wife， Gloria around the house。 Neri is now dead and his son gives Brunetti a bag of clippings and other memorabilia from that era。 In them Brunetti finds another mystery。 A notorious unsolved missing person case。 Somehow they are all connected and he has to find the thread that links them altogether。It was a joy to enter Brunetti’s world again with Venice， a city I have visited and fell in love with， as a dark and dramatic backdrop and almost a character in itself。 A true Venetian， Brunetti knows its secrets and ancient rivalries。 As he says’ （it’s）such a small place， tiny gene pool…’ as nearly everyone knows everyone。 This enables him to explore more unconventional ways of gathering information such as approaching postmen， neighbours， passersby， café conversations over coffee and gossip。 He knows how to negotiate the politics at the Questtura with his colleagues Signorina Elettra and Commissario Griffoni and his rival， Vice Questore Patta。 Brunetti has also realised that he may have problems ahead with the pairing of two police officers， Alvise and Brandini。 Alvise has recently been arrested at a gay rights rally， much to everyone’s surprise and Brandini is a member of a Christian group。 They will be chalk and cheese。‘So shall you reap’ is the latest， the 32nd （！） in fact of the long running Commissario Brunetti series。 It has been a while since I met with the Commissario and his world。 These are not fast paced thrillers but， instead， the author allows the story to unfold in its own time and reveal its secrets slowly， subtly and leisurely。 There is much that is left unspoken for the reader to discover， especially about the real relationship between Ikesh and the Professor， until events weave together to culminate in a shocking final page。 This is one of the strengths about the author’s writing and plotting and one of the many reasons why I have enjoyed reading them so much。 It was also a pleasure to meet Brunetti’s family again: his two teenage children， Chiara and Raffi and his adored wife Paola。 They are the backbone of his life。I think it is time to catch up with the Commissario and his world again from where I left off。My thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for an ARC。 。。。more
Colette McCormick
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Police Commissario Guido Brunetti is back， for the thirty second time though it can be read as a standalone as there is no reference to any previous books。 Once again， he is solving crime in Venice and doing it at his own pace。 Guido may not be the detective for those that like nonstop action because he works at a much gentler pace。 One evening Guido gets the call to say that a body has been found in a canal and when he gets there， he realises that he has seen the man before。 What is the victim’ Police Commissario Guido Brunetti is back， for the thirty second time though it can be read as a standalone as there is no reference to any previous books。 Once again， he is solving crime in Venice and doing it at his own pace。 Guido may not be the detective for those that like nonstop action because he works at a much gentler pace。 One evening Guido gets the call to say that a body has been found in a canal and when he gets there， he realises that he has seen the man before。 What is the victim’s connection to the people at the palazzo Guido recently visited？ And， what’s the connection to kidnappings committed in the 1980’s？ The mystery deepens when part of a human finger is found in the victim’s pocket。 As well as the police procedural part of the book there is a large dose of Brunetti’s life and unlike most fictional detectives， he is happily married with two well adjusted children and he has a good life。 In Guido Brunetti， Donna Leon has created a gentle character and through him we become immersed in Venice and its culture。Many thanks to the author， publisher and Netgalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review。 。。。more
Catlin
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Sometimes， when a successful series reaches double digit levels， the stories begin to seem repetitive or less interesting。 Not so with Donna Leon's Commissario Guido Brunetti series set in Venice。 The character of Brunetti is multi-faceted and we seem to see different sides of him in each book。 This latest book focuses on the investigation of a Sri Lankan immigrant's suspicious death。 The main mystery story is augmented by Brunetti's reflection on his own idealistic university days， historical t Sometimes， when a successful series reaches double digit levels， the stories begin to seem repetitive or less interesting。 Not so with Donna Leon's Commissario Guido Brunetti series set in Venice。 The character of Brunetti is multi-faceted and we seem to see different sides of him in each book。 This latest book focuses on the investigation of a Sri Lankan immigrant's suspicious death。 The main mystery story is augmented by Brunetti's reflection on his own idealistic university days， historical times of unrest in Venice， and even the philosophy of Buddhisim。 While this may seem dark and depressing， there is always some warmth and humor infused in these Brunetti novels。 They make you think， while still entertaining。 Highly recommended！ Thank you NetGalley and Grove Atlantic/Atlantic Monthly Press for sending this book for review consideration。 All opinions are my own。 。。。more
Edna
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Love this series。。。this is one of the best。。。I like her characters， they read books， they deal with moral issues that are not always black or white。。。
Roger
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Donna Leon does not disappoint。 Wonderful descriptions of Venice and more illuminating interactions between our favourite characters。 Excellent。
Elisa
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Featuring one of the most beautiful endings that I’ve ever read in my life， this book made me laugh， chuckle， sigh and tear up。 After 32 novels， the characters have become as familiar to me as many people I know， and every single outing is a delight。 Starting with a revelation about one of the recurring characters， Donna Leon takes her time setting up the main case。 A Sri Lankan man that Brunetti just met the day before has been found murdered in a canal。 As usual， the motive is not immediately Featuring one of the most beautiful endings that I’ve ever read in my life， this book made me laugh， chuckle， sigh and tear up。 After 32 novels， the characters have become as familiar to me as many people I know， and every single outing is a delight。 Starting with a revelation about one of the recurring characters， Donna Leon takes her time setting up the main case。 A Sri Lankan man that Brunetti just met the day before has been found murdered in a canal。 As usual， the motive is not immediately apparent and Guido will need all his resourcefulness， as well as help from his colleagues to even begin to determine where the whole thing started。 I loved every dialogue， every memory， every family lunch and dinner， every coffee。 This time， besides Venice herself， a dilapidated palazzo is the main setting of the action， and the descriptions of the lush garden， the cracked walls and peaceful guest cabin were very accomplished。 I’m not usually the type of reader that enjoys a lot of details， and my main focus tends to be the action。 In the case of Brunetti’s novels， I care about both。 I hope there are many more to come， because I want to keep following Guido even after he’s old and spends the day sitting with Vianello outside of the retirement home。 I chose to read this book and all opinions in this review are my own and completely unbiased。 Thank you， #NetGalley/#Grove Atlantic， Atlantic Monthly Press！ 。。。more
Shereadbookblog
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March is one of my favorite months because that is usually when Donna Leon’s latest Commissario Guido Brunetti book is published。 I was fortunate enough to read an #ARC of 2023’s book。In this case， Guido and his associates look into the death of a Sri Lankan immigrant， who has， coincidentally， been working for an old school friend of Brunnetti and living in a garden house on their property。 The investigation takes the players back to the 1980s and the days of the terrorist group， The Red Brigade March is one of my favorite months because that is usually when Donna Leon’s latest Commissario Guido Brunetti book is published。 I was fortunate enough to read an #ARC of 2023’s book。In this case， Guido and his associates look into the death of a Sri Lankan immigrant， who has， coincidentally， been working for an old school friend of Brunnetti and living in a garden house on their property。 The investigation takes the players back to the 1980s and the days of the terrorist group， The Red Brigade。 This is the thirty second installment of this series and I have read all of them。 Obviously， I am a huge fan。 Leon captures so well the the pulse and rhythm of Venice。 Not the Venice that the hoards of day trippers experience， but the real city of the Venetians who reside there。 It is a joy to read such a literate writer whose books touch on philosophy， classical literature， political science， history， justice。 The cases， while always intriguing， are almost secondary to the wonderful characterizations and musings and observations of life， especially Venetian life， by Brunetti。 So nice to visit again with all the familiar actors， flamboyant Signora Elletra， strong and wise Paola， philosophical Guido， comical Patta， capable Griffoni， loyal Foa。 While there is an interesting plot， don’t read this book for fast action， but rather savor the words and thoughts， the pace of daily life in La Serenissima。 And note that Brunetti’s mother has a lesson modern politicians would do well to heed。 It was so nice to visit again with all the familiar players， stroll past familiar Venetian landmarks， stopping for a coffee along the way。 For anyone new to Brunetti， this can be read as a stand alone， but why deprive yourself？ Go back to the beginning of the series and enjoy getting to know all of these memorable characters。Thanks to #netgalley and #groveaatlantic #atlanticmonthlypress for the ARC。 。。。more
Jennyh
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Guido Brunetti continues to solve crimes in Venice， his latest being the murder of Ines Kavinda， originally from Sri Lanka but resident in Venice for the past eight years。 As usual with Donna Leon， we learn a lot about the minor characters in the novel， and also the day to day routine and family life of Brunetti。 Seemingly irrelevant information gels together to form a picture of life in Venice and the bureaucracy and laws that Brunetti has to work around。 Always an interesting read especially i Guido Brunetti continues to solve crimes in Venice， his latest being the murder of Ines Kavinda， originally from Sri Lanka but resident in Venice for the past eight years。 As usual with Donna Leon， we learn a lot about the minor characters in the novel， and also the day to day routine and family life of Brunetti。 Seemingly irrelevant information gels together to form a picture of life in Venice and the bureaucracy and laws that Brunetti has to work around。 Always an interesting read especially if you love Venice。 。。。more
Patricia Moren
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This was an absorbing Murder/Mystery with lots of twists and turns， all set in the beautiful city of Venice。 It had an almost bucolic feel at times but got there in the end。 Some good characters and an interesting story line。
Andrew Smith
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The latest episode in this long running series features Guido Brunetti in a reflective mood。 You can feel his age here （though I’m not sure precisely what that is） as he wonders around his beautiful home city of Venice， picking out routes that will pass a certain church he hasn’t seen in a while or even one that features some flagstones he particularly likes。 Guido is a senior police officer， a Commissario， a rank he’s held since Donna Leon first introduced him over thirty years ago。 He’s an aff The latest episode in this long running series features Guido Brunetti in a reflective mood。 You can feel his age here （though I’m not sure precisely what that is） as he wonders around his beautiful home city of Venice， picking out routes that will pass a certain church he hasn’t seen in a while or even one that features some flagstones he particularly likes。 Guido is a senior police officer， a Commissario， a rank he’s held since Donna Leon first introduced him over thirty years ago。 He’s an affable fellow， family orientated and in love with his city， but he can show a steely side when called upon to do so。 This is crime fiction， so there’s always a crime here – but sometimes it’s hard to spot。 Three separate events occur in the opening section of this book: an officer who has played a minor part in the series is arrested at a pride parade; there’s news that a prolific burglar， well known to Brunetti， is back in business; Guido’s well connected and wealthy father-in-law has been asked whether a particular palazzo in the city is for sale。 Which one of these will lead us to the core of the story this time？ It’ll take a while， and in the meantime much coffee will be drunk （expresso， of course）， meals will carefully described and consumed and internal police politics will forever linger in the background。 The beauty for me in these books is in the little things， the details of everyday life and small interactions between the city’s people。 An atmosphere is created of a place unchanged on the surface but ever changing underneath。 Brunetti harbours a certain resentment in respect of the incremental changes ongoing in this place， but isn’t that true of all of us as we reach a certain age？ And as the story settles into the investigation of a recognisable crime， he gathers those police officers close to him （characters well known to regular readers） and， between coffees， they ruminate on possible motives and root around to discover information that might lead them to a suspect。 As always， it’s beautifully done and once more I experienced a pang of regret when I reached the story’s end and had to say farewell to these people and this place until （hopefully） the next book in the series is published。My thanks to Grove Atlantic for providing an early copy of this book， via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review。 。。。more
Dany
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I’ve been a fan of this series for years now。 Although not every book has been a five star read， most of them have been great。 This is the 32nd book in the series and I am happy to say it’s one of the best！Brunetti has to investigate the murder of a Sri Lankan man whom he casually met the day before while doing a favor for his father-in-law。 In doing so， he is forced to reflect on his student days –when his political thoughts were a certainty– and on how we conduct our lives after idealism ends。 I’ve been a fan of this series for years now。 Although not every book has been a five star read， most of them have been great。 This is the 32nd book in the series and I am happy to say it’s one of the best！Brunetti has to investigate the murder of a Sri Lankan man whom he casually met the day before while doing a favor for his father-in-law。 In doing so， he is forced to reflect on his student days –when his political thoughts were a certainty– and on how we conduct our lives after idealism ends。4 stars！！ And I will absolutely continue with this awesome series！[Thank you Netgalley， for providing me with a free copy in exchange for an honest review！] 。。。more
fleurette
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Another great addition to this series。In the middle of the night， an Asian man's body is found in one of the canals。 Commissario Brunetti is surprised to discover that he has recently met this man。 Brunetti quickly identifies the main suspect， but proving this crime and discovering its motives will not be easy， especially since the case may concern crimes from years ago。 The plot of this book is set during the COVID-19 pandemic。The story is as always very good。 We also get a very interesting thr Another great addition to this series。In the middle of the night， an Asian man's body is found in one of the canals。 Commissario Brunetti is surprised to discover that he has recently met this man。 Brunetti quickly identifies the main suspect， but proving this crime and discovering its motives will not be easy， especially since the case may concern crimes from years ago。 The plot of this book is set during the COVID-19 pandemic。The story is as always very good。 We also get a very interesting thread about the private life of one of Brunetti's co-workers。 I'm very curious to see if this part will continue in future books。 And of course we meet all the well-known characters。 I read the book really quickly。 The only thing I would change is that I might have missed some of the humor that this author has accustomed me to in this series。 It's not like it's not there at all， but I think there was more of it in the previous books。 Still， this story was probably for me easier and faster to read than some of the previous books in this series。 The pace of this story is really good。I recommend it to all fans of this series and Commissario Brunetti。Thanks to NetGalley and Grove Atlantic for providing me a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review。 。。。more
Pam Elliott
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With So Shall You Reap we celebrate 30 years of strolling the magical streets of Venice with Inspector Guido Brunetti。 Leon’s first book， Death at La Fenice， was published in 1992， and if you have been lucky enough， you have read the 31 preceding Brunetti mysteries which came before this latest， to be published March 14th。 With this novel， Leon once again tackles one of her favorite topics — immigration — when an undocumented Sri Lankan man is found dead in a canal。To say that the actual whoduni With So Shall You Reap we celebrate 30 years of strolling the magical streets of Venice with Inspector Guido Brunetti。 Leon’s first book， Death at La Fenice， was published in 1992， and if you have been lucky enough， you have read the 31 preceding Brunetti mysteries which came before this latest， to be published March 14th。 With this novel， Leon once again tackles one of her favorite topics — immigration — when an undocumented Sri Lankan man is found dead in a canal。To say that the actual whodunit is really of no consequence in a Leon book is obvious once again here。 But of course， we do not read about Brunetti， his wife Paolo and his family to enjoy a mystery puzzle。 Instead， we read Leon to experience that magical stroll around Venice with a good man and contemplate current issues of the day as the simple mystery unfolds around us。Leon takes on classism in So Shall You Reap as well as the refugee issue， which currently is a major concern in Italy。 And as Leon herself is now 80 years old， her Brunetti reflects back on the politics of the 1980’s in Italy。 Students like Brunetti， and like many of us in the US in the 70’s and 80’s， fought against the greed of capitalism， the power of corporations and injustice of government。 We were determined and arrogant enough to believe we could fix it all， but as with Brunetti looking back to that time in his current case， are any of us really able to note any progress？ And how do we look at that greed， power and injustice now with an older lens？I could read Leon over and over and never tire of Brunetti and his entire family — how I would love to sit down and enjoy a dinner at their home in Venice。 My daughter and her friend， who recently discovered Donna Leon， are reading all 32 of the Brunetti mysteries from the beginning。 What a delightful discovery！ How I envy them。 I am not sure how many more Brunetti books there will be given Leon’s age， but I will treasure each one as they come out as much as I did the first and all the other books since then。 5 of 5 stars。This ARC title was Netgalley。com at no cost， and I am providing an unbiased review。 。。。more
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Reference
google book https://www.google.com/search?tbm=bks&q=So Shall You Reap
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