Earthly Remains is a very good entry in this highly readable and reliable series. Unlike Qiu Xiaolong's Chen's foray into environmental issues in Shanghai, Leon's Brunetti's investigation is leaner and much less complex. Nonetheless, Leon writes with such authority as to make this a good entry in both the series and the emerging context of the environment as setting in contemporary mysteries.

Donna Leon revisits the theme of environmental damage. As Commissario Guido Brunetti ages, he's starting to get burned out. After a serio-comic episode, he ends up taking a leave of absence to re-energize himself on a sparsely inhabited island where he, unexpectedly, finds a rowing mentor who knew his father. Of course, someone dies. This is a murder-mystery series, after all. The joy of reading Donna Leon's Brunetti novels is becoming part of Bruno's life, which moves in an arc the way our own lives do, as our children become less an everyday part of our lives and we look for ways to regain some of the pleasure we took in people or activities we enjoyed when we were younger.

Disclaimer: I am a huge fan of Donna Leon’s Commissario Guido Brunetti series. I look forward to each new release.
This one is a little different from most prior novels as Guido tries to take some time away from the Venetian justice system for some R and R on one of the out islands. I was a little concerned that we wouldn’t have the presence of some of Leon’s other colorful characters such as the indomitable Signorina Elettra, but, (spoiler alert) an ensuing mystery does bring back all the favorites further on in the book. I also worried that Guido would not have the opportunity to stop for one of his beloved coffees, but, rest assured, he does. Leon is an extremely literate writer who is a joy to read.

You do not have to have read the prior books in this series to enjoy this one, but why would you deprive yourself by not reading all of them?

Commissario Guido Brunetti is on two week leave for his health, and decides to spend the time at the rural estate of one of Paola’s relatives. Despite being away from the Questura in Venice, he stumbles into a mystery involving one of his father’s old friends, which becomes even darker and more involved than he initially thought. One of Leon’s best.