Why do we read Donna Leon? For the mysteries? Not really. We read for her insight into the hearts of her characters, and for the deft way that Brunetti and his team make their way forward. This is perhaps not the most thrilling Brunetti ever but I found it particularly affecting, especially the initial chapters. Then, when the truth is revealed, these initial chapters and the emotional response evoked, are especially – what is the word I want here? Poignant? Telling? Sad? You read it and tell me.

Donna Leon has done it again! Another masterful and philosophical Brunetti story that really makes you wonder what you might have done in his place. This time, he's asked by a childhood acquaintance to investigate an implied danger to her daughter. But, things are not as they seem, and once again, Brunetti is required to carefully consider the consequences of his decisions. I enjoyed this book, as I have all the others in this series. My only disappointment was that Signorina Elettra played less of a role. She is my absolute favorite character in this series! Can't wait to read the next one!

Donna Leon’s I latest Brunetti novel was a Christmas gift I gave to myself. Although not to be published until March, I received a copy from NetGalley early. I was saving it until closer to the publication date, but on a particularly bleak day leading up to Christmas. I just had to read it.

I love this series…the writing, the characters, the setting, the Venetian idea of justice.
What a joy to read such a literate writer; and I think this may be her best. Yes, this is her 31st, and I have looked forward to and read all of them.

In this story, an old family acquaintance of Brunetti seeks his assistance. Leon writes in such a vividly descriptive manner that you feel you are actually in the room with characters. Interwoven throughout the story is the pandemic, along with Leon’s typically sharp observations. An illustration: Brunetti’s musing as to whether this “disease” infects all of our thoughts.

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.

I’ve been a big fan of Donna Leon’s Commissario Brunetti series for years, ever since picking up some of the early series titles in paperback on a business trip to the UK - and then binge-reading three of them, one after the other, on the two airplane flights home.

And in the first couple of chapters of Give Unto Others, the thirty-first Brunetti book, Leon reminds me again of most of the reasons I love this series: Brunetti’s hard earned world-wisdom, which drifts into cynicism, but still retains an element of hope; the way he understands and values his wife, Paola, who can be quite intense at times; the delicious moments of snarkiness that pop up unexpectedly from time-to-time, mostly from Paola, but also from Brunetti; his respect for his colleagues (at least, those who deserve it); and of course, his love of his city of Venice. And in the process of reminding me of these, Leon also sets the stage quite nicely for readers who may not be familiar with the series.

In Give Unto Others, Brunetti tackles a problem brought to him by Elisabetta Foscarini, whose mother had been kind to Brunetti’s mother long ago. Foscarini says she is worried about her daughter after the daughter’s husband appears to have become mixed up in “something”, but it’s not clear if there is a crime or not. As a result of the old relationship, Brunetti agrees to take an informal look, off the record, and persuades some of his colleagues to help as well. Things may not be quite what they seem though, and the case blossoms into something much bigger before Brunetti and crew figure out what’s really going on.

One of the best things about a Brunetti book is that, in addition to the “main mystery”, Leon also tackles contemporary issues as well – usually compelling readers to think about them, without providing answers. (Indeed, many of the issues have no answers…) And although Give Unto Others isn’t quite as raw as Leon’s previous excellent, but rather dark, Transient Desires, we still end up contemplating societal class, dementia, plain old greed, and of course, the pandemic.

All-in-all, Give Unto Others is a joy of a book on multiple levels, and it kept me reading and thinking far too late into the night. It very much deserves the five stars I’m giving it. And my thanks to NetGalley and Grove Atlantic for the advance review copy.

Like welcoming back an old friend, this is incredibly the 31st book in this wonderful series.

As always Venice is perhaps the real hero of this well-told and beautifully written story of a city in the midst of the pandemic.

Perhaps not as action packed as previous books this was a lovely gentle read which I luxuriated in.

Highly recommended.

I have loved Donna Leon's Brunetti series for a long time and I'm always amazed at how quickly I feel at home, in Venice, in the Questura, and in the folds of the Brunetti/Falier family. The characters have grown over the years into friends. And, as it is with friends, one welcomes the sight of them and the comfort of being with them. Leon's books aren't always thrillers; more often they are cerebral mysteries that allow the reader to figure out the twists and turns of the plot along with Brunetti and his colleagues. There are some laugh-out-loud moments when the trusted members of the Commissario's inner circle meet to plan strategies, and Signorina Elletra is, as ever, a most engaging and accomplished "researcher"! The pandemic is a minor character in "Give Unto Others" because... how can anyone ignore its continued existence? One of the things I like best about a Leon book is that loose ends don't always get tied up at the conclusion. We are often left pondering who will receive punishment, who is still corrupt, how will society deal with the challenges posed by crimes, diseases, and humanity in general. I believe there will be threads from this wonderful book leading straight on to the next - and I'll be waiting eagerly to read it.

A quieter book than most in the series, set in a quieter Venice as she begins to emerge from the pandemic. The ties that Venetians have for one another are spotlighted when a childhood neighbor of Brunetti approaches him with a request for help with a vague threat to her daughter. The kindness her mother showed to Brunettiis makes him agree, and he and his closest colleagues soon get drawn into a crime they didn’t expect to find. I enjoyed hearing more about Brunetti’s personal life outside of his immediate family, the poverty of his childhood, his mother’s sad ending that gave Brunetti so much empathy for a retired Naval officer, and the friendship, support and loyalty his mother in law gave to that same family was a little window into her personality we haven’t seen before. The same goes for a telephone conversation between Brunetti and his brother, I don’t recall him having made an appearance in previous books. And Signorina Elettra’s character only gets better.
I appreciate the early copy I received from NetGalley and the publisher, it was a wonderful book to read on a quiet, foggy day while I dream about returning to Venice.

family, family-dynamics, fraud, friendship, investigation, class-consciousness, law-enforcement, Venice Italy, language, dementia, deceit****

It began as a collaborative non-official investigation into an old acquaintance's family matter at that person's request to Brunetti. Until it became necessarily official even though it needed to belong to the fraud/tax department. It all is happening in the time of changes everywhere due to the restrictions and isolations of the pandemia. The story is both realistic and complicated and covers such diverse topics as dementia, toxic personality, class issues, and even dialectical differences. Even though I got lost in the language issues, I really enjoyed this addition to the series.
I requested and received a free ebook copy from Grove Atlantic/Atlantic Monthly Press via NetGalley. Thank you!

Brunetti during the pandemic....Donna Leon brings her considerable skills for characterization and atmosphere to a novel which is slightly different than the previous titles in the series. A wonderful, thought-provoking read--spotlighting not only a tourist city under siege, but her protagonist's soft--and thoughtful--heart. Another strong entry in a series not to be missed.

A woman Brunetti knew from his childhood seeks him out, allegedly to help figure out what is happening with her adult daughter. Is there really a need for Brunetti's assistance or is Elisabetta manipulating him for her own selfish reasons? And is her husband's charity to help the needy of Belize legitimate, or is there something less altruistic going on? Brunetti has all of the facts, but if there is no proof will it be another case where the guilty go unpunished.? Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC.

When Commissario Guido Brunetti is contacted by his childhood neighbour, he is a bit perplexed and does not know what to do. Elisabetta Foscarini is worried about her daughter Flora. She does not provide any real details but Flora's husband Enrico Fenzo makes her feel uncomfortable. The accountant has helped her husband Bruno to set up a charity but then suddenly left the project to take care of other clients. Her feeling might stem from Fenzo's business contacts but she cannot really nail it down. Brunetti promises to look into the matter even though he is not convinced of any threat. Since life has become slow in Venice due to the pandemic, he and his team have got the time to investigate the matter. Just when the start digging, Flora's veterinary clinic is vandalised and some animals are seriously harmed. Soon after, clever Signorina Elettra finds some remarkable facts about "Belize nel Cuore", Bruno del Balzo's charity.

Not a classic murder investigation for the Venetian Commissario. However, Donna Leon cleverly integrated the pandemic into the plot which slowed down life in the Italian city due to the lack of tourists. Thus "Give Unto Others" differs quite from the other crime mysteries in the series but in my opinion, it is a lot more complex and interesting since it is not that obvious where the investigation will lead to and the characters, too, have a lot more depth.

What brings Elisabetta to Brunetti is quite vague at the beginning, neither does she really know where her uneasy feeling comes from nor does the detective know where exactly to start and to look. As it turns out, things are not what they seem and people have motives they successfully hide for a long time thus exploiting others reach their questionable aims.

Rapidly, the story develops into a financial crime novel which is complicated on the one hand, and, on the other, tells you a great deal not only about people but also about legislation. At the end, you have learnt a lot of things you actually did not really want to know and again, the thin line between legal and illegal reveals itself to be quite flexible depending on the point of view: what is morally questionable might be perfectly legal.

A thought provoking crime mystery that, again, I thoroughly enjoyed.

It has taken me this entire series to finally realize Commissario Guide Brunetti is a softie. When an old neighbor whose mother was nice to his mother asks for his help he trips over himself to be of assistance. Before long he has Griffoni, Vianello and Elettra involved in the non official investigation until he realizes the mistake he making. An excellent study in human nature and the ways people manipulate each other.

Thank you to the publisher and to Netgalley for allowing me to read an ARC of this Donna Leon book.
Donna Leon is a national treasure. I look forward to every book. She lived in Venice for many years and is brilliant. PUt those two things together and the reader gets an honest insight into Italian politics and how an honest man like Inspettore Brunetti navigates the world of the police of which he is a member.

Every book takes on a current theme or a moral theme that someone who lives a longish life might face. In this book, the 31st of the Brunetti series, Brunetti is asked a favor by a childhood 'friend'-someone who lived in the same building as his family when he was young. He never particularly liked her but her mother was good to his mother and he has never forgotten that. He feels he owes this woman.

He has to do his investigation on the sly as it is personal and not police work. But he does involve his colleague, Claudia Griffoni, who has become more and more of a presence in the series. The usual "suspects" of his helpmates also lend a hand and it soon becomes a police case when a robbery occurs.

Some of Leon's books fell short of her perfect presentation in the last decade but the last three, this one included have risen to her amazing talent of articulate writing, presenting ambiguous themes, and listening in to Brunnetti's ruminations about them, his relationships with his colleagues and family, and Venice in Northern Italy.

If you haven't read Donna Leon, it may not be the best book to start the series with but nevertheless, you won't be disappointed.

Set in a Venice after the pandemic (and therefore at this time, regrettably still in the future), this volume deals not with an actual police case, but rather follows the events after Commissario Brunetti is asked by an old acquaintance to look into a personal problem for her. He ropes in his friends at the questura to unravel this new mystery, delving in true Brunetti-fashion into moral-philosophical questions: how far do personal debts go, and at what price does loyalty come?

This was a very gentle mystery. There's no body, hardly any violence and only a very small amount of blood; and yet it is compellingly readable and I found myself reading "just one more chapter" way past my bed-time.

Donna Leon was my father's favourite crime writer when I was a girl. He bought the latest Commissario Brunetti the day it was released, and when he had finished them, he passed them on to me. When he passed away, I stopped reading the new Brunettis, and at least 15 books have come and gone since I last picked one up. So I was very curious to see how it would live up to my memories of the older cases.
And what can I say? Reading this latest instalment was like coming back to your childhood village after 30 years have passed and finding everything is still exactly as you remember it - no less pleasant for being a bit unlikely.

All the old character were still there - Brunetti's family doesn't age, his colleagues don't get married or move away or die. You can pick up any book in the series and read it without spoiling yourself for the other volumes. For me, this was the perfect trip down memory lane in a very bleak autumn.
I would highly recommend this for anyone who likes cozy and/or literary mysteries that leave you feeling that there may be bad people, but as long as there are Commissario Brunettis and Signorina Elettras, the word is still alright.

I want to thank Netgalley and Grove Atlantic for giving me the opportunity of reading this advance copy. All opinions here expressed are my own.

I have read most if not all of Donna Leon's Guido Brunetti novels and enjoyed many of them. Over the years, however, the plots have become slighter and slighter until now, in GIVE UNTO OTHERS, we reach a title that has virtually no plot at all. According my e-reader, it wasn't until the 42% mark that very much of anything happened. For a novel claiming to be crime fiction, that's really not good enough.

Please understand this: I'm not criticizing the book because it doesn't read like Tom Clancy, but no matter how wonderful your characters and your setting might be it is pretty much mandatory in a crime novel that things happen. Maybe even a lot of things. The characters of Brunetti and his city continue to drip charm, but Brunetti's mutterings about matters of classical scholarship and the detailed point-to-point descriptions of how best to get around Venice have become increasingly irrelevant to anything and -- dare I say it? -- they are honestly growing somewhat tedious.

This isn't a crime novel. It's a beautifully written slice-of-life vignette about a charming, intelligent man who lives in a charming, beautiful city and who happens to be employed, sort of, as a policeman.

I prefer crime novels. Real ones. That's what the Brunetti series once was. It isn't any longer.

Leon’s Commissario Guido Brunetti’s Venetian investigations are full of the history, culture and multi-generational inhabitants of this gorgeous storied city.
A childhood friend of Guido’s, Elisabetta, the daughter of the privileged landlords of his family apartment, surprises him with a visit and a request for him to find out if her daughter Flora’s husband could be engaged in activity that endangers them.
Although personal investigations are outside the boundaries of the regulations of the the Questura, Commissario Brunetti engages a select number of his trusted colleagues to research evidence of financial fraud, and collusion to deceive aging wealthy men-under the guise of establishing a charitable foundation in Belize.
As he digs deeper into the past, Guido finds people and events he remembers from his childhood may not be what he thought they were, and have come back to startle and confuse him.
As information is leaked to the press, the question hangs over him and his co-conspirators: will they be found liable for their actions? Privilege and wealth, secrets, memory, and traces of revenge play their part.
The goodness we see in Guido Brunetti is compelling and encouraging as we consider how we perceive policing, law and order in our society.
This 31st book in the series is set in our pandemic time. Any of Leon’s books could be read as a stand-alone, but as a reader from book 1, I encourage you to read them all. It’s a frequent mini-vacation to Venice.

This book was sent to me by Netgalley electronically for review. It is long...wordy...the story takes forever to get to the main idea...however, this series is a favorite of many, and if the reader has the time, a good read. The main character is known and likable...his family is also. I have read other books by this author and have enjoyed them also. Try it.

The story is set in the post lockdown Venice with references to the pandemic and its effects blended into the plot. The narrative is predominantly fast except for a few musings of Brunetti at places. The investigation and the slow reveal are good. I liked it more than the previous book.

This is set. in the immediate aftermath of the lockdown in Venice, with a consequent lack of tourists which is welcome to some but not all, particularly the businesses Brunetti passes that have closed. Brunetti is approached by an old neighbour from his childhood who asks him for help, she is worried about her daughter who fears her husband has endangered their family. Brunetti agrees.

What follows is a slow unfolding as he pursues the line of enquiry, helped by some of his colleagues. He pauses, perhaps more than usual, to muse upon life and other people, as well as eating Paola’s delicious meals of course. I enjoyed it, but it doesn’t match some of the stronger novels in the series albeit being worth reading.

Donna Leon never fails to deliver a compelling, thought-provoking novel. And, this is no exception.

It feels very “ of the moment” because of references to the Pandemic and its depressing influence on Venice. It also may have influenced Inspector Brunetti’s professional behavior in some ways. It certainly didn't diminish his philosophical bent, or concern about doing “ the right thing.”

I always enjoy the time I spend with one of Leon’s books and this was a welcome addition to her series.
Netgalley provided me a complimentary copy of the book in exchange for a candid review.