Customer Reviews

About Face (A Commissario Guido Brunetti Mystery)

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Donna Leon and Brunetti are known quantities by now. Some people don't like them; go figure. Many of us like them very much, and if you're in that group I think you'll like this one. Up to now I thought that Death at La Fenice, the very first Brunetti novel, was the best. It didn't have Signorina Elettra, but it did have Brett and Flavia. Now I think maybe this is one is the best. After 18 novels, you might think Leon would be starting to lose it, but I see no sign of that, in fact she seems to be getting better; this one is clean, spare, elegant.
Leon also just writes very well, that's a big part of the appeal, and if anything this one is even better written.

So if you're a fan of Brunetti, I can highly recommend this one; if you haven't met him, lucky you, but I'd suggest starting with the first novel, Death at La Fenice. If you start with this one, it's probably fine, but by now the characters are so highly developed that it probably works better if you're familiar with them. Vianello, for instance, doesn't play a big role in this story; Elettra's there, but you might wonder where either one of them is coming from if you haven't met them before. You might not appreciate Elettra's outfit of black jeans and white shirt if you don't know how she usually dresses. You won't be confused, necessarily; you'll just be missing a lot of texture.

This one is about crime and corruption as usual, and about cosmetic surgery and standards of female beauty (or is it?) There's a female character with a very distinctive appearance, in whom Brunetti is very interested, maybe too interested for Paola's taste. She's very interesting to the reader too, this one at least, but I don't want to say anything about her (spoilers).

I looked at a couple of reviews of previous Brunetti novels to see what kind of critical things people can say about them, and there are a couple of recurring themes. One is that it's always about corruption, the Mafia, and pollution in Italy; if you don't want to hear about that you might not like these novels so much. That might explain why they're translated into practically every language you can think of, except Italian. If some of them are in Italian now, I'd love to hear about it; I'd like to try reading a Brunetti novel in Italian.
[update: I've since found out that the reason they aren't in Italian is that she doesn't want them translated, because she doesn't like being famous at home. As it is, German and British tourists recognize her, and she doesn't care for it.}

I lent this novel to an Italian teacher of mine, and he complained that a) there were Italian phrases in it, he didn't like that; and b) some of them were incorrect. Never got it back from him either. But he did admit that she clearly knew what she was talking about.

The other recurring theme is that the novels are "novels, not mysteries". Mystery genre buffs might not be too excited about these novels because the mysteries are maybe not that fascinating. Hard for me to tell, because I'm not a mystery fan, and the big mystery is not the most interesting part for me anyway. I like the Tony Hillerman Navaho novels, as I like Brunetti, for the characters' inner lives and what I learn about their culture; don't care all that much about the main plot a lot of times. It's all the rest of Brunetti's life, thoughts, and interactions that are interesting, not so much his mystery solving. For me, anyway. Not that the mysteries aren't well done, as far as I can tell; they're just not the main point of these stories.

In fact, I have a little trouble following those criminology plots sometimes in the Brunetti books; it's almost like the mystery clutters up the novel. That might be why I think this is one of the best of Leon's novels: it's sort of clean and straightforward. The plot's there, you have to have it, but I feel like it clutters up the book less than in some of the others.

When Commissario Guido Brunetti of the Venice police is seated with a mysterious, scarred beauty at a dinner party, he thinks there is something unforgettable about her. He's right. In the days after the party, he's working on an official case involving the illegal disposal of garbage, and his father-in-law asks him to do an unofficial background check on a prospective business partner, who happens to be the husband of the lady in question. And in both cases, all roads--and bodies--seem to be leading Guido back to that strange, unforgettable face....

This is the 18th entry in Donna Leon's vivid mystery series featuring Guido Brunetti, and it's one of the best. The descriptions of Venice, the endearing cast of regulars, and the behind-the-scenes glimpses of the socio-political structure of contemporary Italy should make you a lifelong fan of the series. But this particular story stands out for another reason. ABOUT FACE is dominated by one of Leon's most unusual creations, a modern interpretation of the "femme fatale" so dear to the hearts of mystery lovers everywhere. Highly recommended.

"About Face" is another tour de force by author Donna Leon. A long time American resident of Venice, she has come to know and appreciate her adopted city and its country deeply. Her protagonist in this story and the many fine tales that have preceded it, is Venice Commissario of Police, Guido Brunetti, a wise, humane and principled native Venetian who is a stand in for the better angels of Italian society and politics.

In "About Face," Brunetti is confronted by still another form of modern corruption plaguing the country--the illegal disposal and dumping of industrial waste on defenseless and unsuspecting communities and countries. Connected to the investigation of a series of crimes related to this HAZMAT dumping, is the intriguing Franca Marinello, a beautiful woman who is the apparent victim of botched cosmetic surgery and involved inexplicably with a well-known gangster.

In addition to the first-rate story-line, which involves the growing presence of the Comora in Venice, author Leon once again showcases that incomparable city--its streets, cafes, stores and monuments--as well as Brunetti's family. There are some insightful observations on the relationship between the Commissario and his in-laws, the Conte and Contessa Falier.

This is a wonderful book, whether you've read any of the preceding stories in the series or not. Those readers who have been uncomfortable with some of the villains targeted earlier by Leon--particularly venal clerics and Italian political figures--will find nothing to complain about in "About Face." It's just a fine story about an intriguing cast of characters in one of the most interesting cities in the world.

I am a huge Donna Leon fan and began reading her books when I lived in Europe. I own all of them but I feel 'About Face" is a little flat. There are too many descriptions of Venice (which I usually enjoy) that do nothing to move the plot along. Still, I love the Brunetti series and will surely buy the next installment.

I haven't read many of Donna Leon's books (my misfortune) but all of those I have read have had these things in common: 1) they are snapshots of Venice as captured by its most seasoned residents with the black frame of crime surrounding the beautiful picture, 2) the crime is timely and believable, maybe even something from recent headlines, 3) the story includes extended insights into the personal and professional life of Commissario Guido Brunetti, 4) I will be starved for good Italian food by the end of the book.

Ms. Leon writes with an eye for the familiar in our lives that is dressed up by the lovely locale. Don't some of us have insecurities with the families of our in-laws? And don't some of us have relationships in the workplace where we must tread carefully or avoid them altogether? And doesn't everyone worry about his or her growing children?

In "About Face", the story is as much about the lovely, disfigured woman Brunetti meets at the home of his in-laws as it is about the potential misadventures of her husband in the criminal world. And, central to the story, is the question of what Europe does with its garbage when there is no more room to store it in landfills. This part of the story is fascinating and a little research afterward yielded much the same information as Ms. Leon has woven into her book. This is an interesting read and, in my opinion, worth the time.

As I read, I either stop to look up words or phrases that are unfamiliar to me or I make a note to clarify them later. Here, perhaps, I've saved you the time (hardback page numbers):
4 - periwigs - basically, it is the long form of the word "wig" but it has come to mean the fancy, ceremonial wigs like those worn in regency France, colonial US, and British courts, etc.
4 - si tesoro - translates to "will treasure"
13 - abbonamento - subscription
14 - oddio - as simple as can be but it escaped me: "oh God".
18 - ichor (of capitalism) - alternately the blood of gods or the watery discharge from a wound.
50 - anchorite - I thought I knew this but I was wrong; it is someone who withdraws from the secular world and lives sequestered in the world of faith (I thought it was something that attached itself to the underside of a rock).
50 - emergenza spazzatura - literal translation is "emergency garbage" so I'm guessing that it has something to do with tabloid news.
58 - aqua alta - direct translation is "high water" but in this context, perhaps "high rain"?
58 - bora - a changeable, gusty wind
58 - tramontana - north wind
60 - ruote - wheels (pasta wheels)
60 - melanzane - eggplant!
65 - Augean stables - the fifth labour of Hercules in which he cleaned stables that had not been touched in 30 years by diverting the rivers Alpheus and Peneus to wash them out.
75 - buonuscita - severance pay!
81 - any man's death ... - the full text is from John Donne's "Meditation XVII": "any man's death diminishes me, because I am involved in mankind, and therefore never send to know for whom the bells tolls; it tolls for thee." (one of the few 16th-17th century bons mots not attributable to Shakespeare!)
87 - lambent thought - flickering thought
90 - coda di rospo - monkfish
100 - scopa - broom
119 - un'ombra - shadow
169-170 - insalate di polipi - octopus salad
229 - per piacere - please
265 - sciochezze - plural of schiochezza, which means foolishness or silliness
269 - paladin (e.g., of feminism) - a warrior knight; originated with the 12 paladins of Charlemagne.

I cannot remember how I met Guido Brunetti, not from the beginning, but I have read every single one, and from the 4th or 5th approached each with glee and sadness. I knew I was in for a treat, but it would be transitory as Ms. Leon is an excellent descriptive writer and her books are too short.

The titles always intrigue me. This one, "About Face" had military connotations for me (about face, forward march) but it isn't this at all but how we take cues from peoples' faces to structure our responses to them and our inability to read a face and conflicts between face and speech causes erroneous assumptions.

I just finished listening to a recorded interview Donna Leon did in which she was asked how she we going to end the series, would she kill Brunetti off. I was pleased to hear the shock in her voice as she responded, No, that she liked him too much, that she would just stop when it was no longer fun to write about him.

After a weaker than usual outing last time, Donna Leon's latest detective novel set in Venice is an entertaining read. Once again there are two themes interplaying. For the first time Leon picks up on the Italian Mafia story we see all the time in the international news, all that garbage piling up in Naples.

To most of us outside Italy the crisis makes no sense, and as her detective Guido Brunetti investigates, Leon explains very well what is happening. We can only sympathize with a modern industrial state that sometimes seems to be in freefall, where respect for the law among the powerful is apparently non-existent.

The other topic is men's violence towards women. It is less developed than the other theme, but key to the story.

The plot itself is sort of strange. It's wonderful to follow Commissario Brunetti around Venice and feel the atmosphere of the city. But if you actually sit down and map out the actions of the police investigation, not a lot really happens. But that really doesn't matter. Donna Leon and Brunetti are back, better than ever.

Venice blanketed by snow, a mysterious and hideous "facelift," a murdered Carabiniere, wealthy Italians investing in China, the deadly involvement of the Neapolitan mafia--the Camorra--in the transport of toxic garbage: all these things merge in interesting and unexpected ways in Donna Leon's first-rate and highly recommended new addition to her Commisssario Brunetti series.

More good news: For the first time since the introduction of Signorina Elettra in book #3, "Dressed for Death," a new, smart and interesting woman has joined the cast of characters at the Questura. Commissaria Claudia Griffoni is pretty much just stuck with sidekick duty in this one, but appears destined for bigger things.

As always, I recommend starting most series at the beginning...but especially this series, as the evolution of the personal relationships is such a huge part of the warmth and wonderfulness of these novels that it's worth the effort to read them in as close to chronological order as you can manage. Here's the list (updated March 2011): "Death at La Fenice," "Death in a Strange Country" "Dressed for Death," "Death and Judgment," "Acqua Alta," "Quietly in Their Sleep," "A Noble Radiance, " "Fatal Remedies," "Friends in High Places," "A Sea of Troubles," "Wilful Behavior," "Uniform Justice," "Doctored Evidence," "Blood from a Stone," "Through a Glass, Darkly" "Suffer the Little Children," "The Girl of His Dreams," "About Face," "A Question of Belief" and "Drawing Conclusions." (Please note: Should you ever come across "The Anonymous Venetian," "A Venetian Reckoning" or "The Death of Faith" know that these are not new Leons; they're just British versions of "Dressed for Death," "Death and Judgment" and "Quietly in Their Sleep.")

PS: People keep remarking "Oddio!" so often in this book, I figured it probably translates as "Ohmygod." But I Googled it to be sure and the answer that came up said it means "Oh, my."

ADDENDA: Since writing this review, I've been to a bookstore appearance by the author, who filled us in on the background of this book. She'd been involved in staging a concert that nearly had to be canceled because an incredible garbage pileup outside the church where it was to be held was blocking the doors. Some string-pulling got that situation resolved, but made Leon resolved to make Italy's garbage crisis her next topic. Then, two months into its writing, she took a break to attend a musical event in Germany where she saw a woman who'd had way too many facelifts. Back at her writing desk in Venice, she couldn't get that face...and trying to figure out what would cause someone to do that to herself...out of her mind and it disrupted her writing till she realized she'd have to trash the MS in progress and give "that face" the starring role instead. (She also told us she and her publisher are in talks with a well regarded British producer about the possibility of a Brunetti series for BBC).

Leon is an excellent writer, and specializes in offbeat mysteries.

This one contains her usual pitch-perfect portrait of Venice, but it contains much more.

Much of the book is a subtle commentary on various ideals of beauty, old and new. Leon cleverly works in Brunetti's mother- and father-in-law to explicate beauty, and solve one of the stranger mysteries about the woman with the ruined face.

As is often true with Leon, politics and class trump justice, but still justice is done.

Brunetti's wife Paola is always praising the subtlety of Henry James (an author she teaches), and this novel is quite Jamesian in its nuanced gradations of guilt and punishment.

Very intriguing.

Leon's 18th Guido Brunetti novel may be freighted with the garbage and toxic waste that mires Italy, but an elegant dinner party at the home of the Commissario's wealthy in-laws, the Conte and Contessa Falier, sets the tone.

Over the risotto ai funghi Brunetti discovers a kindred soul in the much younger wife of a business tycoon. Franca Marinello, her formerly beautiful face made mask like by excess plastic surgery, captivates Brunetti with her knowledge of the Classics.

So much so that his charming, easy-going wife (her favorite author is Henry James) is a bit tart on their walk home.

"'But she reads Cicero,'" Brunetti blurts out and Paola, after a beat, replies,

"'You realize, I hope, that you are married to the only woman in this city who would find that an entirely satisfactory explanation?"'

Later his father-in-law asks Brunetti to look into Franca's husband's business dealings. The man wants the Conte to invest with him in a Chinese deal. Brunetti sets his boss' assistant, Signorina Elettra, their resident computer genius (best not to inquire too closely into her methods) on that, then intervenes to spare his boss the details of a Carabinieri request for aid in a suspicious death case.

The lucrative and illegal disposal of hazardous waste is at the root of the case and more will die before Brunetti finds himself in a place so overwhelmingly, revoltingly caustic, even the reader will hesitate to breathe.

Leon, an American who has lived long in Venice, steeps her novels in the rhythm of the city, and the provincial insularity and quirks of Italians generally. The collision (or should it be collusion) of politics, waste disposal and organized crime drive Leon's plot(s), but no good Italian would allow disgust with the government to spoil his appetite and Brunetti is no exception.

This character-driven series depends on dry wit and subtlety in Brunetti's rich family life and his relationships with the well known but never entirely predictable cast of regulars. The plot threads weave together neatly, rending credulity only slightly frayed. Fans will savor this outstanding entry, and newcomers will be captivated.