81 of 91 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Fails to Disappoint, March 25, 2009
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.
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20 of 24 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Mystery Woman, March 26, 2009
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.
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10 of 13 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Leon and Brunetti in the best of form, March 26, 2009
"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.
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