Customer Reviews

Death in a Strange Country (Guido Brunetti, No. 2)

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2 star:		(2)
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I continue to be an enormous fan of the Commisario Brunetti series. For those of you who may have missed my earlier reviews, Donna Leon teaches English for the University of Maryland Extension near Venice and has lived in Italy for many years. She portrays the flavor of Italian life vividly, and it's clear that while she must love living there, petty and not-so-petty corruption is rampant. She makes delightfully wicked little comments. For example, the Carabineri major, interviewed by Brunetti on an American army post - not base, that's for the Air Force - waxes on about the characteristics of Americans. They tend to be arrogant, of course, but Americans are really too insecure to be truly arrogant, "unlike the Germans." Classic.

Brunetti is walking home through "battalions of ravaging tourists who centered their attacks on the area around San Marcos. Each year it grew harder to have patience with them, to put up with their stop-and-go walking, with their insistence on walking three abreast through even the narrowest calles. There were times when he wanted to scream at them, even push them aside, but he contented himself by taking out all of his aggressions through the single expedient of refusing to stop, or in any way alter his course, in order to allow them a photo opportunity. Because of this, he was sure that his body, back and elbow appeared in hundreds of photos and videos. He sometimes contemplated the disappointed Germans looking at their summer videos during the violence of the North Sea storm as they watched a purposeful, dark-suited Italian walk in front of Tante Gerda or an Onkel Franz, blurring, if only for a moment the lederhosen-clad tourists" with what was probably the only real Italian they would see during their stay.

An American soldier, Sgt. Michael Foster, an American public health inspector at the American military hospital in Vicenza, has been found floating in one of the Venetian canals. In an act of true heroism, two policemen jump in the water - the water being so dirty, hence the heroism - and drag him out. Brunetti's superior would like nothing better than to have the case buried, because the idea of an American being killed in Venice would ruin the tourist trade. Brunetti purposefully manipulates his boss into thinking the murder might have been committed elsewhere - must think of tourism, of course - so he can be authorized to travel to the man's post and investigate. An army captain, Dr. Peters, a woman doctor, who had come to Venice to identify the body in the morgue, had vomited from what Brunetti thought was from fear, when she saw how the man had been killed, by a knife plunging directly through the ribs into the heart. He suspects something is rather odd about this case, especially when he finds some cocaine that was not well hidden in the dead soldier's apartment, apparently after it had been thoroughly searched by the military authorities. The case becomes more complicated as both he and the Carabinieri major are politely warned off the case after they discover a connection between the dead soldier, a sick boy, contracts for the disposal of toxic waste, Brunetti's father-in-law, and the ostensible suicide by heroin overdose of Dr. Peters, not to mention the theft of some famous paintings from a prominent businessman.

As with many of her other books, you are left at the end deeply saddened by the corruption, the illicit use of power and its effect on Brunetti, who, despite all, struggles on trying to stay an honest cop. He is a wonderful character.

As a USAF officer stationed in Northern Italy, this story brought knowing smiles and head-nods as I read it. Ms Leon has lived in this area for years and teaches at one of the American universities located on the major military bases here. Her depiction of the Italian view of our presence in their country was especially enlightening for those of us trying to live in our host nation without acting like "ugly Americans". Even if her characters and plots weren't interesting on their own--which they are--this book would still be worth it for any American living in the Venice area--especially those connected with the military. I've enjoyed all the books I've read by Donna Leon, but this one really hit home--I just hope it's not true!

When a young American man is found floating dead in one of Venice's canals, our man Guido Brunetti is on the case again. In this story, Brunetti discovers that the john doe is an American sergeant from the nearby US military base in the Veneto hills whose job was as the public health inspector for the military hospital. In all of Leon's books, Brunetti frequently finds himself constrained by those who should otherwise be assisting him. His supervisor, Patti, urges him to avoid digging and brushes it off as a mugging gone bad (in all of the Brunetti cases Patti finds more reasons than not to either pull Guido off a case, or insist that the important people who begin to appear implicated in a given murder could not possibly be involved and must be left alone) and even dismisses the case and has Guido assigned to a burglary of some art work in one of the wealthy homes on the Grand Canal. Brunetti finds planted cocaine in the man's small apartment, and has an initial interview with the man's associate, a young woman who is found later to have (questionably) committed suicide. The more obvious it becomes that Guido is not meant to discover what actually happened to the sergeant or more importantly, why, the more urgent his investigation becomes. Again, a delight to read Leon weave all the pieces together.

Rare thing! Write several novels in one. But Donna Leon do it always. One is about murder, second about venice, third about relations. Perhaps this is so unusual in crime stories? I found quite new world of Venetians who are dependant from one another. Everybody plays a role. A minor one or a bigger. It is fascinating. And comissario Brunetti is to solve not only the murder but first of all find a way how to behave how to talk. And watch how he talks. And how much can you say, saying nothing. Great book.

While this is not my favorite of the series, I have become fond of Brunetti and his love for corrupt and decadent Venice and his family. The mystery is almost secondary to his character and his views of the city and Leon's charaters are a delight.

I liked this non-formulaic novel about a Venetian policeman dealing with a couple of unusual cases. The book opens with the murdered body of an American serviceman floating in the canal and we quickly meet Commissario Guido Brunetti as he takes the early morning call to investigate. The atmosphere and culture of Venice and of Italy infuse every subsequent scene to the point where it affected the pacing of the plot. Brunetti's family meals and concerns seemed to occupy equal space with the startling turns of the story.

Brunetti swims in a sea of corruption deeper than the sea surrounding Venice. It affects his supervisor, his comrades, his family--ultimately the concept of justice itself is swamped. Ultimately I felt that this work fell short of what I expected from a mystery by deviating from the standard mystery formula. Because of the constraints imposed by the mystery format it did not go deep enough into the story of a man who would do good but who is betrayed by the very system he seeks to serve.

Perhaps this is an issue of how the book was marketed. I am intrigued enough to read another book by this same author should one come my way. It seems like a good series although dark and pessimistic by tone.

Some time ago I wrote in a review of an Ian Rankin book that I wasn't really into crime as a genre. Something's happened since then and it's now my regular stress-busting bit of escapism and I have to 'fess up to being a convert to low-life detective novels(when it's good anyway).

Donna Leon is certainly good - Death in a Strange County is the first of her books I've read and there is an enticingly large array of other books by her to move on to. It was a single-evening read and delivered everything it should. Guido (the Venetian policeman) is a good hero - not too macho, not too fey - a palpable person. And Venice - I was there. Leon really manages to evoke the workaday reality of the city. I was unsurprised to find out she lives there as it was every inch the city I know.

Great fun, smooth writing, good characterisation and a plausible plot. Just what you need for a holiday.

I love mystery stories and once I find an author I enjoy, I read all of his/her books. I am looking forward to reading all of Donna Leon's series. Commissario Brunetti is a real person, compassionate, funny, interesting, devious when necessary, etc. The story is well written with lots of little plots and twists mixed in with family situations and wonderful descriptions of Venice. the book held me until I finished it. On to the next one - if I can find it!

"Death in a Strange Country" (1993) was Donna Leon's second effort out of eighteen novels of crime detection under Commissario Guido Brunetti's watch in his beloved Venice. The body of an American soldier is found floating in a canal opposite the Basilica of Saint John and Paul and the big hospital. Was it a mugging, drugs, or something more sinister? A young female American army doctor identifies the body and breaks down. Throughout the book some people seem intent on foisting off a drug connection on the deaths in the book. Frame-ups, cover-ups and a fall-guy are utilized.
Leon, an American, leads her detective to the big U.S. base at Vicenza, and we learn that he is not too fond of the way Americans bring their lifestyle to an Italian base.
Sometimes Leon hits a homerun with her Venetian mysteries, but at times, as in this one, there is a certain amount of predictability, and she gets too wrapped up in conspiracy theories. Here she sees a cabal made up of the U.S. military, corrupt Italian government officials, rich and unscrupulous Italian businessmen, and the Mafia. Only the Church is unscathed as she weaves her web of intrigue.
Before this tale is over there are three murders, and we begin to wonder whether people in high places will be brought to justice. In a very dramatic ending Brunetti sees that one villain gets his comeuppance. As usual he's dueling with his boss Patta who is devious, easily manipulated by the powers that be, and ready to behead Brunetti. The commissario's powerful father-in-law comes in handy though to cut through the endemic and pervasive Italian corruption.
We always enjoy reading what Brunetti is eating and drinking; we learn that he weighs 193 pounds at five-foot-ten. Brunetti tells his sergeant, "If criminals can't believe in an illegal deal with the police, what can they believe in?"
There's some extraneous stuff (such as the Casino scene) in this one you'll want to skim over. Mystery writers would be well advised to steer clear of big conspiracy plots; they never gel on a personal level, and seem contrived and bogus. This is not top-drawer Donna Leon.

I spent time in Venice this summer and to prepare bought one of Donna Leon's Inspector Brunetti mysteries. That was all it took to hook me- I am now reading the series in order and loving every minute. Death in a Strange Country is the second book in the series. While Leon's books don't have to be read in order, it does add to the enjoyment to follow the characters as they develop.