Customer Reviews

Doctored Evidence CD

5 star:		(4)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

I love mysteries and Italy so Donna Leon's work is definitely on my radar. I bought this edition to read on the plane to Europe a few weeks back. It was a smart choice because it led me to drive from Monaco to San Romolo for a perfectly delicious 6 course lunch. Leon uses the City's heat and the ever-present Italian politics to create a tense and thick atmosphere. The plot - the murder of a decidely unpleasant old women - seems simple enough. But she is hated by literally everyone so the list of suspects is long. Leon hints at the motive through conversations between the great detective and his wife. But they are subtle and when you "get it" you realize the depth of Donna Leon's skill. The sub plots always involve Venetian politics, the stupidity of governments and the need to find sanity in small things like a good meal and a decent bottle of wine. This is a perfect fix for those out there addicted to arm-chair travel and murder mysteries.

Commissario Brunetti, truly one of only a handful of Venice's finest, solves the murder of an elderly, hateful harridan using his intelligence, humor, skill, and humanity. Follow him through the monumental buildings, calle, and offices of this most intriguing of cities, without once motoring down the Grand Canal. And learn something about the Venetian psyche in the bargain. Nearly as good as being there, but be forewarned, do not read Donna Leon while hungry. Guido Brunetti eats very well.

It's more than a "lucky 13" for Donna Leon. "Doctored Evidence" is acarefully-crafted, purposefully-written, and fully-fulfilling (typical!)Leon police procedural featuring my favorite Italian, Commissario Guido
Brunetti.

The erstwhile policeman has been on holiday to Ireland when the deathoccurs (A Romanian cleaning woman supposedly murdered her employer andmade off with a large sum of money, only to be apprehended at a bordercrossing; before police can take her into custody, she bolts and is killedby an on-coming train)and when he returns he has already dismissed thecase, which he'd read about in the papers, as merely a "cut and dried"episode in the life of the police in Venice.

Of course, the death of the cleaning woman has suspicious and unusualcircumstances and shortly after Brunetti returns to work, a neighbor ofthe dead woman reports to the police that she has proof that the woman isinnocent. This, of course, really peaks Brunetti's interest and from thatpoint on, Donna Leon is, well, Donna Leon.

Before the case is closed, of course, readers once again witness theinter-play between Brunetti and his associates, his family, and hisbeloved Venice. Leon is not shy about taking literary pot shots at anumber of socially significant issues facing not only the Venezians, theItalians, but the rest of the world.
Step by step, Leon takes us to the conclusion, where, of course it's nosecret, Brunetti's intellect, talent, and good will once more triumph.

"Doctored Evidence" continues the Leon reputation. What a fascinatingseries Leon has created. Tis a pity one has to wait a year for the nextepisode.

Maria Grazia Battestini was an old women about whom nothing good could be said, not even by the most generous of souls. Whoever had killed her must have taken her completely by surprise.

Battestini maid an illegal Romanian woman was missing and currently the prime suspect, the police were hot in pursuit. Located at the central station trying to leave the country the maid is killed in a fatal train accident. only suspect dead, case closed.

Commissario Brunetti has just return from his vacation. His first day back on the job he encounters Signora Gismondi who also had just returned from a vacation in London. Signora Gismondi was Maria Battestini neighbour and had learned of her death on her return. Signora Gismondi also knew the Romanian maid, and is rather forthcoming with some relevant information. Brunetti intrigued - unofficially - investigates. The motive looks like greed or was he looking at the wrong deadly sin.

Doctored Evidence is the thirteenth novel in the Brunetti series and for me my first. This book does not disappoint as murder has been set off against the backdrop of Venice. Donna Leon the author lives in Venice you can clearly see from the writing that she enjoys living there, the story flows really well and beautifully pieced together. Commissario Brunetti is a character you warm to straight away but also for me in this book, Brunetti's source of information Signorina Elettra is a great character, a women who uses her contacts and connections, which seem just as corrupt, Elettra mind is as sharp as a razor. When reading murder mysteries I always try to put a face to the characters in Signoriana Elettra case an Italian actress by the name of Claudia Gerini came to mind. A face for Commissario Brunetti I will have to investigate more, that's going to be a tough one. Donna Leon has written a whole Brunetti series of whodunit, so I will be backtracking to the beginning and with thirteen left to read through, my mind will be occupied for quite a while.

Early in Doctored Evidence, Commissario Guido Brunetti asks his wife, Paola, about a book she is reading . . . a text on religion that has been assigned to their daughter, Chiara. They muse about the seven deadly sins and speculate about whether or not anyone takes those sins seriously any more. During his case, Brunetti assumes that only certain sins can be motive enough for murder. Is he right?

As the story opens, Signora Battestini has been bludgeoned to death by someone strong. She's an old lady who never leaves her apartment, but nothing has been taken. A missing housekeeper seems worth tracking down by Lieutenant Scarpa, one of Vice-Questore Patta's enforcers. In the process of arresting her, a terrible accident takes place. Scarpa and Patta are satisfied that the housekeeper is the killer, and the case goes dormant. Brunetti is away on vacation at the time.

All might have stayed that way, but a neighbor comes to report that the housekeeper is probably innocent. Scarpa tries to get rid of the neighbor, but Brunetti ends up involved. From there, the real investigation begins.

One of the most interesting parts of this story is when Dona Leon fills in some background by Signorina Elletra Zorzi and her seemingly magical ability to access records that shouldn't be available to her. You'll be astonished by the contrast between her personal scruples and her unscrupulous methods for gaining police information.

Brunetti also gets caught with his hand in the cookie jar after doing some illegal searching. How will he handle the potential for exposure and discipline?

The mystery in this book is pretty good. It will be some time before you'll be able to figure out who the murderer is and the motive. The ultimate explanation was credible and added to the pedestrian tone of dealing with the minor and major annoyances of life:

How should you persuade the neighbors to make less noise at night?

How can an exploited housekeeper with questionable papers protect herself from exploitation?

How should a threat to respectability be met?

How can endless official delays be overcome?

Take a ride on the #1 Vaporetto if it's not crowded and enjoy the sights and sounds of Venice (I wouldn't dare suggest you try to enjoy the odors of Venice).

Reminiscent of Durrell's "sense of place," Leon's writing evokes Venice and its people with strong characterization, an obvious love of its food, weather, bureaucratic wrangles and rich dialogue. The plot is secondary to these thoroughly enjoyable features. There are two or three scenes where the Commissario interviews players in the evolving murder plot which are so carefully detailed that the reader feels he is seeing a movie. One does not have to worry about cardboard characters and implausible plots; Leon is a fine writer and a joy to read. "We'll always have Venice," by reading Donna Leon.

Didn't like this book. It was too wordy in parts and there was too much Italian spoken for someone who didn't speak Italian.

If you've read at least one Donna Leon book you know you'll love this one too. The characters are wonderfully filled out and the politics of Italy are fascinating. Bet you can't read just one.

Doctored Evidence starts strongly, but ultimately is disappointing for regular fans of Leon. It starts with the murder of an elderly woman who was rude to almost everyone. It appears that her immigrant maid did her in. The maid suffers a tragic fate while escaping from the police.

Or was she escaping and did she even commit the crime? As with any Leon story, there more than meets the eye and it takes Commissario Brunetti all of his skills, as well as his staff's, to find the answer.

I found the back plot with the immigrant maid to be very well handled and it made me think a lot about immigration into Italy and how it is changing Italian society. She handles this portion of the book as well as Henning Mankell has handled a similar these about Swedish society (see his excellent Faceless Killers.)

However, the rest of the plot did not seems believable to me, and did not fully engage me.

It's a rare miss for Leon. You won't dislike the book, but it is not up to her normal level of plotting and writing.

Just finished reading this book on a trip to Venice. While the context of her stories is always interesting, the plot line in this book was weak. Several theories behind the crime were explored and abandoned with little connection between them and virtually no connection to the final outcome. Her other books (e.g. A Noble Radiance) are much better.