Doctored Evidence [Paperback]

Donna Leon (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: May 3, 2005

As Donna Leon’s many fans have come to expect, beloved Commissario Guido Brunetti once again finds himself pursuing a puzzling case his fellow policemen would rather leave closed. After a wealthy elderly woman is found brutally murdered in her apartment, the authorities suspect her maid. But when the maid meets an untimely end trying to escape from border police, and it appears that the money she carried may not have been stolen, Commissario Guido Brunetti decides—unofficially—to take the case on himself. Filled with Leon’s signature plot twists, Doctored Evidence is a terrific novel of suspense that is sure to delight loyal fans as well as attract new ones.

Editorial Reviews

Review

Fans of Leon will not be disappointed. . . . She has crafted yet another expert mystery. (The Baltimore Sun) Deeply satisfying and often very funny. (The Miami Herald) A beautifully cadenced mystery . . . no one is more graceful and accomplished than Donna Leon. (The Washington Post)

About the Author

Donna Leon has taught in Iran, China, and Saudi Arabia. She now lives in Venice.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 352 pages
• Publisher: Penguin (Non-Classics) (May 3, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0143035630
• ISBN-13: 978-0143035633
• Product Dimensions: 6.9 x 4.1 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 6.4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (10 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #440,221 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

21 of 22 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A fun read - cheaper than a ticket to Italy, July 23, 2005

By 

Dom Miliano (Denville, NJ USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: Doctored Evidence (Paperback)

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.

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Farewell Signora Battestini, October 16, 2005

By 

Linda Pagliuco "katknit" (CT, United States) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)   

This review is from: Doctored Evidence (Paperback)

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.

10 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Just what the doctor ordered: another Leon success!, May 9, 2005

By 

Billy J. Hobbs "Bill Hobbs" (Tyler, TX USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Doctored Evidence (Paperback)

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.