Customer Reviews

A Sea of Troubles (Windsor Selection)

5 star:		(10)
4 star:		(7)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Donna Leon simply is a mesmerizing writer. No other author--and some do come
close--approaches her today in terms of suspense, characterization, plot
development, and social significance. In "Sea of Troubles," she continues her
exceptional level of excellence. I could hardly wait for this edition (it's not available
for some incredible reason in the States!)to arrive.

Guido Brunetti has his hands full, once more. Two men (a father and his son) are
found murdered in a sunken fishing boat in the waters off Pelligrina. However, the
villagers close ranks and are in no hurry to cooperate with the police. Enjoining the
services of Signorina Ellatra, Brunetti begins a painful, plodding investigation.
With this type of story, Leon is quite good--and she never lets up on the
environmental issues ("Don't eat the shellfish!").

Her murderers don't come as surprises in the final pages, as Leon doesn't use this
device; instead, she depends upon the brilliant thinking of Brunetti and his team to
bring the guilty, whom we know early enough, to bear. This is not to say that "Sea
of Troubles" doesn't contain great suspense--it does. And Leon, who clearly is in
love with Venice, captains this book in the best of traditions. Lucky she has Guido
Brunetti and his staff and family as crew members. Don't miss this one! (Billyjhobbs@tyler.net)

A Sea of Troubles is a pleasant change in the Guido Brunetti series. Although Venice is surrounded (and almost inundated by) the sea, there's often little sense of that element in the earlier stories except in recounting the need to take a boat or vaporetto to get somewhere. In this book, we learn about fishing and its challenges (for fisherman and those who eat their catch) as Donna Leon takes us southwest of Venice to the long, thin island of Pellestrina.

The opening of the book contains an excellent map of Venice and its lagoon that covers an area of about 40 by 25 kilometers. Stick a book mark into where that map is: You'll be referring to the map often.

A fire breaks out on a fishing boat docked on Pellestrina. Soon, the whole harbor is filled with fishermen seeking to save their boats. After things settle down, someone notices that two fishermen are missing.

Before long, the various police bureaucracies are vying to get rid of the case. Commissario Guido Brunetti is the lucky winner and finds himself up against a town that doesn't talk to outsiders . . . and certainly not to Venetian policemen.

While seeking to learn more about what happened, Signorina Elletra Zorzi decides she would like to play undercover detective by spending a few days with her cousin on Pellestrina. Who knows? Perhaps someone will tell her something.

Guido is very opposed but knows he cannot sway Signorina Elletra. However, he can try to protect her. Even Paolo begins to notice that Guido is obsessed. Could it be that his feelings for Signorina Elletra are more than what they seem?

As usual, back channels begin to provide the information that reveals who had the motive for crime. With that knowledge, Brunetti knows that he's got a dangerous task ahead.

I cannot remember reading another book by Donna Leon that is as well steeped in local geography and conditions as A Sea of Troubles is. It makes for a compelling story.

I also liked the way Ms. Leon changed the focus of an investigation to put Signorina Elletra into a role other than as computer hacker and lover of flowers and fine clothes.

The plot also successfully triangulates the themes of private and public corruption that abound in this series with family ties and personal friendships. In that context, Ms. Leon asks a very fundamental question that will intrigue you: How well do we know anyone else?

Have a great trip to Pellestrina!

And be careful where you get your clams.

Donna Leon has achieved what most series writers cannot. In Commissario Guido Brunetti, she has created a real protagonist, an old friend that you visit with each succeeding book. Sea of Troubles is more physical than her previous books, and while hardly "action packed", the book explores Brunetti's feelings more deeply.

Twi brutal murders in Pelestrina take the story away from Venice and into the closed community of fishermen. Outsiders are not welcome nor trusted, and among those most to be avoided are the police.

Leon does a wonderful job with her secondary and tertiary characters, crafting memorable people with only a few sentences. As always Brunetti's superior, Vice Questore Patta comes across as a preening fool, and Sergeant Vianello, Brunetti's muscle and sometime conscience, also plays true to form.

As always, the city of Venice, and in this case Pelestrina, are important to the book. Like Boston is to Lehane, so to is Venice to Leon. Palpable, sometimes oppressive, old cities with a social hierarchy to be reckoned with.

Leon, while not yet crafting a stunning book worthy of 5 stars, (this is the 9th), has written a literate and satisfying series.

Ironically, I firs saw copies of her book in Venice, on the bookshelf in the Peggy Guggenheim museum. A wonderful introduction...and very Venetian.

This series of mysteries by Donna Leon features a clever detective and a setting in Venice. Leon has lived abroad for years but she is from New Jersey and she is bright. I've read few mysteries prior to discovering this series, now I can't find enough of them to read. (I wish I still had my bookstore in order to direct readers to these!) To keep a loyal following a series must be fresh, entertaining and must feature an admirable character...Guido Brunetti fits the bill! His wife is a professor and his children act like teenagers (in Italy). The setting is fascinating. I've never seen Venice but it is great fun to read about as Guido pursues the murderer through the city. Please, Amazon, get them here faster!

Loved this story-it developes the character of Brunetti's boss's secretary and gives her so much depth, rather than just portraying her as a one dimensional computer whiz. All of Leon's books are excellent, and if you like mysteries,Italy or just a good read pick any of this series and start. You'll be hooked!

"A Sea of Troubles" is another of Donna Leon's Venetian mysteries. Book by book she is dissecting the city's various neighborhoods, occupations, classes, and gradually giving us a portrait of all of the elements that make the city a vibrant and unique organism. In this one she chose the insular and tightly-knit fishing community of Pellestrina which sits next to Lido on a sliver of an island in the Lagoon across from Venice.
Two local fishermen, the Bottins, a father and son, have been murdered, their boat sunk. As Commissario Brunetti and Sergeant Vianello investigate the murders, they try to puncture the cone of silence created by the tight-lipped, suspicious islanders, but fail to get much information except that the father was a nasty piece of work, and his son was well-liked. The Lagoon and waters around Venice are being overfished and over-clammed. Also water pollution is a problem.
The police office computer whiz Elettra is Brunetti's personal Google who can dig out all sorts of dirt on people by using her magic computer. She has relatives who live on Pellestrina, and she has been going over there for years for a week's vacation. She decides to go over and snoop and sniff out some info, but Brunetti and later his wife Paola are opposed to the visit because she may put herself in danger. It's such a closed community that any poking around would cause suspicion.
Later Paola becomes jealous of her husband's interest in Elettra. Brunetti sends an undercover cop playing a waiter out to the island to keep an eye on Elettra. While she's out there she has a love affair with a local named Carlo. A third murder victim turns up.
Donna Leon's fascination with the cuisines of Venice is transferred to her gentle detective protagonist whose delight with good food is infectious. The food courses in restaurants and at the Commissario's home are described in great mouth-watering detail. He is an honest man who believes in bringing the bad guys to justice no matter what.
In this one Leon proves that she can write suspenseful action as well as write about the ordinary life of her adopted city. Her narrative style is clean, efficient, and brisk. The dangerous storm and encounter with the villain at the end of the book are worth waiting for.

Well written modern mystery series. This is the first book by Leon that I read, and since have read many more. Non-gory, and a little slow, but that is one of the reasons I like her books. Thoughtful and beautifully written. Sometimes a little preachy about issues such as racism, the environment, but overall a great read.

This book shows a slightly different style of her writing. Guido seems a little more detached. He is starting to sound like a "man" instead of just the Commissario he usually sounds like in her books. This is my 15th book of hers that I have read and enjoy every single one of them. I love Venice and thoroughly enjoy reading about it through Brunetti's eyes through Leon's writings. A fun read as are all her books.

Leon misfires on this one. Set in the Venetian out-island of Pellestrina, Commisario Brunetti and company set out to solve a few murders. The book brings Pellestrina to life wonderfully, but also delivers a slow-moving, predictible plot; tired characters (including, alas, Brunetti himself); and Leon's obligatory screeds against religion, corporations and whatever else is bothering left-wing malcontents these days. The ending is not worth the time spent reading. Leon has written much better books in the Brunetti series. We're overdue.

Like all her books this one is fast, funny and light. A series that never fails to delight. I highly recommend getting started,