Customer Reviews

Through a Glass, Darkly: A Commissario Guido Brunetti Mystery (Commissario Brunetti Novels)

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1 star:		(4)

 

 

Donna Leon's latest Commissario Brunetti mystery novel may not be the most exciting installment she's ever penned, but it still made for rather interesting reading as Brunetti/Leon delves into the world of the Murano glass factory workers (their lives and their concerns) and finds himself investigating charges of toxic industrial dumping.

The last thing Brunetti expected when he agreed to help a friend of Inspector Vianello's (Marco Robetti) get out of a jam, was that he would next be investigating Ribetti's father-in-law, the choleric glass factory owner Giovanni Del Cal, for Del Cal's violent threats against Ribetti. Ribetti is an engineer and an environmentalist and also much younger than his wife -- three things that Del Cal seems to really hate Ribetti for. And while Del Cal has been issuing these threats for some time now, his daughter is beginning to worry and wonder as to whether or not the she and her husband should take these threats seriously. While investigating Del Cal, however, Brunetti hears some rather startling allegations from Del Cal's zealous night watchman about the dangerous levels of toxic dumping that's going on at Del Cal's factory. And when that nightwatchman ends up dead, Brunetti decides to go out on a limb in order to discover what's going on at the glass factories on Murano...

As with all of Donna Leon's Brunetti mystery books, "Through A Glass Darkly" was a very vivid, atmospheric and finely nuanced novel. So, if you're loking for a good, well written book to read you won't go very wrong in picking up this book. However, this is not, unfortunately, one of Leon's more stellar efforts either. The haunting, engaging and softly edgy installments that one had come to expect ("Death at La Fenice," "Death in a Strange Country," "The Death of Faith," etc) is absent here. The pacing is more sedate as Brunetti finds himself interviewing characters about Del Cal and the probable toxic dumping. And while Brunetti's sympathies are very obviously aroused by the unfortunate night watchman, there is also a slight sense of ambivalence and noninvolvement from Brunetti that I have never sensed before in previous installments. However, in spite of these small disappointments, I will own that I finished the book in one sitting and that I did enjoy it nevertheless. (One of the best bits in the novel is when Chiara, Brunetti's daughter, helps him make sense of the night watchman's notes.) All in all, not a bad read, esp if you're a fan of the series. If this is your first foray into the series, however, I'd suggest picking up earlier mysteries (all available in paperback), before picking up this particular installment.

Donna Leon's Commissario Brunetti is one of the most charming detectives currently available. This series rests on the canals of Venice, the character of Venetians and the sympathetic,intelligent Commissario who continues to try to find the murderer in the labyrinth of politics, tax avoidence and personal relationships that mark, but manage not to spoil, his beloved Venice. Each of Donna Leon's series installments increasingly uses the crime to discuss and explore a larger social issue: drugs, immigration, homosexuality, etc. In Through A Glass, Darkly the issue is pollution and for the first time, it disappoints. For the first time, the crime and its implications take a back seat to the exposition about pollution, and even that is done with less than her normally more subtle skill. Some lesser characters have either disappeared or hit a wall. What happened to comical Alvise and his very funny inability to take a message? Signorina Ellectra, the beautiful secretary whose serene devious skills so awe Brunetti seems to have been developed as far as she can go, and is a shadow of her usual clever self. Leon is required to spend a fair amount of time explaining the mechanics involved in the commission of a crime which leaks the tension out of the murder at hand. Most surprisingly, Leon fails to develop her murderer's character as one who is capable of the crime, which is a 180 degree turn in her usual wonderful grip of the psychology of often 'accidental' murderers. I am one of the legions of Donna Leon's fans. Her history as an English professor (which is Brunetti's wife's position as well) has always informed the series, with references to Jane Austen and Henry James, ancient history and, this time, Dante. She writes easily, sometimes wonderfully evoking the paradoxes of modern Venice (but not this time). Brunetti is the man you want to share a caffe and perhaps some pasta with. But as anxious as I am for the next book, I hope Leon can take a break to regather her formidable strengths and feel less obliged to bring out just another book. With a little rest, and a glass of prosecco, and a few more days to let her mind wander, I am sure she will return to form. I'll go visit with Magdalen Nabb's Marshall Guarnacci in Florence while Ms. Leon is resting.

Sometimes, it's best not to work "by the books." Thus, with spring fever permeating the Pearl of the Adriatic, Commissario Guido Brunetti and team begin an investigative adventure on their own, or at least one not officially sanctioned.

In Donna Leon's latest Brunetti novel ("Through a Glass Darkly"), we find the Commissario once again keeping his eyes peeled for Venetian crimes, especially of corruption, social injustice, and, of course, murder.

His assistant Vianello introduces Brunetti to a friend who's just been arrested for protesting on the island of Murano against environmental pollution. It's a simple matter and the friend Marco is soon released; however, this sets the whole story in motion: a story of corruption and, yes, murder. It's not until the murder, of course, that the police become officially involved.

Marco's father-in-law, who clearly hates Marco, is an owner of one of Murano's famous glass factories. The enmity lies, perhaps, in the fact that Marco is an environmental engineer and is clearly against unlawful pollution of the laguna. The rabid, aging father-in-law is a bully who's clearly out of control, or as Vianello observes he "a choleric man."

Complications arise and Leon is up to her usual level of brilliance in handling first rate police procedurals. An employee of the glass factory is found dead and, as Brunetti suspects, it's a suspicious death. The employee has been most vocal about the hazards of the factory, environmentally, and blames his daughter's tragic illness on the pollution.

Painstakingly, even cleverly, Brunetti and his team at the Questura bring the case to a close and once again Leon's literary magic prevails. Aside from her general plot outlines, Leon's greatest strength seems to lie in her ability to provide great depth to her characters, especially Brunetti, a police officer at once intrepid and all the time human, a man in a profession where integrity is not always a given. Each of the Leon episodes in this series provides additional depth to him and his family. And Leon`s pointed observations of the city and how it's run ("The matter lapsed, merging into the stream of gossip that flowed through Venice, much of it no cleaner than the water that flowed in the canals.") makes one wonder if the Italians actually read her books. Still, it's clear that she loves her overseas home (who wouldn't?) but, a bit like Cassandra outside the gates of Troy, her cries of corruption and incompetence seem largely to go unheeded!

In this 15th episode, we find that the author keeps the series open, and we can only hope she'll pick up the pace. Will it really be another year before her next Brunetti novel? (Billyjhobbs@tyler.net)

Donna Leon's fifteenth mystery is set on the island of Murano where her hero, Commissario Guido Brunetti, investigates a murder at a glass furnace there. Prior to the murder, Brunetti started snooping around Murano because of suspicion that one of the factory owners may be out to do bodily harm to his son-in-law, an environmental activist and good friend of Brunetti's sidekick, Vianello.

Leon writes her novels in the third person, and thus, almost everything is seen through Brunetti's thoughts and judgments. Through Brunetti's eyes, we experience a wonderful springtime in Venice and superb descriptions of glassware and the age-old art of glass making. Leon has done a lot of research for this book which is a primer on glass making lore and the operation of the factories on Murano. There is also biting social commentary on the effects of industrial pollution on the lagoon by not only the glass factories but also by the chemical and oil industries in nearby Margera. As is often the case, the murderer is motivated by Leon's old standbys--vanity, greed, and lust for power.

In a less serious vain, we get to enjoy selections from Dante's Inferno, the antics of Signorina Elletra, the stupidity of Vice-Questore Patta, and the usual immersion in Italian language, food, and culture.

Leon introduced a new character in this book--Paolo Foa. He is the boat pilot for the Questura and plays a key role in the solution of the crime. Foa replaces Bonsuan who was killed in book ten. He's an interesting guy and hopefully will appear in future books.

A reader can easily feel like they are standing with the soles of their feet in Venice, Italy in Donna Leon's 15th Commissario Brunetti mystery. In THROUGH A GLASS, DARKLY, even the city's history becomes a character that adds another dimension of intrigue and suspense. Donna Leon, as always, depicts the characters, food, culture and people of Venice with a knowing eye for "just the right" detail. Commissario Brunetti's family, the Vice-Questore and his latest job search, and the enigmatic Signorina Elettra round out an ensemble cast that makes this a worthwhile and rewarding journey for any reader.

Commissario Brunetti's assistant Vianello requests help for his friend Marco Ribetti, who has been arrested during an environmental protest. After securing Marco's release from the Mestre Questura, the three men are confronted by a short white-haired man who pokes Brunetti in the chest. The man, who is furious over the environmental protests, claims that Ribetti married his daughter only for her money. Ribetti leaves the scene and Brunetti knows there is more to the story.

Vianello fills Brunetti in with the account of Marco Ribetti and Assunta De Cal and their unlikely match. Assunta was not the prettiest young woman and Marco did not share his father-in-law's political, cultural or business views. Marco, an environmental engineer whose impact and feasibility studies many times resulted in construction cost overruns for business owners, is often at odds with Giovanni De Cal. De Cal, owner of a successful glass factory, views the world as ruthless competition and his son-in-law a nuisance. Laborers were to work hard, more was always better, and progress was viewed with a skeptical eye.

After a chance encounter at a gallery opening, Marco's wife Assunta calls Brunetti's wife Paolo to ask for his help. Her father has been heard to talk violently against her husband and she is worried, so she wants Brunetti to come talk to her. He does and begins investigating the threats.

Brunetti meets with workers in the glass factory, including the mother-in-law of the night watchman, Tassini. Tassini has two young children, one healthy and one not. He believes the child suffers because toxic mineral waste from the factory has affected his own genetic structure --- which he has now passed on to his daughter. And he blames the owner of the glass factory, De Cal.

When Tassini is found dead in De Cal's factory in Murano, Brunetti is called to investigate. Was it an accident? Murder? Found next to his body near the furnace is a copy of Dante's INFERNO. Is this a clue? The Commissario looks into Tassini's files and his books that lead him to an understanding of what has happened. Brunetti not only fits the pieces of the crime together, but also leaves the reader knowing exactly why the murder took place.

Donna Leon's trademark style creates suspense while also giving the reader a deeper understanding of the circumstances surrounding the mystery.

--- Reviewed by Jennifer McCord

I just finished reading "Through a Glass Darkly" and, once again, I couldn't wait to finish it, bringing it to the breakfast table on Christmas morning. At the same time I really wished it weren't coming to closure or that I could just pick up the next installment immediately. I may have become less critical than some of the reviewers here, but I am very fond of Brunetti and his family, as well as his co-workers. I enjoy Leon's character development. It may be spotty from time to time, but it's good enough to keep me feeling informed and engaged. I like the plot ideas and how they unfold. I like the fact that Brunetti's curiosity leads him to keep picking at problems until he is able to weave all the threads together to build his case. Following his thought process is, to me, fascinating, and the intellectual and emotional relationship he has with his wife, Paola, is one that I thoroughly enjoy peering into. To sum up, I'm a Donna Leon fan. I hope she keeps writing this series, and I can't wait for the next one! I can see that it helps to have been engaged in this series from the beginning, but I can't imagine anyone who has read them all not wanting more.

Inspector Vianello asks his boss, Commissario Brunetti to help him obtain the release of one of his friends who was arrested at a demonstration protesting the chemical pollution of the canals of Venice. This leads them into the investigation of the murder of a worker at a glass blowing factory in Murano, the world famous home of the glass blowing industry. The main culprit seems likely to be the owner of one of the factories, a choleric old man who is convinced that his old ways of getting rid of the residue of his business isn't harmful to anyone and who refuses to bend to any new, environmentally friendly rules. What follows is a story of greed, lust for political power and one of Donna Leon's usual great reads about the exploits of the Venetian police officer, Commissario Brunetti and the every day life of the people of Venice.

#15 in the Commissario Guido Brunetti mystery series set in Venice. Brunetti is asked by Vianello, recently promoted to Inspector, to see what can be done about a friend of his family who was arrested in an environmental protest. While this doesn't have much to do with the eventual mystery, it does lead to another personal entreaty by the environmentalist's wife to determine whether her father, the owner of a glass factory on the island of Murano, is serious when he makes crazy threats against his son-in-law.

During the course of that visit to Murano, he meets a night worker who assumes Brunetti has come to visit him about the letters he's been writing to the police and several other agencies protesting the unsafe conditions in the fornaci on Murano and how they caused birth defects in one of his children. The man seems obsessed and nearly crazy, but when he turns up dead of an apparent accident a few days later, Brunetti begins to give more weight to his rantings and investigates--even though he's been told to leave it alone by Vice-Questore Patta. (As usual!)

One wonders whether the police are ever allowed to actually be police in Italy given that Brunetti is almost always called off of cases by his political-minded superior. As always, though, despite some of the repetitive themes, this was an enjoyable visit to Venice with Guido, Paola and her cooking and the city itself.

Since I started reading this series, I've been waiting with much interest for a mystery based on artistic glass making on Murano. Venice is well known for its glass, even if many pieces are now made in Asia and only sold in Venice or on Murano.

I remember like it was yesterday visiting Venice for the first time and being told that a glass maker would send a boat to take me to Murano so I could look over the glass. I liked riding around in the fast boats so this was an easy deal.

We headed out with a great flourish. Once there, we were treated like royalty and watched an artisan making objets d'art from molten glass. Inside the store, we were assured that many good values were available. I was especially impressed by the sculptures based on Picasso's style.

We bought a few items and were sent back by vaporetto. I guess we didn't spend enough to get a fast ride back. But it was fun!

Donna Leon portrays a darker view of Murano despite setting her story on leisurely spring days when everyone wants to play hooky from work. As the book opens, we find that an engineer concerned about the environment has married the daughter of a Murano glass maker who has a great desire to harm his son-in-law rather than let him near the family business. To help out the engineer, Marco Ribetti, who is a friend of Vianello, and Ribetti's wife, Commissario Guido Brunetti does a little informal investigating to see if there is a chance of real danger to Ribetti.

In the process of learning more about the angry father-in-law, Brunetti meets a very upset night watchman who has been made crazy from grief due to the slow development of his twin daughter. Everything seems fine until the night watchman turns up dead . . . having been roasted overnight next to a raging glass furnace he was supposed to tend.

Everyone is satisfied it's an accident, except Brunetti, who investigates on his own.

For those who like to find an intriguing murder in the first chapter and a steady progress towards finding out who did it, Through a Glass Darkly will be frustrating. This book is more about being a Venetian than it is a murder mystery.

If you've been reading this series for sometime, you know that Venetians are very fond of money and distrustful of their government. They even speak a dialect of their own with one another rather than deign to speak Italian.

Donna Leon wants to make the point that even if you are surrounded by corruption and incompetence, there are some forms of corruption and incompetence that are more desirable than others. She is probing the gray areas that are mostly black. I thought it was pretty well done if you have read at least five of the earlier novels in the series.

But what made the book come up above average for me was one of her best endings. I won't say more but be sure to stick with the book so you have a chance to see how she resolves this story.

If you want a straight murder mystery, I suggest you pick another book.

As a recent trip to Venice inspired my thirst for anything to do with Venice and my veracious appetite for reading, a friend turned me on to Donna Leon. I am so happy to be reading about places that I visited.