The New York Times–bestselling series and its Italian detective explore the seedy underworld of Venice: "Procedural writing at its best" (The Washington Post).
Commissario Guido Brunetti's hopes for a refreshing family holiday in the mountains are once again dashed when a gruesome discovery is made in Marghera—a body so badly beaten the face is completely unrecognizable. Brunetti searches Venice for someone who can identify the corpse but is met with a wall of silence. He then receives a telephone call from a contact who promises some tantalizing information. And before the night is out, Brunetti is confronting yet another appalling, and apparently senseless, death.
Praise for Donna Leon and the Commissario Brunetti Mysteries
"This endlessly enjoyable series, with its deep thoughts about justice and vengeance and charming classical allusions, can't help making you smile."—Marilyn Stasio, The New York Times Book Review
"[Leon] has never become perfunctory, never failed to give us vivid portraits of people and of Venice, never lost her fine, disillusioned indignation."—Ursula K. LeGuin, The New York Times
"You become so wrapped up in these compelling characters . . . Each one is better than the last."—Louise Erdrich, PBS NewsHour
"Few detective writers create so vivid, inclusive, and convincing a narrative as Donna Leon . . . One of the most exquisite and subtle detective series ever."—The Washington Post
