Trace Elements

In Donna Leon's twenty-ninth Brunetti novel, "A Threat to the Region," a woman's dying words in a Venetian hospice lead Guido Brunetti to uncover a threat to the entire region. Brunetti and his colleague, Claudia Griffoni, investigate a mysterious motorcycle accident that reveals a company's contamination of Venice's water supply. They are bolstered by the research skills of Signora Elettra Zorzi, but justice proves ambiguous. Leon engages our sensibilities about the differences between guilt and responsibility.

Format: Hardback
Length: 288 pages
Publication date: 05 March 2020
Publisher: Cornerstone

In Donna Leon's captivating twenty-ninth Brunetti novel, "A Woman's Cryptic Dying Words in a Venetian Hospice," Guido Brunetti embarks on a thrilling investigation that uncovers a grave threat to the entire region. When Dottoressa Donato calls the Questura to report that a dying patient at the hospice Fatebenefratelli desires to speak to the police, Commissario Guido Brunetti and his colleague, Claudia Griffoni, swiftly respond. The patient, Benedetta Toso, gasps the words about her recently deceased husband, Vittorio Fadalto. Despite his uncertainty about whether she can hear him, Brunetti softly promises to investigate what initially appears to be a private family tragedy.

As they delve deeper, Brunetti and Griffoni discover that Fadalto worked in the field collecting samples of contamination for a company that measures the cleanliness of Venice's water supply. Tragically, he died in a mysterious motorcycle accident. However, their investigation is briefly sidetracked by Vice Questore Pattas obsession with youth crime in Venice.

Thankfully, Brunetti is bolstered once more by the remarkable research skills of Pattas secretary, Signora Elettra Zorzi. Through meticulous piecing together of the tangled threads, Brunetti gradually unravels the perilous meaning in the woman's accusation and the threat it poses to the health of the entire region. However, the pursuit of justice in this case proves to be ambiguous, as Brunetti is reminded of the complexities when seeking solace, he delves into Aeschyluss classic play, "The Eumenides."

Through her memorable characters and storytelling skill, Donna Leon once again engages our sensibilities as to the differences between guilt and responsibility. "A Woman's Cryptic Dying Words in a Venetian Hospice" is a testament to Leon's talent for creating intricate plots and compelling narratives that keep readers eagerly turning the pages until the very end.

Weight: 490g
Dimension: 162 x 241 x 27 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781785152436