Trace Elements/Donna Leon
Donna Leon is an American crime writer who has spent much of her life in Venice and now lives in Switzerland.
She has written several detective novels set in Venice featuring Commissario Guido Brunetti and this is the latest.
A woman is dying of cancer in a hospice and confides her husband’s support money is tainted. He works for a local water company.
Commissario Brunetti unearths a dumping scam.
Despite its reputation as one of the holiday and sightseeing destinations of the world, Donna Leon exposes Venice’s seamy underbelly.
At first the plot is not that easy to follow though the description of the woman dying is graphic.
After the death of her husband Brunetti unravels the corruption at the head of the water company.
The location of Venice and the characters like the pompous self-serving Vice Questura Patta and Senora Electra make for an entertaining read.
However, in terms of twist and clues, I cannot rank Donna Leon at the highest rank of crime novelist.
Oddly,whilst her books are universally popular – particularly in Germany – Donna Leon does not permit any translation in Italian.
