Friends in High Places

First sentence: When the doorbell rang, Brunetti lay supine on the sofa in his living room, a book propped open on his stomach. Commissario Guido Brunetti's lazy Saturday is interrupted by a visit from Franco Rossi of the Ufficio Catasto. There is a question about the legality of Guido's apartment. Rossi's fear of heights is apparent when Guido tries to take him out to the terrace so it makes no sense when Guido learns Rossi has died after falling from a scaffold. Brunetti's case goes beyond the murder into moneylenders, drug dealers, greed and love Brunetti is a wonderful character and very much alive for the reader. He is different from the normal protagonist in that his home life and strong relationship to his family is as much a part of the story as the crime. Leon's writing is wonderfully poignant and descriptive whether it be to convey Brunetti's love of his city or his frustration with the corruption on which it runs. There is a wonderful line where Brunetti's points out the irony of how Italy being part of the EU is forcing Venice to be less corrupt. Her dialogue is true and audible. Leon has created a wonderfully twisty plot with lots of different threads, although some of them where a bit hard to put together. As an American, it's not always easy to understand how things work, but the conclusion is a very satisfactory one. What I find most fascinating is the machinations Brunetti must employ to achieve justice that have nothing to do with the law. This is another great book in an excellent series.

Commissario Brunetti gets a visit by a young civil servant to talk to him about his apartment. A couple of days later Brunetti gets an urgent phone call from the same man, who is very nervous and wants to talk to the commissario. Brunetti doesn't get the chance, because a couple of hours later, the young man is found ... dead. Then, a young man and a girl are murdered at the same location as the civil servant. Brunetti starts his investigation. This silver dagger award winner is another exciting crime story from Donna Leon. As always, the characters come from all regions of the Venetian society. Some of the themes, like drug abuse and bribery, and the interesting writing style make this book into another page turner.

In Italy, Buildings or Apartments should always be listed - officially, and should always have two sets of records for buildings with any reconstruction plans that have happened or happening - officially. When purchasing a property, the new owner retains one copy from the pervious owner - officially. The other would be retained by the Ufficio Catasto - officially. These plans are stored and used by the Ufficio Catasto to show that building permit's were issued and planning permission was given to improve upon such historical buildings and that the building does actually exist. This would be the official process, unofficially certain plans or records become misplaced. Franco Rossi from the Ufficio Catasto pays a visit to Guido Brunetti's top floor apartment, to inform him that although his building plans exist, his apartment is not listed on the plans therefore he also believes that his apartment should not exist, not only does this amaze Brunetti as they are quite clearly sitting in his apartment, but the awkward situation would be Brunetti cannot produced any plans either. Franco Rossi informs Brunetti that his apartment is under investigation. Brunetti decides to start his own investigation using his friends to get this matter sorted out, unfortunately before this can happen the real investigation starts a few months later when Franco Rossi is found dead at another building site after falling from scaffolding, accident or foul play? Commissario Brunetti unofficially investigates. This Story weaves itself into different directions giving Brunetti lots to deal with in the heart of his city, drug dealers, petty thugs, money lenders and day to day corruption ranging from the crook on the street to people in power, where does it all end. Once again Leon gives to us life in Venice very vividly written; you can almost see it and smell it. The fictional comical characterisations come thorough again in this book as it does in pervious ones. My two favourites the wonderful Sicilian Vice-Questore Giuseppe Patta (Brunetti Boss), who's always up to his old tricks of power playing and Signorina Elettra (Brunetti hidden source), sharp as a razor mind, who's day to day outfits couldn't get any saucier their about to send Brunetti into a midlife crisis. This book also makes reference to, Through A Glass, Darkly which became the name of Donna Leon's 15th book in the whole Brunetti series. Brunetti could do know wrong in the flow of corruption. This book shows Power Playing at all levels.

Having read all of Helen MacInness and Sherlock Holmes (after midnight) as a grad student I couldn't stand reading anything less and so gave up mysteries for over 35 years. Looking for something to read on the train, I bought my first Donna Leon book (A Noble Radiance) in the station in Stuttgart and have read nine of her novels so far. Commisario Brunetti and his sharp-tongued wife (who, like Leon, accidentally teaches English in Venice) are never boring. So far, I've not guessed the plot before it developed, and the description of Venice and Italian life is fantastic. A wonder that she's not been run out of town tarred and feathered, if not be the city fathers or the patrici, then by The Church. Enjoy, when you need something entertaining and intelligently written, with attention to geographic and cultural detail.

Without a doubt, "Friends in High Places" is Donna Leon's best book in her mesmerizing Commissario Brunetti series. "Friends" is the ninth in this outstanding series and Leon has not failed her fans with this latest edition, which, for some unfathomable reason, is not yet published in the States!The author is able to capture what very few writers in the mystery genre do-- she creates such memorable characters that the reader actually feels he really knows--and even possibly understands--her creations. Certainly, Leon does to Venice what few other writers do to their settings. It is unbelievable that she is able to understand fully the mechanizations of the modern Venetian. She has weaved her plots so intricately--and plausibly--in her series, which seems short of a miracle for some "outsider"--she's an American!--to be able to grasp the bureaucracies of that system, be it religious, political, social, even the illicit "trade" bureaucracies.With her unforgettable Brunetti and his family, Leon's themes run throughout her novels: among them the "moral path" which is at odds with what Venetians have come to expect and to accept, it seems. If one has a problem, the solution is to utilize his "friends in high places"--a favor for a favor--to solve it. The corruption seems to permeate all aspects of their lives.But, of course, first, this is a murder mystery, and here, again, Leon is in top form. How exquisitely she leads the reader through this valley of temptation and evil! Yet, despite the impossible task of ever "cleaning up Venice," Brunetti plods on. He alone, it seems at times, knows right from wrong. He takes refuge and solace from his wife Paola; he loves his two children, and his greatest fear is that something evil might harm them.He senses something is very wrong when a local bureaucrat is found dead; it is labeled an accident, but Brunetti has his suspicions, especially after this bureaucrat had previously contacted him to tell him that he had vital information that he must reveal to him, and to him alone. Before this revelation can occur, he is found dead. Brunetti doesn't believe in coincidences, especially when an attorney who is involved in a corruption investigation is found murdered by a sniper--an attorney whose telephone number Brunetti had found in the bureaucrat's wallet.From this point on, Leon and Brunetti move cautiously--and sensibly--through this tangled, deceitful web. The author is quite astute in her observations and realist she is, the endings of her books are not always the "happy ever after" type. Frequently, Brunetti has to con- cede to powers greater than his; he alone cannot stem the flow of corruption--and the Brunetti world, as seen through the series, seems to have no boundaries on corruption, be it from illegal dumping of toxic wastes to the illegal sex trade with local travel companies to the smuggling of drugs from Eastern Europe. Leon leaves no holds barred and the reader is often left to wonder if there reall