Quietly in Their Sleep

I enjoy these, writing is satisfying, stort and characters also

Quietly in Their Sleep takes the Guido Brunetti series into a darker place than ever before, and the reader benefits mightily for it. A former nun who had cared for Brunetti's ailing mother comes to him a deep suspicion that someone in the church is convincing elderly people about to die to forsake their families and give monies in their will to a particular church institution with anything but heavenly aims. Brunetti, initially skeptical, becomes convinced there is something here after a vicious attack. In choosing to believe the ex-nun, he steps into his sharpest conflict ever with his boss, Vice-Questore Patta, who is determined to block the investigation at every step. Leon uses this plot to delve into the workings of the church in everyday life in Venice. The book is not anti-church, but definitely paints both sides of the institution which permeates Italian life. A particularly interesting sub-plot that plays off of this is the dialogue between Brunetti and his wife Paola, who is a committed atheist. Leon uses this exchange as a device to make us see both sides of the question and the dialogue between them is enlightening. In this book Leon really starts to develop her sense of place for the grandeur of Venice. Similar to Robert Wilson's fine quartet of books about the head of a homicide squad in southern Spain, we can practically use Leon's books as our walking guide for Venice. Many writers try to do this; very few succeed to this degree. Recommended highly.

I had never read any of Donna Leon's books until recently. I have missed so much joy and intend to make up for it reading every one of them. Commissario Brunetti reminds me of Insp. Maigret (also some of the best mysteries ever written). Heis stationed in Venice, Italy. It is fascinating to follow him from case to case as he travels by boat as does everyone else in business in Venice. Brunetti has a charming, very independent wife and two very likable children. I do think a book could be written about his wife alone. This book is about a group of Catholic nursing home where a young nun thinks some deaths are suspicious. Brunetti is determined to get to the bottom of it and see that nothing is covered up. This is definitely a "can't put down book". Leon has to be among the best mystery writers of today (and we need writers like her badly).

This is my 12th or 13th Brunetti mystery. It is so easy to drop into Venice and accompany the very interesting police inspector on his walks through the city. Ms. Leon is a masterful writer who entertains while also raising very timely and serious matters for the reader to consider.

This is another terrific Donna Leon book (also published in the UK as "Death of Faith") in the Guido Brunetti series. Author Leon takes a serious swing at religious extremists and profiteers using the Church. Inspector Brunetti gives voice to much of the wit and cynicism that is abundant in Italian culture and society, and it's always a great ride for the reader. Leon takes as much time with the lives of her characters--particularly Brunetti, his academic wife and their children--as she does with her mystery plots. This does no damage to the latter and makes for a more rounded and satisfying story. Of particular enjoyment in "Quietly in Their Sleep" is a vignette that entails Brunetti's discovery of another, very agreeable side of his aristocratic mother-in-law. The humanity on display here is an important part of this book's success. Italian comfort food in mystery form.

It's always interesting to travel with the Commissario on his cases, and pleasant to share fine Italian lunches with his family, his English professora wife and his two rebellious teenagers. Brunetti is the classics-lovin, uncorrupted anti-hero who struggles successfully with both the underworld and the legal powers that be, with the aid of his beautiful and thoughtful secretary, who's a whiz of a hacker. The description of place and people is so fine that one has the sense of being in Venessia. In her novels, Donna Leon has pulled no punches in advertising (in an entertaining way) the rottenness of elements of the ruling hierarchy in Italy, but this 'Brunnetti' is a special. Here, one is made aware of the fascist Catholic sect Opus Dei. This was interesting for me because I'd never heard of Opus Dei, and then read more about it on the web. I would rate "The Death of Faith" as one of the strongest of Leon's novels.