Maybe Charity is not all it seems?

Set in Venice during a period of decline in infections of Covid, Commissariio Guido Brunetti gets involved in a new and unofficial investigation. This time there is no corpse found in suspicious circumstances or other clear crime. No, an old acquaintance, Elisabetta Foscarini, approaches him with a story that suggests that her son in law, accountant Enrico Fenzo, may possibly be involved in something that places him or his family in danger. Elizabetta’s husband, Bruno del Balzo, in his retirement started a charity to support a hospital in Belize, and Enrico was initially involved in setting up the charity, and as Guido pursues his gentle investigation it becomes clear that this charity is not all it appears to be.

Donna Leon has written numerous books of Guido’s investigations, all set in the beautiful city of Venice, where the lack of roads, transport being almost entirely on foot or by water, the pace of life is naturally much slower than might usually be seen. It has a relatively small resident population (plus vast numbers of tourists in non pandemic times).

Anyone who has visited Venice will feel at home with this investigation as numerous locations in the book will have featured on the average tourist’s itinerary. The story progresses gradually, with each answer only raising further questions, but, as with most of Donna Leon’s books there is not a race to the finish line, more it is like the building of a bridge - you keep adding stones to its construction, but it is not safe to cross until the last stone has been laid.

I read this book from a pre-publication copy kindly supplied by the publisher, but this is an honest review with no concession to their generosity.

The gifted Venetian detective returns in his 31st case - this time, investigating the Janus-faced nature of yet another Italian institution. Brunetti will have to once again face the blurred line that runs between the criminal and the non-criminal, bending police rules, and his own character, to help an acquaintance in danger.
I always enjoy this series & can’t believe there are over thirty books & I'm still loving it - kudos to the author. Another well written book dealing with Venice emerging from the pandemic. A childhood neighbour asks Guido to investigate her son in law Enrico Fenzo who has told his wife Flora that they could be in danger. I found the pace slow & Guido seemed to miss some obvious clues, however still a good read but not my favourite of the series
My honest review is for a special copy I voluntarily read

Another welcome visit to Venice in the steps of Inspector Brunetti. An old friend comes to him as she is concerned about her daughter and son in law and this leads to the investigation of a Venetian based charity. A gentle read full of character

DONNA LEON – GIVE UNTO OTHERS ****

I read this novel in advance of publication through NetGalley in return for an honest review.

This is the first of the Commissario Guido Brunetti detective novels I have read. The American author, now nearly eighty, lived in Venice, the setting for this series, for three decades, which shows. The details are all there, even if the magic is not. This is very much the behind-the-scenes, warts-and-all Venice tourists don’t see with not a gondola in sight, though St Mark’s Square is mentioned, as are one or two areas I remember from my visits. So successful are the novels abroad that there is even a travel guide, Brunetti’s Venice.

This story is set at the end of the pandemic, when an old neighbour of his family comes to visit and requests help from Brunetti as a friend rather than as a policeman. She is worried about the relationship of her daughter and husband. Or so she says. Apparently, many of the characters at the police station are familiar throughout the series, so avid readers will probably guess how things will pan out in the way they react and assist the laid-back Brunetti.

Suffice to say that things aren’t what they seem. Makes a change not to have dead bodies littering every few pages, as most detective series do. This plot concerns money laundering and revenge rather than corpses.

While admittedly this isn’t a novel to change the world, it is very easy to read and passes the time in an agreeable way, written by an author who not only knows her setting, but how to get words on the page that bring a story to life. For lovers of detective stories, recommended.

Donna Leon has been a firm favourite of mine for many years because of her dark wit, gently drawn characters, traditions of the Venetians and of course the backdrop of Venice.
Brunetti is using the slow time before the return of the tourists to take life a little easier, but then a childhood friend asks a favour.
This is another wonderful visit to Venice;

Always wonderful. It is difficult for me to find fault with these books. I have read them all and love them as much for the main story as for all the domestic details re Brunetti and his family. Thank you Netgalley.

This is not a particularly original storyline but it is cleverly delivered. The title is in many ways a moment of sarcasm as the book is about a charity based in Venice which does not deliver what it claims. It’s existence is brought to the attention of the detective Brunetti by a childhood family connection. He investigates, first informally, then officially. The background of Venice is a huge support to the story lending it all kinds of interest and quality. In the end, as often in such cases, it is hard to hold anyone accountable. This is a pleasant read.

Once again we are in the beautiful city of Venice. Brunetti is finding it quiet as the tourists have yet to come back in numbers and crime is low. When he is approached by someone from his past to find out something on the down low, he takes on the task with his usual gusto.
However, as always, things are not what they seem and the trail leads to a charitable fund for a hospital in Belize that under the surface is not what it seems.
With the help of his colleagues he is able to find out a lot of information about this.
When the vet office of the daughter of the person who has asked is broken into, things change and the focus of "the investigation" changes and comes above the desk top.
There are wicked goings on in Venice and once again it's down to Brunetti and his trusted colleagues to get to the root of it.
I love reading this series, aside from the story, I find the descriptions of Venice fascinating and although there isn't as much in this book as in previous ones, the descriptions of the food Paola cooks sound delicious!

The latest in Donna Leon's series of books set in Venice, finds Commisario Brunetti doing a favour for a childhood neighbour. Elisabetta is worried about her son in law and what he is embroiled in.

Brunetti is soon tiptoeing through the upper echelons of Venice society investigating charity fraud and wrongdoing.

A great tale set against the palazzi of Venice.

Donna Leon's novels are always something to look forward to and this one is no exception. Some of the literary references might need research (for some of us) and some of the journeys round Venice can be dizzying unless you have first hand knowledge. But the insights into the human psyche, the descriptions of body language and how it says as much as speech, or more, are just exceptional. The reader learns so much from her plots, characters and insights. Though "Give Unto Others" is set in right up to date times her books are timeless, intriguing and not to be missed.

I've read a few Brunetti titles and really enjoyed the descriptions of Venice, life and the machinations of the police and politics.
This one is set in the later stages of the oandemic, and the edginess people feel about mixing, the businesses impacted by the pandemic add an extra layer to the story.
Brunetti is approached by a woman he knew for a short time when they were children. Elisabetta is worried about her daughter, and a possible threat to her from her husband. The sense of obligation and family lead Brunetti to look into the case informally but soon discovers there is more to the story than meets the eye as it leads to a charity that may not be quite what it seems.
Calling on the support of his team to continue the investigation opens a can of worms that looks like it will explode in his face.
Brunetti starts to realise that he is being manipulated but by whom and why?
A slow burn of a novel but the story does pick up. A good thought-provoking read about obligation and relationships all wrapped up in a Venetian (not Italian!) bow.

I love the Commissario Guido Brunetti series, set in Venice and in this book, the descriptions of how Venice has fared during the pandemic, with details about the closed down shops, how the residents are social distancing and bored teenagers forming ‘baby gangs’, was interesting. Although well written this was initially a slow burner and potentially being about fraud not the most exciting subject, however, when it becomes clear the case is not what it seems, I enjoyed the book more.

Elisabetta Foscarini, who was a neighbour of Brunetti when he was a child, visits Brunetti at the Questura and asks him to unofficially look into her son-in-law, Fenzo, who is an accountant. She advises him that her daughter, Flora, had told her mother that Fenzo had warned her they could be in danger. Brunetti agrees to look into it because Elisabetta’s mother had been kind to his family. When Flora's veterinary clinic is vandalised and her dog hurt, Brunetti starts seeing the case differently after talking to a witness and this puts a new spin on things. After talking to his brother about his memories of Elisabetta, he starts to realise he and his team are being manipulated.
The book became a very enjoyable read, once the pace got going.

Returning to the world of Commisario Guido Brunetti is usually bliss. This time, though, Brunetti is dealing with an unsettling case in deeply unnerving times and it is creeping into his domestic life, though it is only one acute exchange that displays this. The pandemic has done much damage to Venice. Shops have closed and gone bankrupt and the many, many places that relied on tourists for their income have long since died, leaving behind derelict shopfronts which are continuously being looted by gangs of disaffected youth.

Brunetti is approached by a woman he has known for many years. She used to be a neighbour and he remembers her mother her mother so well. She was kind to his own mother and in the way of these things, that very fact makes Brunetti want to be of service, even if he must do so unofficially, at Elisabetta Foscarini’s insistence.

Signora Elettra is dealing with a slight issue of her own, but never doubt that she is capable of dealing with it quietly and efficiently. She, together with Lorenzo Vianello and Claudia Griffoni will work with Brunetti ‘off the books’ to look into the circumstances of Elisabeth Foscarini’s son-in-law, Fenzo, who is an accountant. Foscarini is a little concerned about something her daughter has reported and this has set off a trail which she alerts Brunetti to and which he follows.

It’s neither a long nor a difficult task but it leads to an investigation into a medical charity that Foscarini’s husband founded, relating to a hospital in Belize.

Brunetti’s talents lie as much in his understanding of the human psyche as they do in his detecting skills and it is in delving into relationships that answers come forward. This time the situation is complicated by one of the potentially key players having dementia. Donna Leon offers a strong and emotional portrait of a family dealing with a loved one in such circumstances and it is impossible not to be affected by her scenario. It also offers up something of a moral and ethical dilemma for Brunetti to navigate and this is, of course, prime Donna Leon territory.

We learn a little more of Brunetti’s upbringing and why he thinks the way he does, in this slow burn of a novel. His thoughts are never so far away from his mother and the working class life he grew up in. This has made him acutely aware of language, accent and the nuance of language and he uses it to great effect in his dealings with people. But Brunetti never loses his emotional connection with Venice and he understands its class structure which is perhaps why he gets on so well with his wife’s parents, aristocrats who can trace their lineage back to old Venetian times.

Give Unto Others is a complex tale and one in which the motivation of some is easy to fathom but for others lies deep in a murky tangle of human behaviour. It is Brunetti’s ability to decipher motivation based on what and how he hears others speak that makes him one of the more interesting detectives around.

Venetian politics within and out with the Polizia di Stato in Venice also play their usual part in muddying the waters but in the end it is Brunetti’s understanding of the fundamentals of human nature that unravels the answers, even as he realises, slightly too late, that his normally acute antennae have missed an obvious player in this Venetian dance of manners. The pandemic, it seems, has knocked everyone slightly off their game. A delightful read.

This is the first Brunetti book I have read and thoroughly enjoyed it and will be reading more of books.
A woman who is a old friend Elisabetta Foscarini who has concerns about her daughter and asks Brunetti to investigate and what follows is a good mystery story while keeping you wanting to find our more.
Thanks to NetGalley for a advanced copy.
Would recommend to anyone who likes detective stories.

In this, the 31st Commissario Brunetti finds himself approached by an old friend asking him to unofficially look into a matter involving her daughter and son in law. Brunetti is also navigating a world totally changed by the pandemia which has altered Venice immensely, businesses have closed never to open their doors, tourism has disappeared and the people of Venice are dealing with a world in which masks are the norm and social distancing is necessary. As with every Brunetti book there is so much to enjoy within the pages and there is always multiple plotlines to keep you in Brunetti's world. Leon always provides her readership with changes in the social fabric of both Venice and the wider world, this is probably why readers continue to enjoy and celebrate her work.

Thanks to Netgalley for providing an early reading copy.

Commissario Guido Brunetti senses that Venice has changed. The pandemia stripped the city of its tourists for nearly two years and a lot of businesses have closed, most never to reopen. There's now a cascade of money as life begins again but even 125,000 deaths have not put an end to greed. The Mafias have liquidity problems: how on earth are they going to launder all the money which is coming their way? Whilst he's thinking about this, Brunetti encounters someone he's seen only occasionally since they were neighbours when he was a child. Elisabetta Foscarini has a problem and she'd like Brunetti's advice.

Back at the office, Brunetti calls Claudia Griffoni to hear what Elisabetta has to say. It boils down to the fact that her daughter, Flora, is concerned about the way that her husband has been acting recently. He assures her that it's work and that she has no need to worry but Flora has been sufficiently concerned to confide in her mother. Enrico is a self-employed accountant. When he first started up on his own he did some work for his father-in-law, Bruno del Balzo, when he was setting up a charitable organisation. Bruno is closely involved with the hospital in Belize which he's supporting and goes out there for a month, twice a year.

Brunetti's conscious that there doesn't seem to have been a crime committed. It isn't against the law for husbands to be a little short with their wives and he wonders if he can justify spending police time for the benefit of someone he wouldn't even have described as a friend. Flora is a veterinarian on Burano and one night her surgery is broken into and a considerable amount of damage is done. One dog is quite badly injured. There have been numerous instances of 'baby gangs' breaking into empty shops in Venice to steal what has been left by the last tenants. Is this what's happened here, or does it relate to what Elisabetta Foscarini has told Brunetti and Griffoni?

There's a very blurred line which runs between the criminal and the non-criminal and Donna Leon probes it delicately. She captures Venice too, and in such eloquent language. There's very subtle, affectionate humour in what she has to say:

Long before computer chips could collect someone's personal data, their neighbours did.

It's a city where you're only a phone call away from someone who can put you in personal touch with the person who interests you. Leon is American. She no longer lives in Venice (she still spends about a week a month there) but I cannot help but think of her as European if not Italian.

The characterisation is - as ever - perfect. You'll meet old friends but still connect with all the characters even if you've not met them before. Every one of them comes off the page fully formed but with no wasted words. And the plot? Well, it's exquisite. I gave up trying to work out what was going to happen very early in the book - I was content just to be in the story - but the ending still took me completely by surprise. It was perfect. Give Unto Others is a superb read and highly recommended.

I love the Brunetti books and this was no exception.It’s always as fascinating to read about life in Venice as it is to read about the plot of the book ,and this deals with the effects of the pandemic on the city.There’s maybe fewer family interactions and descriptions of wonderful food than usual ,but this doesn’t detract from the plot,which deals with a request from a childhood acquaintance of Brunetti’s,who is worried that her daughter could be in danger because of her husband’s activities.The investigation has repercussions and leads to a moral dilemma for Brunetti and his colleagues.
It’s hard to say more without spoilers ,but this book won’t disappoint Brunetti fans.
Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for an ARC in return for an honest review which reflects my own opinion.

I was so excited to be approved to read this book! This series just keeps getting better - Guido Brunetti is a policeman in Venice; a good and honest chap. However, all around him is incredible corruption and mismanagement. This story is set in the present, in the latter throes of the Covid pandemic, and it is interesting to see how another country is coping with that as a backdrop. Brunetti is approached by a former neighbour who is concerned for her daughter, and from there we follow the trail. To say more may spoil it!

Brunetti, his wife Paola and his children, as well as his work colleagues are just great characters, and set against the wonder of Venice, the result is stunning. The only thing I missed in this book were the mouth watering descriptions of his meals that we usually enjoy!

A cracking read, and if you haven't met Brunetti before, you're in for a treat.

Thank you to NetGalley, Random House UK and Cornerstone for allowing me access to the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I have been a fan of Leon's Brunetti series from the outset, and have read all of her previous 30 books, usually within days of their release. Although Brunetti's family life with his wife Paola and two children has occupied much narratorial room in each of the previous novels, I felt there was more to learn about Brunetti's early childhood that led him to take up a career in policing, Now, finally, this thirty-first instalment in the series affords me some such glimpses, althougn it may be at the heart of an actual 'case' the fictional detective has to solve. Instead, Brunetti, his colleagues Lorenzo Vianello, Claudia Griffoni and the redoutable Elettra Zorza agree to covertly observe the son-in-law of Brunetti's childhood friend Elisabetta Foscarini. Their clandestine research leads them to a dubious charity called Belize nel Cuore and suddenly it looks as if there might be a proper case to investigate after all. against the background of a Venice that is slowly emerging from Covid-19 restrictions.... Not as satisfying from a police procedural point of view, this novel is most definitely satisfying from a societal observation point of view, as Leon as depicted contemporary Venice and its goings on in nuranced, sensitive prose. Recommended reading for all Brunetti fans! I would like to thank the publishers and NetGalley for their kind provision of a free ARC that allowed me to produce this honest, unbiased book review.

I haven't read a Donna Leon novel for a long time so was very much looking forward to this. It didn't wholly disappoint although I was sad that there were scarce reference to the meals which Brunetti used to enjoy with his family. In this tale Brunetti helps an old neighbour who is concerned about her daughter. The plot moves quite slowly but the denouement is satisfying. I appreciated the light touch with which the pandemic is alluded to and the descriptions f the streets of Venice remain a delight.