So Shall You Reap

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An unsolved disappearance at that time becomes a clue for Guido, with the help of his colleagues, to move closer to solving the puzzle of the murdered man.

This book felt like the author had a list of current hot-topics and virtue signals and kept ticking them of while writing this book. Le Guin and Val McDermid, the Brunetti Mysteries have won numerous awards around the world and been translated into thirty-five languages. When important information is leaked from inside the Venetian Questura, Commissario Guido Brunetti is entrusted with the task of uncovering which of his colleagues is responsible. The rude, sneery and prejudiced way the two policemen spoke about demonstrators against Gay pride and "anti -vax" rallies was nearly a book refund moment.He turned to Brunetti and, keeping his voice low, said, ‘The parade was the usual thing: about two hundred people, holding signs and chanting slogans. The middle-aged deaf mute with the mental age of a child who helped out at the Brunetti’s dry cleaners has been found dead – an ‘accidental’ overdose of his mother’s sleeping pills – and Paola is distraught by the news.

In a minor ancillary plot, Brunetti learns about the recent parole of a 'gentleman art thief', for whom Brunetti has an odd soft spot. Before Brunetti could say anything, the Ispettore gave the address of the Questura in Treviso and sat back. That a soul could have lived such a joyless life is too much for Paola to bear, and she asks Guido if he can find out what happened.Things soon take a more serious turn when a hand is seen in a canal and the body of an undocumented worker is soon found. If you’re looking for a fast-paced, heart-pounding adventure mystery, the Commissario Brunetti books are not for you. Taking on the case, the Commissario begins to seek information about some of the library’s regulars, such as the ex-priest Franchini, a passionate reader of ancient Christian literature, and Contessa Morosini-Albani, the library’s chief donor, and comes to the conclusion that the thief could not have acted alone. Morse is nearing retirement and he is not a well man – his drinking is now causing him problems, enough to make him go to the doctor, who diagnoses diabetes. In his earlier years Geoffrey Owens had been an owl, preferring to pursue whatever tasks lay before him into the late hours of the night, often through into the still, small hours.

The topic this week is Genre Freebie and I’ve decided to list ten crime fiction books from my TBR lists (physical and e-books). He never talked about himself, was interested in his colleagues, remembered the names of their spouses and children, was loyal and did his best.

This is a marvellous addition to Donna Leon's Venice based series featuring Commissario Guido Brunnetti, giving us a glimpse into Italian political history, from a more personal angle capturing the idealism with its problematic nature with insights into young Guido's student days.