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Commissario Brunetti #33
A Refiner's Fire
In the 33rd installment of Donna Leon’s magnificent series, Commissario Guido Brunetti confronts a present-day Venetian menace and the ghosts of a heroism that never was
Around one AM on an early spring morning, two teenage gangs are arrested after clashing violently in one of Venice’s squares. Commissario Claudia Griffoni, on duty that night, perhaps ill-advisedly walks the last of the boys home because his father, Dario Monforte, failed to pick him up at the Questura. Coincidentally, Guido Brunetti is asked to vet Monforte for a job by a wealthy friend of Vice-Questore Patta, triggering Brunetti’s memory that twenty years earlier Monforte had been publicly celebrated as the hero of a devastating bombing of the Italian military compound in Iraq. Yet Monforte had never been awarded a medal either by the Carabinieri, his service branch, or by the Italian government.
That seeming contradiction, and the brutal attack on one of Brunetti’s colleagues, Enzo Bocchese by a possible gang member concentrate Brunetti’s attentions. Surprisingly empowered by Patta, supported by Signorina Elettra’s extraordinary research abilities and by his wife, Paola’s, empathy, Brunetti, with Griffoni, gradually discovers the sordid hypocrisy surrounding Monforte’s past, culminating in a fiery meeting of two gangs and a final opportunity for redemption.
A Refiner’s Fire is Donna Leon at her very best: an elegant, sophisticated storyteller whose indelible characters become richer with each book, and who constantly interrogates the ambiguity between moral and legal justice.
Around one AM on an early spring morning, two teenage gangs are arrested after clashing violently in one of Venice’s squares. Commissario Claudia Griffoni, on duty that night, perhaps ill-advisedly walks the last of the boys home because his father, Dario Monforte, failed to pick him up at the Questura. Coincidentally, Guido Brunetti is asked to vet Monforte for a job by a wealthy friend of Vice-Questore Patta, triggering Brunetti’s memory that twenty years earlier Monforte had been publicly celebrated as the hero of a devastating bombing of the Italian military compound in Iraq. Yet Monforte had never been awarded a medal either by the Carabinieri, his service branch, or by the Italian government.
That seeming contradiction, and the brutal attack on one of Brunetti’s colleagues, Enzo Bocchese by a possible gang member concentrate Brunetti’s attentions. Surprisingly empowered by Patta, supported by Signorina Elettra’s extraordinary research abilities and by his wife, Paola’s, empathy, Brunetti, with Griffoni, gradually discovers the sordid hypocrisy surrounding Monforte’s past, culminating in a fiery meeting of two gangs and a final opportunity for redemption.
A Refiner’s Fire is Donna Leon at her very best: an elegant, sophisticated storyteller whose indelible characters become richer with each book, and who constantly interrogates the ambiguity between moral and legal justice.
384 pages, Kindle Edition
Published July 18, 2024
About the author
Donna Leon
134 books2,656 followersDonna Leon (born September 29, 1942, in Montclair, New Jersey) is an American author of a series of crime novels set in Venice and featuring the fictional hero Commissario Guido Brunetti.
Donna Leon has lived in Venice for over twenty-five years. She has worked as a lecturer in English Literature for the University of Maryland University College - Europe (UMUC-Europe) in Italy, then as a Professor from 1981 to 1999 at the american military base of Vicenza (Italy) and a writer.
Her crime novels are all situated in or near Venice. They are written in English and translated into many foreign languages, although not, by her request, into Italian. Her ninth Brunetti novel, Friends in High Places, won the Crime Writers' Association Silver Dagger in 2000.
Series:
* Commissario Brunetti
Donna Leon has lived in Venice for over twenty-five years. She has worked as a lecturer in English Literature for the University of Maryland University College - Europe (UMUC-Europe) in Italy, then as a Professor from 1981 to 1999 at the american military base of Vicenza (Italy) and a writer.
Her crime novels are all situated in or near Venice. They are written in English and translated into many foreign languages, although not, by her request, into Italian. Her ninth Brunetti novel, Friends in High Places, won the Crime Writers' Association Silver Dagger in 2000.
Series:
* Commissario Brunetti
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 130 reviews
July 11, 2024
3.5 stars
In this 33rd book in the 'Commissario Guido Brunetti' series, the Italian policeman investigates a local man who was deployed during the Iraq war.
One of my favorite things about this book, set in Venice, is the slow pace. Unlike detectives on American television shows, who are always running around and chasing suspects, the detectives in this story amble around Venice on foot, taking time to enjoy the beauty of the city.
The story can be read as a standalone, but readers familiar with the characters will enjoy it more.
*****
As the story opens, teenage gangs in Venice are using Instagram to arrange a 'rumble', and when two groups of boys meet at the Piazzetta del Leoncini after midnight, surveillance cameras catch them tussling, throwing punches, smashing windows, thieving, etc.
The delinquents are rounded up by the Carabinieri, taken to the Questura, and mothers and fathers are called.
All the boys are picked up by their parents except for fifteen-year-old Orlando Monforte, who explains that he lives in Castello with his father Dario Monforte, who turns off his phone at 11:00 PM.
Commissario Claudia Griffoni, on duty that night, decides to act 'in loco parentis' and walk Orlando home.
Along the way, Orlando confides that he can come home any time he wants, and he wishes his father paid more attention to him. Griffoni feels bad for the boy, and they stop for coffee and brioche, and - since it's cold out - Griffoni lends Orlando her red scarf.
The next day, Commissario Griffoni consults with Commissario Guido Brunetti about the teen gangs, which the cops call 'baby gangs'. In fact, pressure from influential parents ensures that the police and newspapers write up the 'rumble' as an argument about soccer, that ended with name-calling.
Later, Brunetti's boss, Vice-Questore Patta - who never saw a job he couldn't evade doing - passes a task to Brunetti.
A wealthy American woman is buying a house in Venice, and needs someone to get permits and take care of administrative procedures. She's considering hiring Dario Monforte, and she wants him vetted. Brunetti recognizes Dario as the father of baby gang member Orlando Monforte.
The name Dario Monforte strikes a chord with Brunetti, and a computer search reveals that Dario was 'The Hero of Nasiriyah.' Over twenty years ago, a suicide bombing at the Italian embassy in the Iraqi city of Nasiriyah claimed nineteen victims. Dario Monforte was widely lauded for saving two comrades while being badly burned himself.
Something about the Dario Monforte story doesn't sit right with Brunetti, and further research, aided by Signorina Elettra - who's a whiz at data mining - reveal that there's MUCH MORE to the tale, including illegal activities.
Dario Monforte doesn't appreciate being under the Questura's microscope, and to halt the inquiries, he gets a shady lawyer to allege that Commissario Claudia Griffoni acted inappropriately when she walked Orlando Monforte home after the baby gang clash. It's clear that Dario Monforte has something to hide, and a good part of the novel involves Brunetti trying to figure out what was going on with the Italians in Nasiriyah during the Iraq war.
As this is going on, Brunetti's colleague, forensic lab technician Enzo Bocchese is very upset, and he tells Guido that his teenage neighbor is harassing him.
The neighbor boy, Gianpaolo Porpora, who's tall and built like a bull, trips Enzo on the stairs, bumps into him, and has threatened Enzo's treasured statuettes, which the technician collects. All this has dire consequences, including another, much more dangerous, clash of the baby gangs.
For me, the part of the story that concerns Dario Monforte's schemes in Nasiriyah was especially compelling. I also enjoyed the domestic vignettes in the novel, like Guido and his wife Paola meandering around Venice, looking at the lovely sights.
There are also homey domestic scenes in the book, when Guido is at home with his wife and children. In one of of the best family scenes, Guido, Paola, their teenage children Raffi and Chiara, and Paula's parents (the Conte and Contessa), enjoy a delicious meal while discussing literature, history, education, influencers, and more. This is a family it would be a pleasure to know.
My minor quibble with the novel would be a thread left hanging at the end, which I wish had been tied up.
Thanks to Netgalley, Donna Leon, and Atlantic Monthly Press for a copy of the book.
You can follow my reviews at https://reviewsbybarbsaffer.blogspot.com
July 31, 2024
Donna Leon's fire is refining her writing and her characters and her Venice. For me it continues to feel such a comfort to read because I've been reading this series for years now and each book apart from creating it's own memories brings up the memories of the past.
Leon plays with fire in this one, an inferno from the past with lasting effects into the present. What's forged in that inferno has the present firmly in it's grasp and the lies that are a foundation for the present will take their own toll.
Superbly done as always.
An ARC kindly provided by author/publisher via Edelweiss - Netgalley>
Leon plays with fire in this one, an inferno from the past with lasting effects into the present. What's forged in that inferno has the present firmly in it's grasp and the lies that are a foundation for the present will take their own toll.
Superbly done as always.
An ARC kindly provided by author/publisher via Edelweiss - Netgalley>
June 7, 2024
There is a problem in Venice caused by "baby gangs:" young teens who are causing trouble. Griffoni tries to help one of the boys, Orlando, and her good deed does not go unpunished. In the course of the investigation, Brunetti and Griffoni learn of an event that happened years ago in Iraq involving Orlando's father and some stolen artifacts. Was he really a hero, as was proclaimed? Certainly, Venice doesn't sound like a pleasant tourist destination in this book, and I was disappointed at the number of loose plot threads that were left hanging. Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for the ARC.
July 18, 2024
Book thirty three, in a series I feel I’ve been reading forever. The first book, featuring Venice based senior policeman Guido Brunetti, was published more than thirty years ago. The stories are as much about Venice and it’s unique culture as they are about a crime that challenges Guido in each episode. In actual fact, it’s sometimes rather difficult to spot the crime. In the course of this series, readers will have gotten to know Brunetti’s family and his colleagues pretty well; here, the focus falls significantly on Guido’s fellow Commissario, Claudia Griffoni.
So-called baby gangs, groups of youths in their early teens, have been clashing in the city. In effect, rival gangs have been communicating online with a view to meeting for a mass punch-up. Nobody has gotten seriously injured – yet – but it’s tying up police resources and drawing criticism from many sources. Then, one night after the arrest of a group of youths, Claudia offers to escort the last remaining boy home, the others having already been collected from the questura (police station) by their parents. Though this task is completed without drama, it is to draw retrospective criticism and pose a degree of threat for Griffoni.
Another of Brunetti’s colleagues is also having his problems: Enzo Bocchese, the quiet, almost reclusive, head technician at the questura. It seems he’s being bullied, a young man who lives in an apartment in the same building as the technician. There are a number of other issues occupying Guido’s mind, too, but none of any real consequence. This gives him plenty of time to slip home early for a meal with his wife and family or to simply put his feet up and read. There’s always time to stop for a coffee, too. Well, it’d be rude not to. Then, after a meal at his father-in-law’s palazzo, he’s able to stroll through the city with his wife and admire the beauty and tranquillity of this glorious place they call home.
The various threads here, some of which initially seem relatively benign, do eventually come together in what is actually an explosive ending. As always with this series, I was sad to finish my latest visit to this city, and bring to my visit to what I would now call my friends to an end. I miss these people and this place for eleven months each year, but I look forward to being reunited with them again – hopefully next year.
My thanks to Grove Atlantic for supplying a copy of this book via NetGalley in return for an honest review.
So-called baby gangs, groups of youths in their early teens, have been clashing in the city. In effect, rival gangs have been communicating online with a view to meeting for a mass punch-up. Nobody has gotten seriously injured – yet – but it’s tying up police resources and drawing criticism from many sources. Then, one night after the arrest of a group of youths, Claudia offers to escort the last remaining boy home, the others having already been collected from the questura (police station) by their parents. Though this task is completed without drama, it is to draw retrospective criticism and pose a degree of threat for Griffoni.
Another of Brunetti’s colleagues is also having his problems: Enzo Bocchese, the quiet, almost reclusive, head technician at the questura. It seems he’s being bullied, a young man who lives in an apartment in the same building as the technician. There are a number of other issues occupying Guido’s mind, too, but none of any real consequence. This gives him plenty of time to slip home early for a meal with his wife and family or to simply put his feet up and read. There’s always time to stop for a coffee, too. Well, it’d be rude not to. Then, after a meal at his father-in-law’s palazzo, he’s able to stroll through the city with his wife and admire the beauty and tranquillity of this glorious place they call home.
The various threads here, some of which initially seem relatively benign, do eventually come together in what is actually an explosive ending. As always with this series, I was sad to finish my latest visit to this city, and bring to my visit to what I would now call my friends to an end. I miss these people and this place for eleven months each year, but I look forward to being reunited with them again – hopefully next year.
My thanks to Grove Atlantic for supplying a copy of this book via NetGalley in return for an honest review.
April 15, 2024
This is number thirty three in the Commissario Guido Brunetti series and I have happily read all of them.
Leon is an excellent writer, sharing wit and wisdom and capturing so well the the pulse and rhythm of Venice. Not the Venice that the hoards of day trippers experience, but the real city of the Venetians who reside there. It is a joy to read such a literate writer whose books touch on philosophy, classical literature, political science, history, justice. Her books transcend one genre…they are police procedurals, mysteries, literary fiction.
The cases, while always intriguing, are almost secondary to the wonderful characterizations, musings and observations of life, especially Venetian life, by Brunetti. It is always so nice to visit again with all the familiar actors, flamboyant Signora Elletra, strong and wise Paola, philosophical Guido, comical Patta, capable Griffoni, loyal Foa.
The plot of this installment involving the “baby” (underage) gangs trying to wreak havoc on the islands of the Veneto intersects with Brunetti and Griffoni’s interaction with an acclaimed hero from the suicide attack on the Italian carabinieri headquarters at Nasiriyah during the Iraq War twenty years ago. My only hesitation with this story is that I would have liked to have known what happens next for one of the characters. I don’t want to say any more as I don’t write spoilers, but if you read it, you will know who I mean.
Leon conveys so much what Venice is all about....the politics, the cynicism, the decaying beauty. I feel that Brunetti and his family and associates are old friends. Last time we were in Venice, I passed by the Questore fully expecting to encounter him and stopped at his favorite bar for a coffee. Leon's books make me want to return to La Serenissima.
Leon is an excellent writer, sharing wit and wisdom and capturing so well the the pulse and rhythm of Venice. Not the Venice that the hoards of day trippers experience, but the real city of the Venetians who reside there. It is a joy to read such a literate writer whose books touch on philosophy, classical literature, political science, history, justice. Her books transcend one genre…they are police procedurals, mysteries, literary fiction.
The cases, while always intriguing, are almost secondary to the wonderful characterizations, musings and observations of life, especially Venetian life, by Brunetti. It is always so nice to visit again with all the familiar actors, flamboyant Signora Elletra, strong and wise Paola, philosophical Guido, comical Patta, capable Griffoni, loyal Foa.
The plot of this installment involving the “baby” (underage) gangs trying to wreak havoc on the islands of the Veneto intersects with Brunetti and Griffoni’s interaction with an acclaimed hero from the suicide attack on the Italian carabinieri headquarters at Nasiriyah during the Iraq War twenty years ago. My only hesitation with this story is that I would have liked to have known what happens next for one of the characters. I don’t want to say any more as I don’t write spoilers, but if you read it, you will know who I mean.
Leon conveys so much what Venice is all about....the politics, the cynicism, the decaying beauty. I feel that Brunetti and his family and associates are old friends. Last time we were in Venice, I passed by the Questore fully expecting to encounter him and stopped at his favorite bar for a coffee. Leon's books make me want to return to La Serenissima.
April 22, 2024
This is the 33rd and latest in the Commissario Guido Brunetti series. I love the series and have read all 33 books. I’m a huge fan of Donna Leon and cannot say enough good things about the amazing main character she has created in Guido Brunetti who operates in present day Venice solving mysteries and crimes in his upstanding yet empathetic way. So it pains me to say I was disappointed with this book. Yes, I still like the characters, the issues around which the book revolves are relevant and current, and the book is still a decent read. I won’t rehash the book’s synopsis here. My disappointment was probably magnified because the author has done such an amazing job with 32 of the Guido Brunetti books. What was missing for me in this book was how all the pieces didn’t quite hang together well. Maybe if the issues had been delved more deeply into, they would have. At times I felt the book was a bit disjointed and the transitions could have been better. Maybe it’s fair to not be too disappointed and wait for her 34th when hopefully I can be a happier Donna Leon and Guido Brunetti fan! Many thanks to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this book.
July 20, 2024
A Refiner’s Fire is the thirty-third book in the Commissario Brunetti series by award-winning American-born author, Donna Leon. Early spring in Venice, and the baby gangs are out and about. Mostly under prosecutable age, they gather in the late evening to fight, for no other reason, it seems, than to be able to boast about it.
When two gangs choose Piazza San Marco just on the police change of shift, they are rounded up, their details recorded, and their parents summoned to collect them. When Orlando Monforte’s father is unreachable in the early hours, duty Commissario Claudia Griffoni offers to see him safely home, even offering the shivering boy her scarf and trying to save him embarrassment in front of his neighbours by not revealing herself as police, kindnesses that backfire on her.
That same morning, Vice Questore Patta offers up Commissario Guido Brugnetti’s services to a new American resident to vet a facilitator recommended to help her deal with the copious paperwork involved in making her rental property habitable. A quick check confirms for Guido that retired Carabiniere Dario Monforte is the hero of an incident in Iraq that cost many Italian lives but, when he meets the man, something doesn’t sit quite right, and Guido resolves to get Signorina Elettra Zorzi to do some digging.
One of the gang members, it turns out, is the grandson of retired Judge Alfonso Berti, and thus the airbrushing of the behaviour of the gang by the Gazzettino, a publication usually eager to sink its teeth into crime and shake it around until there was some blood on the walls, and the Vice Questore’s admonition to keep it quiet.
While Elettra works her magic, Officer Dano Alvise, perhaps by dint of his own obvious curiosity in the lives and welfare of the people he speaks to, becomes an auditor to tales of human peculiarity and learns that not everyone is full of praise for the “convenient hero”.
But it’s when a colleague whom Guido considers a friend is attacked, having already expressed his fear of a local gang member, that the Vice Questore uncharacteristically gives Guido full rein, even offering Elettra’s talents, and unfettered database access.
Leon manages to convey her setting with consummate ease. She gives the reader a very appealing protagonist who readily admits his faults and failings and seems utterly devoid of arrogance. His inner monologue is often engaging, and his philosophical musings are insightful. Just one statement to Claudia demonstrates his attitude: “I’m not sure I really understand what makes us – men, almost always – put violence on the list of possible choices when we have to respond to something.” This is intelligent crime fiction at its finest.
This unbiased review is from an uncorrected proof copy provided by NetGalley and Grove Atlantic
When two gangs choose Piazza San Marco just on the police change of shift, they are rounded up, their details recorded, and their parents summoned to collect them. When Orlando Monforte’s father is unreachable in the early hours, duty Commissario Claudia Griffoni offers to see him safely home, even offering the shivering boy her scarf and trying to save him embarrassment in front of his neighbours by not revealing herself as police, kindnesses that backfire on her.
That same morning, Vice Questore Patta offers up Commissario Guido Brugnetti’s services to a new American resident to vet a facilitator recommended to help her deal with the copious paperwork involved in making her rental property habitable. A quick check confirms for Guido that retired Carabiniere Dario Monforte is the hero of an incident in Iraq that cost many Italian lives but, when he meets the man, something doesn’t sit quite right, and Guido resolves to get Signorina Elettra Zorzi to do some digging.
One of the gang members, it turns out, is the grandson of retired Judge Alfonso Berti, and thus the airbrushing of the behaviour of the gang by the Gazzettino, a publication usually eager to sink its teeth into crime and shake it around until there was some blood on the walls, and the Vice Questore’s admonition to keep it quiet.
While Elettra works her magic, Officer Dano Alvise, perhaps by dint of his own obvious curiosity in the lives and welfare of the people he speaks to, becomes an auditor to tales of human peculiarity and learns that not everyone is full of praise for the “convenient hero”.
But it’s when a colleague whom Guido considers a friend is attacked, having already expressed his fear of a local gang member, that the Vice Questore uncharacteristically gives Guido full rein, even offering Elettra’s talents, and unfettered database access.
Leon manages to convey her setting with consummate ease. She gives the reader a very appealing protagonist who readily admits his faults and failings and seems utterly devoid of arrogance. His inner monologue is often engaging, and his philosophical musings are insightful. Just one statement to Claudia demonstrates his attitude: “I’m not sure I really understand what makes us – men, almost always – put violence on the list of possible choices when we have to respond to something.” This is intelligent crime fiction at its finest.
This unbiased review is from an uncorrected proof copy provided by NetGalley and Grove Atlantic
June 17, 2024
I can't believe that I'm giving such a low rating to a book by Donna Leon, but she seems to be phoning them in at this point.
Perhaps it's because she now lives in Switzerland. There are a few lovely lyrical descriptions of Venice, but somehow the writing seems diminished. The Brunetti family makes brief appearances, but they seem to be for the sake of making sure the characters appear. There is too much Claudia, and here she does the same tired act of making friends with someone to extract information. Worked well before, but now it's just the same old same old.Patta and one other regular character do have interesting bits here, but in general the book
feels forced, as if Leon is writing it to fulfill a contract, not because she still enjoys writing these. Makes me sad.
Perhaps it's because she now lives in Switzerland. There are a few lovely lyrical descriptions of Venice, but somehow the writing seems diminished. The Brunetti family makes brief appearances, but they seem to be for the sake of making sure the characters appear. There is too much Claudia, and here she does the same tired act of making friends with someone to extract information. Worked well before, but now it's just the same old same old.Patta and one other regular character do have interesting bits here, but in general the book
feels forced, as if Leon is writing it to fulfill a contract, not because she still enjoys writing these. Makes me sad.
July 5, 2024
Sadly, it appears that Lorenzo Vianello's been sent off by Donna Leon, and Claudia Griffoni substituted. The problem I have with this is that Sergente Vianello, I think, was the brain that gave us insight into how Brunetti thinks. Griffoni has equal rank to Brunetti but she will never acquire, as long as Leon writes these stories, the insight into crime, classics, and justice that Brunetti demonstrates.
One other problem with this book is that for the first 100 or so pages, the author deals with what looks like juvenile pranks and it is hard to see where the mystery or crime-solving enters. Then, Leon begins a well thought-out tale of art theft in Iraq by a platoon of Italian soldiers sent to Iraq. That story appeared to have real legs when a long-time forensics specialist with the police, someone admired by Brunetti, gets assaulted and his collection of valuable statuettes get vandalized.
The story shifted again to what turned out to be a fire set by the "baby gangs", and wham-o, the story ends.
In all, disappointing in an incomplete, unresolved story, was, as is always the case with Ms. Leon, well-written.
One other problem with this book is that for the first 100 or so pages, the author deals with what looks like juvenile pranks and it is hard to see where the mystery or crime-solving enters. Then, Leon begins a well thought-out tale of art theft in Iraq by a platoon of Italian soldiers sent to Iraq. That story appeared to have real legs when a long-time forensics specialist with the police, someone admired by Brunetti, gets assaulted and his collection of valuable statuettes get vandalized.
The story shifted again to what turned out to be a fire set by the "baby gangs", and wham-o, the story ends.
In all, disappointing in an incomplete, unresolved story, was, as is always the case with Ms. Leon, well-written.
Read
July 29, 202433rd annual trip to Venice. It’s off season. This was about baby gangs in today’s Venus and Illegal activities in Iraq during the war back when. This book was more violent than any of Donna Leon’s earlier books. That surprised me. Idid enjoy the characters and Patta’s surprises. We said goodbye to one reliable character at the station who’s been there from the start. He was given a front page role for a good chunk of the book.His hobby is collecting bronze statues. Who would of known.
Most likely will visit Italy again next year if all goes well. Will end with a thank-you to Donna Leon
Most likely will visit Italy again next year if all goes well. Will end with a thank-you to Donna Leon
May 5, 2024
So one of my delights each year is to read the latest mystery novel by Donna Leon and starring Commissario Guido Brunetti. Brunetti serves the citizens of Venice, Italy while also thinking deeply about the great (and small) issues concerning the human condition. The mysteries are always interesting…though not always dramatic. But Leon’s prose is elegant, the key players always finely drawn, and, as an added bonus, the hero of many of her dramatic tales is Venice herself.
There are hundreds of these reviews that describe the essential plot points of this 33rd installment in the Brunetti series. The reason I gladly give “ A Refiner’sFire” 5 stars is that I love a mystery story that elevates into the realm of classic literature. So thanks to Donna Leon for several more hours of reading joy and for NetGalley for the chance to read A Refiner’s Fire.
There are hundreds of these reviews that describe the essential plot points of this 33rd installment in the Brunetti series. The reason I gladly give “ A Refiner’sFire” 5 stars is that I love a mystery story that elevates into the realm of classic literature. So thanks to Donna Leon for several more hours of reading joy and for NetGalley for the chance to read A Refiner’s Fire.
July 8, 2024
What’s happening in Venice?
Young teenagers are forming what are called “baby gangs” They’re fighting each other on the streets of Venice late at night. They’re highly volatile, pumped up with testosterone, and heedless of anyone crossing their path when in the grip of battle fever. Commissario Claudia Griffoni confesses to Brunetti the danger she feels, and the trouble brewing.
Arrests are made after one battle in the Piazzetta. Griffoni is on duty that night, taking part in recording names and arranging for parents to collect their sons. All are picked except for one boy, Orlando Monforte. Griffoni walks him home, a somewhat unwise move as it transpires. They have coffee and pizza at various places enroute to his residence.
It turns out Orlando's father is a hero of the Iraq War. His troop was on duty as peace keepers in Iraq when their headquarters was rammed by a truck filled with explosives. A conflagration happened, a fireball erupted. Many were killed. Italy was in shock. Amidst the raging fires, Dario Monforte rescued two of his comrades. Newspapers called him the “Hero of Nasiriyah.”
How then did this “baby battle” suddenly have Brunetti immersed in blackmail, investigating a hero’s past, looking into possible art thefts, finding a friend being threatened and his valuable statues smashed, and the baby gangs letting it be known that something BIG was about to happen.
Brunetti is on the cusp of a changing world. His Venice is disappearing, change is afoot. Yet it’s old memories that will shine light on new challenges.
An enigmatic, reflective work, thought provoking without much being said.
As always a pleasure to read Leon’s elegantly crafted and refined works. An exquisite read.
A Grove Atlantic ARC via NetGalley.
Many thanks to the author and publisher.
Young teenagers are forming what are called “baby gangs” They’re fighting each other on the streets of Venice late at night. They’re highly volatile, pumped up with testosterone, and heedless of anyone crossing their path when in the grip of battle fever. Commissario Claudia Griffoni confesses to Brunetti the danger she feels, and the trouble brewing.
Arrests are made after one battle in the Piazzetta. Griffoni is on duty that night, taking part in recording names and arranging for parents to collect their sons. All are picked except for one boy, Orlando Monforte. Griffoni walks him home, a somewhat unwise move as it transpires. They have coffee and pizza at various places enroute to his residence.
It turns out Orlando's father is a hero of the Iraq War. His troop was on duty as peace keepers in Iraq when their headquarters was rammed by a truck filled with explosives. A conflagration happened, a fireball erupted. Many were killed. Italy was in shock. Amidst the raging fires, Dario Monforte rescued two of his comrades. Newspapers called him the “Hero of Nasiriyah.”
How then did this “baby battle” suddenly have Brunetti immersed in blackmail, investigating a hero’s past, looking into possible art thefts, finding a friend being threatened and his valuable statues smashed, and the baby gangs letting it be known that something BIG was about to happen.
Brunetti is on the cusp of a changing world. His Venice is disappearing, change is afoot. Yet it’s old memories that will shine light on new challenges.
An enigmatic, reflective work, thought provoking without much being said.
As always a pleasure to read Leon’s elegantly crafted and refined works. An exquisite read.
A Grove Atlantic ARC via NetGalley.
Many thanks to the author and publisher.
July 24, 2024
Ein Krimi für zwischendurch, Brunetti, gutes Essen, ein etwas herbei gezogenes Verbrechen, Venedig… kann man lesen.
July 16, 2024
Donna Leon's Brunetti books haven't really been mysteries for many volumes, but I love them anyway for their milieu, their humanity, and the charm of Brunetti's police and personal families. This one, though, felt a little unfocused and, dare I say it, phoned in... Well, they can't all be wonderful.
May 9, 2024
While this was a very good book, I did not think that it was one of the better books in this series. I’ve read and loved all of the books by Donna Leon—this was the 33rd featuring Commissario Brunetti—but this one seemed to be lacking a few elements that usually make the stories shine. For one, there was definitely not enough Paola in the book. While Brunetti ate a few meals with her and their kids, she seemed to be more in the background, and her role as someone Brunetti goes to for advice and non-police guidance was diminished. Signorina Elettra was also rather muted; while she did what she always does, perhaps the change in Patta had something to do with that. And, Vianello was away and thus, completely absent. The main storyline was interesting, but less so than the last few books. Longtime fans will be satisfied, but I hope that Paola and Vianello play a larger role in the next book. Thanks to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this ARC in exchange for an honest review.
July 20, 2024
Eigenlijk vind ik dat een misdaadroman geen vijf sterren kan krijgen, realiseerde ik me, toen ik ze wilde toekennen. Omdat ze meer ter vermaak worden geschreven, dan ter nadere beschrijving/ toelichting van het menselijke bestaan. Maar Donna Leon stijgt boven het pure vermaak uit, en zij is trouwens niet de enige in dit genre. Dus daar staan ze, de vijf sterren.
Misdaad neemt een steeds minder pregnante plaats in, in de laatste boeken van Leon. Althans, misdaad zoals die normaal in thrillers voorkomt. Moorden, stalking, ontvoeringen, dat werk. Leon schrijft over de uitwassen van menselijke tekortkomingen, zoals egocentrisme, hebzucht, ijdelheid, over de kleine misdaden van de bureaucratie, zoals nepotisme en het verlangen naar macht. En over de grote misdaden: vervuiling van het milieu, uitputting van de aarde, het grenzeloos consumentisme, geldzucht. Maar haar latere boeken zijn niet moralistisch. Ze laat het alleen zien, laat de hoofdpersonen emotioneel reageren op wat er dagelijks om hen heen gebeurd. Dit keer zat het plot weer lekker strak in elkaar, over bende geweld tussen jonge jongens, met Brunetti wat in de schaduw, zodat zijn collega Griffoni het vrouwelijk perspectief erin kon brengen. Van A tot Z een goed boek.
Misdaad neemt een steeds minder pregnante plaats in, in de laatste boeken van Leon. Althans, misdaad zoals die normaal in thrillers voorkomt. Moorden, stalking, ontvoeringen, dat werk. Leon schrijft over de uitwassen van menselijke tekortkomingen, zoals egocentrisme, hebzucht, ijdelheid, over de kleine misdaden van de bureaucratie, zoals nepotisme en het verlangen naar macht. En over de grote misdaden: vervuiling van het milieu, uitputting van de aarde, het grenzeloos consumentisme, geldzucht. Maar haar latere boeken zijn niet moralistisch. Ze laat het alleen zien, laat de hoofdpersonen emotioneel reageren op wat er dagelijks om hen heen gebeurd. Dit keer zat het plot weer lekker strak in elkaar, over bende geweld tussen jonge jongens, met Brunetti wat in de schaduw, zodat zijn collega Griffoni het vrouwelijk perspectief erin kon brengen. Van A tot Z een goed boek.
April 18, 2024
A REFINER'S FIRE is the most recent Comissarrio Guido Brunetti mystery set in Venice.
It's always wonderful to revisit Venice even if she is a bit down at the heels.
Gangs have taken over the nights in parts of Venice and Brunetti is dragged into one of those fights.
Good as always. I'd just like Venice to have a Renaissance.
It's always wonderful to revisit Venice even if she is a bit down at the heels.
Gangs have taken over the nights in parts of Venice and Brunetti is dragged into one of those fights.
Good as always. I'd just like Venice to have a Renaissance.
May 7, 2024
Another wonderful read with Brunetti and the Venice he loves. Never a disappointment but often difficult to condense for review.
I requested and received a free temporary uncorrected proof from Grove Atlantic | Atlantic Monthly Press via NetGalley. Thank you.
I requested and received a free temporary uncorrected proof from Grove Atlantic | Atlantic Monthly Press via NetGalley. Thank you.
June 23, 2024
Another despairing view of Italian humans, their government and societal problems. However the same engaging and humane characters are there for counterbalance.
August 2, 2024
Every time I read a Commissario Brunetti novel I have the urge for a return trip to Venice 🇮🇹
June 16, 2024
Donna Leon überzeugt auch in Brunettis 33ten Fall - weniger durch die Kriminalhandlung, sondern vor allem durch die differenzierende Darstellung der Schattierungen menschlichen Anstandes und Respekts und menschlicher Tugendhaftigkeit. Die Beziehung und die Dialoge zwischen dem Commissario und Vice-Questore Patta sind nur ein Beispiel dafür.
July 26, 2024
It is ever a pleasure to have Donna Leon reunite me with Brunetti and, of course, Venice.
July 14, 2024
Disappointed
Donna Leon has written 32 excellent police procedurals. Number 33 is a travel book - a guide to Venice - interspersed with rambling conversations. Nothing happens until 48% into the book. The policing part starts at 83%. Sad
Donna Leon has written 32 excellent police procedurals. Number 33 is a travel book - a guide to Venice - interspersed with rambling conversations. Nothing happens until 48% into the book. The policing part starts at 83%. Sad
July 13, 2024
Disappointed
I’ve read the entire Brunetti series loved each and every book, but this one was disappointing. I miss descriptions of food and family life that brought the books to life for me
I’ve read the entire Brunetti series loved each and every book, but this one was disappointing. I miss descriptions of food and family life that brought the books to life for me
July 11, 2024
This book No. 33 in Commissioner Brunetti's series tells of the Nassiriya massacre and how it was connected to the theft of Iraqi artwork. Obviously it is a work of fiction, as is the Venice that is a victim of baby gangs, partly because I don't think enough kids can even be found to go to school in present-day Venice anymore, but I'm surely wrong. Anyway, Brunetti is always a sure read, and this time too I enjoyed reading a good detective story where there is actually no victim until the penultimate page.
Questo libro n. 33 nella serie del commissario Brunetti, racconta della strage di Nassiriya e di come fosse collegata al furto delle opere d'arte irachene. Ovviamente é un'opera di fantasia, cosí come la Venezia vittima delle baby gang, anche perché non credo che si trovino nemmeno piú sufficienti ragazzi per andare a scuola nell'attuale Venezia, ma sicuramente mi sbaglio. Comunque Brunetti é sempre una sicurezza e anche stavolta mi sono divertita a leggere un buon giallo dove in realtá non c'é una vittima fino alla penultima pagina.
I received from the Publisher a complimentary digital advanced review copy of the book in exchange for a honest review.
Questo libro n. 33 nella serie del commissario Brunetti, racconta della strage di Nassiriya e di come fosse collegata al furto delle opere d'arte irachene. Ovviamente é un'opera di fantasia, cosí come la Venezia vittima delle baby gang, anche perché non credo che si trovino nemmeno piú sufficienti ragazzi per andare a scuola nell'attuale Venezia, ma sicuramente mi sbaglio. Comunque Brunetti é sempre una sicurezza e anche stavolta mi sono divertita a leggere un buon giallo dove in realtá non c'é una vittima fino alla penultima pagina.
I received from the Publisher a complimentary digital advanced review copy of the book in exchange for a honest review.
July 20, 2024
I always look forward to a new Commissario Brunetti mystery. Leon’s characters inhabit the Venice of my mind as if they were real. And her cultured ironies are in tune with the city and its past. This time the nexus is corruption, courage, violence, and redemption. As always, there is a sting in the tale.
July 7, 2024
Brunetti books always feel like coming home, even though I don’t live in Venice…
In a series with thirty-three books (!!!), one could be forgiven for thinking that it would be hard to keep producing engaging books that draw readers in, while also making them think. But Donna Leon consistently pulls this off, and A Refiner’s Fire is quite simply the latest example.
Venice is changing with the times, hollowing out so that more tourists visit, but fewer people actually live there. And into some of that empty space have come “baby gangs” of young teens who organize on social media, but then sometimes get together to fight for real. Although no one - including, apparently, the teens themselves - can really figure out why they’re fighting.
A Refiner’s Fire opens with one such scene, which the police manage to control, bringing the erstwhile combatants to the station to be picked up by their parents. But one of the kids doesn’t get picked up by his war-hero dad, Dario Monforte. So Commissario Claudia Griffoni channels her colleague, Commissario Brunetti, and walks the boy home - a simple courtesy that doesn't seem as if it should have repercussions. Meanwhile, in what seems to be a separate incident, the station’s usually taciturn chief technician, Enzo Bocchese, confides to Brunetti his fears of his neighbors’ nasty and aggressive son. And in what is still the small town of Venice, where coincidences aren’t that surprising, Brunetti gets asked to check out Monforte’s background, as a favor for an acquaintance of Brunetti’s boss, Vice-Questore Patta - and finds that there are definitely some irregularities there. Mix all that together, and there is plenty for readers to figure out, following along with Brunetti and his usual crew.
One of the things I really appreciate about Leon’s books are that she helps me think about things that are often easier to gloss over. But a book that just makes you think might be rather bleak, and in the end, I’m reading mysteries for pleasure too. So it’s worth mentioning that A Refiner’s Fire still has all the good things that also keep me coming back to read each new book in the series: Brunetti’s humanity and decency, even in circumstances that would make many quite cynical; Paola’s quirky but rock-solid sense of ethics; Brunetti’s team, who reflect back his own good attributes; and even Paola’s parents, sharp and engaged. And of course, Signorina Elettra, of whose “extraordinary research abilities” it is said that “any database protection was a garden in which she delighted to play”. And even more of course, Venice itself.
When ranked among all Brunetti books, A Refiner’s Fire is somewhere in the middle for me. But the real ranking shouldn’t be against all the other Brunetti books, but against all the other books I could have chosen to read, and in that pond, it shines brilliantly. (Apologies for the mixed metaphor, but you get the idea…) Still, if you’re new to the series, I don’t think I’d choose this one to read first, but would head for the earlier ones, and read in order. Luckily, though, one of the nice things about this series is that the books tend to go on sale fairly often. So even once you get hooked, which you will, you won’t have to spend a lot of money while you read.
And finally, my thanks to Grove Atlantic and NetGalley for the review copy.
In a series with thirty-three books (!!!), one could be forgiven for thinking that it would be hard to keep producing engaging books that draw readers in, while also making them think. But Donna Leon consistently pulls this off, and A Refiner’s Fire is quite simply the latest example.
Venice is changing with the times, hollowing out so that more tourists visit, but fewer people actually live there. And into some of that empty space have come “baby gangs” of young teens who organize on social media, but then sometimes get together to fight for real. Although no one - including, apparently, the teens themselves - can really figure out why they’re fighting.
A Refiner’s Fire opens with one such scene, which the police manage to control, bringing the erstwhile combatants to the station to be picked up by their parents. But one of the kids doesn’t get picked up by his war-hero dad, Dario Monforte. So Commissario Claudia Griffoni channels her colleague, Commissario Brunetti, and walks the boy home - a simple courtesy that doesn't seem as if it should have repercussions. Meanwhile, in what seems to be a separate incident, the station’s usually taciturn chief technician, Enzo Bocchese, confides to Brunetti his fears of his neighbors’ nasty and aggressive son. And in what is still the small town of Venice, where coincidences aren’t that surprising, Brunetti gets asked to check out Monforte’s background, as a favor for an acquaintance of Brunetti’s boss, Vice-Questore Patta - and finds that there are definitely some irregularities there. Mix all that together, and there is plenty for readers to figure out, following along with Brunetti and his usual crew.
One of the things I really appreciate about Leon’s books are that she helps me think about things that are often easier to gloss over. But a book that just makes you think might be rather bleak, and in the end, I’m reading mysteries for pleasure too. So it’s worth mentioning that A Refiner’s Fire still has all the good things that also keep me coming back to read each new book in the series: Brunetti’s humanity and decency, even in circumstances that would make many quite cynical; Paola’s quirky but rock-solid sense of ethics; Brunetti’s team, who reflect back his own good attributes; and even Paola’s parents, sharp and engaged. And of course, Signorina Elettra, of whose “extraordinary research abilities” it is said that “any database protection was a garden in which she delighted to play”. And even more of course, Venice itself.
When ranked among all Brunetti books, A Refiner’s Fire is somewhere in the middle for me. But the real ranking shouldn’t be against all the other Brunetti books, but against all the other books I could have chosen to read, and in that pond, it shines brilliantly. (Apologies for the mixed metaphor, but you get the idea…) Still, if you’re new to the series, I don’t think I’d choose this one to read first, but would head for the earlier ones, and read in order. Luckily, though, one of the nice things about this series is that the books tend to go on sale fairly often. So even once you get hooked, which you will, you won’t have to spend a lot of money while you read.
And finally, my thanks to Grove Atlantic and NetGalley for the review copy.
July 20, 2024
The most recent addition to the Commissario Brunetti mystery series is a dark and brooding rumination about morality, honor, justice, and violence wrapped in a mystery.
The book begins with a set of seemingly unconnected story lines. In the first, Brunetti's supervisor asks him to help an American just moved to Venice evaluate a possible vendor to help her improve the security of her new home. When he joins the woman at her residence for an interview with the vendor, he meets someone that he recognizes as "the hero of Nasiriyah" - a survivor of the 2003 suicide bombing of the Italian Carabinieri headquarters in Iraq. Brunetti remembers the press reporting that the man had rushed into the fire after the bombing to save other soldiers, but the man he meets doesn't seem like a good person and Brunetti begins to investigate (just out of curiosity) the man's life story.
The second story line involves the presence and increasing activity of "baby gangs" in Venice. These gangs of 15- and 16-year-old boys gather in the middle of the night in Venice's public squares to fight, vandalize property and generally create mischief. When one of these gangs is caught in the act, they are rounded up, booked and their parents called to bring them home. When one boy's father doesn't arrive to retrieve his son, Brunetti's colleague Claudia Griffoni, in an act of kindness to a boy she sees as mostly misguided, walks the boy home.
In the third story line, an older colleague of Brunetti's - Enzo Bocchese, the head of the crime scene investigative team, is threatened, and eventually assaulted by a young man living in his building.
All three story lines come together when it becomes clear that the son of "the hero of Nasiriyah" and Bocchese's attacker are both involved in one of the baby gangs. When the gang sets out to organize an act of large-scale violence, Brunetti and Griffoni must discover when and where and stop the violence before someone gets hurt.
Without giving away the conclusion, the story ends with tragedy and the reader is left to consider issues of fate, human frailty and pettiness, corruption, the incivility of testosterone filled youth, as well as moral questions about honor and truth, and whether government and society are on the whole good or bad.
It is not the best book in the Commissario Brunetti series, but Leon's brooding consideration of important ethical issues like truth and morality are compelling and the book is a fast and enjoyable read. One opportunity missed in the story, I believe, was the chance to explore the path of the baby gang's leader in the aftermath of the book's tragic end. He is a major source of violence and criminal activity in the plot, but Leon leaves his future unresolved.
Leon's Commissario Brunetti mystery series is one of the two or three best series I've ever read. With a fascinating main character, the series not only gives the reader interesting and surprising mysteries, but explores deep issues like justice, morality and corruption. It's a great series, but because there is so much history in the characters, it's best to start at the beginning rather than with this book.
The book begins with a set of seemingly unconnected story lines. In the first, Brunetti's supervisor asks him to help an American just moved to Venice evaluate a possible vendor to help her improve the security of her new home. When he joins the woman at her residence for an interview with the vendor, he meets someone that he recognizes as "the hero of Nasiriyah" - a survivor of the 2003 suicide bombing of the Italian Carabinieri headquarters in Iraq. Brunetti remembers the press reporting that the man had rushed into the fire after the bombing to save other soldiers, but the man he meets doesn't seem like a good person and Brunetti begins to investigate (just out of curiosity) the man's life story.
The second story line involves the presence and increasing activity of "baby gangs" in Venice. These gangs of 15- and 16-year-old boys gather in the middle of the night in Venice's public squares to fight, vandalize property and generally create mischief. When one of these gangs is caught in the act, they are rounded up, booked and their parents called to bring them home. When one boy's father doesn't arrive to retrieve his son, Brunetti's colleague Claudia Griffoni, in an act of kindness to a boy she sees as mostly misguided, walks the boy home.
In the third story line, an older colleague of Brunetti's - Enzo Bocchese, the head of the crime scene investigative team, is threatened, and eventually assaulted by a young man living in his building.
All three story lines come together when it becomes clear that the son of "the hero of Nasiriyah" and Bocchese's attacker are both involved in one of the baby gangs. When the gang sets out to organize an act of large-scale violence, Brunetti and Griffoni must discover when and where and stop the violence before someone gets hurt.
Without giving away the conclusion, the story ends with tragedy and the reader is left to consider issues of fate, human frailty and pettiness, corruption, the incivility of testosterone filled youth, as well as moral questions about honor and truth, and whether government and society are on the whole good or bad.
It is not the best book in the Commissario Brunetti series, but Leon's brooding consideration of important ethical issues like truth and morality are compelling and the book is a fast and enjoyable read. One opportunity missed in the story, I believe, was the chance to explore the path of the baby gang's leader in the aftermath of the book's tragic end. He is a major source of violence and criminal activity in the plot, but Leon leaves his future unresolved.
Leon's Commissario Brunetti mystery series is one of the two or three best series I've ever read. With a fascinating main character, the series not only gives the reader interesting and surprising mysteries, but explores deep issues like justice, morality and corruption. It's a great series, but because there is so much history in the characters, it's best to start at the beginning rather than with this book.
March 10, 2024
In November 2003, a suicide bomber in Nasiriyah, Iraq explodes a truck outside an allied forces military compound that kills 18 Italian servicemembers. That act represents the largest Italian military disaster since World War II and sends the country into a period of deep mourning. Desperate to find a hero in the tragedy, military and political officials settle on a single man—an officer in the Carabinieri deployed at the base—who appears to have risked his life to save two others. However, that appearance proves to be deceptive, and the man soon fades from the collective memory. Twenty years later, modern day Venice is beset with the damaging and violent conflict between rival groups of under-aged youths—baby gangs, they are called—and when one of the gang members turns out to be the son of the Hero of Nasiriyah, it sets off a chain of events that involves mayhem such as blackmail, various physical assaults, arson, and the destruction of ancient artifacts. In A Refiner’s Fire, we see this story unfold and learn how Commissario Guido Brunetti and his colleagues at the Venice Questura resolve things.
For me, the real pleasure in reading a new Brunetti novel lies less with the details of the mystery at the heart of the story and more with the incredible sense of time and place that the author creates. Indeed, as has been the case in so many of the previous volumes in this series, the city of Venice—with both its incomparable beauty and its many warts— once again becomes the main focus. Leon’s descriptions of the city as it passes through the changing seasons are simply stunning and so evocative that, for readers familiar with La Serenissima, it is easy to follow along in the footsteps of the people as they go about their daily lives. Beyond that, each new book brings us back in touch with what are by now a beloved collection of characters, starting with Brunetti and his wife Paola, as well as Brunetti’s trusted associates Claudia Griffoni, Enzo Bocchese, and Signorina Elettra in this tale.
As to the actual plot of A Refiner’s Fire, I enjoyed the historical basis for the story, which was a more pronounced feature here than in most of the books that have come before it. The author does a nice job of weaving harrowing facts from the past with some creative modern fictional elements to make a compelling narrative in which the myriad pieces fit together quite nicely. My only quibble (if that is even the right word to use) would be that the ending felt a little rushed given the elaborate set up that preceded it and that not all the plotlines seemed to be fully resolved. Also, while I have always appreciated the thoughtful and allusive way in which Leon chooses the titles for these novels, I thought that this one—with its apparent Biblical reference—was particularly obscure and left me wondering until the very end how it tied into the story. Those minor points aside, this was an extremely satisfying reading experience from a talented author who, having now produced 33 volumes in this series, remains at the top of her game.
For me, the real pleasure in reading a new Brunetti novel lies less with the details of the mystery at the heart of the story and more with the incredible sense of time and place that the author creates. Indeed, as has been the case in so many of the previous volumes in this series, the city of Venice—with both its incomparable beauty and its many warts— once again becomes the main focus. Leon’s descriptions of the city as it passes through the changing seasons are simply stunning and so evocative that, for readers familiar with La Serenissima, it is easy to follow along in the footsteps of the people as they go about their daily lives. Beyond that, each new book brings us back in touch with what are by now a beloved collection of characters, starting with Brunetti and his wife Paola, as well as Brunetti’s trusted associates Claudia Griffoni, Enzo Bocchese, and Signorina Elettra in this tale.
As to the actual plot of A Refiner’s Fire, I enjoyed the historical basis for the story, which was a more pronounced feature here than in most of the books that have come before it. The author does a nice job of weaving harrowing facts from the past with some creative modern fictional elements to make a compelling narrative in which the myriad pieces fit together quite nicely. My only quibble (if that is even the right word to use) would be that the ending felt a little rushed given the elaborate set up that preceded it and that not all the plotlines seemed to be fully resolved. Also, while I have always appreciated the thoughtful and allusive way in which Leon chooses the titles for these novels, I thought that this one—with its apparent Biblical reference—was particularly obscure and left me wondering until the very end how it tied into the story. Those minor points aside, this was an extremely satisfying reading experience from a talented author who, having now produced 33 volumes in this series, remains at the top of her game.
July 3, 2024
Seit nunmehr über dreißig Jahren lässt uns Donna Leon, ehemals Wahlvenezianerin, aber mittlerweile im schweizerischen Graubünden ansässig, am Leben in Venedig teilhaben. Sie zeigt uns die negativen Veränderungen in Stadt und Gesellschaft, mit denen die Serenissima und ihre Bewohner zu kämpfen haben. Ganz gleich, ob das nun die Kreuzfahrtschiffe, die Touristenmassen, die Umweltsünden, die schleichende Übernahmen des historischen Erbes durch dubiose Investoren oder die behäbigen und nicht selten korrupten Verwaltungsapparate sind, Leon legt den Finger in die zahlreichen Wunden, die diesem Kleinod und seinen Bewohnern ��ber die Jahre zugefügt wurden.
In „Feuerprobe“, Band 33 der Reihe, stehen Brunetti, Griffoni und Kollegen vor einer neuen Herausforderung. Rivalisierende Jugendbanden machen Venedig unsicher. Ohne besonderen Anlass, lediglich getrieben von Langeweile, Frust und der Freude an der Gewalt, verabreden sie Treffpunkte, um ihre Kräfte in testosterongeschwängerten Auseinandersetzungen zu messen.
Dies ist allerdings nur der Ausgangspunkt, der berühmte Stein, der ins Wasser geworfen wird, immer größere Kreise zieht und zurück ins Jahr 2003 führt, als bei einem Attentat im irakischen Nassiriyah 19 Italiener, Angehörige der MSU Carabinieri, getötet wurden. Einer der Überlebenden wurde von Medien und Öffentlichkeit zum Helden erklärt, aber von offizieller Seite nie mit einem Orden ausgezeichnet.
Ein weiterer, zeitgleicher Handlungsstrang thematisiert das krimineller Verhalten einer Gruppe italienischer Einsatzkräfte während des Krieges im Irak, die skrupellos wertvolle Artefakte aus dem Land schmuggelten und zu Höchstpreisen an Kunstliebhaber in der Heimat verkauften. Einer dieser Sammler ist Enzo Bocchese, ein Kollege von Brunetti, Er wird in seiner Wohnung überfallen, wobei er nicht nur körperlich attackiert wird, sondern der Täter auch noch einen Großteil seiner Beutekunst-Sammlung zerstört.
Die Verbindung zwischen diesen verschiedenen Handlungssträngen, die einmal mehr sowohl Brunettis als auch Griffonis Verständnis von Recht und Gerechtigkeit auf die Probe stellen, sind zwei Mitglieder der Baby-Gangs. Der eine ein Mitläufer, Sohn des „Helden von Nassiriyah“ und voller Bewunderung für seinen Vater, der andere der Anführer der Rivalen, ein gewalttätiger Dummkopf, der im gleichen Haus wie Brunettis Kollege wohnt.
Interessante Szenarien, aber dennoch fehlt etwas. Donna Leon führt uns zwar wie immer souverän durch die unterschiedlichen Handlungsstränge, geht aber diesmal aufgrund der Themenvielfalt weniger als gewohnt in die Tiefe. Und auch die reflektierenden Gespräche zwischen Guido und Paola bleiben diesmal weitgehend außen vor. Wie auch Vianello, der im wohlverdienten Urlaub entspannt. Signora Elettra und der Vice Questore tauchen nur am Rand auf, dafür rückt Claudia Griffoni interessanterweise mehr ins Zentrum, bleibt aber wie meist eher blass. Spielt die Autorin etwa mit dem Gedanken, den Staffelstab weiterzureichen? Ich hoffe nicht.
In „Feuerprobe“, Band 33 der Reihe, stehen Brunetti, Griffoni und Kollegen vor einer neuen Herausforderung. Rivalisierende Jugendbanden machen Venedig unsicher. Ohne besonderen Anlass, lediglich getrieben von Langeweile, Frust und der Freude an der Gewalt, verabreden sie Treffpunkte, um ihre Kräfte in testosterongeschwängerten Auseinandersetzungen zu messen.
Dies ist allerdings nur der Ausgangspunkt, der berühmte Stein, der ins Wasser geworfen wird, immer größere Kreise zieht und zurück ins Jahr 2003 führt, als bei einem Attentat im irakischen Nassiriyah 19 Italiener, Angehörige der MSU Carabinieri, getötet wurden. Einer der Überlebenden wurde von Medien und Öffentlichkeit zum Helden erklärt, aber von offizieller Seite nie mit einem Orden ausgezeichnet.
Ein weiterer, zeitgleicher Handlungsstrang thematisiert das krimineller Verhalten einer Gruppe italienischer Einsatzkräfte während des Krieges im Irak, die skrupellos wertvolle Artefakte aus dem Land schmuggelten und zu Höchstpreisen an Kunstliebhaber in der Heimat verkauften. Einer dieser Sammler ist Enzo Bocchese, ein Kollege von Brunetti, Er wird in seiner Wohnung überfallen, wobei er nicht nur körperlich attackiert wird, sondern der Täter auch noch einen Großteil seiner Beutekunst-Sammlung zerstört.
Die Verbindung zwischen diesen verschiedenen Handlungssträngen, die einmal mehr sowohl Brunettis als auch Griffonis Verständnis von Recht und Gerechtigkeit auf die Probe stellen, sind zwei Mitglieder der Baby-Gangs. Der eine ein Mitläufer, Sohn des „Helden von Nassiriyah“ und voller Bewunderung für seinen Vater, der andere der Anführer der Rivalen, ein gewalttätiger Dummkopf, der im gleichen Haus wie Brunettis Kollege wohnt.
Interessante Szenarien, aber dennoch fehlt etwas. Donna Leon führt uns zwar wie immer souverän durch die unterschiedlichen Handlungsstränge, geht aber diesmal aufgrund der Themenvielfalt weniger als gewohnt in die Tiefe. Und auch die reflektierenden Gespräche zwischen Guido und Paola bleiben diesmal weitgehend außen vor. Wie auch Vianello, der im wohlverdienten Urlaub entspannt. Signora Elettra und der Vice Questore tauchen nur am Rand auf, dafür rückt Claudia Griffoni interessanterweise mehr ins Zentrum, bleibt aber wie meist eher blass. Spielt die Autorin etwa mit dem Gedanken, den Staffelstab weiterzureichen? Ich hoffe nicht.
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