Death at La Fenice by Donna Leon

Finally, after all these years - the first one of the Brunetti books by Donna Leon. It was interesting in the context of the series to see some of the development of the character of Brunetti and supporting cast. It is a little more heavy-handed in its handling of the veniality of the police and others of authority, but she clearly lays out the contradiction of Brunetti's mind. He is a man who is interested in justice, far more than the law. This certainly plays out in this story. Although I suppose he reports the truth to his technical superiors, it is far from the whole truth.

His contempt for his supervisor, Vice Questore Patta, is not muted at all. And Patta's office definitely suffers because he has not yet hired the amazing Signorina Elettra. Several of the regular cops have not made the scene yet. Brunetti has to manage with the "assistance" of two foreigners (nonVenetians), who seem to be drawn from the stereotypical American cop - more interested in doughnuts (brioche) and coffee than in the crime.

Then there is Brunetti's relationship with his in-laws. By the time of the latest of the books that I have read, their interactions seem fairly normal. In this one, we learn that that is a recent change. Brunetti does not visit them except for two ceremonial occasions every year even though he and Paola have been married for twenty years, and although his children and Paola are frequent visitors to the Palazzo and enjoy their company. It is too simple to simply chalk it up to the social distance between even a fairly high ranking police officer and the traditional Venetian nobility, but that is a fair starting place. After twenty years, Brunetti finally realizes that "that sort of people" have access to people and information that he does not.

Another thing: in this book Leon introduces two characters which she brings back in a later story: the opera singer Flavia Petrelli and her companion, American Brett Lynch. There are the recurring characters of the background setting, of course, but these are different. And I believe that when they return they are central to the crime. Of course, at the moment, I have no idea which one of the books that is. This is the gift that enables me to reread murder mysteries with enjoyment - I never remember who done it ---