In a small village at the foot of the Italian Dolomites, the gardens of a deserted farmhouse have lain untouched for decades. But the new owner, keen for renovations to begin, is summoned urgently to the house when his workmen disturb a macabre grave. Wild animals have done their grisly work and the human corpse is badly decomposed. Then a valuable signet ring is found close by, providing the first vital clue. It leads Commissario Guido Brunetti right to the heart of aristocratic Venice, to a family still grieving for its abducted son ...
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A Noble Radiance: A Commissario Guido Brunetti Mystery
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From Publishers Weekly
Providing insight into Venetian society through the lens of a gripping intellectual mystery, this atmospheric tale from Leon (Uniform Justice, etc.) finds Inspector Guido Brunetti investigating an aristocratic family with a shady past. When a rural landowner discovers the body of Roberto Lorenzoni, who was kidnapped two years earlier, Brunetti immediately suspects the victim's family. The Lorenzoni clan bears the legacy of betraying the Jews of Venice during World War II, and from these ashes, its members have created a thriving enterprise. Roberto's cousin Maurizio, who's next in line to inherit the family fortune and business, is the logical suspect, but Brunetti senses something more insidious at play. As he works his way through Italian three-course meals and family crises, he uncovers disturbing details about the Lorenzoni family. Leon deftly depicts the tensions between Brunetti and his ambitious Sicilian boss, as well as the irony of the justice system ("Imprisoned parricides receive fan mail; officialdom and Mafia dance hand in hand toward the ruin of the state"). Brunetti emerges as an intelligent, somewhat world-weary individual who believes in his cause if not the system itself. In short, he's the ideal protagonist for this culturally rich mystery.
Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to the Mass Market Paperback edition.
Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to the Mass Market Paperback edition.
Review
"A splendid series with a backdrop of the city so vivid you can almost smell it." (The Sunday Telegraph)
"An evocative peep into the dark underworld of the beauteous city." (Time Out, London)
--This text refers to the
Mass Market Paperback
edition.
"An evocative peep into the dark underworld of the beauteous city." (Time Out, London)
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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
By Pat the cat
TOP 1000 REVIEWER
Format:Kindle Edition
This is the 2nd book that I read by this author. This story takes place in and near Venice and it follows the efforts of Constable Brunetti to solve the kidnapping/murder of a young man belonging to a prominent and wealthy family. It's a good police mystery with a surprising ending. But, be forewarn, the pace is very slow and the author wastes a lot of time dwelling on unimportant details and the mundane actions of its main character (e.g., mentioning how he drinks his coffee, how he walks into buildings, how he walks to his office. etc. -- so superfluous, clearly filler text...). And, I was a little disappointed that Venice wasn't the main centre of this novel -- it's my favourite city in Europe and it's the only reason that I read Leon's books..... So, unlike the glowing reviews from her die-hard fans, I would give this novel only 3 stars out of 5 (good).
Format:Mass Market Paperback
It's a shame that A Noble Radiance is cast as a mystery. Take the need to solve the mystery out, and this would be an above-average novel about contemporary families in Venice.
Ms. Leon takes a long time to set up the mystery. Then, she has the investigation proceed very slowly as well. That would be fine if the resolution was interesting, unexpected, and credible. But to me, the resolution was nonsense: It just didn't ring true.
With much of the story taking place outside of Venice, there's not as much of the local color as usual. The best parts of the story relate to Guido Brunetti's father-in-law warning him about Guido's marriage to Paola, eating Chira's first dinner she's cooked for the family, and exploring Signorina Elletra's seemingly contradictory morals about getting secret information and making public investments.
Here's the set-up: A house and garden have fallen into ruin because the heirs are squabbling until a German buys the place for a huge sum and starts fixing it up. While the garden is being tilled, a bone sticks up that turns out to be human. As the police dig around, they also find a ring with the crest of a noble Venetian family, the Lorenzoni family, best known in recent times for having sold out the location of Venice's Jews to the SS during World War II. The family's son had been kidnapped two years earlier, and he was never found. When the autopsy shows a bullet hole in the skull of a young man, Commissario Guido Brunetti looks for a dental match. Finding one, he now has reason to dig into the kidnapping, looking for murderers.
The Lorenzonis have taken on their lost son's cousin as their heir. Was he involved? Why else had a motive?
As you finish this book, think about what the purpose of a family should be.
Ms. Leon takes a long time to set up the mystery. Then, she has the investigation proceed very slowly as well. That would be fine if the resolution was interesting, unexpected, and credible. But to me, the resolution was nonsense: It just didn't ring true.
With much of the story taking place outside of Venice, there's not as much of the local color as usual. The best parts of the story relate to Guido Brunetti's father-in-law warning him about Guido's marriage to Paola, eating Chira's first dinner she's cooked for the family, and exploring Signorina Elletra's seemingly contradictory morals about getting secret information and making public investments.
Here's the set-up: A house and garden have fallen into ruin because the heirs are squabbling until a German buys the place for a huge sum and starts fixing it up. While the garden is being tilled, a bone sticks up that turns out to be human. As the police dig around, they also find a ring with the crest of a noble Venetian family, the Lorenzoni family, best known in recent times for having sold out the location of Venice's Jews to the SS during World War II. The family's son had been kidnapped two years earlier, and he was never found. When the autopsy shows a bullet hole in the skull of a young man, Commissario Guido Brunetti looks for a dental match. Finding one, he now has reason to dig into the kidnapping, looking for murderers.
The Lorenzonis have taken on their lost son's cousin as their heir. Was he involved? Why else had a motive?
As you finish this book, think about what the purpose of a family should be.
By Toni Osborne
TOP 100 REVIEWER
Format:Mass Market Paperback
I share the positive thoughts with the fans of this series. I just plain love Donna Leon’s Commissario Guido Brunetti. He is an interesting and charming character and the adventures he faces are always captivating and thrilling.
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4.1 out of 5 stars
Most recent customer reviews
5.0 out of 5 stars
Excellent mystery novel!
I came across this novel purely by accident, purchased it, and finished it within 4 hours. I could not put it down. Read more
Published on Jan 1 2004 by Shari Hoover
1.0 out of 5 stars
Disappointing first taste
This is the first Donna Leon book I've read, and I doubt I will be reading more. I've glanced through the other reviews that were posted, and I must say, I'm quite shocked. Read more
Published on Dec 28 2003 by N. Bernadsky
5.0 out of 5 stars
as pure as crime fiction gets
Donna Leon is wonderful. A Noble Radiance is the first book of hers that I have read, and I just know that she is wonderful. There is something so pure about this book. Read more
Published on Dec 20 2003 by RachelWalker
5.0 out of 5 stars
Leon: Another Glowing Thriller!
For Donna Leon's fans, Venice, the Most Serene Republic, is anything but serene! In yet another, the seventh
sure-winner in her Commissario Guido Brunetti series, Leon once... Read more
sure-winner in her Commissario Guido Brunetti series, Leon once... Read more
Published on Sep 23 2003 by Billy J. Hobbs
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