The tidal flow combined with the rainy seasonal weather causes the acqua alta in Venice, Italy. The high water covers the sidewalks and flows into the bottom floors of buildings. The Venetians are used to it and don their high boots to walk through the city.
Acqua Alta by Donna Leon takes place in Venice during the flood season. This mystery novel is part of Leon's Commissario Guido Brunetti series but can stand on it's own. In Acqua Alta he is intrigued by a case involving a former acquaintance and Chinese art expert who has been beaten in her luxurious apartment by apparent burglars. The case becomes more mysterious when a colleague at the museum is murdered.
Leon's style is fluid and the descriptions of a wet, darker Venice are lavish and rich. Brunetti is a likeable detective who also plays the role of family man. He cares about the victims of the crimes and isn't as jaded as some literary detectives.
I rarely read mysteries. I'm not sure why because I really enjoy them. I had a good time with this one.
I won a copy of Acqua Alta from one of my favorite literary blogs : A Reader's Journal.
Monday, September 27, 2010
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
Posts
No comments:
Post a Comment