Doctored Evidence

Nice, but after a while they become boring. I read 6 or 7 books from Donna Leon, and after a while they all look alike.

13th in the Commissario Brunetti series set in Venice, Italy.

An old woman is found battered to death in her apartment by her doctor who is making his weekly visit. Brunetti’s nemesis, Lieutenant Scarpa, becomes convinced that the killer is a romanian woman who was a live-in housekeeper for the

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old woman, and who has disappeared. Her papers turn out to be forgeries, and Scarpa faxes a copy of her photo to the border police. Confronted by the police, she attempts to escape and accidentally falls into the path of an oncoming train, dying instantly. Scarpa considers the case not worth pursuing.

But within a short time, a woman, Signora Grismondi, who was a neighbor of the victim, comes forth with a very different story--of having seen the victim alive as she accompanied the Romanian woman to the train station. Brunetti rescues her from Lieutenant Scarpa; believing her story, Brunetti and Vianello pursue an investigation for the real killer.

This is another fine installment in the series, with all the standard Leon strengths, especially characterization. Brunetti’s private life--his relationships with his children and especially his wife, Paola--is woven seamlessly into the story, providing a great deal of the humor and relief of tension in Brunetti’s increasingly bleak professional life. Signorina Elettra continues to dazzle, and Lieutenant Scarpa is an excellent villain.

In recent books, food has become even more important, with more brief descriptions of Brunetti’s favorite dishes, to the point where I wish some of the recipes were printed in an appendix!

While, unusually, the plot does not revolve around or concern a major social issue, it’s still absorbing--an excellent police procedural that could only have taken place in Venice. Highly recommended.

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This is definitely one of my favorites in this series by Donna Leon. The complexity of the characters and their motivations continues to unfold as Leon continues the saga of Commissario Guido Brunetti, his wife Paola, his children (marching smartly toward young adult maturity), and his comrades at

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the questura (police headquarters): Ispectore Lorenzo Vianello and Signorina Elletra. She adds in a very true to life ongoing tug-of-war with others on the staff - his boss, Vice-Questore Guiseppe Patta, and the stuffed shirt everyone loves to hate, Lieutenant Scarpa.

In this episode, an old woman, not well liked by anyone, is found brutally murdered, and her illegal alien house worker has disappeared. Brunetti is on a well deserved vacation, and does not discover until he returns that . as usual, Scarpa has taken the easy way out, has not done his homework, and has declared the case closed. When a new witness appears to contradict Scarpa's conclusions, Brunetti feels compelled to reopen and take over the case. In the meantime, Vianello is dealing with an elderly relative who seems to have come under the spell of a TV evangelist cum rip-off artist.

Leon always adds into the mix wonderful discussions of current vs classic mores, police corruption, crime solving techniques and wonderful presentations of Italian food and drink. They are especially enjoyable as audios when narrated by the incomparable David Colacci who captures the Italian inflections and intonations so well. I have yet to discover what's not to like about this series

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Commissario Brunetti has taken a holiday and when he returns he finds that Lt Scarpa has overseen a murder and closed the case without apparent due diligence. So when Brunetti is confronted with a witness whose evidence Scarpa ignores, Guido sets out to clear the reputation of the alleged killer

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and find the true culprit.

The clues in this mystery were well-hidden and the characters involved were not necessarily likeable but did appear as they needed to be. I really liked this installment, maybe one of my favorites.

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Another good read by Donna Leon

New to me series, but I'm really enjoying it. I love the Venetian setting.

In this installment, Commissario Brunetti investigates a case Lt. Scarpa dismissed based on circumstantial evidence. The old woman who was a nuisance to her neighbors because she listened to her television at a loud volume was assaulted and murdered. Money from her bank accounts disappeared almost

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instantaneously. His wife, reading their daughter's textbook, makes a remark about the seven deadly sins which guides his investigation. Suspects abound, but he identifies the person responsible for the crime, clearing the reputation of an immigrant woman. I listened to David Colacci's excellent audio narration. I enjoyed turning over Guido's wife's remark in my own head as well.

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Venice, law-enforcement, murder, murder-investigation, false-information, family-dynamics, friendship*****

Set in a time shortly after the beginning use of the euro, this unusual mystery uses the Seven Deadly Sins as part of the investigative process. I always find it easy to slip into a Brunetti

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mystery after an absence and out of any order. The shifty characters become clear and the well-meaning rule benders (my kind of people) romp through the serious and the snarky. Unusual in it's beginning, diligence, and denouement. Of course I loved it!
I admit that I really enjoy listening to narrator David Colacci, especially his Italian (or is it Venetian) pronunciations.

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The investigation of the murder of a disagreeable old woman

An old woman who insists on playing her television loudly until late at night is murdered by having her head smashed with a statue. Despite her nastiness finding someone with a motive to murder her followed some interesting twists. Gossip

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played a role in uncovering the culprit.

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Brunetti works to prove the innocence of an immigrant housekeeper. Well written, though Electra seems to have more skills than may be possible!

While Brunetti is on vacation, an old woman who noone likes (and for a good reason) is found murdered. Her live-in Romanian maid/housekeeper is missing so Lieutenant Scarpa closes the case quickly - he has a suspect, she is caught at the border with a lot of money and killed while attempting to

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evade the police. So case closed and Brunetti does not even hear about it.

Until one day, one of the neighbors of the dead woman comes back from abroad and decides to do the most non-Venetian thing ever - she decides to get involved and goes to the police to explain why the Romanian woman could not have been the killer. Scarpa really does not want to hear anything about it and does all he can to intimidate the uncomfortable witness but Brunetti is back in town and hears the altercation -- and decides to deal with the case personally.

And off we go onto another adventure where Brunetti, helped by Signorina Elettra and Ispectore Lorenzo Vianello, finally does what the police should have done from the start - namely: investigate the murder and find some justice for the victim - or at least the truth if justice is impossible.

As with most (all?) Brunetti novels, the crime shares the spotlight with Venice, Brunetti's family and reading and the personal connections of everyone involved. That's what really makes the series much better than the type of crimes it deals with would have made you think it should. And as usual, there is an underlying theme under all of that - in that case, the novel ties to the seven deadly sins - from a chance remark and through the investigation and all the way to the end.

Another solid entry in the series.

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Another interesting edition in the Brunetti series, this one focusing on the death of old, unloved old woman. The maid is implicated but dies as she tries to escape. Brunetti finds himself puzzled by the death and the testimony of a young woman who lived on the street.

Doctored Evidence is written by Donna Leon.
This title is Book #13 of Ms. Leon’s Commissario Guido Brunetti series.
These books are known for plots that are present-day morality tales. The titles also present the city of Venice as its (often) primary character. The detailed maps are a

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delight.
Commissario Guido Brunetti is featured as a devoted family man, a lover of his city and culture, a responsible and (very) often conflicted Venetian Police Commissario. His relationships with colleagues, especially Vianello, is ever expanding and very special. The settings, the plots, the characters - all very interesting to read about.
Though I have come late to the series, I have come to love and enjoy every title.
“After a wealthy, elderly woman is found brutally murdered in her Venetian apartment, the police suspect her maid, who has disappeared and is heading for her native Romania.”
But when a neighbor comes forward with an alibi for the maid, Guido decides - unofficially, of course - to take on the case himself.
****

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