Book Review: Give Unto Others

Book Review: Give Unto Others by Donna Leon

Disclaimer: I received an uncorrected proof of this book for the purpose of writing this review. No other compensation was offered or received. As an uncorrected proof, some details may be different in the final edition, such as removal of typos. Thanks to the folks at Once Upon a Crime for this opportunity!

Venice is finally beginning to open up again after la pandemia. Police Commissario Guido Brunetti has already stopped wearing a mask as a habit. Certain kinds of crimes took a sharp downturn during the worst of COVID, but a lot of the money the Italian government paid for pandemic relief seems to have vanished into pockets instead of being spent on actual relief. At first, the visitor he has at the Questura station seems to be unrelated to that.

Signora Elisabetta Foscarini was Guido’s neighbor when he was a child, a few years older than him. They were not close, she always seemed aloof, but her mother was kind to him. So he feels a bit of obligation to the family, and Commissario Brunetti agrees to hear her story. Elisabetta is worried that her daughter’s husband might have gotten into trouble at his work as an accountant, possibly legal trouble, maybe another kind. She’d like to have Guido look into it on the quiet, no official investigation just in case there’s nothing there. Brunetti agrees, roping in a few of his police allies to help.

At first Enrico Fenzo’s clientele seem to give no leads that there’s anything amiss, but Commissario Brunetti begins to think that a prior client might be the problem. Also, someone vandalizes Enrico’s wife’s veterinary practice and injures a dog. Meanwhile, an old friend of Guido’s mother in law has his name pop up, and there’s some disturbing behavior there. Could this case be deeper and more dangerous than first thought?

This is the 31st volume in the Commissario Guido Brunetti series, but the first one I have read. Man, am I out of touch with the contemporary mystery market. The author is American, but lived in Venice for many years so presumably has a good grasp on the city’s geography and customs.

The exotic setting is one of the major charm points of the book. The various islands, the canals, the difference between speaking Venetian and Italian and what it says about which the character picks. Various landmarks are discussed in passing, and alta aqua (high water) season comes and goes.

Because Elisabetta is connected to Guido’s childhood, there’s more discussion of his personal background than is usual in this series, and I am told that some of these details are seen here for the first time. (Long-time fans might be especially interested, but they should already know this book exists.)

This is a “procedural” mystery, so a fair amount of the story is devoted to the careful investigation and trying not to overstep proper police boundaries–even though some of Commissario Brunetti’s actions are illegal if he ever gets caught, and his enemies within the department would certainly like to do so.

Since the twists are what makes a mystery fun, I’ll just mention that the ending isn’t as neat as many mystery novels, and may displease readers who like a clean tie-up.

Content note: A dog is injured. Other violence. Elder abuse. A gendered slur or two.

The main draw of the book is the Venetian setting, though the underlying theme of whether one has an actual obligation to repay kindnesses or cruelties is also interesting. The writing is decent and kept my attention. Given that this is the latest installment in a series, some readers may want to go back and read the first, A Death in Fenis, instead. Recommended to fans of police procedurals and relatively unusual mystery settings.