Transient Desires

In the 30th installment in Leon’s much-beloved “Commissario Guido Brunetti” series (after Trace Elements), Brunetti and fellow Commissario Claudia Griffoni investigate an incident that left two young American girls injured and unconscious, abandoned in the middle of the night on the hospital dock. Soon, two young Italian men are identified as the ones who had suffered a boating accident with the girls and brought them to the hospital for medical care. One of these men has ties to a larger and more sinister crime and Brunetti must work with other Italian public safety agencies to serve justice. This highly atmospheric, leisurely paced mystery will allow longtime fans to fall in love with Venice all over again, though they may be slightly disappointed that not all of the usual cast of characters appear as frequently as has become customary. New readers will be able to discover the series here, and look forward to a long backlist.