When Commissario Brunetti is summoned in the middle of the night to the hospital bed of a pediatrician, he is confronted with more questions than answers. Three men—a young carabiniere captain and two privates from out of town—burst into the doctor's apartment while the family was sleeping, attacked him, and took away his eighteen-month-old boy. What could have motivated an assault by the forces of the state that was so violent it has left the doctor mute? As Brunetti delves into the case, he begins to uncover a story of infertility, desperation, and illegal dealings. Then his colleague, Inspector Vianello, discovers a money-making scam between pharmacists and doctors in the city. Medical records are missing and it appears as if one of the pharmacists is after more than money. What secrets are in the records? And what has been done with them?
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"I've enjoyed several books in this series. The plot in this one was a little puzzling in that I did not understand Brunetti's position nor why he expended so much effort and time on a matter that did not concern him professionally. Other than that, it was an enjoyable read."
— Sally (4 out of 5 stars)
“[A] stunning procedural series.”
— New York Times Book Review“One of Venice’s greatest contemporary chroniclers...The smells, flavors, sights and sounds all come flooding to life…Leon has her finger on the pulse.”
— Daily Mirror. praise for Death at La Fenice“First-rate and masterful…Leon seldom delivers a ‘feel good’ ending, choosing instead conclusions that are wise and inevitable while still being unsettling.”
— Publishers Weekly" Not the best of the Commissario Brunetti mysteries, but well worth reading just to keep up with the good Commissario. I can't think of another detective in crime fiction who has such a rewarding relationship with family, and coworkers; nor of one who reacts so humanely to the crimes he's confronted with. He also loves to eat, and he loves Venice. I think Death in a Strange Country is the place to start, but you could start here as well. "
— Richard, 2/5/2014" Very good as always at summoning the atmosphere of Venice. Brunetti picks his way through the maze of how rich people can avoid normal legal behaviour, this time in the context of acquiring babies. "
— Sheila, 2/2/2014" My favorite way to get to Italy for the afternoon. "
— Aki, 2/1/2014" I do like donna leon books they are easy interesting stories set is the best city in the world they just keep getting better. More please "
— Laura, 2/1/2014" A lot like Louise Penny and her Insp, Gamache. "
— Elisa, 1/28/2014" Steadily paced without any mortal danger, Suffer the Little Children might be the first adult mystery I've read in which a murder is not the central piece of intrigue. Instead, illegal adoption is at the heart of this book, with Leon presenting philosophical and moral questions about parenting and the reach of the law. Brunetti is a straightforward guy who pursues his case without much drama; he uses a careful and deliberate approach to get to the bottom of the investigation. Leon evocatively describes Venice, Italian culture, and food, rounding out the mystery into a broader portrait of Brunetti's life. Interesting and a good suggestion to have up my sleeve for mystery fanatics looking for another good author, but it's not a favorite of mine. "
— Sarah, 1/26/2014" Decent thriller - but not a must read. One for the fans., "
— James, 1/20/2014" Child trafficking. Pollution & environmental impact on the population. Diminishing population among the educated. "
— Jeanne, 1/12/2014" Yet another Guido Brunetti book--I am enjoying these. About twelve more to go; I think I have most of them here now (from library), so I'll be reading about Venice and Italian food and drink (and corruption) until Labor Day or so. "
— Barbara, 1/6/2014" Awesome book, more psychological than Leon's usual books "
— Roshni, 1/4/2014" A shocking start when the cosy family scene is disturbed by an attack. I didn't follow the change in plot to the story about the pharmacists very well but it all tied up at the end. "
— Rita, 12/31/2013" This is my second Guido Brunettis Mystery. I liked this a lot better than the first one I read. Continue to love Brunetti's relationship with his family and co-workers. Also enjoy the discussion of food and scenery in Venice. Interesting and timely topic matter as well. "
— Eva, 12/24/2013" although the narrative is good, it tends to get boring in the end and predictable "
— Charles, 11/15/2013" It was ok, not as interesting as they usually are, and wouldn't recommend for a first book in the series as you really need to know the characters in this one. Also the food wasn't as descriptive, kind of felt like a filler book. "
— Venice, 11/4/2013" Not her best mystery, but still not bad. I love Guido Brunetti when he's home with his family more often than I like the mystery parts, anyway. Plus, it really makes you want to go to Venice. "
— Michael, 10/29/2013" Again a good plot and detective Brunetti's relationships and character are well done. "
— John, 10/24/2013" As always, this book is less a mystery than it is a crime novel that ably illustrates life in Venice. "
— Sharron, 10/7/2013" This was my first DL book, and I enjoyed it. I didn't realize how fast it was going. A little ambivalent about the overuse of Italian words. I mean, I know it's *set* in Italy, but the usage seemed inconsistent. In any case, I picked up her first one so I can start at the start. "
— Rebes, 5/11/2013" This book deals with the diffcult subject of couples who can't have children, the lengths they go to to have a child and the unforseen aftermath. There is also a second story line involving misuse of medical records. "
— Bernie, 2/17/2013" Great mystery, loved the suspense, story line and Italian food references "
— Wendroz, 11/21/2012" This is a great detective, and the series has improved over time. "
— Catherine, 10/16/2012" My first Brunetti mystery. Not bad. "
— Bryn, 11/13/2011" I really love Commissario Brunetti, but I thought the plot of this was a little thin-- Nevertheless, it's always great to read about Venice-- "
— Megan, 7/17/2011" illegal adoptions and pharmacy scam. "
— Janine, 3/27/2011" No murder in this book, but still intriguing reading. "
— Vickie, 3/23/2011" Child trafficking. Pollution & environmental impact on the population. Diminishing population among the educated. <br/> "
— Jeanne, 3/7/2011" Another good vacation read by a favorite mystery writer. Good plot "
— Gaile, 11/3/2010" ugh. was there a crime? wasn't there a crime? do we need to spend 200 pages finding out that no crime was really committed? really? for a murder mystery-type genre book shouldn't there be a crime?? "
— Clara, 10/7/2010" Donna Leon provides her standard mix of "The Wonders of Venice", great Italian food and drink, a sensitive policeman and criminal activity that's halted at significant cost and pain. Nothing really surprising in her 16th book but it's a good read. "
— Thomassheer, 5/29/2010" another excellent Brunetti mystery. This time Guido tries to sift through the a tangled web of illegal adoptions and corruption surrounding them. <br/> <br/>As usual Venice is brought to life in Leon's rich descriptions and simple prose. Good book. "
— Sandy, 5/11/2010" Donna Leon's books rarely end happily, but truthfully. The characters are wonderfully detailed and the setting - Venice - fabulous! "
— Debbie, 4/26/2010" This was very intriguing and hard to put down and then I got to the end....huh?...that's what I said at the end...huh? <br/>so much potential. "
— Chris, 3/25/2010" This book deals with the diffcult subject of couples who can't have children, the lengths they go to to have a child and the unforseen aftermath. There is also a second story line involving misuse of medical records. "
— Bernie, 3/19/2010Donna Leon is the author of the much-loved, New York Times bestselling series of mystery novels set in Italy featuring Commissario Brunetti. She was named one of the London Times' 50 Greatest Crime Writers. The Brunetti Mysteries have won numerous awards around the world, including the CWA Silver Dagger for Fiction, and hsbr been translated into thirty-five languages.
David Colacci is an actor and director who has directed and performed in prominent theaters nationwide. His credits include roles from Shakespeare to Albee, as well as extensive work on new plays. As a narrator, he has won numerous Earphones Awards, earned Audie Award nominations, and been included in Best Audio of the Year lists by such publications as Publishers Weekly, AudioFile magazine, and Library Journal. He was a resident actor and director with the Cleveland Play House for eight years and has been artistic director of the Hope Summer Rep Theater since 1992.