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Unto Us a Son is Given Audiobook
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"Your situation is always ambiguous, isn't it, Guido?", his father-in-law, Count Orazio Falier, observes of Donna Leon's soulful detective, Guido Brunetti, at the beginning of her superb 28th Brunetti novel, Unto Us A Son Is Given. "The world we live in makes that necessary," Brunetti presciently replies. Count Falier was urging his Venetian son-in-law to investigate, and preferably intervene in, the seemingly innocent plan of the Count's best friend, the elderly Gonzalo Rodriguez de Tejada, to adopt a much younger man as his son. Under arcane Italian inheritance laws this man would then be heir to Gonzalo's entire fortune, a prospect Gonzalo's friends find appalling. For his part, Brunetti wonders why the old man, a close family friend, can't be allowed his pleasure in peace. And yet, what seems innocent on the Venetian surface can cause tsunamis beneath. Gonzalo unexpectedly, and literally, drops dead on the street, and his good friend Berta Dodson, just arrived in Venice for the memorial service, is strangled in her hotel room?having earlier sent Gonzalo an email saying "We are the only ones who know you cannot do this," referring to the adoption. Now with an urgent case to solve, Brunetti reluctantly untangles the long-hidden mystery in Gonzalo's life that ultimately led to murder?a resolution that brings him way more pain than satisfaction. Once again, Donna Leon brilliantly plumbs the twists and turns of the human condition, reuniting us with some of crime fiction's most memorable and enduring characters.
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"Brunetti must solve the mystery of the death of his father-in-law’s elderly friend Gonzalo, who mysteriously adopted a younger man before his death. Another murder ties in which Brunetti must also solve. Good narration but with a not so clear cast of characters."
— Carrie F (5 out of 5 stars)
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“In Unto Us a Son Is Given, her latest mystery featuring that most compassionate of policemen, Guido Brunetti…is neither jaded nor callous, and he has that rare quality Italians would call ‘un cuore d’oro,’ a heart of gold.”
— New York Times Book Review -
“Redolent, as always, with the sights, smells, sounds, and mealtimes of the water-immersed city…In Leon’s latest, a pleasantly deceptive lull…is dissolved with deadly force.”
— Seattle Review of Books -
“No author has delved into Venetian society quite like Leon, whose insider’s view shows how crime seeps throughout the city, touching all strata of society.”
— Mystery Scene -
“Leon transforms what might have been a straightforward mystery into something much richer and more resonant—in this case, a meditation on love, loss, family, and prejudice.”
— Booklist (starred review) -
“Leon gives her readers a murder, a mystery or three, and a great deal of other wonderful things in this twenty-eighth installment, which is arguably her best to date.”
— BookReporter -
“Narrator David Colacci’s rambling pace is just right for the 28th mystery featuring the ever-philosophical Commissario Guido Brunetti….Colacci’s Brunetti is gruff and has an understated Italian accent, while his wife and children speak more gently. Colacci switches seamlessly from the story line to the conversations of the many locals and police officers of Venice. All in all, a delightful listen.”
— AudioFile
Awards
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New York Times bestseller
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An Amazon Best Book of the Month in Mystery, Thriller, & Suspense
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A Crime Reads Pick of Most Anticipated Books of 2019
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A Los Angeles Times bestseller
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About Donna Leon
Donna 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.
About David Colacci
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.