Always a pleasure to read from this series - thoughtful mysteries.

What good is it to think good and proper thoughts, to have sympathy for the under dog, if you don't do anything about a bad situation? MS Leon brings anti-clericalism right up front, including the reason Brunetti walked away from confession at age twelve and never returned. We meet Padre Antonin who appears to have been used by his superiors in Africa to further their own careers. He will never become a prelate but you'll always be able to count on him to do something about problems. The unconnected clergy-like man who preaches loving concern and thinking good thoughts is probably scamming the community and is never to be trusted with anything. "By their fruit ye shall know them."
With that background we address the death by drowning of an 11 year old Romany girl, a girl who has definitely been robbing houses. The pain and frustration increases as Brunetti insists on investigating the case, even when he is told by everyone, Patta, his sergeant, the victims of the theft, and the girl's father himself, to just leave it. The situation is still bad when the story ends but there were attempts at rectifying things. We need more Brunettis in all fields. This is actually an important book, especially now with so many helpless people wandering the world.

the bookshelf in the downstairs lounge of the Community College for the Retired on the crescent next to the Nikkei Centre. There's a selection of books there for the taking, many of them Book Crossing ones. It's a friendly place, help yourself.