I spent last easter cruising on Adriatic Sea and the trip started and ended in Venice... There were a couple of Donna Leons I had not read in the ship's (Serenissimo, which used to be the old Hurtigruten boat Harald Jarl) library on the last day of the journey, so I took them along as I had released several not only there but in Venice and Burano. I was happy to see that others, too, had wanted to read Leon in her true atmosphere.
All I seem to read nowadays are books that I've tagged somebody with, so now that I've tagged Saarahoo with this I'm finally getting to read the book.

Still reading. To my surprise, Leon has written a historical mystery set in Venice - so this was not a Brunetti mystery as I had presumed. Her style is familiar, but she takes ages in getting into the point (Chapter 6 and I haven't reached the point yet!).

I wish she would not describe every piece of clothing in detail 😦...
I have read almost 200 pages and we still do not know if a crime has taken place of if she will find what she was paid to do. "D'un alma che spera consola il desir", To a spirit that hopes please bring consolation, i.e. get to the point! Perhaps I'm being a bit harsh, parts I've found interesting, but she does not know when to stop.
A funny detail co-inciding with my trip on Serenissima; Leon tells that a family living in Alto Adige had a grandfather who was born in Italy, his son born in Austria and the grandson born again in Italy, all having lived in the same house. Well, on our visit to Pula, Croatia, we had a marvellous ex-vet as a guide. She told how confused Japanese people were about European history, which is so simple. Her grandfather was born in Austria, her mother in Italy, she herself in Yugoslavia and her children in Croatia - and they all were born in Pula.

Finished. I have to say that I prefer Brunetti, this was not a proper mystery.
Reserved for Saarahoo.

Thank you for the yet unread Donna Leon, kirjakko!

My first ever Donna Leon book that doesn't feature Brunetti. I quite enjoyed it too, it had the same elements as her Brunetti books where the crime, or in tjis case mystery, is only a small part of the story. There's always comments on Italy, Italians and people in general included. One of these days I'm going to take out a map of Venice while reading the book, just to see if you can trace the foorsteps of the characters as well as it sounds when reading.

Well whar do you know. As I stepped into the bus 124 to Bergedorf this morning what do I see but a book exchange shelf! Lucky I came prepared and had this jewel to leave for someone to find.