A friend at work rescued this library discard from the dumpster and passed it along to me. I've been wanting to read some of this series, featuring Commissario Guido Brunetti in Venice, so here's a good chance.

A really lovely mystery and a chance to spend a little time in Venice, enjoying the city during the acqua alta without having to get my feet (or anything else) wet. Dottor Brunetti is such a lovely man to spend time with and I enjoyed the time spent with Flavia and Brett as well. Elettra and Vianello are wonderful at their jobs and the world of art and opera and food just flows so well through the storyline. The mystery and detecting are well done, and the pacing just sucks you into without stressing you out, but most of all, this book is a mood, a separate world where you can float away from your troubles and just watch all the drama played out in front of you, lifted up to the soaring heights, plunged to the depths, and all the while secure -- like a captivating opera performance.

This copy of the book has been well-loved and I will be mending it with tape, including the one page that has come loose. Provided I am able to do that in a satisfactory manner, I will be able to pass this along. If not, it may go to the great bookshelf in the sky, but having given its last breath for my enjoyment.

I figured out the perfect way to solve my dilemma, since I wanted to pass along a book I love as part of this innovative book ring, but I knew I could not release one that was falling apart: I bought a new copy and labeled it with the same BCID. I can put the other one in the recycling without feeling like a good BC book is lost forever.

Having affixed the new label, I put this in the package with the other fiction book starting with the letter A and sent them off to Bloedengel in Belgium. After mailing the package, I discovered I forgot to insert the card that rhodespringbal had included into the envelope, which listed the mailing order. Since Bloedengel will send to rhodespringbal, I think that it is not a disaster.

The A-bookring has come to an end and this book was still in the running :-)

and no disaster at all, the card was of no great mather anymore :-)

I think and hope this book will get to the winner of the wintersweep and hopefully get a warm welcome :-)

Enjoy all the wonderfull things that come your way!!!

Thank you so much for the book! I've never read Donna Leon, so this will be interesting.