Acqua Alta

By: Donna Leon

Narrated by: David Colacci

Length: 10 hrs and 16 mins

Publisher's summary

In Leon's fifth Commissario Guido Brunetti mystery, the beating of renowned art historian Dotoressa Brett Lynch draws the contemporary Venetian police detective out of his warm and loving home and into the yearly onslaught of acqua alta, the torrential winter rains. Brett, an American who spearheaded a recent exhibition of Chinese pottery in Venice, lives with her lover, Flavia Petrelli, the reigning diva of La Scala. With his open mind and good sense, Brunetti finds himself more fazed by Flavia's breathtaking talent than by the nontraditional relationship between the two women. Brunetti's deliberate and humane investigation to uncover a motive for Brett's beating takes him to dark, wet corners of Venice and into a sinister web of art theft, fakery, and base human desires.

©1996 Donna Leon and 1997 by Diogenes Verlag AG Zurich (P)2018 Recorded Books

Suspenseful and sometimes heart rending.

I really enjoy Donna Leon’s writing. Sometimes her topics can be painful to read about, but she always includes humor and often returns to a light note after a serious scene.

I recommend this book, and all of Donna Leon‘s books, to anyone who enjoys learning about venetian culture, and specific details about the city of Venice. Leon uses existing restaurants, bars and piazzas in her plots, which make it even possible to follow her book “ Brunetti’s Venice” and have a caffe or ombra where Guido and his companions do.

Great series

I love listening to these books. And I wonder why it's taken me so long to discover Donna Leon's fabulous work.

This wasn't my favorite but Guido is still fantastic. I love his interaction with Paula and Chiara. Thank goodness I have a long way to go with this series.

The narration is first-rate.

super great

it was a great story and makes you feel like you are a actually in Venice

Intriguing

I loved having two of the characters from the first story return. They have interesting and complex personalities that added to the overall storyline. The ruthlessness and psychopathic behavior of the mafia is highlighted throughout the story and that kept me on the edge of my seat. The narrator is one of the best and I always enjoy his performance.

Entertaining and interesting as always

Enjoyed this story and the return of Brett. The topic was interesting but ending was a bit anticlimactic

Another wonderful reading!

This is an earlier Brunetti mystery and I found I missed a stronger presence of his family: the colourful and often justly angry political observations of Paula, as well as stronger roles for Chiara and Raffi, who give us such a tender side of Brunetti. The picture of Venice, that other main character in the Brunetti mysteries, drowning and decaying under high water is one I haven't encountered before. There was much information about art and antiquities theft. The scale of the theft worldwide is indeed disturbing. The ending seemed more just than Donna Leon usually allows. Definitely another good listen in the Brunetti stories with that cozy, flawless narration by Calacci.

Put on your Wellies!

This is my first Donna Leon mystery and I am now completely hooked. Anyone who has been to Venice will have lovely memories stirred. Inspector Brunetti is a wonderful character and someone you would want to know. The performance is first rate.

Venice under water!

great specifics, as always, about day-to-day Italian life. subcultures, traditions, personalities. this time, the rising tide becomes a character, making getting around the city challenging and dangerous. great read!

Couldn’t stop listening!

A very intricately woven story with some returning characters from a previous volume. So intriguing! In the last 90 minutes, I HAD to listen continuously because I couldn’t figure out how there could be a “happy” ending. But everything worked out (maybe not happily, but) satisfactorily and ingeniously!
Again, fantastic narration!!!

Love the earlier Guido Brunetti story

Very interesting story. Well written and performed. David Colacci is a superb narrator. As noted in another review, I also miss the interaction with Guido’s family