Sunday, January 22, 2012

Beastly Things by Donna Leon

Why would anyone kill a veterinarian?  He was unobtrusive, quiet and married.  He had recently separated, but he even did that properly and inoffensively.  So why was he knifed and dumped in the canal?

Atlantic Monthly Press allowed me the opportunity to read this book for review (thank you).  The book will be available for sale on April 17th, so add it to your TBR list.

What intrigued me about this book is that it is set in Venice.  I really enjoy reading police procedurals set in foreign countries.  I'm familiar with how things work in the US.  It's fascinating to see how different and how much the same techniques are in other countries.  Cultural influences are different too.  But it seems the motive for murder is almost always influenced by greed, no matter which side of the pond the crime is committed.

Ms. Leon has an interesting plot where clues are dropped like breadcrumbs along the way.  It takes several police officers working hard to begin to see the way.  The actual reason he was killed is unusual and a bit offensive, but it is realistic.  People have been killed for less.

The story has a good flow, you'll learn about living in Venice, and I doubt that you will be able to identify the killer early.  I enjoyed reading this book, why don't you give it a try?

Happy reading.

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