Death in a Strange Country

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I liked this non-formulaic novel about a Venetian policeman dealing with a couple of unusual cases. The book opens with the murdered body of an American serviceman floating in the canal and we quickly meet Commissario Guido Brunetti as he takes the early morning call to investigate. The atmosphere and culture of Venice and of Italy infuse every subsequent scene to the point where it affected the pacing of the plot. Brunetti's family meals and concerns seemed to occupy equal space with the startling turns of the story.

Brunetti swims in a sea of corruption deeper than the sea surrounding Venice. It affects his supervisor, his comrades, his family--ultimately the concept of justice itself is swamped. Ultimately I felt that this work fell short of what I expected from a mystery by deviating from the standard mystery formula. Because of the constraints imposed by the mystery format it did not go deep enough into the story of a man who would do good but who is betrayed by the very system he seeks to serve.

Perhaps this is an issue of how the book was marketed. I am intrigued enough to read another book by this same author should one come my way. It seems like a good series although dark and pessimistic by tone.

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