jjares reviewed on 4/5/2016 + 3297 more book reviews

If you have wanted to try vegetarianism, reading Chapter 19 of this novel might be just what you need. Otherwise, it is a rather grisly view of an Italian slaughterhouse (I really don't want to know if this happens in US slaughterhouses).

The book starts when a body of a man with Madelung's Disease comes to the morgue (google this under 'Madelung's Disease pictures' to see what a tragic malady this is). Before long, Brunetti finds out that the dead man was a veterinarian.

All the usual secondary characters are there adding to the mix of unique characters that inhabit Donna Leon's books. Vianello, Paola and Guido are the stalwart and normal people in a world that is becoming more confused (and crazy) all the time.

This is a somber novel; Leon stays off her political hobby-horse and concentrates on a single murder. It brings the awfulness and tragedy of this death in sharp focus. Because of Guido's reaction, I could feel the tremendous effort it must take to be a homicide detective -- Guido doesn't bounce back at the end of the day. When Paola wants to talk with Guido about an ethical problem she is facing, Guido tells her he doesn't have the strength to concentrate on her dilemma. This case has really gotten under his skin; I can't recall Guido ever being unwilling to discuss a problem with his wife.

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