In this 18th book in the 'Commissario Brunetti' series, the detective investigates two murders. The story can be read as a standalone with regard to the mystery, but readers familiar with the characters will enjoy it more.
*****
Police Commissario Guido Brunetti and his wife Paola have been invited to dine at the home of Paola's wealthy, aristocratic parents - Conte and Contessa Falier - so Guido can meet businessman Maurizio Cataldo. Cataldo wants the Count to invest in China with him and Falier - a cautious man - asks his son-in-law to check the businessman out.
At the elegant dinner, Guido is seated near Cataldo's much younger wife, Franca Marinello. Guido is struck by Franca's face, which has an oddly frozen expression. Franca's 'mouth is permanently parted in a small smile; her cheekbones swell up in knots the size of a kiwi fruit; and her nose starts higher on her forehead than is normal and is strangely flat' - all clearly the work of a plastic surgeon. Guido is intensely curious about Franca, wondering why a beautiful woman would do this to herself.
To investigate businessman Cataldo, Guido asks his boss's secretary - Signorina Elettra - to work up a file on the man. Signorina Elettra is a whiz with computers while Guido can barely log in. Nevertheless, Guido gets a yen for his own computer in this book....and we'll see if he gets one. LOL
Meanwhile, another case crops up. Maggiore Filipo Guarino of the Carabinieri (military police) asks Brunetti to help find the killer of a truck company owner named Stefano Ranzato. Ranzato had been caught cooking the books, and was pressured into becoming a police informant.
Moreover, Ranzato - who was hauling goods for the Camorra (organized crime) - had a lot to inform about. Guarino suspects the Camorra discovered Ranzato's double dealing and murdered him.
The issue central to the plot is Italy's trash problem. Naples has mountains of uncollected garbage that can't be burned because the incinerators are being used to torch trash that's trucked in from other areas. Even worse, industrial waste is being brought to Italy from other countries. These toxic substances are disposed of locally or shipped to third world nations. Apparently, garbage is a very lucrative business....and the Camorra is at the heart of it.
Before long another person connected to the Ranzato case is murdered, and Brunetti has two crimes to solve. The Commissario follows various clues and identifies a suspect who likes to gamble at the local Casinò. A couple of trips to this gaming establishment uncovers some surprising things.
In the end, the murder cases are resolved, we find out what businessman Cataldo is up to with China, and we learn about Franca Marinello's face. Not surprisingly, all these threads are connected.
Though the Brunetti books are mysteries, they always have a heavy dose of the Commissario's personal life, including his interactions with family and colleagues. In this story Bruno takes a lot of boats around Venice; has coffee and hot punch at the local café; has home-cooked meals with his family (these sound scrumptious); marvels about his wonderful children; has heart-to-heart talks with his in-laws; deals with jealous, underhanded cops; has discussions about Virgil, Cicero, Ovid, and Henry James; and so on.
Some of my favorite parts of these books are the scenes where Brunetti and Signorina Elettra slyly maneuver around their vain, blowhard boss - Vice-Questore Patta - who never saw a job he couldn't evade doing.
For me this book is just average. I enjoyed visiting with favorite characters, but the plot is too convoluted - and the ending doesn't provide total closure. It seems like 'justice' is impossible to get in Italy, since half the officials are corrupt....which is too bad. :(
Still, I'd recommend the book to fans of the series.
Rating: 3 stars
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