In this 33rd book in the 'Commissario Guido Brunetti' series, the Italian policeman investigates a local man who was deployed during the Iraq war.
One of my favorite things about this book, set in Venice, is the slow pace. Unlike detectives on American television shows, who are always running around and chasing suspects, the detectives in this story amble around Venice on foot, taking time to enjoy the beauty of the city.
The story can be read as a standalone, but readers familiar with the characters will enjoy it more.
*****
As the story opens, teenage gangs in Venice are using Instagram to arrange a 'rumble', and when two groups of boys meet at the Piazzetta del Leoncini after midnight, surveillance cameras catch them tussling, throwing punches, smashing windows, thieving, etc.
The delinquents are rounded up by the Carabinieri, taken to the Questura, and mothers and fathers are called.
All the boys are picked up by their parents except for fifteen-year-old Orlando Monforte, who explains that he lives in Castello with his father Dario Monforte, who turns off his phone at 11:00 PM.
Commissario Claudia Griffoni, on duty that night, decides to act 'in loco parentis' and walk Orlando home.
Along the way, Orlando confides that he can come home any time he wants, and he wishes his father paid more attention to him. Griffoni feels bad for the boy, and they stop for coffee and brioche, and - since it's cold out - Griffoni lends Orlando her red scarf.
The next day, Commissario Griffoni consults with Commissario Guido Brunetti about the teen gangs, which the cops call 'baby gangs'. In fact, pressure from influential parents ensures that the police and newspapers write up the 'rumble' as an argument about soccer, that ended with name-calling.
Later, Brunetti's boss, Vice-Questore Patta - who never saw a job he couldn't evade doing - passes a task to Brunetti.
A wealthy American woman is buying a house in Venice, and needs someone to get permits and take care of administrative procedures. She's considering hiring Dario Monforte, and she wants him vetted. Brunetti recognizes Dario as the father of baby gang member Orlando Monforte. .
The name Dario Monforte strikes a chord with Brunetti, and a computer search reveals that Dario was 'The Hero of Nasiriyah.' Over twenty years ago, a suicide bombing at the Italian embassy in the Iraqi city of Nasiriyah claimed nineteen victims. Dario Monforte was widely lauded for saving two comrades while being badly burned himself.
Something about the Dario Monforte story doesn't sit right with Brunetti, and further research, aided by Signorina Elettra - who's a whiz at data mining - reveal that there's MUCH MORE to the tale, including illegal activities.
Dario Monforte doesn't appreciate being under the Questura's microscope, and to halt the inquiries, he gets a shady lawyer to allege that Commissario Claudia Griffoni acted inappropriately when she walked Orlando Monforte home after the baby gang clash. It's clear that Dario Monforte has something to hide, and a good part of the novel involves Brunetti trying to figure out what was going on with the Italians in Nasiriyah during the Iraq war.
As this is going on, Brunetti's colleague, forensic lab technician Enzo Bocchese is very upset, and he tells Guido that his teenage neighbor is harassing him.
The neighbor boy, Gianpaolo Porpora, who's tall and built like a bull, trips Enzo on the stairs, bumps into him, and has threatened Enzo's treasured statuettes, which the technician collects. All this has dire consequences, including another, much more dangerous, clash of the baby gangs.
For me, the part of the story that concerns Dario Monforte's schemes in Nasiriyah was especially compelling. I also enjoyed the domestic vignettes in the novel, like Guido and his wife Paola meandering around Venice, looking at the lovely sights.
There are also homey domestic scenes in the book, when Guido is at home with his wife and children. In one of of the best family scenes, Guido, Paola, their teenage children Raffi and Chiara, and Paula's parents (the Conte and Contessa), enjoy a delicious meal while discussing literature, history, education, influencers, and more. This is a family it would be a pleasure to know.
My minor quibble with the novel would be a thread left hanging at the end, which I wish had been tied up.
Thanks to Netgalley, Donna Leon, and Atlantic Monthly Press for a copy of the book.
Rating: 3.5 stars
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