Trace Elements by Donna Leon

I’ve never before read a Donna Leon book but some people I know are addicted to them. So this one was lying around the house and I thought, well why not see what all the fuss is about. This story is about Commissario Brunetti and his female offsider Griffoni investigating a case of corruption. It’s obvious from the moment you find out where the dead guy worked what it’s going to be about, just as it is obvious from the moment you meet him who the villain is going to be. It’s not particularly well written so you just scream through it skimming the whole time. People tell me they read this series because it’s set in Venice, and the writer certainly makes the setting and her references to the stereotypes of Italian men and women a big part of the story telling. I suspect she knows that’s why people are reading her books. So there are heaps of references to landmarks, local eateries and particular little streets around Venice, constant carping about the number of tourists, with particular reference to Chinese tourists, and Italians portrayed in the most traditional gender roles. Brunetti’s wife does the cooking and cleaning and dotes on him like a besotted wife in a soap opera. I don’t know whether this is a deliberate dig on the part of the writer but actually I just found it irritating. Ditto the references to Griffoni’s Neopolitan background, the mafia and the corruption at all levels of society. I was just bored by the whole thing but at least I’ve read one now.