jarichan's review against another edition
4.0
Brunettis vierter Fall startet brisant und endet auch so. Das Thema ist sowieso brisant: Mädchenhandel. Obwohl anfangs nur der Prolog darauf hindeutet. Ansonsten hätte es einfach ein Mord im Milieu der Mehrbesseren sein können. Doch Brunetti wird rasch eines Besseren belehrt.
Donna Leon liest sich immer sehr gemütlich, sogar dann, wenn es ziemlich zur Sache geht. Manchmal zog sich die Handlung für mich etwas zu sehr, aber dann war ich plötzlich wieder voll mit dabei. Trotz des ernsten Themas musste ich ab und an etwas schmunzeln, da man dem Buch sein Alter anmerkt (an Gegebenheiten z.B., die damals noch neu waren, heute aber zum Allgemeinwissen zählen).
Ja, ich gebe zu: Ab und zu lese ich sehr gerne Donna Leon, auch wenn ihre Bücher in meinem Lesejahr keine Highlights darstellen. Aber irgendwie mag ich Brunetti und ich mag Venedig, deshalb liegt es für mich immer mal wieder drin, einen Band dieser Reihe zur Hand zu nehmen.
Donna Leon liest sich immer sehr gemütlich, sogar dann, wenn es ziemlich zur Sache geht. Manchmal zog sich die Handlung für mich etwas zu sehr, aber dann war ich plötzlich wieder voll mit dabei. Trotz des ernsten Themas musste ich ab und an etwas schmunzeln, da man dem Buch sein Alter anmerkt (an Gegebenheiten z.B., die damals noch neu waren, heute aber zum Allgemeinwissen zählen).
Ja, ich gebe zu: Ab und zu lese ich sehr gerne Donna Leon, auch wenn ihre Bücher in meinem Lesejahr keine Highlights darstellen. Aber irgendwie mag ich Brunetti und ich mag Venedig, deshalb liegt es für mich immer mal wieder drin, einen Band dieser Reihe zur Hand zu nehmen.
anastasia86's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
carolinesunshine's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
3.75
Gut wrenching, but very gripping murder investigation. This particular Brunetti book is not for the faint of heart - trigger warning: rape and sexual abuse.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Sexual violence, Rape, Trafficking, and Suicide
dmturner's review against another edition
3.0
Dark, cynical, and despairing
In this, the fourth in the series, the author really decides to take the bleakest view of humanity except for a few of the recurring characters.
In this, the fourth in the series, the author really decides to take the bleakest view of humanity except for a few of the recurring characters.
ncostell's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.75
maelyn's review
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
rodica_b's review against another edition
Wow. I didn’t give this book a rating. I don’t know how to rate it. It was grim, I think the grimmest so far. It was painful. The plight of human trafficking, of women being tricked into prostitution reminds me of the stories I used to hear as a child in a post-soviet country. About women taken illegally to Italy or Spain, promised jobs and forced to become prostitutes. Left no choice, without a passport and without knowing the language, the laws or the customs. From time to time, a story of such a victim would be published by a newspaper, a story of how she escaped and managed to return home. Many never did.
Then, there are the war crimes committed during the Yugoslavian war. I spent over 4 years in Montenegro and worked with people from all over ex-Yugoslavia. People found it very traumatizing to speak about it. About neighbor turning on neighbor, friend on friend. I don’t know if the plot is based on a real story, but it serves well to depict endemic corruption and organized crime spread through state institution like a plague.
As you can see, the book affected me. But I can’t rate it. It felt rushed. The characters were underused. And (spoiler alert), while the killer dies in the end, you know justice was not served. You root for the killer to escape, you want Brunetti to get more time with the killer and with this story. You want more Paola and the children, as they usually are the normalizing element, the people that bring Brunetti back to normalcy.
Then, there are the war crimes committed during the Yugoslavian war. I spent over 4 years in Montenegro and worked with people from all over ex-Yugoslavia. People found it very traumatizing to speak about it. About neighbor turning on neighbor, friend on friend. I don’t know if the plot is based on a real story, but it serves well to depict endemic corruption and organized crime spread through state institution like a plague.
As you can see, the book affected me. But I can’t rate it. It felt rushed. The characters were underused. And (spoiler alert), while the killer dies in the end, you know justice was not served. You root for the killer to escape, you want Brunetti to get more time with the killer and with this story. You want more Paola and the children, as they usually are the normalizing element, the people that bring Brunetti back to normalcy.
margaretefg's review against another edition
3.0
I'm getting fond of Brunetti, his Eng prof wife Paola and sweet daughter Chiara. And Brunetti's Venice doesn't seem as stinky as I remember. But Italian politics are a cesspool of corruption and this book has Brunetti facing that and the from effects on women from all over the world exploited by it. Pretty grim.
nuska's review against another edition
3.0
Un prestigioso juez asesinado a balazos en el último vagón de un tren. Y entonces todo se enreda, aunque a veces no baste con conocer la verdad para poder entenderla. Ni siquiera con el punto de vista que otorga ser el lector de los hechos. Muy buena crítica al sistema, deja desazón en el cuerpo.