A review by judyward
About Face by Donna Leon

3.0

I probably shouldn't have come into this series on the 18th book, but once I got all of the characters sorted out, it wasn't a problem. I like books where the location becomes one of the characters and this is never more true than in a Donna Leon book. Venice is the setting and the history, culture, and corruption of the city are evident on every page. Comissario Guido Brunetti is the main character of Leon's books and in this story, the environmental problems of Italy take center stage. In the southern part of Italy, incinerators are burning trash, that includes toxic waste and who knows what else, that is releasing unacceptable levels of pollutants into the atmosphere. In Naples, garbage is being brought into the area from all over Italy and the garbage is piling up in the streets, and in Venice the canals are polluted and toxic waste is being stored on islands close to the city. Enter Guido Brunetti, a man who loves to read, adores his close-knit family, is respectful to his co-workers--many of whom would try the patience of a saint--and who is totally in tune with the pace of life in Venice. Not a quick read, but a satisfying one. I'm going to go back and start at the beginning of the series and get to know these characters better.