Death at La Fenice

Commissario Brunetti Mysteries, Book 1

By: Donna Leon

Narrated by: David Colacci

A conductor succumbs to cyanide at the famed Venice opera house, in the first mystery in the New York Times-bestselling, award-winning series.

During intermission at the famed La Fenice opera house in Venice, Italy, a notoriously difficult and widely disliked German conductor is poisoned—and suspects abound. Guido Brunetti, a native Venetian, sets out to unravel the mystery behind the high-profile murder. To do so, he calls on his knowledge of Venice, its culture, and its dirty politics. Along the way, he finds the crime may have roots going back decades—and that revenge, corruption, and even Italian cuisine may play a role.

“One of the most exquisite and subtle detective series ever.”—The Washington Post

“A brilliant writer . . . an immensely likable police detective who takes every murder to heart.”—The New York Times Book Review

©2022 Donna Leon (P)2022 Recorded Books

Narration is slow and labored.

Story is ok, not particularly interesting.

Narration is ponderous, uninteresting.

I don’t get why this audio got such good reviews.

Decent story

I'm glad I read a different Donna Leon book first, because if this was the first, I wouldn't choose to read another. The story was good, but drawn out. There was far too much detail, and I love everything Venetian! It could have been trimmed of some of the detail.

The narrator was excellent!

Compelling story and performance

Enjoyed the story, many layers and twists and turns—in a good way. This author was recommended to me and this is the first time I’ve listened to any of their works. I’ll definitely be looking for the rest of the titles in this series!

Incredibly Sad Mystery

The mystery was interesting and the performance was well done. However every part of the story was based on various kinds of sexual deviancy. Each instance and the corresponding result was heartbreakingly sad. I did not find it entertaining to listen to or think about.

Enjoyed this Story

I enjoyed this book. I am sure I will listen to more by the author. I thought the narrator was very good.