The Temptation of Forgiveness

By: Donna Leon

Narrated by: David Colacci

In the 27th novel in Donna Leon's best-selling mystery series, a suspicious accident leads Commissario Guido Brunetti to uncover a longstanding scam with disturbing unintended consequences

Surprised, if not dismayed, to discover from his superior, Vice-Questore Patta, that leaks are emanating from the Questura, Commissario Guido Brunetti is surprised more consequentially by the appearance of a friend of his wife's, fearful that her son is using drugs and hopeful Brunetti can somehow intervene.

When Tullio Gasparini, the woman's husband, is found unconscious and with a serious brain injury at the foot of a Venice bridge at midnight, Brunetti is drawn to pursue a possible connection to the boy's behavior. But the truth, as Brunetti has experienced so often, is rarely straightforward. An examination of Gasparini's home office reveals a number of strange coupons in his elderly aunt's name from a local drugstore, which over time reveal a long-running scam.

As the 27th novel unfolds in Donna Leon's exquisite chronicle of Venetian life in all its blissful and sordid aspects, Brunetti is ever more impressed by the intuition of his fellow Commissario Claudia Griffoni and by the endless resourcefulness and craftiness of Signorina Elettra, Patta's secretary and gatekeeper, and reminded of the ever-lasting virtues of his own family.

His intellectual pursuits lead him to study Sophocles' play Antigone, so revealing of the unintended consequences that can erupt from bad decisions - and tempt him to consider at least personal forgiveness for a crime from the heart gone bad.

©2018 Donna Leon (P)2018 Recorded Books

Critic reviews

"Narrator David Colacci once again does a fine job portraying the erudite Commissario; his fellow officers at the Questura; Paola, his intelligent wife; and his teenage offspring. Colacci's deliberate pace matches the slowly evolving investigation of a man who was pushed or fell from a bridge, leaving him comatose.... [Listeners] will enjoy how Colacci's Italian accents make you believe you're listening to conversations in Italian." (AudioFile)

Delightful Donna Leon at her best.

Always a delight to come upon another Donna Leon mystery set in Venice and featuring the always charming and intuitive Com. Guido Brunetti.

Ever More Nuanced

Brunetti continues to explore human behavior with increasingly complex and nuanced consideration of himself, his colleagues, and the people related to the crimes he is investigating. His reflections on his judgments, decisions, and actions provide encouragement and sometimes a template for us to apply to ourselves.

Not the best

I love Guido Brunetti and I will continue to read these, in part because the city of Venice is always and important character, but this one was actually rather boring and the ending was anti-climactic.

One of her best

A wonderful insight into Venetian life and a primer describing Italy’s law enforcement and social services. Fully rounded characters and all written w love and dispassionate dissection of weakness and greed. A melancholy book but very entertaining and engrossing

Not the best, but interesting....

I didn't think we had enough clues to solve it....too many read herrings and a late introduction to the perp....but it was still an enjoyable trip to Venice. I think Paola is coming off a little snarky, superior and critical in the past few books. I liked her better when she was smart, intuitive and ....less the know-it-all wife.