Donna Leon has led an adventurous life, and with her tell-tale knack for observation, she turns her experiences in America, Iran, Saudi Arabia, Italy (of course) and Switzerland into a captivating read. She takes us on a journey around the world, from growing up on a farm, to curfew pajama parties in Iran, financial straits, and a Fiat 600. And we join Donna as she arrives in Italy as a chaperone, as she hunts for the perfect cappuccino, and as she encounters small marvels in the mountains.

»There is no worse crime than not having loved.«
Donna Leon

»In the hands of great authors, characters are like real people, merely realer«, Donna Leon once said. Perhaps this is why her life is so rich in characters and people accompanying her, both real and fictional.

Backstage presents a colorful troupe: the rock genius Frank Zappa, Veniceʼs most famous diamond dealer, a courageous sex worker and womenʼs rights activist, a clever composer, tragic heroes and admired colleagues. In the hands of Donna Leon, these encounters turn into sparkling jewels. A treasure trove of delightful discoveries.

Did you know that Donna Leon has an American friend who built a gondola all on his own? Such a thing is unheard of. And this is not the only story she has to tell about Venice's most prominent symbol, the icon so familiar to us all. Did you know, for example, that a gondola is constructed from over 200 pieces and 8 different types of wood? In this richly illustrated book Donna Leon has interesting, astonishing and amusing facts to tell. During the golden age of the Serenissima in the 17th and 18th centuries, the European nobility indulged in extravagant Carnival festivities. Back then, both visitors and inhabitants were listening to the barcarole. A selection of these beautiful songs in Venetian dialect can be heard on the enclosed cd, enframed with instrumental music. The singer Vincenzo Capezzuto is accompanied by the recently created ensemble ›Il Pomo d'Oro‹ conducted by Riccardo Minasi.

In ›Venetian Curiosities‹ Donna Leon tells amazing tales from the Venetian past, whilst ›Il Complesso Barocco‹ offers virtuosities by Antonio Vivaldi on the CD which accompanies this book. Venice is unique. And so is its history. But what is most remarkable are the stories that the inhabitants tell each other about what happened in the past. Donna Leon has picked up the most intriguing customs and events recounting anecdotes that might or might not be true, and thus the Serenissima is seen from an astonishing side. An elephant seeks refuge in the church of S. Antonin, courtesans are supposed to convert men to proper heterosexual behaviour, gamblers bet their palazzos, people are convicted though they prove to be innocent – Venice is full of curious and odd episodes. These stories are of as rich a diversity as the music of Antonio Vivaldi: The CD presents seven solo concerts: Violin, cello, oboe and bassoon, viola, violone and harpsichord, they all play their part. ›Il Complesso Barocco‹, founded in 1979 by Alan Curtis, is an international ensemble dedicated to Baroque music on original instruments. It has played a fundamental role in the modern revival of Baroque operas, especially those of Monteverdi, Vivaldi and Handel. ›Il Complesso Barocco‹ received the ›Antonio Vivaldi International Recording Prize‹ in 1997 as best production in the vocal section. For their Handel recordings they were awarded the ›Preis der deutschen Schallplattenkritik‹ in 2003 as well as, on several occasions, the international ›Handel Recording Prize‹.

Delicacies with and without calories: 91 recipes as Paola cooks them in the Brunetti novels, written down by Donna Leon’s friend and favourite cook Roberta Pianaro. As a calorie free intermediate course, there are six culinary stories by Donna Leon as well as beautiful vignettes by Tatjana Hauptmann.

Food plays an important role in Donna Leon’s novels. Roberta Pianaro lets readers in on the cooking secrets of Paola Brunetti. Brunetti’s favourite dish, that of the kids, Paola’s apple pie, but also a recipe from Brunetti’s mother and Donna Leon’s favourite meal – they can all be found in this book.

Plus a foreword and six culinary stories by Donna Leon. At Table with the Brunettis is a literary cookbook about Venetian cuisine, for browsing – and for trying out the recipes at home.

Donna Leon's interest not only in criminal injustice, but also in the pleasures of life, was already apparent in her Brunetti novels. The stories collected here are not only about fine dining, but also her passion for books and the opera and recuperation in the mountains. As an American woman in Venice, Donna Leon does not write merely of bella Italia, but also about machos and the mafia. From Venice, she looks out on America, Iran and Saudi Arabia. In her direct fashion, Donna Leon takes aim at the unexpected: Why is it undesirable to become the American special consul? How to find a husband for her best friend in New York? What do crime ladies such as Barbara Vine and Donna Leon speak about when they dine together? And why is it easier to cry when reading a novel than in real life? On the subject of novels, how does one write a crime story? And what do moles do at half past eight on a Sunday morning?

Late one night, Brunetti is called away from dinner to investigate the death of a widow in her modest apartment. Though there are some signs of a struggle, the medical examiner rules that she died of a heart attack. It seems there is nothing for Brunetti to investigate. But he can not shake the feeling that something or someone may have triggered her heart attack, that perhaps the woman was threatened. Conversations with the woman's son, her upstairs neighbour, and the nun in charge of the old-age home where she volunteered, do little to satisfy Brunetti's nagging curiosity. With the help of Inspector Vianello and the ever-resourceful Signorina Elettra, perhaps Brunetti can get to the truth and find some measure of justice. Insightful and emotionally powerful, Drawing Conclusions reaffirms Donna Leon's status as one of the masters of literary crime fiction.

We find ourselves in the apartment of Donna Leon. She observes her neighbours, not only through the window, but also straight through the walls; mostly, however, she exchanges views with them directly. In this way, she is not only initiated into the secrets of the Italian kitchen and into their family life, but is also a witness of many Italian shortcomings, which she combats as if she were Commissario Brunetti in person.

›I'm no musician,‹ says Donna Leon. ›I can't read music. I know nothing about musical theory. I'm a follower, a groupie, call me what you will: I am a heart with a pair of ears stuck on, one that for over ten years has been listening almost exclusively to music by Handel.‹ While listening, it struck Donna Leon that Handel's music is teeming with animals, that he again and again gives voice to animals through his notation. What is Handel's intention when a snake hisses through an aria or when armies of frogs penetrate the King's chambers? Donna Leon investigates. She tells us how animals have informed the imagination, beliefs and superstitions since year dot. Handel's Bestiary reveals a different side to Donna Leon: she is not only an appreciator of music, but also an expert in the symbolism of medieval bestiaries. Michael Sowa has also taken inspiration from those animals to create these marvellous images.
The arias on the attached CD are performed by the Handel expert Alan Curtis and his orchestra, Il Complesso Barocco. Divertimento fantastico!

One icy winter evening, Brunetti notices a blonde in fur coat and high heels when he and Paola are on their way to a dinner invitation at the Faliers. The blonde woman turns out to be placed next to him at the table, and despite her mask-like features she is unexpectedly well-educated: she has read both Cicero and Ovid, and makes a deeper impression on Brunetti than he himself likes. But the façade of Franca Marinello – »la Superliftata« – is not the only thing that it is difficult to look behind. There is also the impenetrable toxic waste business, which casts its net wider and wider. The special agent of the carabinieri, Guarino, has only just asked the commissario for help, when he is found dead. Brunetti's sole clue is a face in three-quarters profile, photographed on a mobile phone in some Venice bar. Mafia and metamorphoses: Brunetti needs his intuition more than ever to solve this case and to clarify his feelings and his thoughts.

The murder of two clam fishermen off the island of Pellestrina south of the Lido on the Venetian lagoon, draws Commissario Brunetti into the island's close-knit community, bound together by a code of loyalty and a suspicion of outsiders worthy of the Mafia. When the Questore's secretary Signorina Elettra volunteers to visit the island, where she has relatives, Brunetti finds himself torn between his duty to solve the murders, concerns for Elettra's safety, and his not entirely straightforward feelings for her…

A chilly winter's night. At the Christmas market in Campo Santo Stefano, there is a scent of fine food in the air, and it's cold - so nobody notices the two gentlemen with their hats pulled down over their faces, scarves and turned-up collars. They are surrounded by a colourful display, by the blankets laid down by the African street vendors who are hawking their fake Gucci, Prada and Missoni bags in the heart of Venice. But this peaceful atmosphere of Christmas goodwill is suddenly shattered by the sound of five gunshots. One of the street vendors has been murdered in broad daylight. No-one displays much interest in solving the murder case of an illegal immigrant – no-one, that is, except Brunetti. Behind Venice's well-known facades, the Commissario discovers a world with a law of its own. And when the powers that be attempt to hinder his investigation, Brunetti suspects that this case will prove to be particularly enthralling...

As Venice braces for a winter tempest, Commissario Guido Brunetti, Donna Leon's intrepid Italian sleuth, finds out that an old friend has been savagely beaten at the palazzo home of reigning diva Flavia Petreli. Then, as the flood waters rise, a corpse is discovered - and Brunetti must wade through the chaotic city to solve his deadliest case yet.
Sinister and exotic, Acqua Alta is another chilling addition to Donna Leon's bestselling series.

On a cold, grey November morning, sixteen-year-old Ernesto Moro is found hanged in the washroom of the San Martino cadet academy. Why would such a young person commit suicide, seemingly without reason? Or has there been a cover-up – in order to protect someone's reputation? The police investigation comes up against a wall of silence: the ranks have closed. Nobody – not the teachers, nor the well-drilled cadets, not even the boy's family – seems interested in finding out more precise details. But Brunetti will not let go the case of this young man, whose father is renowned for his political integrity. As a father himself, Brunetti will not rest until he has discovered what is behind the incident. Elites and their loyalties – Donna Leon plumbs the depths of the secret channels running between military and political power.

There is a bureaucratic Sword of Damocles hanging over the Brunetti family: when they found their apartment overlooking the roofs of Venice as a newly married couple twenty years ago, Paula had been pregnant, and they did not ask too many questions. And now, suddenly, an official from the land registry office, Franco Rossi, is standing on the doorstep with questions about building permits and other documents. But Brunetti is not fooled by the forest of small print and soon recognises an abyss of contradictions. It is not long before he starts investigating – and not only in his own interests: the man from the land registry office is killed in a fall from a scaffolding, and a telephone number in his wallet leads to a lawyer who is shot dead in the bright light of day. Drugs, usury, corruption: surrounded by organised crime, Brunetti is so angry at his own impotence that he reverts to unusual measures.