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

Why do readers all over the world love Brunetti like a friend with whom they've gone through thick and thin? Probably because he's as much a philosopher as he is a detective. He strives tirelessly to understand his fellow human beings. As an Italian, bon vivant and family man, he believes in the good life, despite all the hindrances and villains around us. This book is a collection of the best observations from the most renowned, smartest and popular commissario around: An ABC of the art of living.

»He reads, he's witty, and he can be ironic too. He is happily married, has lovely children and leads a respectable life - even before his first appearance, I knew that he would be someone I liked.«
Donna Leon

›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!

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?

»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.

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.

In articles for Emma, Vogue and the Weltwoche, Donna Leon asks delicate questions and answers them in her own direct way without fear of being regarded as politically incorrect.

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.

The updated edition on the occasion of Brunetti’s 30th case.

In Brunetti’s footsteps: 13 literary walks through 30 criminal cases.

Calli, campi and cafes: throughout all these years, the Commissario has not just remained loyal to his family, but also to his favourite corners of the city. Toni Sepeda has meticulously traced Brunetti's whereabouts in the alleys of Venice, compiling what takes place around the Questura, in San Polo or at the Ospedale Civile. She allows readers to discover Brunetti's Venice on location or at home.

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.

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‹.

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.

Shards of glass lay across Piazza San Marco. Two ›baby gangs‹ have clashed violently in the darkness. While Commissario Griffoni relies on her intuition to find out how a teenager can get caught up in a flash mob, Brunetti uses his own connections. Even Vice-Questore Patta is willing to do whatever it takes to protect himself and his surroundings from any violence – which is especially unwelcome in a tourist city like Venice.

Elisabetta Foscarini, a childhood friend of Brunetti’s and still a beautiful woman, turns up at the Questura one day and asks Brunetti for a favour. Could he look into who is threatening her daughter’s family? However, so far there is little concrete evidence of any wrongdoing: who could possibly wish harm on a vet and an accountant who works for a charity? Brunetti is about to dismiss the whole thing as exaggerated maternal anxiety when there’s an attack, and the case takes a very dark turn. It has never been more difficult to bring the true criminal to account. 

On a cold November evening, Guido Brunetti and Paola are up late when a call from Ispettore Vianello arrives, alerting the Commissario that a hand has been spotted in one of Venice’s canals. The body is quickly recovered and the victim’s identity discovered by sheer coincidence. But who could the dead man’s enemies have been? He was undocumented, leaving Brunetti and his colleagues with no leads to chase up. It’s only when the Commissario delves into his own past, recalling the Italy of his student days, that a solution to the case starts to emerge.