Read Unto Us a Son Is Given Audible Audio Edition Donna Leon David Colacci Recorded Books Books

Product details Audible Audiobook Listening Length 9 hours and 20 minutes Program Type Audiobook Version Unabridged Publisher Recorded Books Audible.com Release Date March 7, 2019 Language English, English ASIN B07PHVG6F7

Unto Us a Son Is Given Audible Audio Edition Donna Leon David Colacci Recorded Books Books Reviews

• I think Ms Leon has forgotten that she is writing a murder mystery in her newest Brunetti novel. A murder doesn't occur until the novel is two thirds of the way through, and the victim is someone who appears from left field. The story involves an elderly gay man and best friend of Brunetti's father-in-law, who decides to adopt his much younger lover as his son, much to the chagrin of his friends and family. The killer is obvious right from the beginning as is the motive as soon as the murder finally occurs. Much filler here, walks, meals etc. I have read all twenty-eight Brunetti novels always hopeful of a good story, but this one is the worst. Slow moving and tired. Two stars because it still reminds me of beautiful Venice.
• The appearance of Donna Leon's annual tale of Commissario Guido Brunetti and city of Venice is a joyful event to look forward to and savor. As the series has progressed over the years, I think that it's gotten more reflective and deeper into human behavior, foibles, etc.--although it has never been far from that path since the publishing of the first Brunetti book.
  
  "Unto Us a Son is Given" is very much in the mode of the recent books in that its focus is on human folly, and specifically what motivates an elderly man to consider adopting a younger male friend (both men are gay), thus making him the titular heir to the former's considerable fortune. The older man's friends--he has many, including Commissario Brunetti and his family--are appalled at his intention as the adoptee-to-be has a highly shady reputation. The ramifications of the adoption eventually drive the crime that occurs midway through the novel. Author Leon provides a nice twist at the conclusion, as is a fitting punishment for the perpetrator.
  
  For this reader, there was an agreeable, civilized vibe throughout the novel. The Brunetti household continues to be a solid, positive family unit. The relationship with Brunetti's in-laws ages like a bottle of great Brunello (or Barolo, if you prefer). Brunetti's troublesome boss shows a rare human side. Signorina Elletra adds sly humor and class to the scene. Eventually, the inevitable Italianate cynicism does make an appearance and, to be sure, it is accompanied by the tragedy that it portends. There is a kind of verbal shrug implied at the conclusion, implying that even the best of persons can be self-absorbed and unmindful of possible consequences.
  
  I liked this novel very much, and enjoy author Leon's leans toward human tragedy even when it takes the sharpest edge off the crime element.
• I have loved Donna Leon books for years, or I should say had loved Donna Leon books. The first books had multiple plot lines and wonderful insights about Venice. But no more. First she started harping on topics -- human trafficking, bag boys -- and the most recent two books have been almost plotless. I swore after her memoir that I wouldn't buy any more books from a woman who seemed to me cruel and bigoted. I succumbed this time. But no more. If you want to read Ms Leon, read the first dozen or so books. Skip the last 10 or so. One star only because I couldn't give no stars.
• I've read all of the Brunetti novels and always found them a pleasure. Over the years the mysteries involved have been shifting to.. well, not so much mysteries as explorations of the the moral and ethical choices made by people and the effects of those choices, seen mostly though not only through the perceptive mind of Brunetti. The plotline of this novel may be slight but that's not the point. The discussions of the issues involved prove both fascinating and moving as they flow from various perspectives.
  Oh, there's a murder rather late in the story, and while the reader knows who the killer must be, that doesn't prevent the inevitable climax from being deeply satisfying, a moment very much to be savored.
• Venetian Commissario di Polizia Guido Brunetti is not your run-of-the-mill detective. He neither smokes nor drinks excessively, and is polite to his family, colleagues, and acquaintances. In Donna Leon’s “Unto Us a Son is Given,” Guido’s father-in-law, the wealthy and aristocratic Conte Orazio Falier, asks Brunetti to look into the private affairs of Falier’s close friend, Gonzalo Rodriguez de Tejeda. Much to il Conte’s chagrin, Gonzalo, who is eighty-five and openly gay, has decided to adopt a man more than forty years his junior. The octogenarian insists that he is motivated by nothing more than loneliness and a desire for love. Furthermore, he argues, is it really anyone else’s business what he does with his substantial wealth?
  
  Another matter is one that Guido’s boss, Vice-Questore Patta, wants cleared up. Patta’s downstairs neighbor has an obnoxious eight-year old son who is extremely rude to Signora Patta, going so far as to call her despicable names, kick her groceries down the stairs, and even bang his schoolbag into her. Can Guido enlist the help of the brilliant Signorina Elletra Zorzi, an incomparable computer genius and formidable researcher, to find out more about the boy and his parents? The father, who is well-connected, refutes Signora Patta’s claims that his child is a menace and must be disciplined.
  
  As fans of this series undoubtedly know, Brunetti is not a workaholic. He often sleeps late; eats delicious lunches and dinners prepared by his devoted wife, Paola; relies on Signorina Elletra to do most of his digging (she is arguably one of the most capable detectives in the book); and spends much of his leisure time reading and chatting with Paola. Guido is easygoing and an intellectual who relishes the ancient Greek and Roman classics. He is also compassionate, highly educated, a student of human nature, and savvy in his dealings with witnesses and suspects. Moreover, he usually manages to sidestep the machinations of his inept and duplicitous superiors.
  
  This is a deliberately-paced novel in which the author demonstrates the consequences of greed, lust, anger, and selfishness. Another of Leon’s themes is the contrast between close-knit and loving relationships and those that are destructive and abusive. There are a few twists along the way, but the thin plot generates little suspense, and the conclusion is unsurprising. As always, Leon vividly describes the sights and sounds of Venice, alludes to the city’s social mores, and reminds us of the vast gulf between the affluent citizenry and those who barely get by. “Unto Us the Son is Given” is a light snack that is sometimes tasty, but ultimately leaves us wishing for more substantial fare.