Death at La Fenice: A Commissario Guido Brunetti Mystery (Book 1)

The stunning debut of the internationally bestselling series introduces Commissario Guido Brunetti to a world of high art, bitter rivalries, and a death that shocks the heart of Venice.

During an intermission at the world-famous La Fenice opera house, the distinguished German conductor Maestro Helmut Wellauer is found dead in his dressing room. The cause of death is quickly identified as cyanide poisoning, found in his cup of coffee. As the city of Venice mourns the loss of a musical titan, Commissario Guido Brunetti is tasked with uncovering the truth behind the tragedy.

Brunetti soon discovers that behind the Maestro's public brilliance lay a private life filled with enemies. From disgruntled colleagues and jealous rivals to those haunted by the conductor’s dark past in Nazi Germany, there is no shortage of suspects. As Brunetti navigates the labyrinthine social circles of the operatic elite and the narrow, mist-shrouded calli of Venice, he realizes that the motive for murder may be as complex and dramatic as the operas performed on the La Fenice stage.

With its rich atmosphere, elegant prose, and sharp insights into Italian society, Death at La Fenice is more than a police procedural—it is a masterful exploration of the intersection between art and morality. It marks the beginning of one of the most beloved crime series in modern literature.