Death in a Strange Country: A Commissario Guido Brunetti Mystery (Book 2)

In the gripping second installment of the internationally acclaimed series, Commissario Guido Brunetti discovers that a body floating in a Venetian canal is just the surface of a much deeper, deadlier conspiracy.

Early one morning, a body is found in the stinking waters of a canal near the Arsenale. The victim is identified as an American sergeant stationed at the nearby base in Vicenza. While the authorities are quick to dismiss the death as a simple robbery gone wrong, Brunetti’s instincts tell him otherwise. The precision of the crime suggests something far more professional—and far more sinister.

As Brunetti navigates the tension between the local Venetian police and the American military command, he is warned to stay away from the case. However, his persistence leads him from the palazzos of Venice to the rugged countryside, uncovering a trail of corruption that involves illegal toxic waste disposal and high-level government cover-ups.

Donna Leon masterfully weaves a tale of international intrigue and environmental scandal, all while painting a vivid portrait of Venice—a city of breathtaking beauty and dark, hidden rot. Death in a Strange Country is a haunting exploration of how "foreign" interests can poison the very heart of a community, and the personal cost of seeking justice in a system built on silence.