The renowned German conductor is dead from cyanide poisoning, in the bowels of Venice’s Opera House, La Fenice. A series of suspects line up as many hated the Nazi sympathizer: his young wife, the talented singer Flavia, are just a few. It’s up to Commissario Guido Brenetti to investigate the tangled web and find out the real killer. This fun novel is the first that introduces Brenetti — author Donna Leon has delivered 30 in the series — and it’s an entertaining one. Most fascinating is Venice, its waters quietly lapping at the shores of this whodunnit. Good summer reading.
