Review: Through A Glass, Darkly by Donna Leon

Sysnopsis: It is a luminous spring day in Venice, as Commissario Brunetti and Inspettore Vianello come to the rescue of Vianello's friend Marco Ribetti, who has been arrested while protesting against chemical pollution of the Venetian lagoon, only to be faced by the fury of Marco's father-in-law, owner of a glass factory on the island of Murano.

But clearly there is another victim who has uncovered the guilty secret of the polluting glass foundries of the island of Murano, and whose body is found dead in front of the furnaces which burn at 1400 degrees, night and day. The victim has left clues in a copy of Dante and Brunetti must descend into an inferno to discover who is burning the land and fouling the waters of the lagoon. A man is dead - but will politics and expedience prevent the killer from striking again?

This is my second Commissario Brunetti book from Donna Leon - obviously I have not read them in order. I picked this one and another up second hand, thinking I might get the series.

For me, however, this was a very slow moving police procedural - not really much happening in this one and - to be honest - nearly put it aside halfway through. The first part is spent following Brunetti and Vianello around as they follow up on some empty threats made by the father-in-law of a friend of Vianello, who happened to get arrested following a protest against environmental pollution at one of the Murano glass furnaces. 

The Lagoon of Venice is heavily affected by ecological and environmental problems strictly connected to the activities of man. The nation’s largest concentration of chemical plants and the very large agricultural region, that surround the lagoon, are the main sources of pollution by dumping their wastes directly into the basin. And to this the fact that the land is boggy and the city - whose buildings have not proper foundations - is slowly sinking as it was historically built on a natural marsh flood plain. This is one of the themes introduced and expounded upon throughout and really forms the main focus of the narrative.

It is not until nearly three-quarters of the way through that the murder victim makes an appearance and the traditional police procedural formula takes shape.

I just could not get the feel for Brunetti or his surroundings (despite the Venetian location) as I think I have come too late into the series. Will try again with the second book and see how I go.