January 26, 2015
In bestseller Leon’s pleasurable 24th mystery to feature Commissario Guido Brunetti (after 2014’s By Its Cover), Brunetti reunites with opera diva Flavia Petrelli, whom he exonerated of murder in his first outing, Death at La Fenice. Flavia, performing in a production of Tosca, confides that an unknown admirer has followed her from London to St. Petersburg to Venice, showering her with increasingly extravagant displays of yellow roses. As the fan intrudes into her personal space—placing flowers in her apartment building, leaving a priceless necklace in her dressing room, and writing possessive notes—Brunetti educates himself about stalking. When two people connected to Flavia are seriously injured, he realizes the singer herself is in danger. Leon’s Venice is peopled with urbane, sophisticated characters, and she flavors the novel with insights into stagecraft, Tosca, and the storied La Fenice opera house. Series aficionados as well as those who appreciate elegant settings and cultured conversation should find this a deeply satisfying escape. Agent: Susanna Bauknecht, Diogenes Verlag (Switzerland).
February 1, 2015
The ever-incredible Leon's 24th stunning entry in her stellar mysteries featuring Commissario Guido Brunetti brings the series full circle, revisiting Venice's Teatro La Fenice opera house and the famous soprano, Flavia Petrelli, featured in Death at La Fenice, the inaugural book. Once again, Flavia sings the title role in Puccini's Tosca, but at this point she is a seasoned, divorced diva with two children, enervated by the hard work of singing and cynical about the persistent drama surrounding the production. Moreover, she is being stalked by an unknown "admirer" whose disturbing attention is escalating toward violence. Once again, Brunetti intervenes, but Flavia's love for her children determines the outcome. VERDICT This is a dark novel with an ironic title that resonates on multiple levels. In particular, it explores the nature of love--and hate--in a manner that will haunt readers well after they have finished the book. Another provocative addition to a fine series, certain to appeal to aficionados of profound literary mysteries such as Louise Penny's How the Light Gets In. [See Prepub Alert, 10/27/14.]--Lynne Maxwell, West Virginia Univ. Coll. of Law Lib., Morgantown
Copyright 2015 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.
Starred review from March 1, 2015
For many fans, the high points in Leon's beloved Guido Brunetti series have been the two novels featuring opera diva Flavia Perelli: Death at La Fenice (1992), the series opener, and Aqua Alta (1996). In both tales, Venetian police commissario Brunetti solves crimes that at first appear to implicate the diva. Now, finally, Flavia returns to Venice to star in Tosca at La Fenice, the city's historic opera house. This time, though, she is not a suspect in a crime but a potential victim. An obsessive fan is showering Flavia with inappropriate giftsgifts that carry with them the suggestion of menace. When a male singer whom Flavia supported is assaulted, it appears that the threat has become tangible. Brunetti is asked by Flavia for help, and he responds as he always does, by attempting to discern not only the facts but also the psychology behind themin this case, the process through which an obsessive fan becomes a potentially lethal stalker. As always, there is rich interplay between the charactersBrunetti and his wife, Paola, of course, but also Flavia, now a close friend as well as a woman in need of protection. And, best of all, the reappearance of Flavia gives Leon the opportunity to display her deep love of music and to construct a marvelous climactic scene between Flavia and her fan that parallels the finale of Tosca. Brava! HIGH-DEMAND BACKSTORY: The Guido Brunetti novels have sold more than two million copies in North America, and the previous entry, By Its Cover, reached number seven on the New York Times best-seller list.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2015, American Library Association.)