I know I’m a little late to the party, but I have finally read the first book in this very popular series.

During intermission a world-famous conductor is found dead at Venice’s opera house - the unmistakable bitter-almond odour of cyanide on his breath.

We meet Guido Brunetti, a commissario of the Venice police for the first time: He was a surprisingly neat man: tie carefully knotted, hair shorter than was the fashion; even his ears lay close to his head, as if reluctant to call attention to themselves. His clothing marked him as Italian. The cadence of his speech announced that he was Venetian. His eyes were all policeman.

As Brunetti moves through the city to pursue his investigation, Venice is revealed to us as an integral character in the book:

Venice had become a sleepy provincial town that virtually ceased to exist after nine or ten at night. During the summer months, she could remember her courtesan past and sparkle, as long as the tourists paid and the good weather held, but in the winter, she became a tired old crone, eager to crawl early to bed, leaving her deserted streets to cats and memories of the past.

We meet the usual suspects: current wife, spurned lovers, disgruntled work colleagues as Brunetti methodically explores the victim’s life. We are also introduced to Brunetti’s wife of many years, Paola who supports him, but has a life of her own! And his revolting superior, Vice-Questore Patta - has there ever been a supportive superior officer in a police procedural? I think not!

But the star of the show is the city of Venice, in all her different moods. The inclement winter fog makes traversing her narrow passageways almost impossible; even the ferry stops running due to poor visibility. But the beauty shines through, whether it’s a flight of stairs, where ‘the slight concavity that hundreds of years of use had hollowed out of each step’ or a floor ‘made of inlaid marble tiles set in a geometric pattern of waves and swirls’.

This is Leon’s first novel, so perhaps lacks the polish I am assuming she develops over time. I saw the resolution coming well before the end. But this is a small niggle - I really enjoyed spending time with Brunetti in his wonderful city and will return for further investigations.