(Brunetti 11) (Commissario Brunetti) - Wilful Behaviour

The writing is excellent.....that's why I bought it. BUT it came from the UK and was one of those European productions that fall apart when cracked open to read. Don't order any books from the UK......They are trash..

Brunnetti has become an old friend after reading his descriptions of his attitudes and of his own doubts. This book delightfully carries on with the fun as he works his way around the pitfalls of crime solving.

I had read all of Donna Leon's Commissario Brunetti books except Willful Behaviour.
I was thrilled when the store found me a recenrly reprinted version.
As usual the story was another great mystery about Venice and the unique people who live there.
Now waiting for the next book in May 2010.

Another meandering story. Overlong introspection by Brunetti who becomes more sniveling and weaker with each successive novel. Improbable characters. And yet another gimmicky truncated ending. Harlequin romances are better.

Book11, in the Commissario Guido Brunetti Mystery Series

This novel was originally published in 2002, I knew I had missed it while I read my way through the series so when it was reprinted in 2010; I seized the opportunity to catch up. Ms. Leon's earlier novels are thoughtful and satisfying in many ways and this one shines, it is a powerful murder investigation that has Brunetti uncovering dark secrets that date back as far as WW11.

Claudia, a student of Paola, Brunetti's wife, asks for help in obtaining a pardon for a crime committed years ago by her now dead grandfather. He is intrigued by this unusual young lady's request but made little of it until she is found stabbed to death in her apartment.

When Brunetti breaks the devastating news to Signora Jacobs, an old Austrian lady and Claudia's only close friend, he discovers an extraordinary art collection in her modest apartment. Brunetti always the investigator is intrigued and soon learns she was once Claudia's grandfather's lover. Could the stunning art collection have come from desperate people selling their prize possessions during the war and be the reason behind the grandfather's imprisonment....

When Signora Jacobs is also found murdered, Brunetti launches an investigation that will uncover shocking secrets. He discovers evidence hidden deep in the closets of Nazi Collaborators that ultimately reveals the exploitation of Italian Jews during the war......

This is an excellent example of a classic detective murder tale, a thought provoking story that highlights and exposes the way of doing business in a corrupt world. The first few chapters set the scenes really well while at the same time setting a sub-story which has Brunetti struggling to help a friend obtain a construction permit without paying the customary bribe. The characters are memorable, the plot is intricate and multi-dimensional, and the narration is fluid, it subtly and slowly draws the readers into a compelling and atmospheric tale that is interspersed with domestic interludes. Ms. Leon loves to show the personal side of Italian life through food and family interaction, an asset to any story when not overdone.

This is one of my favourite novels in this series.

One of the things that make the Brunetti series so appealing is Guido's relationship with his family. After 20 years of marriage, he and Paola are still in love. As Willful Behavior opens, Paolo, a college lecturer, is approached by one of her students, Claudia Leonardo, for some advice about acquiring an exoneration for her grandfather, an art dealer during WWII. Paola arranges for Claudia to talk to Guido, who believes nothing can be done, but whose curiosity is aroused by the story related by this obviously intelligent young woman. By the end of the week, Claudia's body is discovered by her flat-mate, stabbed to death at home.

Commissario Brunetti's investigation requires delving into a web of secrets that official Venice buried immediately after the end of the war. He is assisted, unofficially, by his patrician father-in-law and by a couple of friends of longstanding who are active in the art world. Officially, Signorina Elettra comes through with her superb computer research skills, and Guido's partner, Vianello, now promoted to Ispettore, provides valuable assistance.

As always in Donna Leon's novels, the social problems that underlie the crime in question are given equal importance with the investigation. In Willful Behavior,, the issue is the wholesale victimization and defrauding of Jews, desperate to escape the Nazis, by Venetian art dealers. Appealing recurrent characters, intelligent, well constructed plots, great back stories, and the beautiful backdrop of hidden Venice - each of Leon's Brunetti books is a little gem.

A friend who knew my disinterest in detective novels introduced me to Donna Leon, and life has never been the same. I read one, then another, then another. What can I say? I'm a fan...a big fan. Leon's books are literate, compelling, character driven. The crime is, of course, central, but all around the crime and its solving are characters I care about, details that make me want to hop a plane and head for Venice, and intrigue that keeps me guessing. That's true, again, with Willful Behavior. I was sorry to see the book end. And the last pages did seem a bit rushed, after the slow unfolding, but Donna Leon has made me a fan of the genre. She has also raised the bar in terms of my expectations. Whatever she writes, I'll read.

First Sentence: The explosion came at breakfast.

A student of Insp. Guido Brunetti's wife, Paola, visits him inquiring whether someone who had been convicted of a crime and is now dead could be officially cleared if shown innocent. Brunetti is not given enough information initially, but the question piques his interest. When the student, Claudia Leonardo, is murdered, the question goes from being a matter of curiosity to an investigation.

Leon is a wonderful writer. Her writing is intelligent, literary and thought provoking with cracking good dialogue. She is merciless toward the tempering of historical information, the corruption of the government and American tourists. She imbues her story with an underlying theme; in this case, honour.

Leon gives us such wonderful characters in Brunetti, about whose childhood we learn more, his wife, Paola, and the strength of their 20-year marriage, and the intriguing Signorina Elettra. One cares about her characters; not only the principals but, in this case, Claudia and her grandmother, because, I believe, of the strength of her central, Brunetti. The city of Venice is almost another character in the story.

The sense of place is so strong and, in spite of its faults, the obvious love Brunetti has for his city. The descriptions of the family meals make me want to join them. Yet, coming back to the theme of honour, Brunetti would have left his city because of a point of honour.

Under all this, is a well-plotted, fascinating, couldn't-tell-where-it-was-going story. I particularly like that the reader learn the information at the same time as Brunetti. When he is lead down the wrong path, so are we; when he begins to suspect, so do we.

I am a true fan of Ms. Leon's writing and am happy that I've many more books ahead of me.

When Professoressa Falier (Guido's wife) is asked for a favor from one of her students, she is perplexed. The student wants to know if someone convicted of a crime (thirty years ago) could have that conviction reversed and have a proclamation of such made by the government to 'restore their good name'. Guido tells Paola that it would depend on the crime committed. He tells her to have the girl come to speak to him.

When the girl comes to him, he finds himself involved in the buying of art at 'fire sale' prices during the war, by 'people' who had to get out of the country. So begins Guido's delving into Italy's participation on both sides during the Second World War. During his research, we find out about how the Conte Falier and his family were involved in the war. We also get commentary about the 'forgetfulness' of the Italian populace when it comes to "the party" that got Italy into all this trouble by it's alliance with German.

Unlike Germany, few if any of the "Fascisti" were tried after the war for 'crimes against humanity' and most were able to stay on with the post-war government and have their prior service with 'that government' included in their pensions. This case deals with one of the few men who were prosecuted after the war, but only for 'extortion' of art and art objects (at ridiculously low price) from those 'people'. In the case of the young woman's grandfather, his 'purchases' had never been found.

In quick succession the young woman is stabbed to death in her apartment and her 'grandmother' dies suspiciously of an heart attack. When Guido goes to visit her, he finds the halls and walls of her small apartment filled with painting and sketches that are worth in the billions of Lira. Brunetti can't believe that the grandmother (the Austrian mistress of her grandfather) died naturally.

Once again Signorina Elettra and her computer and connections comes to the fore and helps the investigation along. In the end, the reason for the murder has nothing to do with the murder but jealousy once again rears its' ugly head.

Congratulations to Vianello who Brunetti finally gets promoted to Isspectore.

Zeb Kantrowitz

I'm finally getting around to this after taking a break from Donna Leon. Her non-Brunetti novel Jewels of Paradise did me in. This reminded why I used to eagerly await her novels. It has the texture of Venice, a bit of Brunetti's home life, and an intriguing mystery. Senorina Elettra's computer wizardry seems quaint 14 years later, but she also has a network of useful contacts that overcome that minor problem. This was a very good read and armchair travel.

All of Donna Leon's Commissario Brunetti books have a different theme, sometimes two. The first, "Death at La Fenice", besides introducing the series, was about the opera house of that name and the world of classical music. Later books have taken up art theft and the Mafia, illegal immigrants and blood diamonds, and moneylenders and Venetian property. "Wilful Behaviour" is about coming to terms (or not) with Facism and Italy's World War II past.

It does its job as a mystery, and keeps you wondering what the connection is among all the various elements. Like the other books, Italy seems rife with corruption and networks of friends and contacts that are (apparently) unknown here in squeaky clean Sweden. And like the other books in the series, you get to travel around Venice, by foot or water bus. Having just been there, this was fun. Especially endearing was the put-down of the tourist watering hole Harry's Bar (other books have made fun of the industry in mask and plastic gondola souvenirs).

Unlike the other books, this one actually starts with Brunetti's wife Paola, although her presence is perhaps somewhat restricted this time around.

And once again one is amazed at Brunetti's huge home-cooked lunches with the family and forced to ponder what the working hours are in Italy?

Somehow I missed this book when it first came out. I have read nearly every one of her mysteries. This one stands out for the strong character development of those involved with the crimes both young and old. We also get to see a bit more than usual of the Count, Brunetti's father-in-law. The history of those who both resisted and cooperated with Mussolini's regime was new to me, and appalling.
Highly recommended to those who have read Ms. Leon's work before, and not a bad one to start with, if she is new to you.

Another wonderful Brunetti book, plus some truth about Italy's Fascist past. What a rarity! Although she does chicken out by taking too seriously the merely lovely idea of the Italian Resistance. There is a Kindle book by someone named A. D. Person which gets closer to the truth. It is also a book about Venice, if a little preachy. It is called The Venices. Donna Leon should read it.

As usual, Brunetti and his wife Paolo give depth to human behaviour with their knowledge of Greek and Roman literature and philosophy. This is a mystery of human behaviour and its expression in the hands of an expert writer.