A Commissario Guido Brunetti Mystery - Quietly in Their Sleep

Quietly in Their Sleep takes the Guido Brunetti series into a darker place than ever before, and the reader benefits mightily for it.

A former nun who had cared for Brunetti's ailing mother comes to him a deep suspicion that someone in the church is convincing elderly people about to die to forsake their families and give monies in their will to a particular church institution with anything but heavenly aims. Brunetti, initially skeptical, becomes convinced there is something here after a vicious attack. In choosing to believe the ex-nun, he steps into his sharpest conflict ever with his boss, Vice-Questore Patta, who is determined to block the investigation at every step.

Leon uses this plot to delve into the workings of the church in everyday life in Venice. The book is not anti-church, but definitely paints both sides of the institution which permeates Italian life. A particularly interesting sub-plot that plays off of this is the dialogue between Brunetti and his wife Paola, who is a committed atheist. Leon uses this exchange as a device to make us see both sides of the question and the dialogue between them is enlightening.

In this book Leon really starts to develop her sense of place for the grandeur of Venice. Similar to Robert Wilson's fine quartet of books about the head of a homicide squad in southern Spain, we can practically use Leon's books as our walking guide for Venice. Many writers try to do this; very few succeed to this degree.

Recommended highly.

I had read most of Donna Leon's earlier Inspector Brunetti mysteries, and enjoyed them, although her constant negativity about Italian government wore thin. In previous novels many bad guys were not punished, because of police or government corruption. But this last novel is it for me. As a fellow writer and a small-press ;publisher, it's easy for me to tell when a character's attitude is necessary for character development and when the author is just grinding their own ax. In this novel, there is not a single good character who has anything positive to say about the Catholic Church. The former nun has wasted her life, Brunetti is an athiest/agnostic, his wife despises the church, the daughter's catechism teacher is an abuser, all the religious--save one--are smarmy hypocrates, and all believers deluded or stupid. Even if I were not a practicing Catholic, it makes for boring reading, because there is absolutely no literary tension between characters. . .they all think alike. To Catholics, I would say, forget it. It will only annoy you. To non-Catholics, I would say, don't bother--it's predictable, boring, and preachy.

Am re-reading the Guido Brunetti series—love a quick trip to Venice—but the renaming of the books by new publishers drives me crazy. Who would assume that "Quietly in Their Sleep" is also "Death of Faith"? Leon's a master at blending crime investigation and thoughtful exploration of complex topics, in this case religion, without getting preachy or driving over the plot.

Know that this book was published in Europe as "Death of Faith".

One of the questions that you have to ask yourself about this novel is, "how come Donna Leon is so mad at the RC Church"? As we have seen in some of her earlier books in this series, Guido's wife Paola will speak DL's mind on the subject of Church and Feminism. In this book, some of her anti-clericalism rubs off on the Commissario. We also get a much better look at Sgt. Vianello and Signorina Elletra .

The story itself is nothing grand, as compared to her earlier books, but is more of a polemic by DL. I found it most interesting to read about the attitude of the Venetians to the rest of Italy and to the place of the Church in 21st Century Europe. Leon seems to think that there is an underground guerilla war going on (with Opus Dei as the Church's SS) between the secular state and the religious right for control. She may be right but I don't think that a mystery novel is the place to make her point.

I was long ago hooked by Donna Leon. Brunetti his family, colleagues and town are a prt of the family. Having spent time in Venice her depiction of the city is spot on. Brunetti as one honest man in a fundamentally corrupt Italy wanders the flood of Venice looking for an honest man and finds few.

Ponderous novel about how the Catholic Church murders old people in their Casae di Cura to get possession of their money etc. etc. What it lacks in credible plot, it makes up for in spite as the novel is a vehicle for Ms. Leon's strident anti-Catholic and anti-religious views. All older members of the faith are domineering hypocrites, all priests are homosexual, Brunetti's charming daughter gets As from all her teachers except her stupid and narrow minded Religion teacher and who knows where all that money goes that Mother Teresa collects. Brunetti for some light reading picks up in turn the writings of the Christian Father Tertullian and Saint Benedict before delivering another rant. Apart from the antagonism and malice, you have to endure the tedious domestic discussions of the sainted Brunetti with his sainted and atheistic university lecturer wife. While I have read a half dozen of Donna Leon's book, I won't be buying any more of them.

First, let me say that I thoroughly enjoy many of Donna Leon's Venetian mysteries. She has a sharp eye for detail and an equally sharp wit that humanizes many of her characters, especially the endearing Inspector Brunetti. Her plots are interesting, but it's the humanity of her characters and the wonderfully described atmosphere of everyday life in Venice itself that keeps one reading. While she does tend to preach at her readers, usually through Brunetti's insufferably perfect wife, Paola, she usually keeps it to a bearable degree.

Not in this sledgehammer of a book. It's as though in this single novel, Leon distills all her weaknesses as a writer. From beginning to end, we are served with stereotypical, cookie-cutter characters where anyone Catholic or religious is one-dimensionally venal and evil, and secular characters (obviously meant to be the good guys here) sneer unattractively at religion and at those who practice it. Virtually everyone comes off as self-righteously pompous, even the usually lovable Brunetti.

The wildly implausible plot is nearly forgotten in this diatribe; clearly, Leon sees it as less important that Getting Her Point Across. Brunetti does virtually no detecting, relying instead on the godlike abilities of his boss's secretary to get any piece of information he might need.

I found myself skimming the last quarter of the book just to get it overwith, something I would never have done with a Brunetti mystery before. We can only hope Leon either got the vitriol out of her system with this book, or that she improves enough as a writer to incorporate it with more skill and grace in the future.

as always Commissario Brunetti is dealing with compex issues that do not define an easy answer..of which he is well aware. The ending, is consistent with those in the earlier books and the characters continue to unfold and grow. I am hooked on Venice, the cast of characters and Brunettiºs musings. happy that I have so many more to look forward to reading

This book is apparently a reintroduction of an earlier effort, and like other reviewers note, it borders on dishonesty to portray it as a new book. But, it reveals Donna Leon's extreme views, particularly against the Catholic Church. I'm not a Catholic, so I'm less offended by her strident bigotry, than, say, Catholic readers would be. But I do find it offensive, nevertheless. And I especially resent the fact that she has planted that bigotry into one of my all-time favorite characters -- Commisario Brunetti (and his wife). And beyond her cliched attacks on the church and that old favorite bogeyman, Opus Dei, Leon has ground out a terrible story. Virtually no plot. No tension or excitement. Dumb characters. No nothing, except anti-Catholic blather. I have always enjoyed Leon's books and I hope in this book she has gotten all her nonsensical vitriol out and can continue to write delightful novels about Venice. If I want Leon's views on religion, I'll seek out more qualified commentators.

This book is apparently a reintroduction of an earlier effort, and like other reviewers note, it borders on dishonesty to portray it as a new book. But, it reveals Donna Leon's extreme views, particularly against the Catholic Church. I'm not a Catholic, so I'm less offended by her strident bigotry, than, say, Catholic readers would be. But I do find it offensive, nevertheless. And I especially resent the fact that she has planted that bigotry into one of my all-time favorite characters -- Commisario Brunetti (and his wife). And beyond her cliched attacks on the church and that old favorite bogeyman, Opus Dei, Leon has ground out a terrible story. Virtually no plot. No tension or excitement. Dumb characters. No nothing, except anti-Catholic blather. I have always enjoyed Leon's books and I hope in this book she has gotten all her nonsensical vitriol out and can continue to write delightful novels about Venice. If I want Leon's views on religion, I'll seek out more qualified commentators.

For someone so bright, imaginative, gifted, I find it odd how Leon can hold to such anti-Catholic prejudices ... all she (or anyone) needs to do if confronted by the innumerable conspiracy theories is a) read the Catechism, b) talk to a priest and c) be careful to check what or who the source of 'information' is, before believing it.

Is it so hard?

I do like Donna Leon's Venetian mysteries, but really, really wish the store would warn prospective buyers when a book has been previously published under a different title - as happened here. "Quietly in their Sleep" had been first published in Great Britain under the title "The Death of Faith", which I have and had read. Still, it is good read, and if you haven't read "The Death of Faith", I recommend it to those who njoy the mysteries of Commissario Guido Brunetti.

Caution Guido Brunetti fans, this book is as a fraud! "Quietly in Their Sleep" is nothing more than the unannounced retitling of Donna Leon's 1997 Venetian mystery "The Death of Faith". Although not one of her best efforts, the real crime here lies with both the publisher for changing the title and the store for failing to mention this fact. You both ought to be as embarrassed as any other villians in Leon's work.

This is Donna Leon's *The Death of Faith*, retitled, no doubt to avoid offending fundamentalist sensibilities. The website doesn't tell you this. But I see that the reviews do. Can you imagine your disappointment when you think you're going to get a new Donna Leon and this comes in the post -- especially when you've just paid good money for it? What an utterly stupid world this is. I would have thought better of Penguin. This would be good copy for Donna Leon herself.