A new Commissario Brunetti by Donna Leon is always a looked-forward-to treat, and Guido Brunetti’s twenty-eighth outing is no exception. Set in Venice, “La Serenissima,” is as big a star in these books as is their hero. Venice has had a hold on the imagination for centuries, and it is easy to understand when reading this series.

I don’t like spoilers, so I am not going to give any. I will say that this book is unusual; if you are expecting a murder and the ensuing police investigation, you have the wrong idea. This is more a meditation on family; what makes a family, and what do the members of that family owe each other?

You can never go wrong with a Donna Leon book, and I heartily recommend this one.

It was great being back in Guido Brunetti's world. Once again Donna Leon walks us through Venice letting us visit a place a world away from our everyday. She has such a great way with words and pacing holding our attention while painting a picture of everyday life for Guido, his co-workers, and family. Woven into that is a background for what is to come. Other background stories are woven into the plot adding to the feel of being with Brunetti as he works out the cause and result of one man's deception. This series has yet to get old. I love the flow and the pace of the books and look forward to more visits with Brunetti.

I received a free copy of the book in return for an honest review.

Donna Leon could write an oil change manual and I would gladly read it, her writing is that beautiful! Unto Us a Son is Given is definitely not an oil change manual, and reading it was an absolute pleasure!

Guido Brunetti is back in Leon's new book and this time he's handling an uncomfortable request from his father in law (Count Orazio Falier): to look into an old friend who is talking about adopting a young man as his son. Commissario Brunetti is uncomfortable with the request, not least because the older gentleman is considered a friend. But love for family triumphs individual uneasiness for Guido, and the help of the lovely Signorina Elettra Brunetti seeks to find the truth. And then there is a stunning development, which one doesn't see coming, and sheds a new light on everything.

Unto Us a Son Is Given is full of the dilemmas and decisions, ethical, legal and moral, that define Donna Leon's books. For those who have been reading Donna Leon for a long time there is the joy of seeing Brunetti and his family display the wonderful humans they have become, and to watch them wrestle with the challenging decisions and ethical dilemmas that result from Conte Falier's request. Leon's prose is a joy to read and the story not only brings enjoyment but stretches the mind as we wrestle with these issues alongside Commissario Brunetti and his family and his team at the Questura. Unto Us a Son Is Given is definitely a 5 star read!

I look forward each year to having a visit with Guido Brunetti and Venice. For me it's like the yearly gathering of dear friends for a long, leisurely meal of many courses, wine, full of conversation. The crime doesn't have to occur on page one or chapter one - after 27 books the reader knows that the pace will reveal the mystery and crime in due time. In this entry, well past the half way point....and that's fine. As a reader of every single book of this marvelous series, I'm just as happy to go along with Guido, his family and friends as they live their lives in one of the most amazing and complex cities on the planet. Venice is a living breathing character in it's own right. The reader walks the canals, crosses the bridges, sits in the plaza watching the tourists and natives alike, going about their lives. As the mystery unfolds, the long time reader waits for Guido to say something humorous or to take a little side trip into classical literature or to comment on something in his surroundings that is quintessential Venetian.
This time Guido is with his father-in-law, Il Conte, and Il Conte has asked if Guido has seen one of their old friends lately. Il Conte is concerned about him and shares that with Guido. It seems that the gentleman has adopted a younger man as his son and, by Venetian law, that person can inherit his entire estate, cutting out the blood relatives. And so the mystery begins, full of great depth, twists and turns down this alley and that one. All the while bumping into the daily life of Guido and his lovely wife, Paola and the people with whom he works. This reader knows to sit back and enjoy how the story unfolds, certain that the mystery will be as promised....well worth the wait.
My thanks to the publisher, Atlantic Monthly Press and to NetGalley for giving me an advance copy in exchange for my honest review.

"How strange, Brunetti reflected: we choose to love people despite their flaws and weaknesses. We train ourselves to overlook or ignore them; sometimes these failures of character even fill us with a special kind of tenderness that has nothing whatsoever in it of a sense of superiority."

This is the 28th book in the Commissario Brunetti series. So we are quite familiar with Guido Brunetti already. We know his family and colleagues. And it is comforting to be back in Venice with him. In this book Brunetti's father-in-law Conte Falier is concerned to learn his oldest friend Gonzalo wishes to adopt a son.
I like Guido Brunetti. He is reflective and attentive and loves his family very much. I love how he can go home and finish a book he's reading right in the middle of the day. The mystery itself is not very sensational. There was no crime until well into the second half of the book. The crime was very efficiently solved.
The writing style is wonderfully flowing. You can tell the author knows her characters inside and out and treats them with love.
Thank you NetGalley and Atlantic Monthly Press for a copy of this book.

When inspector Brunetti''s father in law asks his help in a matter of great delicacy, Donna 's series hero, is glad to oblige. Investigating the "inappropriate" relationship between a wealthy older man with whom Guido, his wife and in-laws have known well for many years and the younger man who appears to have captured his heart - and may have his own set on his patron' s wealth - isn't a typical case, and its a long way from turning into one. But Brunetti soon realized that there's more going on than fortune hunting, and as he sets out to do his father in law bidding, 's devoted readers will find much to savor and enjoy in this newest series outing.

An elderly family friend of his father-in-law and therefore of Commissario Guido Brunetti, contemplates adopting an adult man. His father-in-law asks Brunetti to intervene or at least talk some sense into the very wealthy,eighty-five year old Gonzalo. This adopted son would be the sole beneficiary of a more than substantial inheritance. But he is not the only one who looks upon this scheme with disguised,or not,horror. When Gozalo,while visiting his estranged family in Spain, unexpectedly dies from a brain haemorrhage waters start to stir in Venice. And old friend comes to Venice so she can organise a memorial service but just hours after her arrival she is found strangoled in her hotel room. It is Brunetti's task to unravel any connection between Gonzalo and this victim and to find a murderer....
A Donna Leon novel hardly starts with murder and mayhem on page one,and it is not different here. And sometimes this slowly building up of both the story and the tension works and sometimes it doesn't and it is not to everyone's liking (this is by the way the 28th in the Commissario Guido Brunetti series,quite a feat...),but here it all comes together perfectly. It captures and keeps the attention and the curiosity of the reader well. The characters are well developed and it feels very (Venetian) Italian(food,way of life...)
And then there is Venice,not exactly heaven on earth and not exactly inhabited by angels ,but still fascinating and intriguing enough to play a discreet leading role in this series. Yes,both Brunetti and Venice are back on track...

This was the first book I read by Ms De Leon and I found it both enjoyable and entertaining.
It starts slow and for more than half of the book there's no crime, just the everyday life of Commissario Brunetti and the introductions of the dramatis personae. Suddenly the mystery starts going and you cannot turn the pages fast enough to satisfy your curiosity.
I appreciated how Ms Leon describes Venezia, Brunetti and his family and the cast of well written characters.
The mystery was good and it kept me guessing till the end.
I liked the plot, the characters and how the setting was described. As for the food it made me crave for "fegato alla veneziana" that I haven't been eating in a long time.
A very good book, I will surely get the previous installment and look forward to reading the next.
Highly recommended!
Many thanks to Grove Atlantic and Netgalley for this ARC. I voluntarily read and reviewed this book, all opinions are mine.

BrunettI is a policeman in Venice although you are about 3/4 of the way through the book before any actual crime takes place. These books are more about the city of Venice and its people than they are intense thriller. Brunette also seems to have quite a stress free existence which I think is part of the charm. Most of the book is about the wealthy friend of his father in law - Gonzalo - who wants to adopt his young lover so that he will inherit when Gonzalo dies (Italian inheritance laws are different to English ones). Brunetti is asked to try to persuade him out of this task which many of his friends feel is foolish. This action does lead to two deaths later in the book and a sad reflection on human nature by Brunetti at the end, This is a slow paced but charming novel with a moral warning within it. If you like the series, you will enjoy this.
Thanks to Netgalley for and advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

If you've read Guido Brunetti novels before, you know that Leon provides gentle pleasures in the little things about Brunetti's life and family. That's true here as well. If you haven't read them, don't worry- you'll fine. Here, Brunetti is asked by his father in law to figure out Attilo, who is the heir of his old friend Gonzalo. No one knows quite who he is or why Gonzalo has left him everything. Gonzalo's death opens up a Pandora's box of hidden secrets and when a woman is murdered, Guido finds he must look deeper. There's no dramatic stuff here (which is fine to me) and it's a gentle almost meandering reveal. Thanks for the ARC. A very good read!

Guido Brunetti has recently become one of my favorite fictional characters, and Donna Leon one of my favorite mystery writers. Her love for Venice and its residents is clear, but she doesn't whitewash the failings of the Italian police or society. In this novel, Guido's father-in-law, the Count, asks him to use his connections to look into the background of someone about whom he has serious concerns. Despite his initial reluctance, Guido does, and this touches off a sequence of actions, including a natural death and a murder, that profoundly affect Guido in a way that other cases have not. I love Guido and Paola's relationship, and i love Leon's depiction of Venice. Another excellent entry in the series.

I've followed and enjoyed Donna Leon's Inspector Brunetti series for years. Her latest novel, Unto Us a Son Is Given, gives us a deeper glimpse into Brunetti's relationship with his father-in-law, the Count Falier. The Count's best friend Gonzalo has become deeply involved with a younger man and is taking steps to disinherit his family by adopting this young man, effectively naming him his sole heir. Brunetti, Paula and their children consider Gonzalo practically part of the family, so Brunetti is unsure whether to intervene and in what capacity.

As Brunetti speaks to more of Gonzalo's friends, he grows increasingly apprehensive of the young man's influence and of Gonzalo's infatuation. Brunetti conducts his own quiet investigation - there is no crime - to help and protect Gonzalo but must also balance Gonzalo's wishes. Gonzalo's health has been bad and his death makes the investigation moot. Until a death occurs and Brunetti must determine the motive behind it and prove the killer's identity.

Donna Leon delivers an unusual mystery in that the crime occurs towards the 25% of the novel. However, she keeps us engrossed throughout because of Brunetti, Gonzalo, and our concern for the friendships involved. I thoroughly enjoyed Unto Us a Son Is Given.

One of my favorite things about Italians is the high standards they hold, and their willingness to lower those standards in the inevitable face of reality. But there are limits…. There are always limits.

Brunetti is back! and he is investigating several deaths revolving around an old friend of his father-in-law. The investigation is complicated by his relationship to the first dead man, and to his father-in-law himself.
It has been a real delight to follow this series from the beginning, and to watch Brunetti and his family age and mature. The sensual pleasures of Guido and Paola’s relationship and their love of their children, the food! the wine! (I live for the pleasure of hearing Paola announce what is for dinner…)

I visited Venice two years ago and wandered around in a Donna Leon induced daze where I felt like a complete tourist, but also like it was my spiritual home, and that at any moment, Guido Brunetti would step around a corner, see me and smile and nod.

“Unto us” is another tour de force, and I appreciate the opportunity to read and review an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Donna Leon never disappoints, and "Unto us a Son is Given" is no exception. In this novel, Commissario Brunetti investigates the best friend of the his father-in-law, who is contemplating adopting his adult, male lover to circumvent estate and inheritance laws. As always, the descriptions of Venice are beautiful, the discussions of relationships are thought provoking and ring true, and the meals are hunger inducing.

Recommended for fans of Leon and Brunetti, obviously, as well as for those who like well written police procedurals, foreign mysteries, and beautiful language.

A frequent topic of discussion among both readers and writers is when a long-running series has lost its way. I have to admit that I though Donna Leon's now massive series featuring Commissario Guido Brunetti was one of those that had. The last few titles had been worst than disappointing. They seemed utterly pointless.

I am so very pleased to see that in UNTO US A SON IS GIVEN, however, the series has returned to form in all its glory. Guido Brunetti has resumed his ironically detached progress through a nineteenth-century society rudely flung into the twenty-first in a way that endlessly amuses, delights, and intrigues. Welcome back, Guido. We missed you.

Donna Leon never disappoints. This masterful book showcases her immense talent and breadth of knowledge
-- of Venice, of classical literature and its timeless relevance, and of human nature. The languid pace, rich in evocative detail of the pulse and beauty of the setting, reveals the nature of the crime and its solution with the pace and rhythm of her beloved Venezia. Thus the reader is given gifts: not only of the relief that comes from finally knowing the who, the how, and the why, but also of the dawning understanding of the emotions of all involved. Any Donna Leon book about Commissario Brunetti is a treasure; this one is a tour de force.

I received this book as a digital ARC from the publisher through Net Galley in return for an honest review.

Opening lines:
"Your situation is always ambiguous, isn't it, Guido?", his father-in-law, Count Orazio Falier.

If you are expecting to read a suspense-thriller book from the beginning you might be disappointed. On the other hand, the writer just provides us a daily-life of Commissario Brunetti with a good sense of humour which is quite peculiar to Italian people.

About the plot: Count Falier was yearning his son-in-law to investigate the apparently innocent plan of the Count's best friend, the elderly Gonzalo Rodriguez de Tejada, to adopt a much younger man as his son.

What can go wrong with this kind of story? You should find out by reading this book. Even if I haven't read the whole series on Commissario Brunetti, I am really enjoying them since the author furnishes a quite original way of writing crime novels.

4* Beastly Things (Commissario Brunetti, #21)
4.5* Unto Us a Son Is Given (Commissario Brunetti, #28) (less)

This is the best book I've read in the series. Brunetti is his wonderful self - thoughtful, insightful, sympathetic, loving husband and father, and very good detective.

At the beginning, Brunetti is asked to visit his Father in law, Conte Falier. Falier wants to talk about his best friend, Gonzali. Gonzali is gay, and has decided he wants to adopt his much younger lover, Attilio Torrebardo. The law is that if he adopts him, Atilio could inherit all his riches, which are quite large. His friends have tried to discourage him, but Gonzali has turned from them. Torrebardo appears to be conceited, and probably more interested in Gonzali for his money than for love of him. Gonzali's lawyer has refused to do the adoption or change his will, so Gonzali has changed lawyers. Brunetti has gone to a dinner party he didn't want to go to in order to view Gonzali and Torrebardo. He agrees that Torrbardo should not be adopted and wasn't worth Gonzali losing all his longterm friends. Later, Gonzali goes to Brunetti's office to complain about Paola's father asking questions about him and to try to explain his position. Attilio would not agree to work for him, so he needed to adopt Attilio to help him out financially.

Then, Gonzali dies of a hemorrhage in Spain, and the adoption had gone through. Later Brunetti gets a call from Gonali's close friend Rudi, who said he was coming from London the next day with Berta to arrange a memorial service. Berta was another best friend of Gonzali. Brunetti meets the plane and takes them to a very nice hotel where they have adjoining rooms. Berta tells Brunetti that Gonzali saved her life, and also there was someone she wanted to meet and talk to in the afternoon. Late that night, Brunetti gets a call from Rudi that Berta is dead. From here, Brunetti is investigating a murder using his brain and his friends and colleagues. He reads the emails from her phone and in an email to Gonzali, Berta has said "We are the only ones who know you cannot do this". Fortunately, the great secretary, Elettra, has found out a very important clue from Spain about Gonzali about how he had saved Berta's life. This gives a motive for Berta's murder.

As always, I love this series. Brunetti's introspective reflections on life in modern Italy are always spot on. Readers new to the series might like jumping in here, since the case is close to home for Brunetti, and offers a lot of back story on his in-laws, the wealthy Falier family.

Whenever a new Commissario Guido Brunetti novel comes out, I stop everything I am doing to read it. I cannot believe that this the 28th! They are a joy! Donna Leon’s novels contain good writing, colorful character development, piquant observations of life both in general and specific to Venetian society.

I could have easily voraciously devoured this book, finishing it in one day while forsaking all else. However, writing this good should be savored and I tried to take my time, digesting it chapter by chapter.

Travel along with Brunetti past familiar Venetian landmarks, stopping here and there for a coffee, wine, or a meal. Join him as he negotiates the politics and cynicism of the Italian justice system. Visit again with his family and the cast of characters with whom he works. They are all here!

For anyone new to Donna Leon, this certainly can be read as a stand alone, but why deprive yourself? Go back to the beginning of the series and enjoy getting to know all of these memorable characters.