Our mystery begins with Italian Soprano Flavia Petrelli returning to Venice to sing the lead roll in the opera Tosca. Flavia has graced Donna Leon's pages twice before; in "Death at La Fenice", and then again in "Acqua Alta. " Now, Flavia is an international star. Leon shows what famous people like Flavia (actually any public personality) experiences, no matter where they work: Fans who want a piece of her, the loss of privacy and the conflicts between artists.
Flavia becomes frightened when a fan starts stalking her and showering her with hundreds of yellow roses and expensive gifts. Things take a dangerous turn when people in Flavia's life are attacked. She turns to her old friend Guido Brunnetti for help.
All the usual suspects are there, including Signorina Elettra, Guido's family and ever-present Lt. Scarpa (going after the weakest of the policemen at the Questura).
It is not surprising that Donna Leon returns to opera because readers know she is extremely fond of this particular form of entertainment. She certainly has a grasp of the complexities of a diva's life. However, readers need to be prepared for a subtle and slow-moving story. I was prepared for the slow pace but I was not prepared for the abrupt ending. I was also dismayed by the thin plot.
Flavia becomes frightened when a fan starts stalking her and showering her with hundreds of yellow roses and expensive gifts. Things take a dangerous turn when people in Flavia's life are attacked. She turns to her old friend Guido Brunnetti for help.
All the usual suspects are there, including Signorina Elettra, Guido's family and ever-present Lt. Scarpa (going after the weakest of the policemen at the Questura).
It is not surprising that Donna Leon returns to opera because readers know she is extremely fond of this particular form of entertainment. She certainly has a grasp of the complexities of a diva's life. However, readers need to be prepared for a subtle and slow-moving story. I was prepared for the slow pace but I was not prepared for the abrupt ending. I was also dismayed by the thin plot.
I enjoyed this book and am a fan of Donna Leon. I am not an opera fan and this book doesn't overburden the reader with opera facts. There's just enough information here to put the reader in the picture of the story. As usual, the atmosphere of Venice and the police and family figures are all here. Very enjoyable read. I'll never get to Venice but reading this series makes me feel like a "frequent flyer"..
