Friends in High Places

A Commissario Guido Brunetti Mystery, Book 9

De: Donna Leon

Narrado por: David Colacci

In Friends in High Places, Commissario Guido Brunetti is visited by a young bureaucrat investigating the lack of approval for the construction of Brunetti's apartment years before. What began as a red-tape headache ends in murder when the bureaucrat is later found dead after a mysterious fall from a scaffold. Brunetti starts an investigation that will take him into the unfamiliar and dangerous areas of drug abuse and loan-sharking, and will reveal, once again, what a difference it makes in Venice to have friends in high places.

©2000 Donna Leon and Diogenes Verlag AG, Zurich (P)2012 AudioGO, Ltd.

If this is series' best, I won't try any others

It starts with three chapters about Venice bureaucracy over building permits so I seriously considered giving up. But then the police procedural kicks in as a bureaucrat ends up dead. It’s a solid, very well-written, kind of high-brow mystery with a well-considered philosophical discussion about using friends to get out of legal trouble, for things small and big. This is supposed to be her best book in the Commissario Guido Brunetti series, winning a Silver Dagger award. But it just didn’t compel me enough so I don’t think I'll read more. And, frankly, the gender dynamics were sexist — example: Brunetti and his wife Paola both work full-time jobs but she does the cooking and cleaning, and he stands there watching while she does it. Bechdel test: Fail. Grade: B

Fantastic!

Loved it! Enjoyed it thoroughly...looking forward to the next book in the series ... Bravo!

Always most enjoyable

Enjoy and Look forward to listening the narration is wonderful.the depth of the story line is most important.

Intriguing plot and superb narration

I love all the Brunetti books I've read so far, having read up to this one, more or less in succession. I adore the main character and the way he interacts with everyone and everything around him.

One of her best...

Where does Friends in High Places rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

Have always liked her stories of Comissario Brunetti and descriptions of one of my favorite cities, Venice. I think Donna Leon is perfecting her craft with each book, and Friends in High Places absolutely finds her at the top of her game. David Colacci is one of the best narrators working today.
The story itself was fast moving, had enough characters to make it interesting but not confusing, and kept my interest throughout.
Am looking forward to her next and next and next!! Keep them coming, Miss Leon!!

What did you like best about this story?

Nice pace...great characters throughout.

What about David Colacci’s performance did you like?

100% wonderful! Best in the business.

If you were to make a film of this book, what would be the tag line be?

Brunetti & Venice...totally Win/Win!

Never being able to guess the ending

I enjoyed the multi- layered characters in the story. Keep me engaged and interested to the end.

Depressing

I found this book pretty depressing. Doesn’t seem like anybody is honest in Italy, even the commissioner is losing faith.

ANOTHER GREAT COMMISSARIO BRUNETTI MYSTERY

I'm addicted to this series! (I almost stopped writing reviews because of 2 "Audible Haters" who have systematically gone through all of my submissions and marking them "Not Helpful" for no reason other than spite. But last week, I reported the harassment so the website reps are investigating to find out WHO the perpetrators are.)

Although this series can be a bit inconsistent, overall most of the novels are worth the rare miss. The characters are finely drawn and the added detail about Venice makes the listener feel as if we are really there. Narrator David Colacci is perfect. Not so much a thriller than a great detective mystery, the slower pace is worth the plot twists and turns which always keep you guessing.

Very Enjoyable

I love this series!!! I get to travel in my mind and ponder good vs. Evil.

Bureaucracy and murder

law-enforcement, family-dynamics, friendship, historic-buildings, murder, murder-investigation, Venice, political-corruption

From bureaucratic red tape to cover-up murders in Venice. A young bureaucrat comes to warn Brunetti that his home may be demolished over a paperwork issue, calls Brunetti on a police matter, and is brutally murdered. That is the first murder. In the course of the investigation there are more murders, more corruption, moral dilemmas, and more. Another excellent example of the author's craft!
David Colacci is the voice of Guido Brunetti to my mind. As always, he does a fine job with this series giving personality to each and every character.