Suffer the Little Children - (The Commissario Guido Brunetti Mysteries) by Donna Leon (Paperback)

About the Book

When Commissario Brunetti is summoned in the middle of the night to the hospital bed of a senior pediatrician, he is confronted with more questions than answers. Three men -- a young Carabiniere captain and two privates from out of town -- have burst into the doctor's apartment in the middle of the night, attacked him and taken away his eighteenth-month old baby boy. What could have motivated an assault by the forces of the state so violent it has left the doctor mute? Who would have authorized such an alarming operation? At the same time, Brunetti's colleague Inspector Vianello discovers a money-making scam between pharmacists and doctors in the city. But it appears as if one of the pharmacists is after more than money.

Book Synopsis

"Donna Leon is the undisputed crime fiction queen . . . [Her] ability to capture the city's social scene and internal politics is first-rate, as always, but this installment carries extra gravity and welcome plot twists that make it one of the series' better efforts." --Sarah Weinman, Baltimore Sun

Donna Leon's charming, evocative, and addictive Commissario Guido Brunetti mysteries are widely acclaimed national and international best sellers, reaching a wider audience in the United States than ever before. Her latest, Suffer the Little Children, is classic Brunetti, a fantastic addition to the series.

When Commissario Brunetti is summoned in the middle of the night to the hospital bed of a senior pediatrician, he is confronted with more questions than answers. Three men--a young Carabiniere captain and two privates from out of town--had burst into the doctor's apartment while the family was sleeping, attacked him, and taken away his eighteen-month-old boy. What could have motivated an assault by the forces of the state so violent that it has left the doctor mute? Who would have authorized such an alarming operation?

As Brunetti delves into the case, he begins to uncover a story of infertility, desperation, and illegal dealings. At the same time, Brunetti's colleague, Inspector Vianello, discovers a moneymaking scam between pharmacists and doctors in the city. But it appears as if one of the pharmacists is after more than money. What secrets are in the records? And what has been done with them? Donna Leon's new novel is as subtle and fascinating as her best mysteries, set in a beautifully realized Venice, a glorious city seething with small-town vice.

Review Quotes

Praise for Suffer the Little Children:

"Leon's sixteenth Commissario Brunetti mystery is brilliant; she has never become perfunctory, never failed to give us vivid portraits of people and of Venice, never lost her fine, disillusioned indignation."--Ursula K. Le Guin, New York Times

"The most obvious appeal of Donna Leon's novels about Commissario Guido Brunetti is that they are so supremely civilized . . . Leon's novels are always a pleasure."--Washington Post

"First-rate and masterful."--Publishers Weekly

"In her sixteenth book featuring Brunetti, Leon vividly illustrates the power of fatherhood, captures the nuances of Venetian politics, and provides a finish as satisfying as it is tragic. But what lifts this series far above the norm is the humanity of Brunetti and his family and the charm of Venice . . . [they] take delight in the wonders of their city; little wonder that their readers will, too."--Library Journal

"Donna Leon is the undisputed crime fiction queen . . . [Her] ability to capture the city's social scene and internal politics is first-rate, as always, but this installment carries extra gravity and welcome plot twists that make it one of the series' better efforts."--Sarah Weinman, Baltimore Sun

"Donna Leon is keeping up an astonishingly high standard . . . A perfect blend of characters, place, mystery, and social issues . . . Her 16th Brunetti novel is also one of her best."--Times (UK)

"Enthralling . . . The vibrant descriptions of the city, littered liberally throughout the novel, and the details of Venetian family life, keep the series feeling fresh and will hold your curiosity while feeling comfortingly familiar."--Woman (UK)

"Leon's fans who use Brunetti as an insider's guide to Venice will not be disappointed."--Times Literary Supplement (UK)

"While Leon raises some cogent social points in the course of the usual page-turning stuff, it's never at the expense of her iron-clad storytelling skill. And Venice is conjured as atmospherically as we'd expect from a writer who does in words what Canaletto and Turner used to do in oils."--Express (UK)

"If you are a fan of Donna Leon's Commissario Brunetti (I am), Suffer the Little Children . . . is essential reading."--Lady (UK)

About the Author

Donna Leon is the author of the highly acclaimed, internationally bestselling Commissario Guido Brunetti mystery series. The winner of the CWA Macallan Silver Dagger for Fiction, among other awards, Donna Leon lived in Venice for many years and now divides her time between Venice and Switzerland.