The New York Times –bestselling series and its Italian detective explore the seedy underworld of Venice: "Procedural writing at its best" ( The Washington Post ). Commissario Guido Brunetti's hopes for a refreshing family holiday in the mountains are once again dashed when a gruesome discovery is made in Marghera—a body so badly beaten the face is completely unrecognizable. Brunetti searches Venice for someone who can identify the corpse but is met with a wall of silence. He then receives a telephone call from a contact who promises some tantalizing information. And before the night is out, Brunetti is confronting yet another appalling, and apparently senseless, death. "[One of] the real charms of this series [is] the endearing character of Brunetti and his compassionate insights into the heart of Venice and the soul of its people. . . . Truly, a refreshing hero." — The New York Times Book Review "Despite the gruesome way in which this murder, and subsequent ones, take place, it's really a cheery, breezy mystery, filled with good humor and adventure. The ending can only leave the reader waiting avidly for the next time we meet Brunetti and his lively friends and cohorts." — Pittsburgh Post-Gazette "Leon delivers her plot in an unassuming, graceful and beautifully paced prose that hides its measured elegance." — The Washington Post "One of the most appealing of recent detectives, Brunetti stars in a case that brings out his canniness and his compassion—and shows his creator spreading her wings more powerfully than ever." — Kirkus Reviews "Richly evocative. . . . Venice takes on a deep noir tint in Leon's latest well-crafted work." — Publishers Weekly