The New York Times –bestselling author of Unto Us a Son Is Given continues "one of the most exquisite and subtle detective series ever" ( The Washington Post ). When a dying hospice patient gasps that her husband was murdered over "bad money," Commissario Brunetti softly promises he and his colleague, Claudia Griffoni, will look into what initially appears to be a private family tragedy. They discover that the man had worked in the field, collecting samples of contamination for a company that measures the cleanliness of Venice's water supply, and that he had recently died in a mysterious motorcycle accident. Piecing together the tangled threads, Brunetti comes to realize the perilous meaning in the woman's accusation and the threat it reveals to the health of the entire region. But justice in this case proves to be ambiguous, as Brunetti is reminded it can be when he reads Aeschylus's classic play The Eumenides . Praise for Donna Leon's Commissario Brunetti Mysteries "[Leon] has never become perfunctory, never failed to give us vivid portraits of people and of Venice, never lost her fine, disillusioned indignation." —Ursula K. LeGuin, author of Dancing at the Edge of the World "You become so wrapped up in these compelling characters. . . . Each one is better than the last." —Louise Erdrich, winner of the National Book Award for Fiction "Leon's Venetian mysteries never disappoint, calling up the romantic sights and sounds of La Serenissima even as they acquaint us with the practical matters that concern the city's residents." — The New York Times Book Review "The sophisticated but still moral Brunetti, with his love of food and his loving family, proves a worthy custodian of timeless values and verities." — The Wall Street Journal Praise for Trace Elements : A New York Times Bestseller “A complex case concerning water; not the canal waters into which Venice is inexorably sinking, but the city’s own precious water supply . . . Leon’s characterizations are always a treat, especially those of Brunetti’s colleagues . . . This endlessly enjoyable series, with its deep thoughts about justice and vengeance and charming classical allusions, can’t help making you smile.” —Marilyn Stasio, New York Times Book Review “Donna Leon’s appreciation of her adopted city’s sublime yet fragile magnificence is as fresh (and invigorating) today as it was when Death at La Fenice was published in 1992 . . . Should anyone still doubt that Leon is a superb novelist, let them consider the scene in which Guido gently questions a woman during the last few minutes of her life. You can feel the tension, fear, horror—and wonder.” — Times (UK) “Donna Leon’s ability to paint both her city of Venice and the quandaries of commitment make Trace Elements a quietly powerful book . . . Rich with questions of honor and trust, offered from the hand of a master storyteller.” — New York Journal of Books “Anyone who has even a passing interest in mystery literature should be reading this series religiously. Leon is incapable of writing badly and is a subtle, nuanced storyteller of the first order. Trace Elements continues her wondrous string of memorable police procedurals, all of of which are keepers.” — Book Reporter “A meditative novel that looks at the water crisis in Venice—not flooding this time, but pollution—set against the eternal problem of justice . . . In an age where so many seek simplistic and wrongheaded answers to complex questions, it is comforting that Leon, in human complexity, remains one of our most beloved writers.” — Booklist (starred review) “Thought-provoking . . . As usual, Leon adroitly portrays the complex questions of what constitutes justice and the sad consequences that can result from its pursuit. This long-running series shows no sign of losing steam.” — Publishers Weekly “Venice Commissario of Police Guido Brunetti and his partner Claudia Griffoni are called to the bedside of a dying woman as this latest outing begins . . . The heat and blinding sunlight reflecting off the buildings and water become characters, too, in Leon’s well-crafted, atmospheric mystery.” — Library Journal Praise for Donna Leon’s Commissario Guido Brunetti Mysteries: “[Leon] has never become perfunctory, never failed to give us vivid portraits of people and of Venice, never lost her fine, disillusioned indignation.” —Ursula K. LeGuin, New York Times “You become so wrapped up in these compelling characters . . . Each one is better than the last.” —Louise Erdrich, PBS NewsHour “Donna Leon’s Venetian mysteries never disappoint, calling up the romantic sights and sounds of La Serenissima even as they acquaint us with the practical matters that concern the city’s residents.” —Marilyn Stasio, New York Times Book Review “Few detective writers create so vivid, inclusive, and convincing a narrative as Donna Leon . . . One of the most exquisite and subtle detective series ever.” — Washington Post “The sophisticated but still moral B