Dressed for Death

In the labyrinthine heart of Venice, Commissioner Guido Brunetti is called to an unsettling crime scene: a prominent businessman found dead in his palazzo, dressed in high heels, with his chest and legs meticulously shaved. The initial assumption points to a routine murder of a transvestite, a tragic but perhaps straightforward case in the city's hidden subcultures. However, Brunetti's shrewd intelligence and deep understanding of human nature quickly lead him to suspect that the victim's peculiar attire is a deliberate misdirection. As he delves deeper into the deceased's life, peeling back layers of respectability, he uncovers a web of secrets, blackmail, and illicit dealings that stretch far beyond mere sexual identity. The investigation forces Brunetti to confront the hypocrisy and moral decay simmering beneath Venice's beautiful facade, revealing a more sinister truth about power, corruption, and the lengths people will go to protect their reputations in a society where appearances are everything. This second installment in the Brunetti series solidifies Donna Leon's mastery of atmospheric crime fiction.