So Shall You Reap

In the latest installment of Donna Leon's acclaimed Commissario Brunetti series, a cold November evening in Venice takes a dark turn when a human hand is discovered in one of the city's canals. Guido Brunetti and Paola are roused by a call from Ispettore Vianello, leading to the grim discovery of a full body. The victim is an undocumented Sri Lankan immigrant, a man whose existence officially goes unrecorded, forcing Brunetti to navigate Venice's intricate network of gossip and personal recollections. His investigation leads him to a garden house on the grounds of a palazzo, owned by a university professor, where the victim had been living. Here, Brunetti uncovers books hinting at the man's interests in Buddhism, the revolutionary Tamil Tigers, and Italy's political terrorists of the 1980s. As Brunetti, Vianello, Commissario Griffoni, and Signorina Elettra piece together seemingly disparate clues—real estate dealings, academic connections, and forgotten histories—Brunetti confronts echoes of his own student days, prompting reflections on lost ideals, youthful errors, and the profound interplay of Italian politics and personal destinies.