READ: Uniform Justice: a Commissario Guido Brunetti Mystery by Donna Leon

Commissario Bruentti tries to solve the mystery surrounding the apparent suicide of a cadet at a prestigious private military academy in Venice. The student body consists solely of the sons of the wealthy and powerful Italian families. Breaking the silence that class, both students and parents, is a formidable task. The general corruption of the Italian government, from the highest offices to the local magistrates, only hampers the Commissario’s efforts.

Donna Leon again captures the frustrations of the police forces in dealing with a class-conscious, corrupt and insular Italian populace, as well as the parental concerns he has for his children, and the very touching relationship between him and his wife, a university professor from an old and moneyed Venetian family.