The Waters of Eternal Youth - (The Commissario Guido Brunetti Mysteries) by Donna Leon

About the Book

Fifteen years ago, a teenage girl fell into a canal late at night. Unable to swim, she went under and started to drown, only surviving thanks to a nearby man, an alcoholic, who heard her splashes and pulled her out, though not before she suffered irreparable brain damage that left her in a state of permanent childhood. The drunk man claimed he saw her thrown into the canal by another man, but the following day he couldn't remember a thing. Now, at a fundraising dinner for a Venetian charity, a wealthy and aristocratic patroness -- the girl's grandmother -- asks Brunetti if he will investigate. Brunetti's not sure what to do. If a crime was committed, it would surely have passed the statute of limitations. But out of a mixture of curiosity, pity, and a willingness to fulfill the wishes of a guilt-wracked older woman, who happens to be his mother-in-law's best friend, he agrees. Awash in the rhythms and concerns of contemporary Venetian life, from historical preservation, to housing, to new waves of African migrants, and the haunting story of a woman trapped in a damaged perpetual childhood, Brunetti soon finds himself unable to let the case rest, if indeed there is a case.

Book Synopsis

In the twenty-fifth novel in Donna Leon's celebrated and bestselling series, Venetian Commissario Guido Brunetti finds himself caught up in a tragedy that befell a girl fifteen years earlier.

In Donna Leon's Commissario Guido Brunetti series, the Venetian inspector has been called on to investigate many things, from shocking murders to petty crimes. But in The Waters of Eternal Youth, the 25th novel in this celebrated series, Brunetti finds himself drawn into a case that may not be a case at all.

Fifteen years ago, a teenage girl fell into a canal late at night. Unable to swim, she went under and started to drown. She survived thanks to a nearby man, an alcoholic, who heard her splashes and pulled her out, though not before she suffered irreparable brain damage that left her unable to learn or mature. The drunk man claimed he saw her thrown into the canal, but the following day he couldn't remember a thing.

Now, at a fundraising dinner for a Venetian charity, a wealthy and aristocratic patroness--the girl's grandmother--asks Brunetti if he will investigate. Brunetti's not sure what to do. If a crime was committed, the criminal surely would be protected by the statute of limitations. But out of a mixture of curiosity, pity, and a willingness to fulfill the wishes of a guilt-wracked older woman, Brunetti agrees.

Brunetti soon finds himself unable to let the case rest, if indeed there is a case. Awash in the rhythms and concerns of contemporary Venetian life, from historical preservation to housing to new waves of African migrants to the haunting story of a woman trapped in a damaged perpetual childhood, The Waters of Eternal Youth is an exquisite novel, perfect to mark twenty-five years of this beloved series.

Review Quotes

Praise for The Waters of Eternal Youth:

A New York Times Bestseller
A National Indie Bestseller

"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 . . . The Waters of Eternal Youth . . . [is] a bittersweet story that makes us appreciate Brunetti's philosophical take on the indignities, insanities, and cruelties of life."--Marilyn Stasio, New York Times Book Review

"Leon's writing satisfies, much like the dishes that come out of Paola's kitchen . . . Her characters are reassuringly familiar and likable . . . Like the great 20th-century crime writer Raymond Chandler . . . Leon treats murder as a simple (if evil) thing."--Philadelphia Inquirer

"The Waters of Eternal Youth, the 25th Brunetti mystery, is every bit as smart and intriguing as the first book was a quarter-century ago . . . It's no wonder this series is so popular with tourists that it's inspired its own guided tours of [Venice]."--Christian Science Monitor

"Leon's latest novel marks the 25th anniversary of her wonderfully atmospheric series . . . A sweet poignancy flows through Leon's narrative like the faint smell of chrysanthemums bordering the ancient palazzos."--Star Tribune

"An atmospheric, suspenseful tale filled with Venetian contessas, immigrants and thieves . . . [Leon] elegantly conjures up the social cabals and daily life of this luminous sinking city . . . The solution's a real surprise, but completely plausible and insidiously set up. Leon has done it again. And her Venice gleams and bristles with a new tale of lust, betrayal and revenge."--Providence Journal

"Donna Leon's 25th Guido Brunetti mystery, The Waters of Eternal Youth, is cause for celebration and a great read, both for travelers and those staying at home. Leon brilliantly exposes the corrupt world of Venice and how its past and present are often linked . . . Leon knows Venice and consistently proves that life in La Serenissima is far more complex, troubled, and dangerous than tourists flocking to St. Mark's Piazza can ever imagine."--Bay Area Reporter

"The Waters of Eternal Youth . . . is not only Leon's 25th installment in her long-running series and one of the best, but also potentially one of 2016's standout novels . . . The Waters of Eternal Youth has the most satisfying ending of any book I've read in recent memory . . . you are going to have to read this amazing novel for yourself . . . you'll be glad you did."--Bookreporter

"A new Brunetti adventure is always worth celebrating . . . the subtlety and sensitivity with which he approaches his work and his life . . . are on full view here . . . In a marvelous and moving last scene, we glimpse a moment of almost transcendent beauty that makes us realize again how important this series is to our reading lives."--Booklist (starred review)

"Bestseller Leon's poignant 25th outing for the Venetian police inspector . . . Leon deftly builds her plot against the struggles of contemporary Venetians . . . She draws Manuela and the contessa with skill and nuance, and longtime readers will enjoy insights into the past of Commissario Claudia Griffoni, the inspector's colleague. Fans new and old should appreciate this escape into Brunetti's elegant, sophisticated, yet troubled Venice."--Publishers Weekly

"Venice might be sinking into the sea, but as long as Commissario Guido Brunetti is around, there will be someone to make sure the city doesn't become a total swamp of cynicism and corruption . . . The usual suspects are all here . . . [and] the pleasures of spending time with Brunetti and the gang have never been greater."--Kirkus Reviews

"In Donna Leon's elegant prose, the book is as engaging as its predecessors, but filled with much more than the usual pain."--Toronto Star

"As Brunetti brings past secrets to light, readers can again let the usual pleasures of Leon's series--a classy old-school detective, the rhythms of contemporary Venetian life, a familiar supporting cast--wash over them."--Sydney Morning Herald

"The latest entry in one of the best long-running series in mystery fiction is just as good as one expects . . . This series is . . . superb, with its wonderful evocation of Venice's streets and piazzas, food, and the wonderful moods of an old, old world confronting a very new one."--Globe and Mail (Canada)

"[Leon] demonstrates--even after such an astonishing number of novels--that she's still at the top of her game . . . If this series has somehow escaped your notice, definitely put it on your to-read list."--NJ.com

About the Author

Donna Leon is the author of the highly acclaimed, internationally bestselling Commissario Guido Brunetti mystery series. The winner of the CWA Macallan Silver Dagger for Fiction, among other awards, Donna Leon lived in Venice for many years and now divides her time between Venice and Switzerland.