There is no one better than Donna Leon at showing the ripple effects of a single traumatic event . . . Leon has recast the city in her own venerable image: full of surprises and hidden beauty. Evening Standard

Fifteen years ago the teenage granddaughter of the grand Contessa Lando-Continui was rescued at the last moment from drowning in the canals. But young Manuela's life was never the same again. Now aged thirty, she lives trapped in an eternal youth.

The Contessa, certain that this was no accident, implores Brunetti to find the culprit she believes ruined Manuela's life.

But once Brunetti starts to investigate, he finds a murky past and a dark story at its heart . . .

Brilliantly done, with a sense of place rarely matched in any fiction The Times

A sparkling summer read. The Tablet