Work turns toxic for a Venice, Italy police detective in this novel in the award-winning,New York Times–bestselling series.Incinerators across the south of Italy are at full capacity, burning who-knows-what and releasing unacceptable levels of dangerous air pollutants, while in Naples, enormous trash piles grow in the streets. In Venice, with the polluted waters of the canals and a major chemical complex across the lagoon, the issue is never far from the fore.Then, after an investigator from the Carabiniere, looking into the illegal hauling of garbage, asks for a favor, Guido Brunetti finds himself in the middle of an investigation into murder and corruption even dirtier than the air and water . . .“[A] stellar entry in the Commissario Guido Brunetti series . . . For readers of literary mysteries, such as those by Deborah Crombie and Elizabeth George.” —School Library Journal“Brunetti is one of the most attractive policemen in crime fiction today.” —The Philadelphia Inquirer**From Publishers WeeklyThe 18th installment of Leon's wickedly entertaining series featuring Commissario Guido Brunetti (after 2008'sThe Girl of His Dreams) focuses on garbage, illuminating the author's ongoing concern about the environment. Venice contends with polluted canals and a huge chemical complex. Trash litters Naples' streets. Incinerators in south Italy are full, and trucks laden with toxic waste travel the roads. Brunetti becomes an ecological expert when an investigator with the carabiniere wants him to look into illegal hauling that has resulted in a truck driver's murder. On a personal level, Brunetti's father-in-law asks him to investigate a potential business partner, Maurizio Cataldo. But Brunetti, who's devoted to his wife and children, is more intrigued by Cataldo's much younger second wife, whose once beautiful looks were ruined by a face lift. Leon flawlessly melds the two plot threads as she parallels her characters' vulnerability with that of Venice.7-city author tour. (Apr.)Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.From School Library Journal