Reading order · 33 books · 1992 to 2024 · Set in Venice
Guido Brunetti Books in Order
Commissario Guido Brunetti of the Venice police solves crimes amid the beauty and corruption of his city. Long family lunches with his wife Paola, a literature professor, and their children, the help of his loyal sergeant Vianello and the resourceful Signorina Elettra, and the vanity of his boss, Patta, are as much a part of each book as the case.
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Series facts
- Books
- 33
- Published
- 1992 to 2024
- First book
- Death at La Fenice
- Latest
- A Refiner’s Fire (2024)
- Setting
- Set in Venice
The reading order
Every Guido Brunetti book in publication order. Choose a title for its cast and summary.
33 books · Set in Venice
- 1Death at La Fenice1992With Guido BrunettiA famous German conductor is poisoned during the interval of a performance at the Venice opera house, La Fenice, and Commissario Brunetti investigates.Buy on Amazon
- 2Death in a Strange Country1993With Guido BrunettiThe body of a young American soldier is found floating in a Venetian canal.Buy on Amazon
- 3Dressed for Death1994With Guido BrunettiThe body of a man in a red dress is found in a field near a slaughterhouse on the mainland, and turns out to be a respected banker.Buy on Amazon
- 4Death and Judgment1995With Guido BrunettiA prominent lawyer is found dead on a train.Buy on Amazon
- 5Acqua Alta1996With Guido BrunettiBrett Lynch, an American archaeologist, is badly beaten in her Venice apartment, and Brunetti investigates, as the floodwaters rise.Buy on Amazon
- 6Quietly in Their Sleep1997With Guido BrunettiA young nun who worked in a nursing home tells Brunetti that elderly residents have been dying unexpectedly.Buy on Amazon
- 7A Noble Radiance1998With Guido BrunettiA body is found on a farm in the foothills of the Dolomites, and it seems to be the son of a noble family, kidnapped two years before.Buy on Amazon
- 8Fatal Remedies1999With Guido BrunettiPaola smashes the window of a travel agency she believes is organising sex tours, and Brunetti has to deal with the consequences, and a murder.Buy on Amazon
- 9Friends in High Places2000With Guido BrunettiA young official comes to question the planning permission for Brunetti’s apartment, and soon he is dead.Buy on Amazon
- 10A Sea of Troubles2001With Guido BrunettiTwo clam fishermen are killed when their boat explodes on the island of Pellestrina, and Signorina Elettra goes undercover.Buy on Amazon
- 11Wilful Behaviour2002With Guido BrunettiOne of Paola’s students asks Brunetti about a pardon for her grandfather, and then she is murdered.Buy on Amazon
- 12Uniform Justice2003With Guido BrunettiA young cadet at a military academy in Venice is found hanged.Buy on Amazon
- 13Doctored Evidence2004With Guido BrunettiAn elderly woman is found murdered, and her maid, who fled, seems to be guilty.Buy on Amazon
- 14Blood from a Stone2005With Guido BrunettiAn African street vendor is shot dead in a Venetian square just before Christmas.Buy on Amazon
- 15Through a Glass, Darkly2006With Guido BrunettiThe night watchman at a glass factory on Murano is found dead in front of a furnace.Buy on Amazon
- 16Suffer the Little Children2007With Guido BrunettiA paediatrician is attacked in his own home by police officers, who take his baby son away.Buy on Amazon
- 17The Girl of His Dreams2008With Guido BrunettiThe body of a young girl is found floating in a canal.Buy on Amazon
- 18About Face2009With Guido BrunettiBrunetti meets a beautiful woman with a strangely altered face, and is drawn into a case of murder in the trucking business.Buy on Amazon
- 19A Question of Belief2010With Guido BrunettiVianello is worried about his aunt, who is giving money to a fortune teller, while a court official is found dead.Buy on Amazon
- 20Drawing Conclusions2011With Guido BrunettiA widow is found dead in her apartment, apparently from a heart attack, but Brunetti is not convinced.Buy on Amazon
- 21Beastly Things2012With Guido BrunettiA body is found in a canal, and the dead man is a veterinarian who worked at a slaughterhouse.Buy on Amazon
- 22The Golden Egg2013With Guido BrunettiA man who could not speak or hear, who worked at the local dry cleaner, dies, and Brunetti finds that no record of his life exists.Buy on Amazon
- 23By Its Cover2014With Guido BrunettiRare books are stolen from a Venetian library, and then a reader is murdered.Buy on Amazon
- 24Falling in Love2015With Guido BrunettiThe famous soprano Flavia Petrelli is being sent anonymous gifts by an obsessive admirer.Buy on Amazon
- 25The Waters of Eternal Youth2016With Guido BrunettiAn elderly contessa asks Brunetti to look into the near drowning of her granddaughter, fifteen years before.Buy on Amazon
- 26Earthly Remains2017With Guido BrunettiBrunetti takes leave on an island in the lagoon, rowing every day with the caretaker, until the caretaker dies.Buy on Amazon
- 27The Temptation of Forgiveness2018With Guido BrunettiA woman’s husband is found badly injured at the foot of a bridge, and she suspects her son is using drugs.Buy on Amazon
- 28Unto Us a Son Is Given2019With Guido BrunettiPaola’s father asks Brunetti to look into a friend’s plan to adopt a much younger man.Buy on Amazon
- 29Trace Elements2020With Guido BrunettiA dying woman in a hospice tells Brunetti that her husband was killed, and the case leads to the inspection of Venice’s water.Buy on Amazon
- 30Transient Desires2021With Guido BrunettiTwo young American women are left injured at a hospital after a boating accident, and the young men who brought them disappear.Buy on Amazon
- 31Give Unto Others2022With Guido BrunettiA former neighbour asks Brunetti to find out whether her son-in-law is involved in something dangerous.Buy on Amazon
- 32So Shall You Reap2023With Guido BrunettiThe body of a young man is found in a canal, and the case takes Brunetti back to his own student days.Buy on Amazon
- 33A Refiner’s Fire2024With Guido BrunettiAfter teenage gangs clash in a Venetian square, Brunetti is asked to vet the father of one boy, a man once hailed as a hero, and begins to uncover the truth behind his past.Buy on Amazon
Do you need to read them in order?
The books stand alone and can be read in any order, but publication order, starting with Death at La Fenice, follows the family.
Who appears in which book
The series’ main characters, book by book. Lead means the book is told around them; minor covers cameos.
| Book | Guido Brunetti | Paola Brunetti | Raffi and Chiara Brunetti | Lorenzo Vianello | Giuseppe Patta | Conte Orazio Falier | Signorina Elettra Zorzi | Lieutenant Scarpa |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 Death at La Fenice | LLead | MMajor | ·Minor | MMajor | ·Minor | ·Minor | ||
| 2 Death in a Strange Country | LLead | MMajor | ·Minor | MMajor | ·Minor | ·Minor | ||
| 3 Dressed for Death | LLead | MMajor | ·Minor | MMajor | ·Minor | ·Minor | MMajor | ·Minor |
| 4 Death and Judgment | LLead | MMajor | ·Minor | MMajor | ·Minor | ·Minor | MMajor | ·Minor |
| 5 Acqua Alta | LLead | MMajor | ·Minor | MMajor | ·Minor | ·Minor | MMajor | ·Minor |
| 6 Quietly in Their Sleep | LLead | MMajor | ·Minor | MMajor | ·Minor | ·Minor | MMajor | ·Minor |
| 7 A Noble Radiance | LLead | MMajor | ·Minor | MMajor | ·Minor | ·Minor | MMajor | ·Minor |
| 8 Fatal Remedies | LLead | MMajor | ·Minor | MMajor | ·Minor | ·Minor | MMajor | ·Minor |
| 9 Friends in High Places | LLead | MMajor | ·Minor | MMajor | ·Minor | ·Minor | MMajor | ·Minor |
| 10 A Sea of Troubles | LLead | MMajor | ·Minor | MMajor | ·Minor | ·Minor | MMajor | ·Minor |
| 11 Wilful Behaviour | LLead | MMajor | ·Minor | MMajor | ·Minor | ·Minor | MMajor | ·Minor |
| 12 Uniform Justice | LLead | MMajor | ·Minor | MMajor | ·Minor | ·Minor | MMajor | ·Minor |
| 13 Doctored Evidence | LLead | MMajor | ·Minor | MMajor | ·Minor | ·Minor | MMajor | ·Minor |
| 14 Blood from a Stone | LLead | MMajor | ·Minor | MMajor | ·Minor | ·Minor | MMajor | ·Minor |
| 15 Through a Glass, Darkly | LLead | MMajor | ·Minor | MMajor | ·Minor | ·Minor | MMajor | ·Minor |
| 16 Suffer the Little Children | LLead | MMajor | ·Minor | MMajor | ·Minor | ·Minor | MMajor | ·Minor |
| 17 The Girl of His Dreams | LLead | MMajor | ·Minor | MMajor | ·Minor | ·Minor | MMajor | ·Minor |
| 18 About Face | LLead | MMajor | ·Minor | MMajor | ·Minor | ·Minor | MMajor | ·Minor |
| 19 A Question of Belief | LLead | MMajor | ·Minor | MMajor | ·Minor | ·Minor | MMajor | ·Minor |
| 20 Drawing Conclusions | LLead | MMajor | ·Minor | MMajor | ·Minor | ·Minor | MMajor | ·Minor |
| 21 Beastly Things | LLead | MMajor | ·Minor | MMajor | ·Minor | ·Minor | MMajor | ·Minor |
| 22 The Golden Egg | LLead | MMajor | ·Minor | MMajor | ·Minor | ·Minor | MMajor | ·Minor |
| 23 By Its Cover | LLead | MMajor | ·Minor | MMajor | ·Minor | ·Minor | MMajor | ·Minor |
| 24 Falling in Love | LLead | MMajor | ·Minor | MMajor | ·Minor | ·Minor | MMajor | ·Minor |
| 25 The Waters of Eternal Youth | LLead | MMajor | ·Minor | MMajor | ·Minor | ·Minor | MMajor | ·Minor |
| 26 Earthly Remains | LLead | MMajor | ·Minor | MMajor | ·Minor | ·Minor | MMajor | ·Minor |
| 27 The Temptation of Forgiveness | LLead | MMajor | ·Minor | MMajor | ·Minor | ·Minor | MMajor | ·Minor |
| 28 Unto Us a Son Is Given | LLead | MMajor | ·Minor | MMajor | ·Minor | MMajor | MMajor | ·Minor |
| 29 Trace Elements | LLead | MMajor | ·Minor | MMajor | ·Minor | ·Minor | MMajor | ·Minor |
| 30 Transient Desires | LLead | MMajor | ·Minor | MMajor | ·Minor | ·Minor | MMajor | ·Minor |
| 31 Give Unto Others | LLead | MMajor | ·Minor | MMajor | ·Minor | ·Minor | MMajor | ·Minor |
| 32 So Shall You Reap | LLead | MMajor | ·Minor | MMajor | ·Minor | ·Minor | MMajor | ·Minor |
| 33 A Refiner’s Fire | LLead | MMajor | ·Minor | MMajor | ·Minor | ·Minor | MMajor | ·Minor |
Characters in the Guido Brunetti books
9 characters from Donna Leon’s chart, with the number of Guido Brunetti books each appears in.
| Character | Books | First in this series |
|---|---|---|
| Guido BrunettiCommissario of the Venice police | 33 | Death at La Fenice 1992 |
| Paola BrunettiGuido’s wife, a literature professor | 33 | Death at La Fenice 1992 |
| Raffi and Chiara BrunettiGuido and Paola’s children | 33 | Death at La Fenice 1992 |
| Lorenzo VianelloSergeant, later inspector, and Brunetti’s ally | 33 | Death at La Fenice 1992 |
| Giuseppe PattaVice-Questore, Brunetti’s vain boss | 33 | Death at La Fenice 1992 |
| Conte Orazio FalierPaola’s aristocratic father | 33 | Death at La Fenice 1992 |
| Signorina Elettra ZorziPatta’s secretary and resourceful researcher | 31 | Dressed for Death 1994 |
| Lieutenant ScarpaPatta’s scheming assistant | 31 | Dressed for Death 1994 |
| Claudia GriffoniCommissario from Naples | 16 | About Face 2009 |