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Transient Desires

By Donna Leon
Series: A Commissario Brunetti Mystery
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Check link for latest rating. ( 11,064 ratings, 946 reviews)
Book Hero Magic crafted this summary to help describe this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Summary
In Transient Desires, two young women are hastily abandoned at a Venetian hospital, leading Commissario Guido Brunetti into an intricate investigation. As Brunetti delves deeper, he uncovers a web of deceit and exploitation, revealing harrowing truths about society's hidden desires. This gripping novel beautifully weaves a tale of human nature amid the rich backdrop of Venice.
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Format: Paperback / softback
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Book Hero Magic created this recommendation. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! IS THIS YOUR NEXT READ?

You might enjoy this book if you appreciate intricately woven mysteries set in picturesque Venice, led by a seasoned detective like Commissario Guido Brunetti. The tale explores complex themes of accountability and justice, all enveloped in Leon's rich atmospheric detail and insightful character exploration.

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Book Hero Magic formatted this description to make it easier to read. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Description

A new look for the landmark thirtieth instalment of the global bestselling Commissario Brunetti series.

Chosen as Star Pick in the Sunday Times Crime Club
Chosen as a 'Best New Crime Novel' in the Sunday Times

'The series that has shadowed Brunetti for three decades is an epic achievement' – The Times
'Leon's books are a joy' – Guardian

When two young American women are badly injured in a boating accident, Commissario Brunetti's eye turns to the two young Italians they were with, who abandoned them in the hospital. When one of the young men is found to be involved in more sinister night-time activities in the Laguna, Brunetti has to enlist the help of Italian institutions to get to the bottom of the mystery. But can Brunetti trust unfamiliar colleagues? Could there be another motive behind this horrible crime?

'She is a truly fine novelist, period, and should be acclaimed as such' – TLS

Series: A Commissario Brunetti Mystery

View all
  • Death at La Fenice
    A new look for the first instalment in the award-winning Brunetti series by crime fiction writer Donna Leon. 'A splendid series . . . with a backdrop of the city so vivid you can almost smell it.' — The Sunday Telegraph Winner of the Suntory Mystery Fiction Grand Prize The twisted maze of Venice's canals has always been shrouded in...
    By Donna Leon
    Paperback
    $2400
    Elsewhere:
    $2600
    In Stock
    Ships Monday
  • A Noble Radiance
    A new look for the seventh installment in the award-winning Brunetti series by crime fiction writer Donna Leon. 'Every detail on every page forms part of a succession of clues, planted with exquisite precision, to unravelling the mystery' - Sunday Times In a small village at the foot of the Italian Dolomites, a grave is discovered by the owner of...
    By Donna Leon
    Paperback
    $2400
    Elsewhere:
    $2600
    In Stock
    Ships Monday
  • Death in a Strange Country
    A new look for the second Brunetti novel from award-winning crime writer Donna Leon. Brunetti . . . long ago joined the ranks of the classic fictional detectives - Evening Standard When the body of a young man is pulled out of a fetid Venetian canal, all clues point to a violent mugging. But for Guido Brunetti, Commissario of the...
    By Donna Leon
    Paperback
    $2400
    Elsewhere:
    $2600
    Available
    Ships in 4-6 weeks
  • Give Unto Others
    The celebrated Venetian detective returns in his 31st case in a year of celebration for his author, Donna Leon. Donna Leon has been giving unto us for all of the thirty years since Death at La Fenice introduced us to Brunetti — Val McDermid Crime writing of the highest order — Guardian The gifted Venetian detective returns in his 31st...
    By Donna Leon
    Paperback
    $2400
    Elsewhere:
    $2600
    Available
    Ships in 4-6 weeks
  • The Waters of Eternal Youth
    A new look for the twenty-fifth installment in the award-winning Brunetti series by crime fiction writer Donna Leon. '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,...
    By Donna Leon
    Paperback
    $2400
    Elsewhere:
    $2600
    Available
    Ships in 4-6 weeks
  • Trace Elements
    A new look for the twenty-ninth novel in Donna Leon's bestselling crime series The New York Times Bestseller Leon is a superb novelist . . . You can feel the tension, fear, horror - and wonder The Times 'They killed him. It was bad money.' A dying hospice patient gasps these cryptic words about her recently-deceased husband, who lost his...
    By Donna Leon
    Paperback
    $2400
    Elsewhere:
    $2600
    In Stock
    Ships Monday
  • Falling in Love
    With the dramatic force of Tosca, Donna Leon's twenty-fourth novel in the bestselling Brunetti crime series quivers with the passion of opera and with the power of obsession. Donna Leon's deft and descriptive words do for Venice what Canaletto did for this serenest of cities with his brushes and paint palette and bring it to life in all its reach...
    By Donna Leon
    Paperback
    $2400
    Elsewhere:
    $2600
    Available
    Ships in 4-6 weeks
  • Through a Glass Darkly
    A new look for the fifteenth installment in the award-winning Brunetti series by crime fiction writer Donna Leon. Leon...has once again, apparently effortlessly, produced a wholly absorbing read. Sunday Telegraph It is a luminous spring day in Venice, as Commissario Brunetti and Inspettore Vianello take a break from the Questura to come to the rescue of Vianello's friend Marco Ribetti,...
    By Donna Leon
    Paperback
    Sold Out
  • Transient Desires
    A new look for the landmark thirtieth instalment of the global bestselling Commissario Brunetti series. Chosen as Star Pick in the Sunday Times Crime Club Chosen as a 'Best New Crime Novel' in the Sunday Times 'The series that has shadowed Brunetti for three decades is an epic achievement' – The Times 'Leon's books are a joy' – Guardian When...
    By Donna Leon
    Paperback
    Sold Out
  • A Sea Of Troubles
    When two fishermen are murdered on the island of Pellestrina, Commissario Brunetti must work closely with his secretary-turned-undercover-agent to solve the case. Donna Leon goes from strength to strength ... This is her tenth novel but it's as fresh and entertaining as the first - Observer When two clam fishermen are murdered on the island of Pellestrina, Commissario Brunetti is...
    By Donna Leon
    Paperback
    Sold Out

Book Hero Magic summarised reviews for this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! HOW HAS THIS BEEN REVIEWED?

Transient Desires by Donna Leon receives praise for its vibrant storytelling and beautiful writing. Critics highlight Leon's ability to blend Italy's allure with profound ethical exploration. The novel offers fresh insights into the character of Commissario Guido Brunetti, reflecting on societal and personal revelations. As the thirtieth instalment in the series, it continues to captivate readers without losing its vitality or appeal.

Book Hero reading reviews

Book Details

INFORMATION

ISBN: 9781787467842

Publisher: Cornerstone

Format: Paperback / softback

Date Published: 23 September 2021

Country: United Kingdom

Imprint: Arrow Books Ltd

Audience: General / adult

DIMENSIONS

Spine width: 18.0mm

Width: 131.0mm

Height: 197.0mm

Weight: 204g

Pages: 288

Collections

Crime & Thriller Donna Leon Fiction General Fiction Penguin Books Police Procedural Series: A Commissario Brunetti Mystery

About the Author

Donna Leon is author of the much-loved, best-selling series of novels featuring Commissario Brunetti and one of The Times' 50 Greatest Crime Writers. Widely considered one of the best detective series ever, with admirers including Ursula K. Le Guin and Antonia Fraser, the Brunetti Mysteries have won numerous awards around the world and been translated into thirty-five languages.

Also by Donna Leon

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  • Wandering Through Life
    The internationally bestselling author tells her own adventurous life story as she enters her ninth decade. 'A delightful companion in life and on the page' The Times 'Donna Leon has created a beautifully crafted looking glass into her world' TLS From a childhood in the company of her New Jersey family, with frequent visits to her grandfather's farm and its...
    By Donna Leon
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    $2600
    Elsewhere:
    $2800
    Available
    Ships in 4-6 weeks
  • Death at La Fenice
    A new look for the first instalment in the award-winning Brunetti series by crime fiction writer Donna Leon. 'A splendid series . . . with a backdrop of the city so vivid you can almost smell it.' — The Sunday Telegraph Winner of the Suntory Mystery Fiction Grand Prize The twisted maze of Venice's canals has always been shrouded in...
    By Donna Leon
    Paperback
    $2400
    Elsewhere:
    $2600
    In Stock
    Ships Monday
  • Backstage
    An engaging collection of stories and essays by the celebrated author of the internationally bestselling Guido Brunetti series, infused with her ever-present and delightful senses of humour and irony. Donna Leon's memoir, Wandering Through Life, gave her legions of fans a colourful tour through her life, from childhood in New Jersey to adventures in China and Iran, to her love...
    By Donna Leon
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    $2800
    Elsewhere:
    $3500
    In Stock
    Ships Monday
  • A Noble Radiance
    A new look for the seventh installment in the award-winning Brunetti series by crime fiction writer Donna Leon. 'Every detail on every page forms part of a succession of clues, planted with exquisite precision, to unravelling the mystery' - Sunday Times In a small village at the foot of the Italian Dolomites, a grave is discovered by the owner of...
    By Donna Leon
    Paperback
    $2400
    Elsewhere:
    $2600
    In Stock
    Ships Monday
  • Death in a Strange Country
    A new look for the second Brunetti novel from award-winning crime writer Donna Leon. Brunetti . . . long ago joined the ranks of the classic fictional detectives - Evening Standard When the body of a young man is pulled out of a fetid Venetian canal, all clues point to a violent mugging. But for Guido Brunetti, Commissario of the...
    By Donna Leon
    Paperback
    $2400
    Elsewhere:
    $2600
    Available
    Ships in 4-6 weeks
  • Give Unto Others
    The celebrated Venetian detective returns in his 31st case in a year of celebration for his author, Donna Leon. Donna Leon has been giving unto us for all of the thirty years since Death at La Fenice introduced us to Brunetti — Val McDermid Crime writing of the highest order — Guardian The gifted Venetian detective returns in his 31st...
    By Donna Leon
    Paperback
    $2400
    Elsewhere:
    $2600
    Available
    Ships in 4-6 weeks
  • The Waters of Eternal Youth
    A new look for the twenty-fifth installment in the award-winning Brunetti series by crime fiction writer Donna Leon. '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,...
    By Donna Leon
    Paperback
    $2400
    Elsewhere:
    $2600
    Available
    Ships in 4-6 weeks
  • So Shall You Reap
    The latest instalment from Donna Leon sees Brunetti engaged in a case that forces him to confront his past. Donna Leon provides another delectable slice of the thoughtful policeman's life at work and at home... So Shall You Reap is as witty and wise as anything Leon has written. To read her is to restore the soul. - Mark Sanderson,...
    By Donna Leon
    Paperback
    $2400
    Elsewhere:
    $2600
    Available
    Ships in 4-6 weeks
  • Trace Elements
    A new look for the twenty-ninth novel in Donna Leon's bestselling crime series The New York Times Bestseller Leon is a superb novelist . . . You can feel the tension, fear, horror - and wonder The Times 'They killed him. It was bad money.' A dying hospice patient gasps these cryptic words about her recently-deceased husband, who lost his...
    By Donna Leon
    Paperback
    $2400
    Elsewhere:
    $2600
    In Stock
    Ships Monday
  • Falling in Love
    With the dramatic force of Tosca, Donna Leon's twenty-fourth novel in the bestselling Brunetti crime series quivers with the passion of opera and with the power of obsession. Donna Leon's deft and descriptive words do for Venice what Canaletto did for this serenest of cities with his brushes and paint palette and bring it to life in all its reach...
    By Donna Leon
    Paperback
    $2400
    Elsewhere:
    $2600
    Available
    Ships in 4-6 weeks
  • Backstage
    An engaging collection of stories and essays by the celebrated author of the internationally bestselling Guido Brunetti series, infused with her ever-present and delightful senses of humour and irony. Whether walking along the canals of Venice or teaching English to Iranian pilots, interviewing blood diamond dealers or reading Great Expectations, Donna Leon has found inspiration in the strangest of places....
    By Donna Leon
    Paperback
    $3000
    Available
    Ships in 4-6 weeks
  • A Refiner's Fire
    Brunetti returns with a gripping and powerful case about the murkiness of power and a test of loyalties. When two teenage gangs are arrested after clashing violently in one of Venice's campi, the son of a local hero is implicated. But when Commissario Guido Brunetti is asked by a wealthy foreigner to vet this man, Monforte, for a job, he...
    By Donna Leon
    Paperback
    $2800
    In Stock
    Ships Monday

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