Guido Brunetti Reading Order#
| Title |
Published |
Buy on Amazon |
| Death at La Fenice |
1992 |
Buy |
| Death in a Strange Country |
1993 |
Buy |
| The Anonymous Venetian / Dressed for Death |
1994 |
Buy |
| Venetian Reckoning / Death and Judgment |
1995 |
Buy |
| Acqua Alta / Death in High Water |
1996 |
Buy |
| The Death of Faith / Quietly in Their Sleep |
1997 |
Buy |
| A Noble Radiance |
1998 |
Buy |
| Fatal Remedies |
1999 |
Buy |
| Friends in High Places |
2000 |
Buy |
| A Sea of Troubles |
2001 |
Buy |
| Wilful Behaviour |
2002 |
Buy |
| Uniform Justice |
2003 |
Buy |
| Doctored Evidence |
2004 |
Buy |
| Blood from a Stone |
2005 |
Buy |
| Through a Glass, Darkly |
2006 |
Buy |
| Suffer the Little Children |
2007 |
Buy |
| The Girl of His Dreams |
2008 |
Buy |
| About Face |
2009 |
Buy |
| A Question of Belief |
2010 |
Buy |
| Drawing Conclusions |
2011 |
Buy |
| Beastly Things |
2012 |
Buy |
| The Golden Egg |
2013 |
Buy |
| By its Cover |
2014 |
Buy |
| Falling in Love |
2015 |
Buy |
| The Waters of Eternal Youth |
2016 |
Buy |
| Earthly Remains |
2017 |
Buy |
| The Temptation of Forgiveness |
2018 |
Buy |
| Unto Us a Son Is Given |
2019 |
Buy |
| Trace Elements |
2020 |
Buy |
| Transient Desires |
2021 |
Buy |
| Give Unto Others |
2022 |
Buy |
| So Shall You Reap |
2023 |
Buy |
| A Refiner’s Fire |
2024 |
Buy |
Guido Brunetti Companion Reading Order#
| Title |
Published |
Buy on Amazon |
| Brunetti’s Cookbook |
2009 |
Buy |
| Brunetti’s Venice |
2019 |
Buy |
Guido Brunetti Non-Fiction#
| Title |
Published |
Buy on Amazon |
| Brunetti’s Cookbook |
2009 |
Buy |
Non-Fiction#
| Title |
Published |
Buy on Amazon |
| Handel’s Bestiary: In Search of Animals in Handel’s Operas |
2010 |
Buy |
| Venetian Curiosities |
2012 |
Buy |
| My Venice and Other Essays |
2013 |
Buy |
| Gondola |
2013 |
Buy |
| Wandering Through Life: A Memoir |
2023 |
Buy |
| Backstage: Stories of a Writing Life |
2025 |
Buy |
Standalone Novels#
| Title |
Published |
Buy on Amazon |
| The Jewels of Paradise |
2012 |
Buy |
Donna Leon is an American author who spent more than 30 years living in Venice, Italy. That long residency gave her an insider’s view of the city that she used to fuel her bestselling Commissario Guido Brunetti mysteries. The first book, Death at La Fenice, won the Japanese Suntory Prize for mystery fiction in 1991 and launched what became one of the longest-running detective series in modern crime fiction.
Leon’s Brunetti novels are set against the backdrop of Venice and deal with crimes that often expose corruption, bureaucratic rot, and the tensions between tradition and modernity in Italian society. The books became enormously popular across Europe, particularly in Germany, where a long-running TV adaptation kept the series in the public eye. Leon famously refused to allow her books to be translated into Italian during her decades in Venice, preferring to keep her privacy among her neighbors.
Beyond the Brunetti mysteries, Leon has written non-fiction about Venice and opera, two of her great passions. Her essays and the companion books to the Brunetti series reveal her deep attachment to Venetian culture, food, and daily life. She announced the end of the Brunetti series with A Refiner’s Fire in 2024, bringing Brunetti’s story to a close after 33 novels.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many books has Donna Leon written?
Donna Leon has written 43 books across five series.
What was Donna Leon's first book?
Donna Leon’s first book is Death at La Fenice, published in 1992.
What is Donna Leon's most popular series?
The Commissario Guido Brunetti series is Donna Leon’s most popular work. It follows a Venetian police detective through 33 novels published between 1992 and 2024. The series concluded with A Refiner’s Fire.