Donna Leon Standalone Novels books in order

The Jewels of Paradise is Donna Leon's only standalone novel, a departure from the Brunetti series that follows a young musicologist in Venice investigating a centuries-old Baroque mystery.
Series · Mystery · Historical Fiction · Literary Fiction

Reading order

# Title Published Author Buy on Amazon
1 The Jewels of Paradise 2012 Donna Leon Buy

Donna Leon’s only standalone novel, The Jewels of Paradise, is set in Venice but has nothing to do with Commissario Brunetti. Instead, it follows Caterina Pellegrini, a musicologist who is hired to investigate a set of old documents found in a Venetian church. The papers may relate to a largely forgotten Baroque composer, and different parties have competing claims to whatever the documents contain.

The book shares Leon’s usual love for Venice and its history, but trades crime fiction for a quieter story about music, ambition, and the way the past lingers in old cities. Readers who enjoy Leon’s atmospheric descriptions of Venice will find the same careful attention to place here, even without a murder to solve.

Frequently Asked Questions

How many books are in the Donna Leon Standalone Novels series?

There is one book in the Donna Leon Standalone Novels series, published in 2012.

What is the first book in the Donna Leon Standalone Novels series?

The first book in the Donna Leon Standalone Novels series is The Jewels of Paradise, published in 2012.

What is The Jewels of Paradise about?

The Jewels of Paradise follows Caterina Pellegrini, a young Venetian musicologist hired to examine recently discovered documents that may belong to a Baroque-era composer. Her research draws her into a mystery involving inheritance, church politics, and the history of music in Venice.

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