SUFFER THE LITTLE CHILDREN Donna Leon (detective fiction)

The day had brought Dr Pedrolli great joy because his child had spoken his first word ‘papa’. However, the night was absolute hell – armed men broke into the apartment and grabbed the child. Why this happened has a simple solution – illegal adoption – but there is a complicated reason too, as the charming Commissario Brunetti discovers. The setting is Venice; the essence of this beautiful city is captured in details of buildings, inhabitants and food but we see also the darker side of corruption and evil. Donna Leon addresses both the topical issue of baby trafficking and the universal elements of love and hate. This detective novel has been described as one of her best – I agree.