jjares reviewed on 2/13/2021 + 3413 more book reviews

This book starts out with a very atmospheric opening; a dying mother saying terrible words regarding her recently deceased husband, "They killed him. It was bad money." Guido Brunetti and Claudia Griffoni desperately want to help this tragic family, a deceased father and now mother, with two orphan teen girls. But nothing makes sense.

'Trace Elements' is very typical Donna Leon; she is angry about governmental/environmental errors being swept under the rug or ignored. Leon often highlights governmental errors, corruption, and greed. I really think Donna Leon has gotten better about sharing her exasperation about environmental problems. In some of her previous works that highlight these problems, Leon sounded like she was 'on her hobby horse.' Now, her story is more nuanced; I hope it makes her more successful in changing minds about the dangers we face.

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