Title:	Unto Us a Son is Given
	Author:	Donna Leon
	Published:	Marc h 5, 2019, Atlantic Monthly Press
	No. of Pages:	274
	Cover Price:	$10.99 Kindle

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Bestselling author, Donna Leon, is at her best in the 28th novel in the Commisario Guido Brunetti series, Unto Us a Son is Given. In this novel, Commisario Guido Brunetti is asked by his father-in-law to look into his best friend, Gonzalo’s, decision to adopt a son; he is in his 80s and has a vast estate from his business dealings in the art world. Gonzalo, who is gay, is in love with a man 40 years his junior and wants his estate to go to him rather than his estranged siblings. All those close to Gonzalo are against his decision to adopt, but he won’t listen to any of them. Brunetti is not excited to do this, but feels obligated, because his father-in-law has done so much for him in the past, so he delves into what all of Gonzalo’s friends are sure is a mistake. Unfortunately, Gonzalo drops dead before things are settled, and a woman, Bertie (who considers herself Gonzalo’s best friend), who comes to Venice to plan a memorial for Gonzalo is murdered. Brunetti becomes focused on investigating and solving the murder.

As usual, Donna Leon captures the culture of Venice, and makes her readers feel that they are actually there. She has a special talent for developing her characters so that they seem real, and readers of this series definitely feel they know Brunetti, et al, as well as real people in their lives. It is obvious that Leon knows Venice well, and with her writing talent, makes readers feel they also know it well. Anyone who has been to Venice will agree.

Having read most of the books in this excellent series, this installment is highly recommended. This particular novel is one of Leon’s best. Good Story, good characters, good building suspense, and good unexpected twists and turns that make the book unputdownable. Fans of Leon and those who may not be familiar with her will enjoy this excellent novel. Although it’s nice to read the series in order, this can be read as a standalone novel.

Special thanks to NetGalley for supplying a review copy of this book.