As ever, Donna Leon provides a gripping read, with all the extra benefits of coming to know Commissario Brunetti and his family a little better. This turns out to be an early book in the series, and I was afraid that therfore the characters would not be so well developed. Not so. We meet Signorina Elettra for the first time, and Paola, Brunetti's wife, already plays her characterful part in the story - though not the plot. I love these books, and always have to read them as soon as I lay my hands on one. ( )

It's an excellent police detective story, set in Venice, Italy. Along with the recurring characters from the first couple of books in the series, readers are introduced to Elettra Zorzi. In subsequent books, she is a strong ally of Commissario Brunetti in his investigations. ( )

I'm enjoying the unique Venitian outlook on life, love and death. And I love his family. It wasn't very LGBTQ friendly, this episode, but not because of our hero, but rather the attitudes of others, so that made that bearable. ( )

Dressed for Death is Book #3 in Donna Leon’s Commissario Guido Brunetti mystery series.
“Commissario Guido Brunetti’s hopes for a refreshing family holiday in the mountains are dashed when a gruesome discovery is made in Marghera - a body so badly beaten that the face is completely unrecognizable. Brunetti searches Venice for someone who can ID the corpse but is met with a wall of silence.”
Tenacious, hard-working Commissario Brunetti is, of course, the star of this series. But the city of Venice is a major character in its own right.
A new character is introduced, Patta’s new secretary, Elettra Zorzio. She is a welcome addition.
The language, the culture, the endless food and drink, the glimpses of Italy, good mysteries - a series excellent for reading. **** ( )

Above average whodunnit, as with all the Commissario Brunetti books set in Venice with lots of Venice specific details. An elderly banker with a spotless reputation turns up dead dressed in women’s clothing - was he killed by a trick or silenced to protect a secret? ( )