Donna Leon’s very popular Guido Brunetti series has gone on for a long time. Decades, actually, as there are now over 30 books in the series. So, whether or not you’re already a Donna Leon fan, if you want to read this series it can be a bit difficult to figure out exactly how to read these particular Donna Leon books in order.
So I’ve got a complete list for you below.
But before we get to that list, are you already familiar with Donna Leon’s mystery and crime fiction writing?
Contents
- Who Is Donna Leon?
- Donna Leon Books In Order – Commissario Guido Brunetti Series
- Commissario Guido Brunetti – Non-Fiction
- Donna Leon Books In Order – Standalone Novels
- Donna Leon Books In Order – Other Non-Fiction
- Do Donna Leon Books Need To Be Read In Order?
- Donna Leon Books In Order – Conclusion
- More In Mystery/Thriller/Suspense:
Who Is Donna Leon?
Donna Leon is an American author who created the Commissario Guido Brunetti Series of crime fiction mysteries.
She has actually lived and worked in many different countries around the world, but probably has spent the most time in Venice, where she has lived for 30+ years.
Her books are international bestsellers and translated into many languages. Donna Leon has won many awards for her books, including the CWA Macallan Silver Dagger for Fiction award.
Donna Leon Books In Order – Commissario Guido Brunetti Series
This book series is the one that Donna Leon is the most well-known for.
The books are set in Venice, Italy (where Donna Leon has lived for 30 years), and feature the Commissario of Police (police chief) Guido Brunetti.
With the first book in this series having been published in 1992, the series has literally gone on for decades!
The Commissario, Guido Brunetti, is an interesting character. He is depicted as a humble man who lives with his wife Paola who is a specialist in American literature. The types of crimes that Guido Brunetti investigates are high-profile, big-city types of crimes that involve things like art crimes, corruption, or crimes involving the Church.
These books are focused more on Guido Brunetti trying to understand the motivation behind why the crimes are committed than on the gory details of the crime itself.
- Death At La Fenice – 1992
- Death In A Strange Country – 1993
- Dressed For Death – 1994
- Death And Judgment – 1995
- Acqua Alta – 1996
- Quietly In Their Sleep – 1997
- A Noble Radiance – 1998
- Fatal Remedies – 1999
- Friends In High Places – 2000
- A Sea Of Troubles – 2001
- Willful Behaviour – 2002
- Uniform Justice – 2003
- Doctored Evidence – 2004
- Blood From A Stone – 2005
- Through A Glass Darkly -2006
- Suffer The Little Children – 2007
- The Girl Of His Dreams – 2008
- About Face – 2009
- A Question Of Belief – 2010
- Drawing Conclusions – 2011
- Beastly Things – 2012
- The Golden Egg – 2013
- By Its Cover – 2014
- Falling In Love – 2015
- The Waters Of Eternal Youth – 2016
- Earthly Remains – 2017
- The Temptation Of Forgiveness – 2018
- Unto Us A Son Is Given – 2019
- Trace Elements – 2020
- Transient Desires – 2021
- Give Unto Others – 2022
- So You Shall Reap – 2023
Commissario Guido Brunetti – Non-Fiction
You might be wondering how there can be a non-fiction book about the fictional character Commissario Guido Brunetti!
That’s a great question, indeed.
Well, first of all, because this is a non-fiction book, it doesn’t really need to be in the Donna Leon books in order for the Guido Brunetti series because it’s not a full novel, nor is it a mystery or crime fiction book.
If you’ve already read the Guido Brunetti series, you’ll know that Paola Brunetti (Guido’s wife) cooks delicious meals for her family. Food plays an important part in many Italian families, and such is certainly the case with the fictional Brunetti family.
Donna Leon has put together this book of culinary stories, along with recipes by Roberta Pianaro so that we can enjoy delicious meals similar to what the Brunetti’s enjoy in the book series.
How fun is that?
Donna Leon Books In Order – Standalone Novels
- The Jewels Of Paradise – 2012
Donna Leon Books In Order – Other Non-Fiction
- Handel’s Bestiary – 2011
- Venetian Curiosities – 2012
- My Venice and Other Essays – 2013
- Gondola – 2014
Do Donna Leon Books Need To Be Read In Order?
In order to get the most enjoyment out of the Commissario Guido Brunetti series, it’s recommended that you read them in the order of publication shown in the above list.
You could read them in a different order, and you would certainly still get a resolution for the mystery contained within that single book. However, there is character progression from book to book, and over the course of the entire series, you will definitely miss some details if you read them out of order.
Donna Leon Books In Order – Conclusion
Donna Leon’s crime fiction Commissario Guido Brunetti series is a great mystery series for fans of fascinating crime fiction set in interesting places. The Venetian setting of these books is a wonderful backdrop to the investigations that Guido Brunetti gets involved with.
Although you could skip around and read them out of order, it’s recommended that you read the Guido Brunetti books in the order of publication. And there are a lot of them! Over 30 so far since the first was published back in 1992. So, this complete list of Donna Leon books in order will help you sort out the correct order to load up your library shelves with.
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Mary Emmer, the founder of Looks Like Books, is an avid book enthusiast and self-employed entrepreneur, with an inspiring passion for reading and learning. With a background in the travel industry spanning four decades, Mary has cultivated a diverse range of experiences that have shaped her unique perspective on life and storytelling. Books have always held a special place in Mary’s life and have served as a constant source of comfort, inspiration, and personal growth. Her mission is to ignite the same passion for reading in others and to encourage them to explore new worlds within the pages of a book. More about Mary.