Enjoyed the latest Agatha Raisin cozy “Hiss and Hers,” by M.C. Beaton (it did give me nightmares but was far superior to previous book) but can’t say the same for Donna Leon‘s new novel “The Jewels of Paradise.”
“Jewels” is a break-away from Ms. Leon’s Commissario Guido Brunetti series, and although Ms. Leon writes with her usual flair and the novel is set in Venice, its subject-Baroque opera, was a total snore for me. Without the beautiful descriptions of Venice and references to food that fans have come to cherish in the Brunetti series, Jewels felt dry and tasteless. I kept waiting for the heroine to sample a little romance and that didn’t happen either. Better luck next time.
MADCAP MARY 