A Noble Radiance

Donna's comments about the book:  "A NOBLE RADIANCE is an examination of the aristocratic classes of Italy, which is a republic. I’ve always been intrigued by the idea that the aristocracy, which officially doesn’t exist, does persist and people in Venice at least still use the titles Conte and Countessa. Though they are not legal titles, they are sort of courtesy titles. This is a book that deals with an aristocratic family, the son of which some years before was kidnapped and disappeared. The book begins with the discovery of the young man’s body and the initial pursuit of the people who might of kidnapped and might have killed him. It leads, as do many of the books, to places where it shouldn’t lead. The case, rather than being one of an individual kidnapping of a young man, takes on a far broader scope as Brunetti begins to realize what the family-the Lorenzoni family has been involved in for the last couple of years. It’s really pretty black."
(Transcribed from a Video Interview shown on the Random House UK website, 2005)