A Refiner's Fire

A Refiner's Fire by Donna Leon begins slowly with the first section dealing with a confrontation between two groups of young teenagers one night. The boys are taken to the police station where their details are taken and their parents are notified to collect them. 

When there is one boy left Commissario Claudia Griffoni offers to ensure that the fifteen year old arrives home safely. Later, she and Commissario Guido Brunetti learn that there appears to be a mystery about the boy's father and decide to investigate. During the novel we follow the investigations of Guido Brunetti and his team as they endeavour to discover what really happened in in Iraq twenty years earlier. 

The novel also reflects on the growth of youth crime in Venice and restrictions placed on police when attempting to interview young offenders under 18. Guido Brunetti and Claudia Griffoni use contacts to monitor social media sites used by some of the 'baby gangs' to announce their next planned activity.

Another well crafted novel by Donna Leon providing the reader with a glimpse into life in the city of Venice as well as the lives of Guido Brunetti and his family.