Dear Great Book Guru, Last week I attended the annual Long Island Reads at the Metropolitan Club with my friends, and once again we were left to marvel at the wit and generous spirit of local attorney John Canning. As master of ceremonies, John regaled the audience with stories, insights, and good humor. During the evening, I mentioned I would be in Venice for Easter week and one of my tablemates insisted I read a Donna Leon mystery. I am not familiar with this author and I am not usually a fan of crime novels, but I do love Venice. Any thoughts?                                               Looking Forward to April in Venice

Dear April in Venice,  How lucky you are ….Venice is lovely all months of  the year, but April is surely the loveliest  of all!  Donna Leon’s latest novel  BY ITS COVER is set in April and we share  her protagonist Guido Brunetti’s delight as he walks the streets of his beloved city  reveling in its beauty and intrigue. Called to investigate the theft and mutilation of rare books at a prestigious library, he is confronted with an array of fascinating suspects, among them a former priest who spends his days reading the works of ancient theologians, an American academic with a bogus passport, and a glamorous dowager who gives away her family’s treasures hoping  to secure a spot in Venetian high society . While there is mystery and murder in all Leon’s works, once again we are offered so much more. Whether it be Brunetti’s fury at the huge cruise ships that pollute the canals and charm of Venice, his disdain for Italy’s paralyzing bureaucratic corruption, his love of food and family, or his endless fascination with the human comedy- all are explored in deliciously exquisite detail. Do not judge a book “by its cover”- this is much more than a mystery.  Highly recommended!