Donna Leon Reading Order

33 books (1992–2024)

The Guido Brunetti series is an ongoing mystery series set in Venice that began in 1992 with Death at La Fenice and has grown to 33 books through 2024. The novels follow Commissario Brunetti as he investigates crimes in the historic Italian city, with each entry building on previous cases and character development. Readers should begin with the first book and proceed in publication order to fully appreciate the evolution of the detective and the interconnected nature of the cases. The series combines Italian settings with intricate plotting and remains actively ongoing.

Start with Death at La Fenice, the first of 33 books in the Guido Brunetti series.

#	Title
1	Death at La Fenice 1992Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
2	Death in a Strange Country 1993Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
3	The Anonymous Venetian / Dressed for Death 1994Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
4	Venetian Reckoning / Death and Judgment 1995Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
5	Acqua Alta / Death in High Water 1996Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
6	The Death of Faith / Quietly in Their Sleep 1997Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
7	A Noble Radiance 1998Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
8	Fatal Remedies 1999Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
9	Friends in High Places 2000Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
10	A Sea of Troubles 2001Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
11	Wilful Behaviour 2002Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
12	Uniform Justice 2003Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
13	Doctored Evidence 2004Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
14	Blood from a Stone 2005Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
15	Through a Glass, Darkly 2006Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
16	Suffer the Little Children 2007Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
17	The Girl of His Dreams 2008Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
18	About Face 2009Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
19	A Question of Belief 2010Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
20	Drawing Conclusions 2011Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
21	Beastly Things 2012Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
22	The Golden Egg 2013Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
23	By its Cover 2014Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
24	Falling in Love 2015Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
25	The Waters of Eternal Youth 2016Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
26	Earthly Remains 2017Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
27	The Temptation of Forgiveness 2018Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
28	Unto Us a Son Is Given 2019Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
29	Trace Elements 2020Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
30	Transient Desires 2021Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
31	Give Unto Others 2022Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
32	So Shall You Reap 2023Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
33	A Refiner’s Fire 2024Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible

2 books (2009–2019)

This two-book companion series by Donna Leon expands on the world of her popular Guido Brunetti mystery series, published between 2009 and 2019. The collection is complete and should be read in publication order, beginning with Brunetti's Cookbook co-written with Roberta Pianaro, followed by Brunetti's Venice co-created with Toni Sepeda. These standalone companion volumes offer supplementary material for fans of the main Brunetti detective series.

Start with Brunetti's Cookbook(With: Roberta Pianaro) and read in order.

#	Title
1	Brunetti's Cookbook(With: Roberta Pianaro) 2009Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
2	Brunetti's Venice(With: Toni Sepeda) 2019Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible

6 books (2010–2025)

Donna Leon's non-fiction series comprises six books published between 2010 and 2025, with the collection still ongoing. Begin with Handel's Bestiary: In Search of Animals in Handel's Operas and proceed in publication order through the remaining titles. These works showcase Leon's essays and reflections across various subjects, offering readers insight into her interests beyond her acclaimed fiction writing.

Start with Handel's Bestiary: In Search of Animals in Handel's Operas, the first of 6 books in the Non-Fiction series.

#	Title
1	Handel's Bestiary: In Search of Animals in Handel's Operas 2010Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
2	Venetian Curiosities 2012Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
3	Gondola 2013Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
4	My Venice and Other Essays 2013Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
5	Wandering Through Life: A Memoir 2023Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
6	Backstage: Stories of a Writing Life 2025Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible

1 book (2012–2012)

#	Title
1	The Jewels of Paradise 2012Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible