The Golden Egg by Donna Leon
This novel features the wonderful Commissario Guido Brunetti of Venice. Brunetti is asked to look into a minor retail licensing violation, so he begins to wonder the real purpose of his being asked to do this, and discovers ties to the mayor. Brunetti's wife Paola tells him of the death of a developmentally handicapped man who had worked at their local dry cleaner and, though initially reluctant, Brunetti finds the man's death hides more than he imagined. Brunetti's initial inquires make him more and more curious, and though dismayed, he keeps at it until he finds the history that led to this.
This is a story of jealousy, of neglect, of how easy it is to look the other way when we note an injustice. Like many of the novels in this series, the crimes that take place are part of a larger story of social injustice. It is interesting to see Brunetti's personal life as his children grow up, and the emotions that the stories evoke in the detective as well as the reader.
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