Donna Leon and Tomatoes...

You can tell Fall is on the way when the tomatoes start to really go to town...Our plant is in a huge pot and is now about five feet up out of the pot.  Beautiful tomatoes.  Meanwhile I have been reading all the books from our library which have been written by Donna Leon. The Inspector Brunetti series. I think I can safely say they are a vehicle to bring Venice and the Italian culture to the forefront of our minds. That is what has happened. Fascinating books in the detail, food, mind set and humor of the Italians of the region. Having never visited, it's the only clue I have as to that lovely City. I am thankful to Donna Leon for having written so many in the series. There is a gap in the middle of the series that I haven't read, so will probably be lurking on Thriftbooks for those.   You can read reviews in the links I have posted here, so no need for me to grow verbose. Just read the books.  They are in the Literary Mystery mode.  More texture and culture than mystery, even though the mystery carries us along. I would like to see what Donna Leon could do with a full length historical novel set in Venice.  I think she would nail it!  Not to sound to plebeian, but nail it she would.