Donna Leon 
Death in a Strange Country 

 »Brunetti . . . long ago joined the ranks of the classic fictional detectives » Evening Standard
When the body of a young man is pulled out of a fetid Venetia canal, all clues point to a violent mugging. But for Guido Brunetti, Commissario of the Venice Police, robbery seems altogether too convenient a motive. Then something very incriminating is discovered in the dead man »s flat – something which points to the existence of a high-level conspiracy. But who could be going to such great lengths to provide a ready-made solution to the crime?
 »The characters of Brunetti and his family continue to deepen throughout the series  » The Times