Waters of Eternal Youth

In Donna Leon's twenty-fifth Brunetti novel, our Commissario is investigating a cold case by request of the grand Contessa Lando-Continui, a friend of his mother-in-law. Fifteen years ago the Contessa's teenage granddaughter, Manuela, was found drowning in a canal. She was rescued from the canal at the last moment but in many ways it was too late; she suffered severe brain damage and life was never the same again. Once a passionate horse rider, Manuela, now aged 30, cannot remember the accident, or her beloved horse, and lives trapped in an eternal youth. The Contessa, unconvinced that this was an accident or suicide, implores Brunetti to find the culprit she believes was responsible for ruining Manuela's life. Desperate to help but unsure there is anything to find, Brunetti reopens the case, much to the annoyance of his employer. But once he starts to investigate, Brunetti finds a murky past and a dark story at its heart.