Death in a Strange Country
Death in a Strange Country is the second in the series of Donna Leon's Guido Brunetti mysteries set in Venice and published in 1993.
It gives the post-9/11 reader a retroactive perspective on American military bases abroad, international business, toxic waste and the rise of terrorism. Americans as individuals are portrayed favorably as friendly, open, and idealistic. Collectively their belief in the myth of their own benevolence in the world blinds them to how others see them. When Brunetti uncovers collusion between U.S. bases abroad and international business interests involved in toxic waste disposal, he exposes the sinister face of the military-industrial complex. Add to this the corruption of Italian politics and the reader sees Brunetti rendered helpless in the face of evil. Only a terrorist, in the form of a vengeful Sicilian mother, can bring a bit of justice to the world Leon has created.