Donna Leon books in order
American crime novelist
- Born
- 1942
- Country
- Switzerland
- Books
- 41
- Series
- 1
Donna Leon has published 37 novels, 3 non-fiction books and 1 other book, beginning with Death at La Fenice (1992). The series is Commissario Brunetti (28 books, starting with Death at La Fenice). The latest is Backstage (2025).
Updated September 2026
Commissario Brunetti books in order (28)Series page
Reading order: 1 Death at La Fenice (1992) · 2 Death in a Strange Country (1993) · 3 The Anonymous Venetian (1994) · 4 A Venetian Reckoning (1995) · 5 Acqua Alta (1996) · 6 The Death of Faith (1997) · 7 A Noble Radiance (1998) · 8 Fatal Remedies (1999) · 9 Friends in High Places (2000) · 10 A Sea of Troubles (2001) · … all 28 below
- 1.
Death at La Fenice (1992), also published as Transient Desires
- 2.
Death in a Strange Country (1993), also published as Give Unto Others
- 3.
The Anonymous Venetian (Jun 1994), also published as A Refiners Fire
- 4.
A Venetian Reckoning (May 1995)
- 5.
Acqua Alta (Apr 1996)
- 6.
The Death of Faith (May 1997)
- 7.
A Noble Radiance (Mar 1998)
- 8.
Fatal Remedies (Mar 1999)
- 9.
Friends in High Places (Apr 2000)
- 10.
A Sea of Troubles (Mar 2001)
- 11.
Wilful Behaviour (Mar 2002)
- 12.
Uniform Justice (Mar 2003)
- 13.
Doctored Evidence (Mar 2004)
- 14.
Blood from a Stone (Mar 2005)
- 15.
Through a Glass, Darkly (Apr 2006)
- 16.
Suffer the Little Children (Apr 2007)
- 17.
The Girl of His Dreams (Apr 2008)
- 18.
About Face (Apr 2009)
- 19.
A Question of Belief (Apr 2010)
- 20.
Drawing Conclusions (Apr 2011)
- 21.
Beastly Things (Apr 2012)
- 22.
The Golden Egg (2013)
- 23.
By Its Cover (2014)
- 24.
Falling in Love (2015)
- 25.
The Waters of Eternal Youth (2016)
- 26.
Earthly Remains (2017)
- 27.
The Temptation of Forgiveness (2018)
- 28.
Unto Us a Son Is Given (Mar 2019)
Where to start with Donna Leon
Start here
Death at La Fenice
Donna Leon's most-read book and the first of the 28 Commissario Brunetti books.
Newest
Backstage
Published 2025.
Standalone novels in order
Adiós a Berlín (1986)
Death and Judgment (1995)
Quietly in Their Sleep (1998)
Willful Behavior (2010)
The Jewels Of Paradise (2012)
The Golden Egg Commissario Guido Brunetti (2013)
Trace Elements (2020)
So Shall You Reap (2023)
Backstage (2025)
Non-fiction in order
Gondola (2013)
My Venice and Other Essays (2014)
Wandering Through Life (2023)
Other books in order
The First Donna Leon Collection (2001)
About Donna Leon
Donna Leon is the American author of a series of crime novels set in Venice, Italy, featuring the fictional hero Commissario Guido Brunetti. The novels are written in English and have been translated into many foreign languages, although – at Leon's request – not into Italian, as she formerly lived there, still visits monthly, and prefers not to have recognition in the country.
Biography from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0. Photo via Wikimedia Commons.
Donna Leon FAQ
- How many books has Donna Leon written?
- Donna Leon has published 37 novels, 3 non-fiction books and 1 other book that we list, as of September 2026.
- What order should I read Donna Leon's books in?
- Read each series in its own order: start Commissario Brunetti with Death at La Fenice. The other books stand alone and can be read in any order.
- What is Donna Leon's latest book?
- Backstage (2025).
- What is Donna Leon's most famous book?
- Death at La Fenice (1992) is Donna Leon's most widely read book.
- Are Donna Leon's books connected?
- 28 books belong to 1 series (Commissario Brunetti); the other 13 books stand alone.
Authors like Donna Leon
Sources: book lists and dates from Wikidata and Open Library, ratings from Open Library readers. Last updated September 2026.