Death at La Fenice is the story of detective Guido Brunetti, a member of the Venetian police force, who finds himself stumped by a series of murders with no apparent clues. The novel focuses intently on the city of Venice, its history, its culture, and its architecture. Guido finds himself quickly drawn into the frightening underworld of one of Italy's oldest and most storied cities, and in pursuit of a criminal more dangerous than he could have imagined.