So I think By Its Cover is the twenty third book in the Guido Brunetti series by Donna Leon and while it’s perfectly fine it’s also perfectly forgettable. I’ve read other reviews that talk about Leon “phoning in” the stories and I could see that being true, especially when she mentions seeing tourists posting with pigeons in Piazza San Marco. Well, unless something has changed since 2011, my recollection is that the pigeons and the pigeon food sellers are now conspicuously absent from the Piazza (which I believe she even mentions in a previous story), so either someone through in this once standard detail or perhaps she’s having some “help” with the writing. Either way, that along with the usual lamentations regarding the corrupt Italian Government, the swamping of Venice by tourists and the relatively new one regarding the goliath cruise ships navigating through the port, do make this story feel pretty standard and formulaic (oh and don’t forget the standard appearance by Brunetti’s in-laws).
That said, I do still enjoy being transported to Venice yearly by these stories (though I wish we had more interaction with his family which is what I really enjoy). I’ll probably continue to read them if she publishes them though with a bit less zeal than previously.