Following a stressful case, Commissario Brunetti decides that it is time for a break. And what better place to rest than in Sant'Erasmo, an island in the Venetian laguna? There he meets and befriends Davide Casati, the caretaker of the house he's staying in. When after a big storm Casati's body is found - drowned and tangled up in a rope, Brunetti begins to investigate - but investigate what? A tragic accident? A suicide? Or could Casati's death be related to his mysterious past? The 26th instalment in the bestselling series.