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Friends in High Places

Donna Leon · 2000

Explore the age guidance, content cautions, positive qualities, and supporting notes for Friends in High Places by Donna Leon. This book is content notes include Death of a character, Alcohol or drugs, Frightening scenes; positive qualities include Courage & resilience, Good role models.

Book 9 · Commissario Brunetti MysterySource checked

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10-second decision

Is this likely to fit your family?

Age guidanceNot listed
Strongest cautionsDeath of a character 3/5 · Alcohol or drugs 2/5 · Frightening scenes 2/5
Strongest positivesCourage & resilience 3/5 · Good role models 3/5
Series positionBook 9 · Commissario Brunetti Mystery
Recommendation2.8/5

Courage & resilience; strongest caution: death of a character.

This is the quick scan. Open the evidence and methodology below for the basis behind each rating.

Quick context

What parents should know

Courage & resilience; strongest caution: death of a character.

Readiness snapshotMain watch-out: Death of a character 3/5
Recommendation 2.8/5

Editorial rating

How this review was built

Dickens & Rumi editorial
Source checkedPublication method
16Scored categories
16Evidence notes
1Explicit 0/5 checks
Nov 6, 2026Last updated

Dickens & Rumi describes what is present; families decide what matters to them. Community reactions are kept separate from official content ratings.

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Review depth16 scored categories16 evidence notes
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At a glance

Recommended ageNot listed

Strongest cautions

  • Death of a character3/5
  • Alcohol or drugs2/5
  • Frightening scenes2/5

Strongest positives

  • Courage & resilience3/5
  • Good role models3/5
  • Positive messages3/5

Reading order

Series progression

All known volumes are shown. Reviewed books include age guidance and cautions; books still being reviewed are clearly marked.

Next volumeBook 10 · A Sea of TroublesStrongest cautions: Death of a character 3/5 · Violence 3/5Open next review →
  1. Book 1 · Death at La Fenice
    Death of a character3/5Alcohol or drugs2/5Frightening scenes2/5Strong language2/5Violence2/5Graphic injury1/5Religious themes1/5Romance1/5Sexual content & nudity1/5
    Starting point
  2. Book 2 · Death in a Strange Country
    Death of a character4/5Violence3/5Alcohol or drugs2/5Frightening scenes2/5Strong language2/5Graphic injury1/5Religious themes1/5Romance1/5Sexual content & nudity1/5
    Gets more intense
  3. Book 3 · Dressed for Death
    Death of a character4/5Frightening scenes3/5LGBTQIA characters3/5Violence3/5Alcohol or drugs2/5Sexual content & nudity2/5Strong language2/5Graphic injury1/5Religious themes1/5Romance1/5
    Gets more intense
  4. Book 4 · Death and Judgment
    Death of a character4/5Violence3/5Alcohol or drugs2/5Frightening scenes2/5Religious themes2/5Romance2/5Strong language2/5Graphic injury1/5Sexual content & nudity1/5
    Gets gentler
  5. Book 5 · Acqua Alta
    Death of a character3/5Frightening scenes3/5Violence3/5Graphic injury2/5LGBTQIA characters2/5Romance2/5Strong language2/5Alcohol or drugs1/5Products & advertising1/5Religious themes1/5Sexual content & nudity1/5
    Gets more intense
  6. Book 6 · Quietly in Their Sleep
    Death of a character4/5Religious themes4/5Alcohol or drugs2/5Frightening scenes2/5Strong language2/5Violence2/5Graphic injury1/5Products & advertising1/5Romance1/5
    Gets gentler
  7. Book 7 · A Noble Radiance
    Death of a character3/5Violence3/5Alcohol or drugs2/5Frightening scenes2/5Strong language2/5Graphic injury1/5Products & advertising1/5Religious themes1/5Romance1/5Sexual content & nudity1/5
    Gets gentler
  8. Book 8 · Fatal Remedies
    Death of a character4/5Violence3/5Alcohol or drugs2/5Frightening scenes2/5Romance2/5Strong language2/5Graphic injury1/5Products & advertising1/5Religious themes1/5Sexual content & nudity1/5
    Gets more intense
  9. Book 9 · Friends in High Places
    Death of a character3/5Alcohol or drugs2/5Frightening scenes2/5Strong language2/5Violence2/5Graphic injury1/5Religious themes1/5Romance1/5Sexual content & nudity1/5
    Gets gentler
  10. Book 10 · A Sea of Troubles
    Death of a character3/5Violence3/5Alcohol or drugs2/5Frightening scenes2/5Graphic injury2/5Romance2/5Strong language2/5Products & advertising1/5Religious themes1/5Sexual content & nudity1/5
    Gets more intense
  11. Book 11 · Willful Behaviour
    Death of a character3/5Violence3/5Alcohol or drugs2/5Frightening scenes2/5Religious themes2/5Romance2/5Strong language2/5Graphic injury1/5Products & advertising1/5Sexual content & nudity1/5
    About the same
  12. Book 12 · Uniform Justice
    Death of a character3/5Alcohol or drugs2/5Frightening scenes2/5Strong language2/5Violence2/5Graphic injury1/5Products & advertising1/5Religious themes1/5Romance1/5Sexual content & nudity1/5
    Gets gentler
  13. Book 13 · Doctored Evidence
    Death of a character4/5Violence3/5Alcohol or drugs2/5Frightening scenes2/5Graphic injury2/5Religious themes2/5Romance2/5Sexual content & nudity2/5Strong language2/5Products & advertising1/5
    Gets more intense
  14. Book 14 · Blood from a Stone
    Death of a character3/5Violence3/5Alcohol or drugs2/5Frightening scenes2/5Strong language2/5Graphic injury1/5Products & advertising1/5Religious themes1/5Romance1/5
    Gets gentler
  15. Book 15 · Through a Glass Darkly
    Death of a character3/5Alcohol or drugs2/5Frightening scenes2/5Strong language2/5Violence2/5Graphic injury1/5Products & advertising1/5Religious themes1/5Romance1/5Sexual content & nudity1/5
    About the same
  16. Book 16 · Suffer the little childrenAges 16+
    Death of a character3/5Frightening scenes3/5Violence3/5Alcohol or drugs2/5Strong language2/5Graphic injury1/5Religious themes1/5Romance1/5Sexual content & nudity1/5
    About the same
  17. Book 17 · The girl of his dreams
    Death of a character4/5Violence3/5Alcohol or drugs2/5Frightening scenes2/5Romance2/5Strong language2/5Graphic injury1/5Products & advertising1/5Religious themes1/5Sexual content & nudity1/5
    Gets more intense
  18. Book 17 · The Girl of His Dreams (A Commissario Guido Brunetti Mystery)
    Death of a character4/5Alcohol or drugs2/5Frightening scenes2/5Strong language2/5Violence2/5Graphic injury1/5Religious themes1/5Romance1/5Sexual content & nudity1/5
    Gets gentler
  19. Book 18 · About Face
    Death of a character3/5Alcohol or drugs2/5Frightening scenes2/5Strong language2/5Violence2/5Graphic injury1/5Products & advertising1/5Religious themes1/5Romance1/5Sexual content & nudity1/5
    About the same
  20. Book 20 · Drawing Conclusions
    Death of a character4/5Alcohol or drugs2/5Frightening scenes2/5Religious themes2/5Romance2/5Strong language2/5Violence2/5Graphic injury1/5Sexual content & nudity1/5
    Gets more intense
  21. Book 21 · Beastly Things
    Death of a character3/5Graphic injury3/5Alcohol or drugs2/5Frightening scenes2/5Strong language2/5Violence2/5Products & advertising1/5Religious themes1/5Romance1/5Sexual content & nudity1/5
    About the same
  22. Book 22 · The Golden Egg
    Death of a character4/5Frightening scenes2/5Violence2/5Alcohol or drugs1/5Graphic injury1/5LGBTQIA characters1/5Products & advertising1/5Religious themes1/5Romance1/5Sexual content & nudity1/5Strong language1/5
    Gets gentler
  23. Book 23 · By Its Cover
    Death of a character3/5Alcohol or drugs2/5Frightening scenes2/5Violence2/5Graphic injury1/5Products & advertising1/5Religious themes1/5Romance1/5Strong language1/5
    Gets gentler
  24. Book 24 · Falling in Love
    Death of a character3/5Frightening scenes3/5Alcohol or drugs2/5LGBTQIA characters2/5Romance2/5Strong language2/5Violence2/5Graphic injury1/5Products & advertising1/5Religious themes1/5Sexual content & nudity1/5
    Gets more intense
  25. Book 25 · The Waters of Eternal Youth
    Alcohol or drugs2/5Frightening scenes2/5Strong language2/5Violence2/5Death of a character1/5Graphic injury1/5Products & advertising1/5Religious themes1/5Romance1/5Sexual content & nudity1/5
    Gets gentler
  26. Book 26 · Earthly Remains
    Death of a character4/5Alcohol or drugs2/5Frightening scenes2/5Romance2/5Strong language2/5Violence2/5Graphic injury1/5Products & advertising1/5Religious themes1/5Sexual content & nudity1/5
    Gets more intense
  27. Book 27 · The Temptation of Forgiveness
    Alcohol or drugs3/5Violence3/5Death of a character2/5Frightening scenes2/5Strong language2/5Graphic injury1/5Products & advertising1/5Religious themes1/5Romance1/5Sexual content & nudity1/5
    About the same
  28. Book 28 · Unto Us a Son Is Given
    Death of a character3/5LGBTQIA characters3/5Violence3/5Alcohol or drugs2/5Frightening scenes2/5Religious themes2/5Romance2/5Strong language2/5Graphic injury1/5Products & advertising1/5Sexual content & nudity1/5
    Gets more intense
  29. Book 29 · Trace Elements
    Death of a character4/5Alcohol or drugs2/5Frightening scenes2/5Romance2/5Strong language2/5Violence2/5Graphic injury1/5Religious themes1/5Sexual content & nudity1/5
    Gets gentler
  30. Book 30 · Transient Desires
    Death of a character3/5Violence3/5Alcohol or drugs2/5Frightening scenes2/5Sexual content & nudity2/5Strong language2/5Graphic injury1/5Religious themes1/5Romance1/5
    About the same
  31. Book 31 · Give Unto Others
    Death of a character3/5Alcohol or drugs2/5Frightening scenes2/5LGBTQIA characters2/5Violence2/5Graphic injury1/5Products & advertising1/5Religious themes1/5Romance1/5Sexual content & nudity1/5Strong language1/5
    About the same
  32. Book 32 · So Shall You Reap
    Death of a character3/5Violence3/5Alcohol or drugs2/5Frightening scenes2/5Graphic injury2/5Strong language2/5Products & advertising1/5Religious themes1/5Romance1/5Sexual content & nudity1/5
    About the same
  33. Book 33 · A Refiner's Fire
    Death of a character3/5Violence3/5Alcohol or drugs2/5Frightening scenes2/5Strong language2/5Graphic injury1/5Religious themes1/5Romance1/5Sexual content & nudity1/5
    Gets gentler

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What’s in it?

Death of a character3/5
Why this rating?

A death is central to the mystery, with attention to its consequences and the surrounding grief and injustice.

Graphic injury1/5
Why this rating?

Minor references to physical harm or remains, but not gratuitous or excessive.

Strong language2/5
Why this rating?

Occasional mild profanity consistent with contemporary adult crime fiction.

Religious themes1/5
Why this rating?

Casual references to the cultural influence of the church in Italy.

Romance1/5
Why this rating?

Focuses on the stable, mature marriage of the protagonist.

Frightening scenes2/5
Why this rating?

Tense atmosphere characteristic of a detective thriller, but not horror or specifically frightening.

Alcohol or drugs2/5
Why this rating?

Adult characters consume wine and espresso as part of daily Italian social life.

Violence2/5
Why this rating?

Features infrequent, realistic depictions of crime-related violence and discovery of bodies.

Checked and not flagged

No concern recorded in these categories

These categories were explicitly scored 0/5 in the published review. This is not a guarantee that every edition or reader experience is identical.

Sexual content & nudity · 0/5

What’s good in it?

Courage & resilience3/5
Why this rating?

Character shows moral courage by challenging corrupt powerful figures.

Creativity & curiosity2/5
Why this rating?

Encourages analytical thinking and deductive reasoning through mystery solving.

Diverse representation1/5
Why this rating?

Set within a specific Italian context; diversity is limited by demographic setting.

Educational value2/5
Why this rating?

Provides insight into Venetian life and Italian institutional processes.

Kindness & empathy2/5
Why this rating?

Empathy and loyalty appear, especially in personal relationships, but the story also emphasizes betrayal, self-interest, and institutional indifference.

Positive messages3/5
Why this rating?

It explores justice, corruption, privilege, institutional failure, conscience, and the tension between law and morality.

Good role models3/5
Why this rating?

Brunetti is a principled, responsible, and thoughtful protagonist.

Family discussion

Talk about it

Conversation starters based on this title’s published content notes.

  1. What did courage look like in this story? Was being brave always the same as being fearless?
  2. How did the story approach death or loss? What helped the characters cope?
  3. Which choice in Friends in High Places would you have made differently, and why?
  4. Who changed the most in Friends in High Places, and what caused that change?
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