In Death at La Fenice Donna Leon's first novel in the Commissario Brunetti series readers were introduced to the glamorous & cut-throat world of opera & to one of Italy's finest living sopranos Flavia Petrelli
- then a suspect in the poisoning of a renowned German conductor Now many years after Brunetti cleared her name Flavia has returned to the illustrious La Fenice to sing the lead in Tosca As an opera superstar Flavia is well acquainted with attention from adoring fans & aspiring singers But when one anonymous admirer inundates her with bouquets of yellow roses
- on stage in her dressing room & even inside her locked apartment
- it becomes clear that this fan has become a potentially dangerous stalker Distraught Flavia turns to an old friend for help Familiar with Flavia's melodramatic temperament Commissario Brunetti is at first unperturbed by her story but when another young opera singer is attacked he begins to think Flavia's fears may be justified In order to keep his friend out of danger Brunetti must enter the psyche of an obsessive fan & find the culprit before anyone comes to harm