In the nonfiction tradition of John Berendt ("Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil") and Erik Larson ("The Devil in the White City"), New York Times bestselling author Douglas Preston presents a gripping account of crime and punishment in the lush hills surrounding Florence, Italy. In 2000, Douglas Preston fulfilled a dream to move his family to Italy. Then he discovered that the olive grove in front of their 14th century farmhouse had been the scene of the most infamous double-murders in Italian history, committed by a serial killer known as the Monster of Florence. Preston, intrigued, meets Italian investigative journalist Mario Spezi to learn more. This is the true story of their search for--and identification of--the man they believe committed the crimes, and their chilling interview with him. And then, in a strange twist of fate, Preston and Spezi themselves become targets of the police investigation. Preston has his phone tapped, is interrogated, and told to leave the country. Spezi fares worse: he is thrown into Italy's grim Capanne prison, accused of being the Monster of Florence himself. Like one of Preston's thrillers, The Monster Of Florence, tells a remarkable and harrowing story involving murder, mutilation, and suicide-and at the center of it, Preston and Spezi, caught in a bizarre prosecutorial vendetta.
Amazon Best of the Month, June 2008: When author Douglas Preston moved his family to Florence he never expected he would soon become obsessed and entwined in a horrific crime story whose true-life details rivaled the plots of his own bestselling thrillers. While researching his next book, Preston met Mario Spezi, an Italian journalist who told him about the Monster of Florence, Italy's answer to Jack the Ripper, a terror who stalked lovers' lanes in the Italian countryside. The killer would strike at the most intimate time, leaving mutilated corpses in his bloody wake over a period from 1968 to 1985. One of these crimes had taken place in an olive grove on the property of Preston's new home. That was enough for him to join "Monsterologist" Spezi on a quest to name the killer, or killers, and bring closure to these unsolved crimes. Local theories and accusations flourished: the killer was a cuckolded husband; a local aristocrat; a physician or butcher, someone well-versed with knives; a satanic cult. Thomas Harris even dipped into "Monster" lore for some of Hannibal Lecter's more Grand Guignol moments in Hannibal. Add to this a paranoid police force more concerned with saving face and naming a suspect (any suspect) than with assessing the often conflicting evidence on hand, and an unbelievable twist that finds both authors charged with obstructing justice, with Spezi jailed on suspicion of being the Monster himself. The Monster of Florence is split into two sections: the first half is Spezi's story, with the latter bringing in Preston's updated involvement on the case. Together these two parts create a dark and fascinating descent into a landscape of horror that deserves to be shelved between In Cold Blood and Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil. --Brad Thomas Parsons
Customer Reviews:
Avg. Customer Rating: 4.0 / 5.0
Two Books:
This book sounded so promising. First off, a killer is loose in the beautiful and legendary countryside surrounding Florence, preying on young couples making love in their cars in hidden lovers' lanes. Second, the investigation bogs down and two journalists (the authors) end up as suspects. Almost sounds like fiction, doesn't it? The first half, which focuses on the killings is actually quite good. Lots of great atmosphere, and excellent suspense. There are also some interesting characters, though... more info
I remember this.:
I remember when this was happening. As kids we used to spend the summers in Siena Italy where my father used to teach throughout the early 80's and I remember when the whole region was gripped by an almost crippling fear by these events. As teenagers staying in desolate farmhouses on the beautyful Tuscan hills our immaginations used to run with this story to the point of sleepless nights.
The book I read almost in one sitting this summer while vacationing in Spain. I found it truly fascinating and... more info
More than one Monster:
The book is really two tales in one. The first deals with the serial killings that took place between 1968 and roughly 1985. The author works with a newspaper reporter who covered the cases to tell the stories of the killings and the investigation. The second story is how the investigation became a career springboard for ambitious prosecutors and judges and how that ambition got in the way of the truth. The Italian system of courts and the rights of the press are examined; both were abused by the... more info
A page turner from start to finish!:
I have been on a reading kick the last couple of months. I have never been an enthusiastic reader so it is crucial that I find books that will hold my attention from start to finish. This book definitely did not disappoint, and surpassed all my expectations. Reading about this case that I new nothing about was intriguing and compelling. This is a must read for anyone who is a fan of murders mysteries, but also a dramatic true story of a serial killer in Florance that will have any reader flipping the pages... more info
