The Monster of Florence

Overview

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 Timesbestselling 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 14 th 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.

Editorial Reviews

United in their obsession with a grisly Italian serial murder case almost three decades old, thriller writer Preston (coauthor, Brimstone) and Italian crime reporter Spezi seek to uncover the identity of a vicious serial killer in this chilling true crime saga. The murders took place outside of Florence where Preston had moved with his family. From 1974 to 1985, seven pairs of lovers parked in their cars in secluded areas were brutally killed. With all of the chief suspects acquitted or released from prison on appeal, the authors began to snoop around, although witnesses had died and evidence was missing. Preston and Spezi's sleuthing continued until ruthless prosecutors turned on the nosy pair, jailing Spezi and grilling Preston for obstructing justice. Only when Dateline NBC became involved in the maze of mutilated bodies and police miscues was the authors' hard work rewarded. This suspenseful procedural reveals much about the dogged writing team as well as the motives of the killers. Better than some overheated noir mysteries, this bit of real-life Florence bloodletting makes you sweat and think, and presses relentlessly on the nerves. (June 11) Copyright 2008 Reed Business Information. -- PUBLISHERS WEEKLY.

Author Information

Bio of Douglas Preston

Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child are the coauthors of the bestselling novels The Relic, Mount Dragon, Reliquary, and Riptide. Douglas Preston worked for the American Museum of Natural History, is a regular contributor to The New Yorker, and in 1989 retraced Coronado's thousand-mile odyssey on horseback. He welcomes reader e-mail at prestonchild@prestonchild.com.

Customer Reviews

• You will love this book

  Posted March 07, 2009 by Bluevoodoo, Temecula Ca

  A well done account of the facts of the case.

• Great Book

  Posted July 29, 2009 by Eric Martinez-Cestero, New York City

  Great book. The crime is horrific, but what makes it more horrific is the way the Italian goverment from the police, to investigators, to judges kept making mistakes worthy of a Shakespeare play. The drama that unfolds after the case is just simply crazy. A great read for sure! I am sure the main characters involved will hate that the truth of their greed and quest for fame is surfacing.

Additional Info

Imprint

Grand Central Publishing

Filesize

1.64 MB

Number of Pages

336

eBook ISBN

9780446537414