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List Price: $25.99Amazon.com's Price: $17.15 You Save: $8.84 (34%)as of 02/08/2010 23:00 EST
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Binding: Hardcover
Dewey Decimal Number: 364.1523
EAN: 9780446581196
Edition: 1St Edition
ISBN: 0446581194
Label: Grand Central Publishing
Manufacturer: Grand Central Publishing
Number Of Items: 1
Number Of Pages: 336
Publication Date: June 10, 2008
Publisher: Grand Central Publishing
Release Date: June 10, 2008
Studio: Grand Central Publishing
Features:- ISBN13: 9780446581196
- Condition: NEW
- Notes: Brand New from Publisher. No Remainder Mark.
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Editorial Review:
Amazon.com Review:
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
Product Description:
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.
Average Rating: 
Rating:  -
I tried to get into this book, but never got pulled in. Preston did a credible job of reviewing the facts of the case, but the book quickly turned away from the killer and focused instead on Preston's involvement in the case, which I could care less about. While Preston did end up a minor figure in the case, his whining about it was the major focus of this book. I'm left wondering how much the (considerable) chip on his shoulder about being questioned by the Italian authorities biased his portrayal ... Read More
Rating:  -
The Monster of Florence is Douglas Preston and co-author Mario Spezi's tale of the decades-long hunt for the Monster and their involvement in it. The book is divided into two parts. The first is an extraordinarily detailed account of the people investigating the crimes, suspects, and false leads. There are a LOT of people involved; the "cast of secondary characters" at the beginning takes up five pages and unfortunately is in order of appearance rather than alphabetical by name. The latter half is ... Read More
Rating: -
I've liked virtually all of Douglas Preston's work to date but I found this book his weakest. While the story of the Monster of Florence is interesting, I found the book began to feel repetitious about half way through. (SPOILER AHEAD) To be honest I only kept reading the book because the advertising suggested they "solved" the case - well, they don't. They end up offering their theory, but with no real proof, the guy is just another suspect. The book certainly makes me leery about visiting Italy; the ... Read More
Rating:  -
I thoroughly enjoyed this book! I had trouble putting it down. With the current muder trial of Amanda Knos, I understand how she may been convicted. The book talks about Italian judicial corruption. It helps us to understand the difference between the two culutes. You will enjoy this book!
Rating: -
I found this book facinating, especially in light of the recent murder trial in the same location. It did however, get a bit tedious in the middle. I still recommend reading it.
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