In the tradition of John Berendt's Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil and Erik Larson's The Devil in the White City, Douglas Preston weaves a captivating account of crime and punishment in the lush hills of Florence, Italy. Douglas Preston fulfilled a lifelong dream when he moved with his family to a villa in Florence. Upon meeting celebrated journalist Mario Spezi, Preston was stunned to learn that the olive grove next to his home had been the scene of a horrific double murder committed by one of the most infamous figures in Italian history.
A serial killer who ritually murdered fourteen young lovers, he has never been caught. He is known as the Monster of Florence. Fascinated by the tale, Preston began to work with Spezi on the case.
Here is the true story of their search to uncover and confront the man they believe is the Monster. In an ironic twist of fate that echoes the dark traditions of the city's bloody history, Preston and Spezi themselves became targets of a bizarre police investigation. With the gripping suspense of Preston's bestselling novels, THE MONSTER OF FLORENCE tells a remarkable and harrowing chronicle of murder, mutilation, suicide, and vengeance-with Preston and Spezi caught in the middle.
I kept thinking as I read this that there is no way anyone could be treated by the law as was described in a first world nation. I actually no longer want to go to Italy because of this book, because... more
I kept thinking as I read this that there is no way anyone could be treated by the law as was described in a first world nation. I actually no longer want to go to Italy because of this book, because who knows what could happen if I inadvertently did something "illegal". The book was fabulous and the twists and turns never stop.
Very well researched and written real-life serial killer whodunnit. A few plot twists are so crazy if you saw them in a work of fiction, you would think they were unbelievable.
Must be my morbid interest in the human manifestations of psychopathy & evil that makes me read this type of book ... unless it's my interest in the bizarre workings of the Italian police force ...