Friday, September 12, 2008

The Monster of Florence by Douglas Preston with Mario Spezi

Age Level: Adult
Format: Book

A killer stalked the Florence countryside for nearly two decades, preying on young couples in parked cars. The killer, nicknamed the Monster by Italian journalist Spezi, used the same weapon, ammunition from the same two boxes, and left no incriminating evidence at each murder scene. Italian authorities were baffled; Italian citizens were terrified. When Preston, a best selling mystery/thriller author, moved to Italy in 2000, he met Spezi, whose interest in the Monster case had not waned in the passing years. Together, Preston and Spezi tell the story of the Monster investigation, from the first crime scene Spezi visited in the early 1970s, to the various theories introduced by the authorities. Their quest to discover the Monster of Florence's identity leads both of them into danger from the Italian authorities.

The Monster of Florence , simply put, is a hard book to put down. Preston and Spezi's story brings to light an investigation full of corruption and hidden agendas. Some of the characters in the book are so hard to believe, until I remembered that these characters are in fact real people. It is an amazing story, and one of the best true crime investigative stories I have read. I think I will have to read one of Preston's mysteries soon!

Readers who enjoy this book may also want to try Patricia Cornwell's Portrait of a Killer. Cornwell, also a well known mystery/thriller author, conducted her own investigation into the murders attributed to Jack the Ripper and came to a very interesting conclusion.

Reviewed by Jessica

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