The Monster of Florence
by Douglas Preston
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Book Reviews of The Monster of Florence
Book Review: Two Books
Summary: 3 Stars
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 probably too many to really keep track of.
The second part, however, is a mess. This part could have been suspensful too, or perhaps - totally switching gears - played up in a farcical manner (highlighting the foibles of the Italian court system, Italian journalism, and even the Italian character). Instead, it just seems to meander around very confusingly. Perhaps the author was too close to it, or perhaps it could have used more work. A slant that focused less on the two authors and more on the system and the case would have been better. Without more work and some real focus, though, the second part simply detracts from the first, and could just have easily been dropped.
The two themes really are quite different. It would have taken someone with some real talent to put them together in one book. Unfortunately, it just didn't happen here. Great premise, but not ultimately delivered on.
Book Review: The Monster of Florence
Summary: 4 Stars
This was a truly surprising experience. The story made for a quick read full of questions answered and unanswered. Many times, while reading, I shook my head in disbelief...this is so bizare at times that it sounds like it should be fictional. And the truly disturbing thing is that, if we are to believe everything we've read, all of this is real.
It sounds like the Italian investigators have no real intention of ever solving these crimes. They're too worried about how they look in the public eye. Well, Preston and Spezi have sure made them look like fools to me. They just accused everyone they could think of. Maybe it would be fitting if they started pointing fingers at each other. Maybe the reason the crimes weren't solved in the 80's was because the Monster was an investigator. I'm being sarcastic of course, but in this case, who knows.
I was disappointed that Preston and Spezi made contact with the most likely candidate to be the Monster and nothing came of it. He even taunted them...as if to say..."You know and I know...good luck proving this."
I think it's safe to say that the Satanic cult nonsense is going to be the death of this case until someone who isn't wrapped up in themselves can step up in the investigation.
However, in the words of Preston, "after all, this is Italy."
Book Review: Not very satisfying
Summary: 2 Stars
I knew when I started reading this book that there wasn't going to be a nice and tidy ending, pronouncing the killer, but it was still disappointing. The synopsis of the story implies that Douglas Preston was much more involved in the events reported in the story, but he doesn't even get to Italy until about 15 years after the last murder is committed. He's only implicated in the murder in a minor role, that was mostly because he stepped on some toes. I had a hard time finishing the book, it dragged on. I have to ask if this book would have been published in the U.S. if not for Mr. Preston putting his name on it and exaggerating his minor role. Otherwise, who in the US would really care about murders committed in Italy over 15 years ago??
All that aside, the descriptions of the incompetence of the local authorities and the village idiot type characters depicted did make the investigations of these tragic murders a complete farse. Unfortunately someone has gotten away with murder and the families of the victims will never see justice served. This would have made an excellent Vanity Fair article, but I don't think it should have been made into a book. There's probably a movie in the works, too. I don't know if Mr. Preston's other books are similar in quality to this one, and I don't intend to find out.
Book Review: Truth that is WAY stranger than fiction!
Summary: 5 Stars
Even as I sit here and write this review, I have to shake my head at the events chronicled by Douglas Preston. First off, I had NO idea that he'd gone through any of this. I came upon this book by accident. Normally I don't read non-fiction, but it came up on a recommendations list and after reading the book desription here on Amazon, I had to get the book right away. And I'm glad I did!
If Preston didn't tell me that this book was a true story, I would swear that he made it up. Not the crimes of the actual Monster of Florence, mind you, but how the police handled the case as well as the Italian Legal system. And this is all before the book even touches on what Preston and Spezi go through in the aftermath!
There's really nothing I can say (without spoilers of course) about the book that's not touched on by the Amazon description, but this truly is a case of the truth being much stranger than fiction. I understand that Italy's a different culture, but I'd always assumed them to be a fairly modern democracy. This book definetly teaches me otherwise. Never had I heard a tale of such ineptitude and abuse of power.
Really an amazing read. It reads like a murder mystery and that's what it is. It just happens to be a work of NON-fiction. I just couldn't put it down.
Book Review: Decent entry in the genre with a plus for involving the author.
Summary: 4 Stars
I used to like this genre so much more. I remember reading the granddaddy of the genre "In Cold Blood" as a teen and enjoying the works of Anne Rule and Joe McGinnis in my twenties, but I kind of stopped reading true crime accounts. Maybe it is a result of all the true crime stuff that television puts out these days. We are bombarded with stories about the Scott Peterson's of the world these days. So going out of the country to cover a true crime story or exploring a true crime tale from the past ("Devil in the White City" for example), seems to be the way to go with the genre to get a successful seller. And this book is far stronger than the aforementioned Devil, but it still lacks the greatness of the many books written about true crimes in the 70's and 80's. Preston's own involvement in the case says a lot more about the Italian Culture than anything else, and it makes for an interesting diversion in the tale, but the book goes on a bit too long, and I feel that once a real killer is revealed that Preston kind of drops the ball before going far enough into his and Spezi's conclusions. It moved a bit slow for me, though I did not really lose interest as a myriad of characters were introduced. All in all, I would give it 3 and a half stars if such a distinction were available.