The Monster of Florence
by Douglas Preston
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Book Reviews of The Monster of Florence
Book Review: Truth is scary, but don't expect a fantasy novel
Summary: 5 Stars
The true serial killer story is told wonderfully with lots of good Florence and Italian history/background. It is important to remember that it a True Story and if you are not a person interested in Italy, or real murder details or situations like the Amanda Knox where authorities from what is supposed to be a democratic country, shoe string poorly gathered evidence together to either come up with a defendant or destroy lives, you may not be interested because this is not a novel. However, I found it enjoyable, extremely interesting and even scary since I actually read it while visiting Italy. One night reading the Monster of Florence I jumped out of my skin when I was alone with my two babies reading about Tuscany "Peeping Toms" and murders and my husband came through the front door.
Preston and Spezio's experience with the completely incompetent, arrogant and sensational authorities and judicially system is astonishing with an Afterward that every American who heard of the Amanda Knox story must read. While I read what these authorities did to Preston an Spezio, I was wondering if the Italian authorities could be the same as those that prosecuted Amanda and then to read that in deed they were... this is a true scary situation!
Book Review: A sad state of affairs... perfectly documented
Summary: 5 Stars
I'm very impressed with this book. A straightforward presentation of the events as they occurred, no personal opinions of the law enforcement involved-- which just made my own opinions of the abominable police work done on this case all the more powerful. A brutal killer will literally get away with murder because nobody cares about the truth, only the most bizarre dramatics possible. It's shocking and sad and outrageous beyond belief.
Some have protested the graphic nature of the descriptions. Hey, it's real life. And cushioning a killer's methods only placates people to the fact that there are real, live monsters out there preying on innocents. Slapped in the face with a little reality, perhaps sheer worldwide outrage will prod the Florentians to quit writing Hollywood dramas and find this killer.
The real "Monster" is no doubt sitting back watching all this malarkey and LAUGHING in the faces of both the police and the citizenry themselves. And quite frankly, THEY deserve it.
And yet the book is not a dry read - things flow so well and so quickly that I got sucked into it and read far later into each night than I'd intended. Highly recommended!
Book Review: Real life suspense makes for perfect summer read
Summary: 5 Stars
The Monster of Florence by Douglas Preston & Mario Spezi is a non-fiction book with more twists and turns that most suspense novels. When Preston moved to Florence, Italy in 2000 he met journalist Spezi and learned about a series of murders from the 1970s and 80s that Spezi covered for his newspaper. Young couples were murdered while parking in their cars in the picturesque countryside by a vicious killer. The authorities had been spinning their wheels for over 30 years and the investigation was caught up in political machinations. When Preston started investigating the crimes himself for a newspaper article, the spotlight suddenly shone on him, as well as Spezi, who soon became accused of committing the murders himself. Preston lays the foundation for his case carefully, brick by brick leading the reader to the same conclusion that he and Spezi reached about the identity of the killer whom the local police refuse to consider as a suspect. The book is a dark look into the twisted maneuverings of Italian politics and how they tried to muzzle freedom of speech. It's a true crime book with a twist that makes it impossible to put down. Add this title to your summer must read list!Book Review: An unbelievable, maddening story of crime and conspiracy
Summary: 5 Stars
The story of the Monster of Florence is fascinating as it is, especially given that the serial killer has still never officially been found. In the first part of the book, the author describes the brutal murders carried out by the Monster. Twelve (or fourteen) dead bodies, lovers killed in the night in Florence, Italy. Gruesome, disturbing, and yet fascinating. Equally interesting is the Clouseau-like police work as two different police agencies try to solve the murders.
The second half of the book details the author's attempts to research the murders twenty years later. His findings conflict with the still-on-going investigation, which has begun to turn conspiratorial, delving into the mystic and the occult. The last 1/3 of the book, I had an anxious knot in my stomach, trying to read as quickly as I could to find out just how this maddening tale would end!
This book will fascinate and entertain, but it will also make you frustrated and on edge. It's a quick, easy read and well worth it. My only complaint is that there are occasionally brief tangents to describe Renaissance art or architecture, which only delay the story. Highly recommended book!
Book Review: Writer gets caught up in own story..struggles to get out!
Summary: 4 Stars
Here's the premise:
Writer Douglas Preston goes to Florence and becomes interested in the case of a serial murderer who's been tormenting the local populace for at least two decades. He hooks up with the local expert on the eponymous monster (journalist Mario Spezi) for research purposes, and both get slowly sucked into the center of the case, no longer spectators but active participants (and suspects). I'm no journalist, but I think you're not supposed to do this!
For this reader, the most interesting part of the story arises not from the actual murder cases themselves, but rather from the spider web that traps Preston and Spezi, In the course of investigating various theories of the murders, they aggravate the wrong people (police, lawmakers, etc), humiliate some of them as well, and attract way too much of the wrong kind of attention. It doesn't take long before they become targets of investigation themselves, and no amount of backpedaling is sufficient to get them out of this mess.
A bit rambling at times, but a good read for those who enjoy true crime with a literary twist.