The Monster of Florence

'An intriguing and fascinating page-turner' - Minette Walters The Monster of Florence, which was shortlisted for the prestigious CWA Gold Dagger Award for Non Fiction in 2010, is a true account of brutal serial murder in idyllic Florence. After settling in Italy in 2000, Douglas Preston discovered that the olive grove in front of his family's new home had been the scene of one of the most infamous double-murders in Italian history, committed by a serial killer who had never been found and was known only as the Monster of Florence. Preston, intrigued, met Italian journalist Mario Spezi, who had followed the case since the first murders in 1974, 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. It's also the story of how Preston and Spezi themselves became embroiled in the case. Like one of Preston's bestselling thrillers, The Monster of Florence tells a gripping and harrowing story of murder, mutilation, suspicion and ruined lives - and at the centre of it, two brave writers trying to uncover the truth at all costs. This latest edition includes an explosive afterword about the much-publicised murder of a British student, Meredith Kercher, and its connection to the monster case.

About the Author :
Mario Spezi (Author) Douglas Preston is a renowned author of both fiction and non-fiction, including The Codex, Relic and The Book of the Dead (co-written with Lincoln Child), which topped the New York Times bestseller list for six weeks. He has written articles for The New Yorker, Reader's Digest, National Geographic, Harper's, Smithsonian and Atlantic. He also worked for the American Museum of Natural History as managing editor of Curator magazine. Mario Spezi is an Italian journalist writing for La Nazione, who has been investigating the Monster of Florence case since the first murders in 1974. Douglas Preston (Author) Douglas Preston has published 39 books of fiction and nonfiction, of which 32 have been New York Times bestsellers, some reaching the #1 position. Two of his novels, co-written with Lincoln Child, were chosen in a National Public Radio poll of readers as being among the 100 greatest thrillers ever written. His recent nonfiction book, The Lost City of the Monkey God, was named a notable book of the year by the New York Times, the Boston Globe, and National Geographic magazine. In addition to books, Preston writes about archaeology and paleontology for the New Yorker Magazine. He worked as an editor for the American Museum of Natural History in New York and taught nonfiction writing at Princeton University. He is the recipient of numerous writing awards in the U.S. and Europe, and he served as president of the Authors Guild from 2019 to 2023.

Review :
An intriguing and fascinating page-turner ... with as many twists as a novel ... Tuscany is as vividly drawn as the people who inhabit its landscape ... a cracking read The fascinating story unfolds with memorable characters and dizzying plot twists that could come off as far-fetched if the book was fictional ... the two collaborators skillfully weave the narratives back and forth to create, at times, a razor's edge of tension Lucid and mesmerising The authors have brilliantly mapped out the dark, labyrinthine story of his crimes A meticulous account The co-authors expertly and entertainingly guide the reader through an epic, colorful cast of characters and the stranger-than-fiction machinations of a Byzantine Italian judicial system Preston knows how to load his storytelling with intriguing evidence and damning details. His feverish style keeps the reader turning with the hope of uncovering the killer's identity The only thing that stops it being a perfect crime novel is that there's no resolution ... Various investigators, journalists, protagonists and novelists ... have all tried to capture the hypnotic horror of the Monster in the past. But this new book is one of the best I have read. The combination of Spezi's expertise with Preston's narrative skills and his outsider's clarity of vision makes it both detailed and clear. They perfectly evoke the contrast between the gruesome crimes and the sublime backdrop ... a gripping read This is a book that anybody who enjoys crime and horror stories should read A rigorous study of a case that gripped the Italian media. Part thriller, part police-procedural, it is ultimately the incompetence of the Italian police, rather than the violence of the killer himself, which terrifies the reader