A true crime novel that reads like the best of crime fiction. An American crime writer found himself fascinated by the case of ‘The Monster’ after moving next door to an olive grove, in Italy,where one in a series of double murders occurred. Joining forces with a renowned crime journalist, Mario Spezi, the two decide to investigate the crimes. In the introduction to the book Spezi says he believes Thomas Harris based Hannibal Lecter on the Monster of Florence and there are definite parallels that can be seen. A fascinating read and made all the more chilling by the fact the murderer has never been caught.
The Monster of Florence 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 now includes an explosive new afterword about the recent and much-publicised murder of a British student, Meredith Kercher, and its connection to the monster case.
Douglas Preston is a renowned author of both fiction and non-fiction, including The Codex, The 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.
