1 of 2 copies available
Douglas Preston fulfilled a lifelong dream when he moved with his family to a villa in Florence. Upon meeting celebrated journalist Mario Spezi, Preston was stunned to learn that the olive grove next to his home had been the scene of a horrific double murder committed by one of the most infamous figures in Italian history. A serial killer who ritually murdered fourteen young lovers, he has never been caught. He is known as the Monster of Florence.
Fascinated by the tale, Preston began to work with Spezi on the case. Here is the true story of their search to uncover and confront the man they believe is the Monster. In an ironic twist of fate that echoes the dark traditions of the city’s bloody history, Preston and Spezi themselves became targets of a bizarre police investigation.
With the gripping suspense of Preston’s bestselling novels, THE MONSTER OF FLORENCE tells a remarkable and harrowing chronicle of murder, mutilation, suicide, and vengeance–with Preston and Spezi caught in the middle.
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Creators
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Publisher
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Release date
June 24, 2008 -
Formats
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OverDrive Listen audiobook
- ISBN: 9781415955253
- File size: 282532 KB
- Duration: 09:48:36
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Languages
- English
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Reviews
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For over three decades, a serial killer stalked lover's lanes around the city of Florence, killing and mutilating victims with chilling violence. Enter thriller writer Douglas Preston, who is pursuing his dream of raising his children in Italy. His dream is shattered when he learns that one of the "Monster" killings took place near his new home. Soon the fiction writer is investigating the crimes, with help from coauthor Mario Spezi. Dennis Boutsikaris navigates Italian names and places with ease as all the chief suspects are acquitted or released from prison. He also shows impressive talent in later scenes when Preston and Spezi's continued investigation compels prosecutors to save face by jailing Spezi and interrogating Preston for obstructing justice. R.O. Winner of AudioFile Earphones Award (c) AudioFile 2008, Portland, Maine -
July 28, 2008
In an interview on the final disc, Preston describes his and Spezi's journalistic search for the still-at-large infamous serial killer of the title as “the dark side of Under the Tuscan Sun
.” It's that and more: a chilling personal account of their investigation and how the authors incurred the wrath of bungling members of the Italian judiciary and were themselves accused of the crimes. Told from Preston's point of view, Dennis Boutsikaris's crisp, intelligent vocal rendition reflects the various stages of the author's life in Italy: his delight in arriving with wife and young son at a lovely villa in Florence, his surprise in hearing that a grisly double murder was committed in the villa's olive grove, his fascination with Spezi's stories of The Monster, and eventually his astonishment, frustration, anger and fear upon discovering that he and Spezi are suspects in the murders. Boutsikaris is particularly effective in giving voice to the author's rueful and yet wistful final thoughts. A Grand Central hardcover (Reviews, Apr. 7). -
Starred review from March 10, 2008
United in their obsession with a grisly Italian serial murder case almost three decades old, thriller writer Preston (coauthor, Brimstone
) and Italian crime reporter Spezi seek to uncover the identity of the killer in this chilling true crime saga. From 1974 to 1985, seven pairs of lovers parked in their cars in secluded areas outside of Florence were gruesomely murdered. When Preston and his family moved into a farmhouse near the murder sites, he and Spezi began to snoop around, although witnesses had died and evidence was missing. With all of the chief suspects acquitted or released from prison on appeal, Preston and Spezi’s sleuthing continued until ruthless prosecutors turned on the nosy pair, jailing Spezi and grilling Preston for obstructing justice. Only when Dateline NBC
became involved in the maze of mutilated bodies and police miscues was the authors’ hard work rewarded. This suspenseful procedural reveals much about the dogged writing team as well as the motives of the killers. Better than some overheated noir mysteries, this bit of real-life Florence bloodletting makes you sweat and think, and presses relentlessly on the nerves.
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