Sensational, horrible, serial murders in Florence. The lead investigative journalist comes under suspicion. Stunning, riveting story. Yes? Not as told in this particular book. I found this book tedious to get through. The second half was really a slog. I can't say exactly why. Perhaps it was the writing. Perhaps this particular team written effort just did not work for me. Perhaps both of the authors had written too much already about these murders and this version just came through stale.

Very well written. The Monster is the Italian equivalent of Jack the Ripper and just reading some of the accounts makes one shudder. Lots of discussion of conspiracy theories. Still, at the end, like Jack, we don't learn the monster's identity.

The story is fascinating and as far as I can tell accurately told. I grew up Florence and am very familiar with the whole story. On the other hand I found it almost impossible to listen to the audio version because practically EVERY word in Italian was mispronounced. Given that most of the words in Italian were constantly repeated, often of well known sites and people and ultimately not that difficult to enunciate, I really do not understand why the producers did not try to avoid this problem. In addition, Neapolitan music was used for a story that takes place in Tuscany and most upsetting of all, the voices of Italian speakers were rendered with heavy, almost insultingly stereotypical accents. A WORD TO HACHETTE: please do not do this again! Thank you.

This is a very interesting story, although I don't know worthy of an entire book. The beginning of the book is vey interesting, but the 2nd half of the book drags on making it hard to finished.

OK. So the fact that the Italian city states weren't unified into the country we know as Italy until 1861 speaks to a lack of historic organizational structure. And there have been more than sixty government changes at the Prime Minister level since World War II. These elements and more could come into play when examining the chaos that is Italy's judiciary. In Douglas Preston and Mario Spezi's non-fiction account of the "Monster" serial killings around Florence in the 1970s and 1980s, we see that something is horribly, stinking rotten in the core of Italian criminal investigation and prosecution that would take an entire armada of sociologists to understand. To say that fantasy and paranoia drive the actions of even the most senior investigators and judges is to give fantasy and paranoia far too good a name. In a nutshell, why bother going to the heart of the investigation by carefully following evidence that leads to a lone suspect who is a textbook model of a serial killer when you could start a witch hunt that would encompass dozens of people (including a whole village) in a charge of murder as a byproduct of Satanic worship? Without a shred of evidence of course. Why bother taking the most obvious road when you could settle grievances going back decades with spurious charges? Why end the investigation quickly when you could drag it out, garner more publicity, and advance your career?

It is interesting to note that Preston became involved only because he was in Italy doing research for one of his fiction thrillers and just happened to rent a farmhouse next to where one of the murders took place. He started asking questions and was connected with Spezi, a seasoned Italian investigative journalist whose beat was these murders of young couples trysting in the hills around Florence. Spezi's part of the story is told first and he and Preston do a nice job of laying out the basic facts, including the puzzling-then-horrifying actions of the police and judiciary. Spezi's work requires fairly detailed explanations of institutions that don't have true parallels in American society and these were efficiently done. Both he and Preston, who is much better recognized for his fiction, know their craft and all of their skills are on display in this book. I was especially impressed with how much care is taken to ensure that we know the murdered couples and their stories.

Once the story is laid out and we know the extremely large cast of characters (it really helps to have most of their pictures in a section in the middle of the book), the real story of Spezi and Preston can be told and, to other liberty and sanity loving Westerners, it emerges as a nightmare worthy of Orwell. After writing vigorously about the disarray in the investigation, Spezi is arrested as a suspected accomplice to the murders and all of his notes and research are taken, including his work on this book. Luckily for him, he was able to hide a disk that contained much of what we read here. Preston's status as a world-famous writer did not protect him here, either. Since he didn't arrive in Italy until 2000, they couldn't charge him with being directly involved in the murders but they were able to charge him as an accomplice after the fact and ban him from returning to Italy.

This is an absorbing read from beginning to end and a story that really needs to be told. And it is a cautionary tale about running afoul of Italian authorities. The truth may not set you free.

"The Story of Edgar Sawtelle".......David Wroblewski

This is a saute of Jack London, J K Rowling and O Henry and I'm only 85%
through. I may have to change my mind, but don't wait for me.If you were once a boy (or what used to be called a tom-boy) who had a dog(s) who you really loved, you will recognise through moist eyes in some situations, what the author is writing about.

You'll find some descriptive portions that suffer from identification problems, but just overlook them and keep reading.

It's worth it.

I hope his next book is quicker, doesn't require as much re-writing and pain.

RS Lappin

If you're interested in detective novels, foreign intrigue and the differences between American and Italian approaches to highly publicized serial murder investigations, this book is a must-buy! Having been stationed in Italy for over 5 years, I was especially drawn into the culture, scenery, and Italian life-style which served as an excellent back-drop and subplot to the main novel.

The author does an outstanding job of following an amazingly complicated case through decades of investigations. Great suspense, wonderful character development, and exceptionally well-written novel. I purchased this book as the result of a great recommendation of a friend, and I loved it!

Why? Because it's just too strange and fiction has to be believable. This was not believable, but naturally, true. I'm a big lover of Ann Rule, but I think the reason I don't give this a five star is perhaps just culture differences. When the author began speaking of the people, all out at night, watching what goes on in cars -- as if this is normal behavior, well, is it any wonder the police were so inept? It's an amazing story, but it was very graphic (naturally, the crimes were horrific) and I found myself without the need to finish the book. (I did though, it was too expensive not to.)

I do think the author is an amazing writer, but I think the concept was just too hard for me, as a typical American, to grasp.

I won't get into this in great detail. I will just say this book shocked me into wondering if I would ever feel comfortable even visiting Italy. The incompetence of the police investigation coupled with it's leader's vengeful attitude is truly alarming. Another reviewer from Italy said they have one of the best police departments in the world? Sorry, but even if you disagree with this book or dislike the writing style it is unavoidable to conclude the system is failed. People jailed for YEARS without a trial and some not being allowed to even know what charges are against them? Horrible. As a side note, my country (the US) isn't any better considering the Guantanamo issue.

Monster Florence is really two books in one.
1. We learn the facts surrounding the original Monster of Florence killings. The methods, the suspects the whole investigation.
2. Douglas Preston & Mario Spezi parade the injustices, vindictivness, non-objectiveness, amatuer practices and the Wild Goose Chase that the Monster case degrades into. At no point is there any actual evidence used to prosecute someone, it is all circumstantial.
The first half is very good, but the 2nd on the other hand, gets a bit repetitive in theme. Italian Judicial System bad, Mario Spezi & Douglas Preston good. I mean that is what happened, but after 150 pages of it, it gets old.
One other thing, if you do read this account, you will understand how the Italians would not like this book to be published, they look like morons, trust me. Just by allowing the idea of Medieval Satanic Cults and high level cover ups to be entertained by law enforcement, let alone to acutally be reasons for indictments & arrests is embarrasing to say the least.

Being a busy and stressed Ph.D. student, I just wanted something fascinating to read other than science. This fit the bill and for my naturally analytical/problem-solving mind, it was perfect. I really like the presentation and hope that Spezi/Preston will collaborate again. Obviously the two are good friends and as all good friendships go, balance each other out in approach to the topic. This book is an interesting foray into the evil of the human mind and human pride. It will fascinate and but appaul all with a keen conscience. It should make us ponder the nature of pride within us all which we must over-come and how facing the truth can be sad and painful. Since the story is not over, I hope in this case the Italian Police will catch this derranged person.

As many other reviewers have commented, this true story reads like a good novel. It is a gripping, compelling tale with lots of twists.

One of the best things about the book is the background the authors provides on the city of Florence. Fascinating stuff!

The story of the crimes is important because it's the chronology of one of the most awful serial killers in history. But it's more than that. It's also the story of how the guilty party will likely never be brought to justice because of the ineptness of investigators and the Italian justice system.

The authors make it very clear who they believe is the Monster of Florence, and it's a convincing case. It would have been nice if the man had been arrested at the conclusion of the book, but this is the real world, not fiction, and as we all know it's not a perfect world.

I ordered it because it was on a list of BestSellers. I like to try things that I don't know if I'd pick off the shelf. I enjoyed the book, and it was different from what I usually read. It's great to step outside of the box. Don't get stuck always reading the same author.

What makes the story of a serial killer loose in the beautiful Tuscan countryside so thrilling is that it's all true. Writer Douglas Preston moved his family to Italy while doing research for a book. While there, he is put in contact with Mario Spezi, a journalist who tells him the story of The Monster of Florence, a serial killer who preys on young couples. But what becomes even more frightening than this homicidal madman, is the utter travesty that takes place in the hands of the Italian police and the judicial system. Crime scenes botched, lives ruined over false accusations, and allegations of Satanic cults, while the true killer, Spezi and Preston believe, still walks free. It's a baffling and unbelievable story.

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.

I liked the book. It is sometimes hard to follow--that makes the list of people at the beginning of the book more important. I wish there were more pictures of the victims and characters. It is tough, as they mention in the book, not to have a conclusion. It just kind of ends at a date.

This book started out well, but then it just rambled on and on, with a complex story that finally became almost impossible to untangle. It's a true story so can you really blame the author? No, but it's another example of truth being stranger than fiction!

Very interesting book. I am very familiar with the italian psyche and the book was true in all respects. Would be a little harder to understand if one is not familiar with the Italiens, particularly the authorities.
A very good and intersting read.

Preston puts his investigative reporter hat and presents a totally different genre of work as he delves into the story of serial killings in Florence Italy. The book is based on extensive interviews with Mario Spezi, the reporter that covered the serial killings for about 30 years. What makes it interesting is that the case was never actually solved and various individuals were arrested and some even convicted, then let go. In fact Spezi himself was arrested during the time.

People well versed in crime stories will cringe at the bungling that happens at the crime scenes and possible evidence is lost. It is amazing that this story went on for many years and there was virtually no coverage of it in the US.

Preston does an excellent job of weaving the tale almost like a novel and keeping the reader engaged throughout. He also gives and nice portrait as to the culture of Florence and how it differs from the rest of Italy.

The good story in this book ended around page 120. What followed were 200 pages of scattered thoughts, assumptions and an upleasant account of the author's struggle with the Italian judicial system.

Instead, I recommend 'Portrait of a Killer: Jack The Ripper - Case Closed' by Patricia Cornwell.

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.

Reviewed by Kam Aures for RebeccasReads (7/08)

Author Douglas Preston, his wife Christine, and their two children Isaac and Aletheia, moved to Florence, Italy in the year 2000. As a journalist and a murder mystery author, Preston had the freedom to live wherever he wanted and it had always been a lifelong dream of his to move to Italy. They rented a farmhouse in the olive groves at the end of a dirt lane and he began research on his next novel. A friend of Preston's put him in contact with Mario Spezi (the co-author of this book), a crime reporter for over 20 years. Preston was interested in talking to Spezi because he wanted to learn more about Italian police procedure and murder investigation so that the novel that he was working on would be factually accurate.

It was this first meeting with Spezi that introduced Preston to the murders committed by "The Monster of Florence." Coincidentally, Preston's farmhouse happens to be right near the scene of one of the slayings. From the years of 1974-1985, fourteen young lovers were murdered while parked in the hills around Florence. Despite being the most expensive and longest running investigation in Italian history, the murderer has never been found. Spezi shares with Preston the information that he has about the crimes and takes him around to the murder sites. They dig to try to uncover the truth but their probing may lead to more than they bargained for.

One of the things that surprised me most was that the story of "The Monster of Florence" was pretty much unknown in the United States, especially considering the fact that the FBI was involved in the investigation. It is also interesting to note that Spezi believes that Thomas Harris' character of Hannibal Lecter was based on "The Monster of Florence." In fact, Spezi even saw Harris at one of the trials taking notes.

I really enjoy true crime stories and found the story of "The Monster of Florence" to be very fascinating and intriguing. It was interesting to read how the original investigation into the murders was handled and learning about the missteps along the way. The writing in the book is definitely not for the faint of heart as the gruesome murders are described in great detail, but anyone who enjoys true crime stories will most surely enjoy this book

I first read about the so-called "monster of Florence" in the long New Yorker article by Douglas Preston. I found that the book is just a rehash of co-author Spezi's book about the subject and a longer digressive rehash of Preston's New Yorker article. Add to that the rehash of the Thomas Harris book "Hannibal" and you've got nothing much that's new. A waste of paper.

Fingering a serial murderer is a lot easier in Italy than capturing and convicting one in the Clockwork Orange Italian justice system. Corrupt judges and publicity seeking prosecutors bring cases for political reasons, engage in rampant wire taps, effecting searches, arrests and jailing of journalists, force trials and appeals which go on for decades; all are detailed in this personal expose' of Italian life beyond the rolling Tuscan landscapes, the Montepulciano red wine and the Bernini statuary. This book draws the reader in as a true crime story but suddenly morphs into a journalistic counter punch by the authors in defense of their actions in reporting the crimes. It sags midway through and bogs down as they explain alternate theories of the identity of the killers, expose satanic sects and rituals, detail their arrests and interrogations and recount long boring email communiqués from strange bloggers. The book is searing indictment of the Italian judicial system and the inability of the Italians as a people to build a stable democracy firmly based on an impartial rule of law.

There are two stories here and one theme based on a true story of a serial killer. A page turner until the Monster stopped killing and the unresolved mystery left this reader disappointed in spite of the dramatic events that take place in the author's story in the second half of the book. Much of the book is taken up with conjecture about the Monster's identity and ended not with a bang but a whimper. Good historical background on Florence and the Italian pysche but overwritten in parts. Still a very good yarn.

This is ohe of my favorite authoris and this book lives up to all his ohers.

This story shocked me. First of all, the crimes are gruesome, gripping - I couldn't put it down throughout the first part. I still can't believe that I'd never heard of this story until I picked up this book. The Monster of Florence case - a series of murders involving lovers ranging from the 1960s to 1985, was big news throughout Italy, indeed all of Europe, but somehow failed to become big news in the US. The book is set up in two parts, the first being a history of the crimes - a basic description of the facts (which is really anything but basic considering the crimes were as heinous as they were) told mostly from the perspective of Mario Spezi, a journalist in Florence who'd been covering the Monster case from the beginning. The second part of the book is told more from the perspective of Douglas Preston, an author who planned to move to Italy to write a mystery novel and got caught up in the Monster case. This second part, while without the intrigue of the crimes themselves, is frightening in its own way. It exposes the underbelly of a seriously terrifying judiciary system. While researching the Monster case and planning to write a book with a theory counter to the "official" story of the police, Spezi was arrested and charged with crimes related to the Monster case. Preston was also questioned It's a fascinating, and frightening, look at the Italian legal system, and an interesting look into the world of Florence itself: that the easy answer can never be the right answer and that some people will go to great lengths to save face. It was not simply a book on a crime, it was a cultural study.

The Monster of Florence isn't like most true crime novels. In this one, the author actually has a part to play in the narrative. It's amazing to me that this case was never popularized in North America. Like the Zodiac Killer or Jack The Ripper, this is a strange and bizarre case that was never solved and probably never will be.

In beautiful Tuscany, a killer preys on couples making love in their cars. He kills them, shooting the man and mutilating the woman before running away with pieces from the scene as a trophy. There have been many theories over the year, but the identity of the killer was never found. With murders ranging between the 60s all the way to the mid 80s, this is one story that has more bizarre twists than any other.

As the author, Douglas Preston, moves to Italy with his family, he quickly befriends a journalist named Spezi while doing research for a novel he wants to write. It is Spezi who tells him the story of the Monster of Florence. The first half of the novel is dedicated to the facts of the story; the various murders, the various accusations, the various arrestations. The first half of the novel is very well researched and written like a novel itsel; full of suspense and mystery.

It is in the second half that the story takes a turn for the bizarre. In the 90s and 2000s, the investigation on the murders is still going strong, even though the Monster hasn't been active in nearly twenty years. Spezi, with all of his research and having done his own private investigation, is almost certain he knows the true identity of the killer. The novel even gives us a direct interview with this suspect. But since his views differs from the one of the police (who, amazingly enough, believe that the killer is actually a dark satanic cult who practices dark magic) and investigators, this will soon cause both authors problems.

Soon enough, Spezi himself is accused of being the Monster while Preston, the author, is accused of being an accessory to the murders. The second part of the novel is about Spezi's arrestation and the weird and twisted ways in which the Italian police system works.

Never disappointing, written as though it was a novel, The Monster of Florence doesn't offer a single boring moment. If done right, this story could be turned into an incredible film. Are all the facts presented in this novel true? Who knows? But unlike many other true-crime novel that tries to unmask the true face of a serial killer, this one has a theory that is hard to refute. Highly recommended.

A compelling story within a story. Once you get past the horrors of the crimes the real story emerges of an Italy far removed from the beautiful countryside and historic treasures. Who could have imagined a modern European country so lacking in freedom of speech with corruption beyond belief. A real eye opener for all those wannbe ex-pats. Maybe that two week holiday will be just enough!

This tedious,rambling book seems to be made up of the notes taken about the subject without too much time being spent to weave them into a coherent interesting story. I could barely fource myself to finish it.

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!

I lived in Tuscany as a student from late '84 until '86, and remember very well the last murder committed by the Monster of Florence, along with the public reaction. (I actually dated a police officer connected to the investigation.) This book brought back a lot of memories for me, most notably the recognition that Tuscany is actually more of a dark place -- despite its undeniable beauty -- than a pastoral paradise, as nonsense like "Under the Tuscan Sun" would have one believe. Preston does an excellent job of capturing the atmosphere surrounding the case, while handling the gruesome details in a sensitive manner. I finished this book in two days -- couldn't put it down. Highly recommended!

Having lived and worked in Tuscany during the early to mid-1980's, I was really excited when I heard about the release of this book. Once I started reading it, I could hardly put it down until I finished.

Although familiar with the region's obsession with and fear of Il Mostro di Firenze at that time, I was unaware (like many) of the actual details of the crimes. For this reason, the first part of the book (the Italian journalist Spezi's detailed investigation of the crimes) was particularly fascinating.

Preston gets an overwhelming lesson in culture shock in the second half of the book when he and his colleague Spezi get legally entangled in the story they are researching. My one critcism of the book is that Preston's outrage over the injustices and indignities he and (particularly) Spezi endure at the hands of some of the Italian officals gets a bit onerous. But then again, you can't really blame him in light of what he and Spezi go through.

The story is filled with both beautiful and horrifying images; it is operatic, a bit over the top, ironic, and even humorous at times. It's not lightweight, but not too demanding. Overall, this "ital-american" collaboration on an Italian saga hits mostly the right notes.

Along the same lines as Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil and Devil in the White City, The Monster of Florence is a great read. The storytelling elements combined with the hard facts of the case make this book hard to put down!

From 1968 to 1985, 14 people were brutally murdered and mutiliated in the quiet hills around Florence. 7 couples had sought romantic privacy in the hills--a common tradition for unmarried people still living with their parents. THE MONSTER OF FLORENCE is more than a true-crime book. It's a journey into the Italian legal system and all of its flaws. Through the course of the investigation suspects were accused and arrested and even convicted of the murders. There were so many suspects through the years that it became a joke that any man in Italy was a suspect. Journalist Mario Spezi spent years investigating the murders and joined American author Douglas Preston in writing THE MONSTER OF FLORENCE. Here is a prime example of a true story being stranger than fiction. Preston and Spezi present the story with compassion for the victims and their families and outrage with the inept investigation by the Italian "polizia" and "carabinieri". There were so many investigators and prosecutors yet so much evidence was overlooked. THE MONSTER OF FLORENCE gives us plenty of suspects. Most are clearly innocent victims of the "monster" frenzy prosecuted by overly egotistical Italian prosecuters. Yet, a handful of suspects have some secrets. This is a truly fascinating book that is hard to put down. The twists and turns outdo any work of fiction. The journalist Spezi is arrested as a suspect and Italian laws work against him. Preston is accused of obstructing justic and becomes a suspect. You have to read this book to believe it. The bumblings of the Italian legal system are truly remarkable.
The case still isn't solved and the investigation continues.

I was very interested in this book, and it held my attention. The only criticism I have is that at times it was too detailed in the descriptions of the individuals who were supposed to be the Monster-got a bit wordy. The Italian Judical System is unbelievable. I really like Preston's fiction and will look forward to the next book.

I'm not sure what I found more shocking in "The Monster of Florence", the sensational, new book by Douglas Preston and Mario Spezi: the brutal murders of a serial killer prowling the Tuscan hills, or a local judiciary that appears to be rife with incompetence and corruption. In fact, it's sometimes hard to separate the fine line between the overreaching ambition of certain judges and police officials (apparently willing to do anything for power), and the dogged, seemingly idiotic, determination with which they pursued any number of disparate lies and half-truths, bogging down an already labyrinthine investigation and resulting in still more deaths, and the ruination of many more lives. You find yourself questioning whether or not these people, in charge of protecting the populace, are actually that heartless and conniving, or can they possibly be that stupid? I suspect it's a little of both, given the number of law enforcement agencies involved, but whatever the case, the most egregious "official" offenders need to be held accountable for their actions.

Because of the outrageous behavior of these authority figures, the atrocities of the Monster of Florence, and the unbelievable chain of events following the crimes, "The Monster of Florence" may sound more like a fictional crime thriller than the terrifying true story that it actually is. Spanning several decades, the book recounts the deaths of a number of young couples viciously murdered in various lovers lane areas in the hills surrounding Florence, the often conflicting efforts of police and journalists as they try and apprehend the killer, and the various aftermaths of their actions. Working for the Italian newspaper, Nazione, reporter Mario Spezi was involved in the case from its beginning, on a boring Sunday morning back in the early seventies. When his co-worker on the crime desk asked him to cover his shift, Spezi hurried to the sight of a double murder and suddenly found himself drawn into an increasingly complex web as more murders and intrigue followed. Aware that the police investigation was seriously flawed, especially as more jurisdictions became involved, Spezi became determined to eventually unmask the killer, despite the efforts of public officials to mislead residents, and deter any theories not aligning with their own. What Spezi obviously didn't count on was the absolute authority with which certain individuals pursued personal goals, which ultimately, did not bode well for the writer.

As luck would have it, bestselling author, Douglas Preston ("Tyrannosaur Canyon", "The Relic", "Dance of Death", "Brimstone") moved his family to Italy and was working on a new novel. During his research on the novel, Preston found himself meeting with Spezi and the whole story of the Monster of Florence unfolded. Intrigued, Preston became involved in Spezi's quest to find the monster, and a whole new chapter opened up, eventually paving the way for this book to be written and published (but not before Spezi was arrested and imprisoned, and Preston interrogated and virtually thrown out of Italy).

"The Monster of Florence" is both exciting and inciting; it's unputdownable and it makes one yearn for true justice to be done in this case.

A surprising true story. A serial killer in present day Florence, Italy. The investigation, and how the police and judicial authorities turn on the writers who are investigating the murders
I think this was Douglas Preson's only non fiction book, and it is as well written as his fiction

"The Monster of Florence," by Douglas Preston and Mario Spezi, is the bizarre tale of an Italian Jack the Ripper. The murderer, whose identity is not known to this day, killed fourteen young lovers who had been enjoying trysts in the countryside. In some cases, he cruelly mutilated his female victims. Among the elements that make this case so mind-boggling is that the Italian authorities botched the investigation so thoroughly that it may no longer be possible to obtain justice for the unfortunate victims and their families.

Douglas Preston, a well-known American writer, relocated with his family to Florence with the intention of producing a novel. While conducting research for his project, Preston met "a legendary Tuscan reporter named Mario Spezi, who for more than twenty years had worked...the crime beat at La Nazione, the daily paper of Tuscany." In 2000, while Preston and Spezi chatted in a café, the reporter mentioned "Il Mostro di Firenze." Because of his encyclopedic knowledge of Monster lore, Spezi was dubbed the "Monstrologer." Rumor has it that Thomas Harris based Hannibel Lecter on this sadistic fiend. While Preston listened, his incredulity grew. He learned that between 1974 and 1985, seven couples were murdered in the hills surrounding Florence. This had become "the longest and most expensive criminal investigation in Italian history." Although quite a few people were interrogated, accused, and arrested for these crimes, the cases remained unsolved. Preston and Spezi decided to collaborate on this book, which traces how the authorities mishandled one of the most important homicide investigations in the history of Italian jurisprudence. Lives and reputations were ruined, people were falsely imprisoned, political careers were made and destroyed--and for what? The mystery is not only who committed these atrocious acts of slaughter, but also how the police force of a major European country failed so thoroughly to fulfill its responsibilities.

Preston begins his book with a timeline and lengthy list of characters and concludes with a detailed index. This is not your typical true crime story. The author provides a brief history of Florence--known for its priceless art, stately palaces, and picturesque vistas. It is also the birthplace of the Renaissance, "where the very idea of the modern world" came to fruition. However, Florence is also the city where the mad monk Savonarola tortured "heretics," where Machiavelli wrote "The Prince," and where political rivals brazenly butchered one another. Nowadays, Florence is celebrated more for its past than its present. However, even the most cynical Florentine may find it difficult to believe that one of its own could so cruelly shoot seven young couples in cold-blood.

Without discussing the specific of the case, suffice it to say that wild rumors and conspiracy theories abounded, but none led to a definitive solution. At one point, Mario Spezi was incarcerated on trumped up charges because of his frank statements criticizing the handling of the investigation. Spezi states that the mind of the Monster of Florence cannot be fully understood, because "madness is the renunciation of all efforts to be understood." A count named Niccolo Capponi warned Douglas to "take care that you and Mario do not poke too vigorously with your sticks into that nest of vipers." Capponi's words turned out to be prescient. Although "The Monster of Florence" is an unusual and intriguing story, it is not without its flaws. There is too much repetition and the narrative becomes a bit tedious as it progresses. Because there is no resolution, many readers may feel frustrated; after all, fiction is often much neater and more satisfying than real life can ever be.

Although I haven't finished the book yet, The Monster of Florence is an engaging read. It's not heavy going on the forensic aspects of the murders, but more focused on the human element, the involved personalities. This isn't the kind of book I usually read, but I'm enjoying it. It's a book that you can pick up and read a chapter at a time without losing the continuity. I plan on sharing it with friends.

Just inside the front cover is a timeline, I found it most useful for those, including myself, who may not have an awareness of the events set down on the pages of The Monster of Florence. The timeline helped me keep everything in order as I read the work.

Subsequent to the timeline is a cast of names for those the reader will meet in the book. I like the system. Again, because I had no awareness of the serial murderer who was killing in Florence, Italy the list helped me keep the times, places and people straight. This serial killer, the events, or the people involved is not one I was aware of prior to reading The Monster of Florence.

While the facts surrounding the killings are factual; The Monster of Florence is not so much a sensational recounting of an appalling set of murders as it is a recounting of the men who have spent years investigating, researching, and trying to put the murders into perspective before beginning to write their findings into a book.

Part 1 is The Story of Mario Spezi. In 1981 Spezi, an Italian, was a young member of the press in Florence where he worked for La Nazione. He had held the post for several years. Spezi had no realization how his life might transform when he noticed a fellow reporter approaching his desk one Sunday. It was the journalist who usually handled the crime desk. The man was a phenomenon having worked and survived two decades covering the Mafia.

Spezi was asked to cover the crime desk for his coworker who had a family matter to take care of that day. His parting words would linger often in Spezi's memory: 'nothing ever happens in Florence on a Sunday morning.'

And, Spezi did hang around the paper until just about noon, his co-worker was correct, it was quiet as could be. Then, he determined to go and check out the local police station. While there he learned something indeed had happened. And, from that day onward Spezi's life was never the same. He was continually searching for answers regarding the subject of a most ghastly murder which quickly became murders in short order.

For 165 pages we follow Spezi in his pursuit to determine who The Monster of Florence really is.

Part 2 is The Story of Douglas Preston. Preston, an American writer, had long wanted to compose a murder mystery set in the period of the 1966 Florentine flood when the Arno River overflown its banks following forty days of rain.

Arriving in Florence in 2000 were Preston, his wife and two young children. It was not long before Preston learned that he had come right into to the heart of Monster country. He as Spezi was quickly caught up in a search for the truth. And he and Spezi soon joined forces and their investigation spanned years.

Near Florence, for over a decade the executioner killed and disfigured fourteen people. His killings included both members of seven couples he found in parked cars late at night. He was a serial killer who ritually murdered fourteen young lovers before he stopped. He is known as the Monster of Florence. And, he has never been caught.

The Monster of Florence is a particularly alarming book for the reason that it gives an account of definite horrendous crimes and is not a work of fiction.

Thomas Harris, an American novelist of crime narratives, even studied Florentine Monster data for some of Hannibal Lecter's more outrageous moments in his book featuring Hannibal. Most conspicuously Harris wrote The Silence of the Lambs.

One of the most interesting of elements found on the pages of The Monster of Florence is the twist of irony that has also faced more than one reporter or researcher of true crime; Preston and Spezi themselves became targets of a out of the ordinary police investigation.

The murders, which continue to be unsolved even to today, caught the dismayed notice and thoughts of the Italian people, especially those who lived in and around Florence. The Monster of Florence is a captivating peek into the management and mis management of one of the largest investigations into a series of grisly killings which stunned and concerned the populace of Italy as well as the situation continues to cause worry and shock today.

The Monster of Florence is the explanation of the investigation undertaken by Spezi and Preston for--and identification of--the man Spezi and Preston are persuaded did in fact commit the unspeakable crimes. Included in the book is a recounting of the chilling interview Spezi and Preston conducted with him.

Well written, factual, The Monster of Florence is not a true crime account in the strictest sense because the books centers more the writers and what their research shows than it does on the murders themselves.

Spellbinding read, happy to recommend for readers who have an interest in true crime and how the investigation into it can go awry.

Molly Martin
Reviewer

When Douglas Preston moved his family to the outskirts of Florence in 2000, he thought he was just going to enjoy la dolce vita and write a mystery novel. What he found was both more interesting and scarier than any story he could have come up with on his own. As he was interviewing a journalist named Mario Spezi who was an expert on the Italian legal system, Spezi casually mentioned that just outside the villa Preston and his family had rented, was the site of one of the most gruesome murders in Florentine history. There, in 1983, the famed Monster of Florence had taken the lives of two of his victims.

Slowly Preston found himself getting pulled into the mystery of the Monster of Florence, who had between the years of 1974 and 1985 killed at least 7 couples as they made love in various out-of-the-way places in the Tuscan hills. Various men had been tried and convicted of the crimes, but the cases did not offer compelling proof and Spezi believed that the killer or killers were still free. Preston joined Spezi in trying to find the real killer, but what neither of them could have known was that they themselves were going to be charged crimes in connection with the case. In Italy, important magistrates don't appreciate being shown up by the press and Preston and Spezi showed up the flaws in the Monster investigation. What starts out as a murder mystery soon turns to much much more -- a chilling indictment of the Italian legal system and the lack of freedom of the press in Italy.

Preston and Spezi bring the people and places involved to life. The writing is crisp, the story well laid out and the implications of the abuse of government and suppression of a free press in a first world country shocking and important. So... Come for the monster, come for Florence, but stay for the journalists, who are much more interesting in the end.

Romantic Florence, a place nearly every visitor to Italy is passionate about. Yet a city blessed with such splendor and steeped in so much culture still has a dark side. "Even at the height of the Renaissance, beauty mingled with blood, civilization with savagery, in this city of paradox and contradiction."

Beginning sometime in 1968 or 1974, depending upon which authority you listen to, a killer --- or killers --- brutally murdered young couples as they made love under the new moon on secluded lovers' lanes around Florence. The murders went on until 1985, gripping Florentines in an unaccustomed terror. The crimes were so horrific that the press dubbed him Il Mostro di Firenze, or The Monster of Florence.

Hundreds of tips flooded the offices of investigators, keeping them very busy chasing down leads. Wives turned in husbands, shopkeepers pointed at rivals, cousins accused each other, and every new arrest gave residents hope. Dozens of suspects were paraded into the interrogation rooms with an impressive number of them tried and convicted, only to be released when the Monster killed again. Far from being discouraged, the police headed off in another direction, as sure of the accuracy of their newest theory as they had been of the previous one.

Over a decade after the last victims were found slaughtered in the hills, American thriller novelist Douglas Preston moved his family to Florence with plans to write a great mystery there. By happenstance --- or maybe divine intervention --- Preston rented a house with a view of one of the scenes of the Monster's double homicides. For a mystery writer, the possibilities this discovery opened up proved simply irresistible, and Preston was soon embroiled in his own investigation of Il Mostro di Firenze.

Italian journalist Mario Spezi had spent years following the cases and had written many articles about them. He hooked up with Preston and led him to the murder sites, opened up his own files to him, and introduced him to people with information. Spezi was elated at finding a new ear and eagerly embarked on a campaign to engender in Preston an enthusiasm equal to his own. It didn't take long for Preston to become irredeemably intoxicated with the story.

What the pair found in their digging pushed them deeper and deeper into the city's most puzzling mystery. They were baffled at how the carabinieri and polizia had conducted the investigation. They were further baffled at how the prosecutor was lured into filing charges against several men despite good alibis. And then still further baffled at the rulings of the magistrates, which seemingly ignored inconvenient evidence.

Finally, Spezi convinced Preston that he had figured out who Il Mostro was. All the evidence he had read and gathered pointed indisputably to one man. That individual was not one of the men who Italian law enforcement had in their sights, and Spezi's journalistic exposition on that point did not make the authorities happy. In fact, it made them unhappy to the point of arresting Spezi for several crimes, even hinting at his involvement in the actual murders. And then their attention turned to Preston. When authorities of a foreign government start to look too closely at your activities, it may be time to reconsider the path you've taken. Preston had to weigh his desire to follow the story with his desire to remain out of prison.

THE MONSTER OF FLORENCE evokes a harsh contrast of gruesome crime scenes with the stunning background of Tuscany. It seems impossible that the bucolic hills could hold sinister secrets of such horrors. Preston and Spezi reveal the reality of living in Italy, with all of its quaint charm and its imperfect legal system. It's not all capos and Mafia that make the headlines there. It's at least one impotent psychopath with a sick desire to prove his power over other human beings. Not only will the Monster's bloody path horrify you, the treatment of these two authors will, too.

--- Reviewed by Kate Ayers

When Douglas Preston moved his family to the outskirts of Florence in 2000, he thought he was just going to enjoy la dolce vita and to write a mystery novel. What he found was both more interesting and scarier than any story with which he could have come up on his own. As he was interviewing a journalist named Mario Spezi who was an expert on the Italian legal system, Spezi casually mentioned that just outside the villa Preston and his family had rented, was the site of one of the most gruesome murders in Florentine history. There, in 1983, the famed Monster of Florence had taken the lives of two of his victims.

Slowly Preston found himself getting pulled into the mystery of the Monster of Florence, who had between the years of 1974 and 1985 killed at least 7 couples as they made love in various out-of-the-way places in the Tuscan hills. Various men had been tried and convicted of the crimes, but the cases did not offer compelling proof and Spezi believed that the killer or killers were still free. Preston joined Spezi in trying to find the real killer, but what neither of them could have known was that they themselves were going to be charged with the crime, or at least with impeding it in a seriously criminal way. Apparently in Italy, important magistrates don't appreciate being shown up by the press. In order to save face, they have to make the press look bad and in this case, they had no compunction about sending Spezi to jail for 3 weeks. What starts out as a murder mystery soon turns to much much more -- a chilling indictment of the Italian legal system for starters. In Italy, you don't have an absolute right to be told of the charges against you. There is no freedom of the press anywhere near what we've got in the U.S. Italian prosecutors are able to take as evidence the unsubstantiated accusations of any number of arguably crazy people -- the woman who runs an Italian conspiracy website and claimed that Spezi,Preston & others were members of a cult who'd gotten three marginally retarded men to kill couples for them and cut out the girls private parts which they'd save as fetishes. You can be thrown in jail for five days for reasons you're not told and not be heard from at all during that time because the evidence against you is a state secret. As Preston writes, true freedom of the press does not exist in Italy, especially since any public official can ask that criminal charges be lodged against a journalist for "Diffamazione a me stampa" "defamation by means of the press." The original investigation to find the monster of Florence continues, but has been upstaged by its international aspects. Just how much freedom do the Italian people have when a police judicial wants information? Is there freedom of the press they way we think of it. What does an american do if she wants to spend time in Italy and not get caught up in something ridiculous?

Anyway, You might want to rethink that trip to Italy if you have anything other than a straightforward visit. But definitely read this book and consider things. I loved it. Preston tells his story in a clear and straitforward maner nicely balancing his search for the monster with his attempts to get out of trouble with the court. So... Come for the monster, stay for the journalists, who are much more interesting in the end.

That this story is true makes it even more amazing..Reads like one of the Thomas Harris Hannibal Lector books with touches of the DaVinci Code and The Godfather thrown in for good measure.

A great book---and it's true.

Don't let the Italian names slow you down...just mumble through them and keep on trucking...Enjoy this book for what it is, a true story that reads like fiction...a book you won't be able to put down.

And when you finish the book, you will rush to the internet to see what haps happened between the end of the book and now.

It's that kind of book, that kind of story.

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."

I'm not normally a reader of non-fiction, but having heard a little about this story previously, I decided to give this book a try.

I was totally fascinated with the story. Preston and Spezi have done a magnificent job in providing enough details of the murders without bogging it down with confusing forensic details and unnecessary speculation, although they do have their own theory as to who the killer is.

Ultimately, this is not so much a story of the murders themselves, but of the botched investigation and the insanity surrounding those who were supposed to find the killer and bring justice to the victims, people who were more concerned with their own career status that they were willing to go to any lengths to manipulate the outcome to suit their own personal gain.

For those like me who are not normally non-fiction readers, I recommend this book highly, especially for those who like crime/drama fiction.

A superb true-crime book, both in the reporting and the writing. The ineptitude of the Italian police in this case is hard to believe, though it has milder echoes here in America. (See "The Dreams of Ada," which I happen to have written, plus John Grisham's "The innocent Man" and "Journey To Justice" by Dennis Fritz.)) But sensitive readers, especially women, should be forewarned: the crime of this monster of Florence against his female victims boggles the mind. The authors don't go into gruesome detail, but they had to report what happened.

When in Rome or wherever one is in Italy, do as I did!!
I read this book while traveling in Rome and in the area of Adriatic coast cities. Though not visiting Florence, the flavor of the vivid descriptions on landscape, the really good characters, authentic, clear, funny, scarry & human were so very interesting to me. I enjoyed learning a great deal about the history of Florence and also Italy in general while being there. Very very interesting true murder mystery.

The obvious American parallel with the Italian mass murderer in question is Zodiac. True: Italy's Monster did not dub himself with an occult title, taunted the police less directly and elaborately, and left no surviving witnesses. But, Zodiac's preferred targets, his cruelly visceral violence, and his elusiveness all ring familiar. The Zodiac case has led to at least one hard-nosed, focused, investigative book and a first-rate movie. Oddly, THE MONSTER OF FLORENCE, rather than contemplate such parallels, proffers much about the reporters themselves and about the Italian police and bureaucrats. All that surely may make for a worthy topic in itself; but the book styles itself, and certainly seeks to expand readership by, an ostensible focus on the linked lurid slayings that terrorized a famously exotic locale (again, like Zodiac in California). The lamest aspects of Preston's story are his gratuitous digressions on Florentine history; and his decision finally to fix the mystery of the Monster not in the universal perturbations of the human heart and mind, but simply in some superciliously distanced foreign land of "Italy." Recommended for readers fascinated by the reporting life, judicial corruption, and notions of American exceptionalism.