The Monster of Florence by Douglas Preston

These Preston brothers sure can write some quality nonfiction. I discovered after reading this  that Douglas is Richard Preston's brother (author of Crisis in the Red Zone). This time, Douglas Preston teams up with Italian journalist, Mario Spezi, for an investigative account of the notorious serial killer, the Monster of Florence.

The Monster of Florence by Douglas Preston
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Preston relays an interesting true-crime, serial killer history that inspired Thomas Harris' Hannibal Lecter series and eventually even ties into the Amanda Knox trial. Young couples are murdered in the hillsides of Florence, Italy, and as the crimes go unsolved, the town is paralyzed with fear. The serial killings become the most notorious crimes in Italy, and the killer becomes the Monster of Florence. Douglas Preston moves his family to Italy and finds out that the location of one of the double murders was in an olive grove near the home they started living in. He becomes intrigued by the story and meets up with Mario Spezi, a local journalist who closely followed the Monster of Florence murders from day one. Spezi and Preston investigate the murder trail and come to their own conclusions about who is responsible for the crimes. As they question the police investigations and get closer to what they believe the truth is, the Italian police suddenly turn their sights on the two men and accuse them of being involved. Spezi is thrown in jail, and Preston is forced out of Italy. Preston writes as much about the murders as he does about the culture of Italy, the justice system, and the corruption that lies within. Spezi and Preston are swept up in a web of deception, vengeance, and arrogance. It's important to note that this book is nonfiction and does not read as a thriller or mystery, but is fascinating nevertheless.

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