The Monster of Florence

(Paperback)

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'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.

Reviews

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 * Minette Walters *
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 * Associated Press *
Lucid and mesmerising * TIME *
The authors have brilliantly mapped out the dark, labyrinthine story of his crimes * Men's Vogue *
A meticulous account * Kirkus *

Author Bio

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.