My brother gave this book to me after we returned from our trip to Italy. We loved Florence - such a beautiful and lively city. And Tuscany...dear heavens I could live there forever. He loved this book because it is a true story set in one of our favorite cities.
If you've seen Hannibal, you have heard of the Monster of Florence. A few scenes in Hannibal were derived from this serial killer who started his/her trade back in the sixties and continued well into the eighties. The killer preyed on couples, usually "parking" in the quiet Tuscany countryside. Carefully leaving little evidence, the killer eluded the investigators for years.
Douglas Preston moved to Italy with his family while he was writing a fiction murder novel. While there, he met Mario Spezi who brought him into the fold of the Monster case. It had been years since the last killing yet the case remained unsolved and open. As Preston and Spezi started to look at the evidence in new light, they felt confident they discovered who the murderer was. Unfortunately, this development cast shame on the Italian force who then turned the tides on Spezi. Two journalists, Preston and Spezi, became the main suspects in the killings.
Here's the thing. The book tells this story well...but it was slow moving. I kept thinking that had this been a fiction novel, it would have been more sensationalized and therefore a bit more interesting. However, it was fascinating to read about the crimes and even more so, how the police dealt with the many suspects over the years.
An epilogue talks about the Amanda Knox trial and how there too, a woman is subjected to the unfair and corrupt police force. I have followed her trials closely and never before has it seemed someone has been so unjustly dealt with. I hope that through the work of journalists like Spezi and Preston, she too can find justice.
If you've seen Hannibal, you have heard of the Monster of Florence. A few scenes in Hannibal were derived from this serial killer who started his/her trade back in the sixties and continued well into the eighties. The killer preyed on couples, usually "parking" in the quiet Tuscany countryside. Carefully leaving little evidence, the killer eluded the investigators for years.
Douglas Preston moved to Italy with his family while he was writing a fiction murder novel. While there, he met Mario Spezi who brought him into the fold of the Monster case. It had been years since the last killing yet the case remained unsolved and open. As Preston and Spezi started to look at the evidence in new light, they felt confident they discovered who the murderer was. Unfortunately, this development cast shame on the Italian force who then turned the tides on Spezi. Two journalists, Preston and Spezi, became the main suspects in the killings.
Here's the thing. The book tells this story well...but it was slow moving. I kept thinking that had this been a fiction novel, it would have been more sensationalized and therefore a bit more interesting. However, it was fascinating to read about the crimes and even more so, how the police dealt with the many suspects over the years.
An epilogue talks about the Amanda Knox trial and how there too, a woman is subjected to the unfair and corrupt police force. I have followed her trials closely and never before has it seemed someone has been so unjustly dealt with. I hope that through the work of journalists like Spezi and Preston, she too can find justice.
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