The Monster of Florence

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.

May 1, 2008
In 2000, Preston, the best-selling coauthor of thrillers with Lincoln Child (e.g., "The Relic") moved to Florence, Italy, to research a new mystery and fell headlong into the case of the Monster of Florence. Between 1968 and 1985, seven couples had been murdered in their cars in secluded lovers' lanes in and around Florence. (The murders took place near Preston's 14th-century farmhouse.) Intrigued, Preston teamed up with Italian journalist and "Monsterologist" Spezi to write an articleand became part of the story. The investigation of these serial murders had taken on a surreal edge, with wild conspiracy theories involving satanic cults being seriously considered by desperate investigators. At one point, Spezi himself was accused of the murders, while Preston was accused of planting evidence and even suspected of being an American spy. Eventually, the authors came to believe they knew the identity of the Monster, but nothing has been proven. Truth is truly stranger than fiction, as lives are destroyed, reputations are ruined, and evidence is manufactured to fit the suspect-of-the-month. Preston fans and true-crime fans are sure to be riveted. Recommended for public libraries. [See Prepub Alert, "LJ" 2/15/08.]Deirdre Bray Root, Middletown P.L., OH

Copyright 2008 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

June 1, 2008
Italian journalist Spezi, source of much of the ooky background info Preston incorporated into his and Lincoln Childs serial-murder novel Brimstone (2004), gained much of his insight into the ghastly topic from his long-term reportage on the tangled investigation of the fiend referenced by the title of this book. After moving to Florence in 2000 and excitedly hearing about the local mystery of the murders of several pairs of young lovers in the 1970s and 1980s, Preston struck up with Spezi, joined the pursuit of the malefactor, and with Spezi eventually identified and interviewed a likely suspect. The local constabulary had other ideas. As the two writers closed in, Judge Giuliano Mignini brought them up short by informally charging them with interfering with his investigation. Later, he lodged formal charges against Spezi and had him arrested. Mignini had his own prime suspects, apparently thinking a satanic cult was responsible. Talk about your knotty true-crime situations! Officially, the investigation "grinds on with no end in sight," having claimed one more victim--Spezis peace of mind.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2008, American Library Association.)

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).