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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). (June)
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.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 article-and 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, LJ2/15/08.]
—Deirdre Bray Root
Douglas Preston worked as a writer and editor for the American Museum of Natural History and taught writing at Princeton Univeristy. He has written for The New Yorker, Natural History, National Geographic, Harper's, Smithsonian, and The Atlantic. The author of several acclaimed nonfiction books, Preston is also the cowriter with Lincold Child of the bestselling series of novels featuring FBI agent Pendergast.
Mario Spezi, a highly decorated journalist, has covered many of the most important criminal cases in Italy, including those invovling terrorism and the Mafia, and has been investigating the Monster of Florence case since its beginning. He has also published both fiction and nonfiction books in Italy and several other countries.
Preston's first job was as a writer for the American Museum of Natural History in New York -- an eight year stint that led to the publication of his first book, Dinosaurs in the Attic and introduced him to his future writing partner, Lincoln Child, then working as an editor at St. Martin's Press. The two men bonded, as they worked closely together on the book. As the project neared completion, Preston treated Child to a private midnight tour of the museum, an excursion that proved fateful. As Preston tells it, "...in the darkened Hall of Late Dinosaurs, under a looming T. Rex, Child turned to [me] and said: 'This would make the perfect setting for a thriller!'" Their first collaborative effort, Relic, would not be published until 1995, by which time Preston had picked up stakes and moved to Santa Fe to pursue a full-time writing career.
In addition to writing novels (The Codex, Tyrannosaur Canyon) and nonfiction books on the American Southwest (Cities of Gold, Ribbons of Time), Preston has collaborated with Lincoln Child on several post-Relic thrillers. While not strictly a series, the books share characters and events, and the stories all take place in the same universe. The authors refer to this phenomenon as "The Preston-Child Pangea."
Preston divides his time between New Mexico and Maine, while Child lives in New Jersey -- a situation that necessitates a lot of long-distance communication. But their partnership (facilitated by phone, fax, and email) is remarkably productive and thoroughly egalitarian: They shape their plots through a series of discussions; Child sends an outline of a set of chapters; Preston writes the first draft of those chapters, which is subsequently rewritten by Child; and in this way the novel is edited back and forth until both authors are happy. They attribute the relatively seamless surface of their books to the fact that "[a]ll four hands have found their way into practically every sentence, at one time or another."
In between, Preston remains busy. He is a regular contributor to magazines like National Geographic, The New Yorker, Natural History, Smithsonian, Harper's, and Travel & Leisure, and he continues with varied solo literary projects. Which is not to say his partnership with Lincoln Child is over. Fans of the bestselling Preston-Child thrillers can be assured there are bigger and better adventures to come.
His brother is Richard Preston, the bestselling author of The Hot Zone, The Cobra Event, The Wild Trees, and other novels and nonfiction narratives.
Preston is an expert horseman and a member of the Long Riders Guild.
He is also a National Geographic Society Fellow, has traveled extensively around the world, and contributes archaeological articles to many magazines.
In our interview, Preston shared some fun and fascinating personal anecdotes.
"My first job was washing dishes in the basement of a nursing home for $2.10 an hour, and I learned as much about the value of hard work there as I ever did later."
"I need to write in a small room -- the smaller the better. I can't write in a big room where someone might sneak up behind my back."
"My hobbies are mountain biking, horseback riding and packing, canoeing and kayaking, hiking, camping, cooking, and skiing."
Douglas Preston is a great writer of mysteries and brings all his skills to this true story. Such great descriptions of the beauty of Italy and the people involved in this fiasco. A serial killer on the loose and the Italian police go in so many directions that it's crazy. And some of those directions will surprise you. Sure makes you wonder about the Amanda Knox case.....and that is even brought up at the end of the book. I think this a great read.
10 out of 10 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Barb52
Posted February 20, 2010
I thought the contrast with the romanticized Italian countryside, Tuscany, wine culture, art, and so on that we associate with Italy was marked in the true story of Italian murder and mystery. I was hooked and involved immediately and finished the book swiftly. The afterword about the Amanda Knox case is fascinating and timely. I hope international attention forces a look at the Italian version of justice. Power corrupts...
4 out of 4 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Overall, I really enjoyed this book. I like books involving crimes and mysteries and this book incorporated both. I also found myself wanting to look up additional information regarding these serial killings in florence. The only issue I had with the book was that it was a little lengthy in some sections. Nonentheleess, I would recommend this book.
3 out of 3 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Smiley-in-the-Sunshine
Posted May 7, 2010
I Also Recommend:
read this, initially, due to Douglas Preston's name as co-author-- came to appreciate it at another level as the story behind the story, the cover-up, international intrigue, Italian politics, culture relative to Florence, press involvement, etc. unspiraled in an incredible fashion-- thought it would all be too much detail and I would forget key elements due to the sheer volume of information, but Preston and Spezi presented it artfully-- I found it to be a page-turner I was willing to lose sleep for in order to extend reading opportunities!-- thank you, authors: your expertise and integrity shine
3 out of 3 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.I saw someone reading this book for two days poolside on vacation and she could not put it down. After she finished it on the second day, I asked her about it and she recommeded it. I had seen the cover and assumed that it was a novel. The is the most amazing non-fiction book I have read in a long time. The story starts out with elements that bring to mind the David Berkowitz case of the 70's. This serial killer
strikes in the Tuscan countryside, so the setting is beautiful, contrasted with the violence of the crimes. The story is spellbinding.
There are so many twists and turns and the fact that both authors become involved with the investigation, adds to the intrigue. I think the authors have done an incredible job both researching and writing this book. I will be recommending it to everyone. One look at the cover also intrigues you. I think the cover is probably what hooked me
originally as I watched someone devour the book in two days.
3 out of 3 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Preston and Spezi take the reader deep into the case of an old Italian murder mystery. An incredible first hand account of Spezi's involvement in the case, draws the reader to be more and more interested with each and every page. Through the detailed crime scenes, to the intriguing investigations, Spezi is able to draw a beautiful picture in your head. This book is filled with shocking suspects and unbelievable verdicts.The Monster of Florence is guaranteed to keep you wanting more.
10 out of 10.
3 out of 3 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Anonymous
Posted October 8, 2010
I was excited to read this book, thinking it would be a gorgeous portrait of Italy as well as a murder mystery. Unfortunately, I found the writing stilted and the plot uneven, and I left with little understanding of the real Italy. Very disappointed.
2 out of 7 people found this review helpful.
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Posted August 16, 2010
INCREDIBLE BOOK!! ONE OF THE BEST IVE READ!
2 out of 3 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.PurpleladyLB
Posted January 4, 2010
I purchased this book for my husband, an retired policeman, who enjoys good literature. I read it before giving it and truly enjoyed the mystery. I especially enjoyed the setting since I lived in that very area of Tuscany on a painting trip. The inefficacies of the justice system brought memories of my brief encounter with the law when my wallet was stolen...archaic and inefficient! The novel is very well written and I will seek out more books by the same author. Really enjoyed the investigative and personal relationships of Mario Spezi and Douglas Preston.
Since the names in this novel are so similar to the unfamiliar reader, a listing of the characters and their connection to each other would be helpful.
My friend also read the book before my giving it to my husband. She agrees with my comments. My husband enjoyed the book, especially the well-written text but found all the similar names difficult to keep in check. All in all, it was a very good book which many of us enjoyed. It is already on my friends' "borrowing list".
Lorraine Boucher
2 out of 3 people found this review helpful.
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Posted March 24, 2011
I can't believe I paid for this trashy book. It's written by an author who is supposedly well known and has been a good seller? You would never know it by the way it was written. DON'T WASTE YOUR TIME. Read the internet version by real journalists. MARIO SPEZI wrote most of this book and it shows - his English is nil and he keeps repeating the same ideas and the same crap over and over in each chapter.
Reading this book - I wanted the Monster to go after him - and guess what (spoiler alert) he did!
1 out of 6 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Great book! Hard to put down.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Wonderfully researched, captivating, and enlightening. The authors are not only experts on the case, [the twisted] Italian judiciary practice, and the human psyche in general, but they are also fantastic writers. It will be interesting to see how the Monster of Florence story, the Sardinian Trial, and the Meredith Kercher case will all be played out once this book becomes read world-wide. This book she be a required reading!!!
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.This was a great book. I didn't even know that there was a Monster of Florence. It was great fun to speculate who could have done it. I wish that I had the time and money to go and investigate it a bit myself!
The book was well written and researched. Preston went to one of the greatest sources of the story and was right to include him; Spezi was awesome.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Anonymous
Posted July 26, 2008
This is a great book because it is not the typical detached telling of a set of monstrous crimes. It is a true detective story, Spezi and Preston have their hands elbow deep in the action. My only complaint is editorial in nature . . . on page 25, the author states that 'the city was founded by Julius Caesar in AD 59'. Caesar was dead for over 100 years by that time. The true date of Florence's founding is 59 BC. Hopefully this glaring error will be changed in the paperback version. Otherwise, the book was outstanding!
1 out of 2 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Anonymous
Posted June 23, 2008
I thought this book was going to be a great read, but was disappointed and forced myself to finish it about 3/4 f the way through it. It starts strong and pulls you in and then drags on and on. Preston acts a bit like he's got a man- crush on another author with the number of times this well known American author is mentioned in the book. Bottom line... Get it from the library... don't buy it.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
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Posted March 6, 2013
The story of the killer is fascinating, however I think I would have preferred a book by Spezi alone. To begin with, there is not a chapter in the book that doesn't mention smoking, smokers or the evils of smoking. Most chapters have at least a paragraph on the types & brands of cigarettes, pipes & cigars, detailed lists of smokers at meetings & how they hold the evil object in their mouths. It even includes a vignette about teachers who smoked in front of his son, apparently necessitating that the child be moved to a school run by non-smoking nuns. Anti-smoking complaints notwithstanding, Preston is awfully long-winded (pun intended).
The details of the investigation & Spezi's research are fascinating. Specifics about the horrific nature of the killings are phrased to allow the reader important information without being overly sensational. The inadequate approach of the Italian authorities is, IMO, too detailed, but illuminating. Two of the worst offenders went on to prosecute Amanda Knox with the same shoddy techniques.
Fully half the book is devoted to the travails of Preston who comes under investigation by the Italian authorities because of his & Spezi's criticisms of their methods & conclusions. The murder suspect Spezi focuses on gets less attention in Preston's missive than the smokers, or Florentine history. This is the greatest disappointment for me, although I appreciate many of the assorted facts tossed in as background for foreign readers unfamiliar with Italy.
I'm rating the book as average, since it contains important information about the killings & does offer tremendous insight into Spezi's efforts, intelligence & subsequent abuse by the Italian authorities. I'm not a fan of Preston's style of story-telling, however this book will fit the bill if you're interested in true crime & the Monster of Florence.
Anonymous
Posted September 5, 2012
I always trust Douglas Preston for his fictional murder mysteries - so, it was not a big leap for me to try this book. I was not disappointed! Very intriguing story, especially with the insight into the Italian legal system and cultural differences. Definitely a good read.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Anonymous
Posted June 28, 2012
An eye opening expose' on the inherent corruption and incompetence that pervades the Italian justice system.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.SuzySB
Posted March 31, 2012
Picked this up on the clearance table at B & N cuz I am going to Tuscany and Umbria in June and also enjoy reading non-fiction books written by journalists. This is a fascinating crime story and an even more interesting look at the criminal justice system in Italy. Moreover, it truly highlights certain cultural and national traits of Italy and Italians. After reading it, I realized why Amanda Knox was locked up for four years: the Public Prosecutor is a power-hungry loony-toons! I highly recommend this book.
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Posted February 22, 2012
I am a big fan of Douglas Preston and have read most of his books. But, I did not like this books. It was very confusing and too much detailed information about the people involved. I understand the necessity relating to it being a true story.
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