Books News

The Monster of Florence

By Jessica Schneider Jun 15, 2008, 10:59 GMT

In the nonfiction tradition of John Berendt ("Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil") and Erik Larson ("The Devil in the White City"), New York Times bestselling author Douglas Preston presents a gripping account of crime and punishment in the lush hills surrounding Florence, Italy.In 2000, Douglas Preston fulfilled a dream to move his family to Italy. Then he discovered that the olive grove in front of their ...more

That is the title of the novel by Douglas Preston with Mario Spezi. The AP calls the book: “This gripping collaboration between a best-selling American author and an Italian journalist is a most unconventional thriller, a real-life murder mystery in which the authors become suspects.”

“Like one of Preston's thrillers, The Monster Of Florence, tells a remarkable and harrowing story involving murder, mutilation, and suicide-and at the center of it, Preston and Spezi, caught in a bizarre prosecutorial vendetta,” the product description states.

The AP reviewer also notes: “The fascinating story unfolds with memorable characters and dizzying plot twists that could come off as far-fetched if the book was fictional. The writing is evocative, and the two collaborators skillfully weave the narratives back and forth to create, at times, a razor's edge of tension.”

Grand Central is the publisher.

Click here for the review.