The Monster of Florence - Couverture souple

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.

'A rigorous study of a case that gripped the Italian media. Part thriller, part police-procedural' Financial Times

'Compulsive reading' The Sunday Times

'A rattling good story' Daily Telegraph

The 'Monster of Florence', Italy's answer to Jack the Ripper, murdered seven couples in secluded areas outside of Florence over a period of ten years, from 1974 to 1985; he left behind mutilated corpses and a media frenzy. Bestselling thriller writer Douglas Preston and Italian crime reporter Mario Spezi decided to jointly investigate these chilling, unsolved murders. In their quest to identify the killer, they uncovered a murky world of accusations, suspicion, a corrupt police force and a killer always one step ahead. Gripping from beginning to end, this latest edition now includes an explosive new afterword about the recent and much-publicised murder of a British student, Meredith Kercher, and its connection to the monster case. This is a remarkable and harrowing true story of murder, mutilation, and vengeance - with Preston and Spezi caught in the middle.

'A book that anybody who enjoys crime and horror stories should read' Evening Standard, Book of the Week