Wednesday, November 5, 2008

Monster of Florence Review


I am not a true crime reader, but I love Douglas Preston so when I saw this on the shelf, I knew I just had to read it. Thus began an adventure that would rival that of Jack the Ripper. Liken to Jack, the Monster of Florence is the Italian legend who, instead of slaying prostitutes, would prey on young couples. With gun in hand, he would kill the man and woman before cutting into the woman's body. The description here is taken out because of the graphic nature of what the Monster did. It is something I would rather not explore in word. You must read the book to find out.

Preston handles this story as he does so much of his writing. He is very descriptive and thorough. He paints a picture of every scene and takes you there whether you want to or not. During his investigation, he also caught the attention of the local authorities of where he is still under the scope. Strangely, all of this started because he lives very close to the grove where one of the several double murders happened.


Again, I am not a true crime fan. I do read many of the books about Jack the ripper so I knew what to expect here. Monster of Florence is a great book for those who love gruesome history and a well written criminal investigation. I will not tell you whether they solved the Italian legend, but I will say it is definitely a page turning marvel.

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