Douglas Preston and Mario Spezi: The Monster of Florence (USA 2013)

From the Publisher:
In the nonfiction tradition of John Berendt and Erik Larson, the author of the #1 NYT bestseller The Lost City of the Monkey God presents a gripping account of crime and punishment in the lush hills surrounding Florence as he seeks to uncover one of the most infamous figures in Italian history.

In 2000, Douglas Preston fulfilled a dream to move his family to Italy. Then he discovered that the olive grove in front of their 14th century farmhouse had been the scene of the most infamous double-murders in Italian history, committed by a serial killer known as the Monster of Florence. Preston, intrigued, meets Italian investigative journalist Mario Spezi 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. And then, in a strange twist of fate, Preston and Spezi themselves become targets of the police investigation. Preston has his phone tapped, is interrogated, and told to leave the country. Spezi fares worse: he is thrown into Italy's grim Capanne prison, accused of being the Monster of Florence himself.

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.

Douglas Preston and Mario Spezi: The Monster of Florence. A true story. With a new afterword on the shocking link to the Amanda Knox case. Grand Central Publishing, ISBN: 9781455573820 (April, 2013), 348 p., $15.99.

Douglas Preston and Mario Spezi: The Monster of Florence (UK 2009)

From the Publisher:
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.

Douglas Preston and Mario Spezi: The Monster of Florence. A true story. Virgin Books, ISBN: 0753517043 (June, 2009), 426 p., £6.99.

Douglas Preston and Mario Spezi: The Monster of Florence (UK 2009)

From the Publisher:
In 2000, New York Times bestselling author Douglas Preston fulfilled a long-held dream to move his family to Italy. But after settling in an idyllic village just outside Florence, he 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 known as the Monster of Florence. The killer had never been found. Preston, intrigued, met Italian journalist Mario Spezi, who has 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 part of the story. Preston had his phone tapped, was interrogated, and forced to leave the country. Spezi fared even worse: he was accused of being the Monster of Florence himself. 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.

Douglas Preston and Mario Spezi: The Monster of Florence. A true story. Virgin Books, ISBN: 1905264674 (January, 2009), 322 p., £14.99.

Douglas Preston and Mario Spezi: The Monster of Florence (USA 2008)

From the Publisher:
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 14th century farmhouse had been the scene of the most infamous double-murders in Italian history, committed by a serial killer known as the Monster of Florence. Preston, intrigued, meets Italian investigative journalist Mario Spezi 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. And then, in a strange twist of fate, Preston and Spezi themselves become targets of the police investigation. Preston has his phone tapped, is interrogated, and told to leave the country. Spezi fares worse: he is thrown into Italy's grim Capanne prison, accused of being the Monster of Florence himself.

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.

Douglas Preston and Mario Spezi: The Monster of Florence. A true story. Grand Central Publishing, ISBN: 0446581194 (March, 2008), 322 p., $25.99.