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mommaslonglegs's review against another edition
3.0
3.5 rounded down. Talk about a deep dive. I knew broad facts about the Monster of Florence case (most notably that it's unsolved) but man I did not have all the background. This not only dives into the monster case but the history of several of Florence's most influential families and various cultural norms and brings the reader from the first killing all the way to 2008 and the false imprisonment of one of the authors and charges against the other. It's rare that you read a true crime novel that ends with one of the authors being accused of being the murderer and the other his accomplice.
dcstrange19's review against another edition
challenging
dark
informative
mysterious
medium-paced
trin's review against another edition
3.0
I wasn’t planning to read any more true crime for a while after freaking myself out so bad with [a: Ann Rule|9678|Ann Rule|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1609348043p2/9678.jpg]’s [b: The Stranger Beside Me|15654|The Stranger Beside Me Ted Bundy The Shocking Inside Story|Ann Rule|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1330072383l/15654._SY75_.jpg|1353958]. However, the hold I’d placed on this at the library chose now to come up. (The LAPL: conspiring to deny me sleep since 2000.) Luckily, this book isn’t as someone-is-going-to-kill-me-in-my-bed scary as that Ted Bundy tome. Yes, the crimes committed by Florence’s Monster—brutal slayings of couples parking in the Italian countryside—were horrific, but the true horror of this account involves the terrifyingly corrupt Italian legal system. Christ! This book made me pray that I am never busted for littering or jaywalking or, you know, looking kinda sketchy while in Italy, because you can apparently be held almost indefinitely without being charged, you can be picked up on trumped-up charges, and members of the police or the Italian-equivalent-DA’s office will ignore genuine evidence and let the real killer walk if doing so can result in career advancement. The kind of “believe the lie” political maneuvering depicted here reminded me way too much of the current election cycle here in America, and so reading this book stressed me out more than it freaked me out.
The story’s simply and clearly told, with (thankfully) very little time spent lingering over the gorier details. Preston does indulge in some weird [a: Thomas Harris|12455|Thomas Harris|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1602363825p2/12455.jpg] fanboying ([b: Hannibal|23807|The Silence of the Lambs (Hannibal Lecter, #2)|Thomas Harris|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1565096163l/23807._SY75_.jpg|22533] drew from aspects of the Monster case and was set in Florence), and the narrative suffers from being very frustrating, as the case has never been resolved. In general, the book is at times quite compelling, but not exactly enjoyable: even when I was fascinated, I wanted to scream. That’s life, I guess. May I have a novel with a happy ending now, please?
The story’s simply and clearly told, with (thankfully) very little time spent lingering over the gorier details. Preston does indulge in some weird [a: Thomas Harris|12455|Thomas Harris|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1602363825p2/12455.jpg] fanboying ([b: Hannibal|23807|The Silence of the Lambs (Hannibal Lecter, #2)|Thomas Harris|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1565096163l/23807._SY75_.jpg|22533] drew from aspects of the Monster case and was set in Florence), and the narrative suffers from being very frustrating, as the case has never been resolved. In general, the book is at times quite compelling, but not exactly enjoyable: even when I was fascinated, I wanted to scream. That’s life, I guess. May I have a novel with a happy ending now, please?
gracefullypunk's review against another edition
3.0
I'm not sure I'd liken this to Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil, or Devil in the White City -- it simply doesn't hold the attention same way. Of course, it's a bit more difficult when the killer's identity is unknown. In other words, if you're looking for insight into the mind of a killer, or even the response of a city, this isn't the book for you. But if you want to be astounded by the way Italy's judicial system "works", pick this one up.
jobustitch's review against another edition
4.0
I really only picked up this book because it was a true crime book, but was plesantly suprised at the slice of Italian life it portrayed. I found the glimpse into the Tuscan psyche really fascinating, even more fascinating than the crimes themselves. Well done!
mrs_tea's review against another edition
3.0
Im not much for true crime novels, but the Monster of Florence pulled me in.