The Monster of Florence: A True Story is a 2008 true crime book by American thriller writer Douglas Preston and Italian journalist Mario Spezi. It relates to a series of murders that occurred between 1968 and 1985 and involved couples who were killed while having sex in their cars in deserted lanes around the city of Florence in the Italian region of Tuscany.
 Front cover | |
| Author | Douglas Preston Mario Spezi |
|---|---|
| Language | English |
| Genre | True crime |
| Publisher | Grand Central Publishing |
Publication date | June 10, 2008[1] |
| Publication place | United States |
| Media type | Print (Hardcover) |
| Pages | 336 |
| ISBN | 978-0-446-58119-6 |
Background
editPreston, an author of fiction and non-fiction books, moved to Florence with his family and became interested in the Monster of Florence case because the murders had taken place in the surrounding countryside. Mario Spezi, co-author of the book, is a journalist who specialized in the Monster of Florence case for many years. Preston and Spezi became friends and then collaborated on articles and books about the case. Both became figures in the case when the Italian prosecutors came to suspect them and accuse them of crimes including obstruction of justice and potentially being accomplices to murder. Preston published an article about the case in American magazine The Atlantic in 2006.[2]
Summary
editIt recounts the authors' personal experiences while investigating the case and their experience of being subject to allegations by Italian prosecutors. Preston and Spezi have been outspoken critics of the tactics and theories pursued by police and prosecutors in the Monster of Florence case.
The book is stated as being an English translation of Spezi and Preston's Italian language book, [Dolci Colline di Sangue] (Sweet Hills of Blood) published two years earlier by Preston's Italian publisher, Sonzogno[3] in 2006. Spezi wrote the majority of the Italian manuscript.[4]
Film version
editIn late 2008, film studio United Artists announced its purchase of the film rights to The Monster of Florence: a True Story.[5] In 2010 the project was acquired by Fox 2000 and is in development, with George Clooney attached as producer as well as to play the role of Preston.[6] However, Clooney has since dropped out of the project.[7]
In July 2018, Preston announced that the director, Nikolaj Arcel, planned to start shooting in the spring of 2019.[8] In June 2021, it was announced that actor Antonio Banderas will play the role of Spezi.[9] Arcel will direct the 6-hour limited series, with scripts by Arcel and Anders Thomas Jensen.
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ "The Monster of Florence". Hachette Book Group. Retrieved June 12, 2009.
- ^ July/August issue, 2006, Atlantic Magazine
- ^ Preston, Douglas (2006-07-01). "The Monster of Florence". The Atlantic. Retrieved 2021-07-05.
- ^ Kirsta, Alix (2006-12-14). "I thought – 'I'm in serious trouble here'". the Guardian. Retrieved 2021-07-05.
- ^ Scherer, Steve (September 18, 2008). "'Monster of Florence' Murders Expose Dark Side of Tuscan City". Bloomberg News. Retrieved June 12, 2009.
- ^ "Douglas Preston (I) - News". IMDb.
- ^ "The Monster of Florence - Trivia - IMDb". IMDb.
- ^ https://www.facebook.com/164839133552590/posts/pfbid02waL4mA3YY9XGNdSgZk2VWUNyjNqrTfKt3RQxDTyyxndgSXScpCPsStQJ2eRRRPQ1l/ [bare URL]
- ^ "Antonio Banderas to Star in Studiocanal's 'The Monster of Florence' From Nicolaj Arcel, Anders Thomas Jensen (EXCLUSIVE)". Variety. 2021-06-28. Archived from the original on 2023-02-01.
External links
edit- Official Site
- The Monster of Florence - Douglas Preston article in The Atlantic, July/August 2006
- The Journalist and the Murderer - Interview with Douglas Preston in The Atlantic, July/August 2006
- The Boston Globe: "Trapped in His Own Thriller"