Dinner & A Book - The Monster of Florence

Join me and my guest Linda Luchessi as we discuss The Monster of Florence by Douglas Preston and Mario Spezi as we prepare a picnic sure to attract a monster or two.

In the tradition of John Berendt’s Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil and Erik Larson’s The Devil in the White City, Douglas Preston weaves a captivating account of crime and punishment in the lush hills of Florence, Italy.

Douglas Preston fulfilled a lifelong dream when he moved with his family to a villa in Florence. Upon meeting journalist Mario Spezi (a highly decorated journalist who has covered the most important criminal cases in Italy including cases of terrorism and the Mafia), Preston was stunned to learn that the olive grove next to his home had been the scene of a horrific murder committed by a serial killer who ritually murdered 14 young lovers. He has never been caught and is known as the Monster of Florence. Preston began to work with Spezi on the case. In ironic ways both men find themselves a target of a bizarre police investigation.

Murder, mutilation, suicide and vengence coupled with a picnic cuisine which Linda Lucchesi and I will prepare for you as we discuss The Monster of Florence.