Read It

So I recently finished reading The Monster of Florence by Douglas Preston and Mario Spezi, a non-fiction novel about the series of murders that took place in Florence starting in the 1960s. It's a great read, and a fast read (despite the 300 plus pages it took less than a week to zip through).

Why I loved it? It was well written, first, and the way Preston spun the tale, it was more of a suspense novel. I had to constantly remind myself thatn this actually did happen, just the way it was written. It brought fear into me as I thought about my future trip to Florence in April, which then caused me to remiond myself that this happened years ago. (They never cuaght the monster however).

The beginning caught my attention because of the tales of the murders, but what made the second half even better was the corruptness of the Italian judiciary system. Cops in the region can start an investigation based off a radical blog accusing a dead cult for the murders (which happens all the time in Dan Brown Novels). They can also kick start an investigation based mainly on one cop's undying hatred for a journalist, with which fuels the cop's need to see the innocent behind bars. Criticism of an investigation, as in the case of the book, is almost fearful because of what the police would do.

It made me angry to think that these journalists had to deal with this. In the United States, a journalist accused of assisting in a murder case becuase of his critical articles of the investigation would be shot down almost immediately by the American Journalist Association, along with other organizations designed to protect the freedom of the press. But in Italy, the police force has a higher power, and journalists find themselves in constant fear of losing their job or worse for simply writing the facts.

I respect Mario Spezi tremendously for his work, especially for not backing down when he was arrested for fabricating evidence and tampering with a police investigation. As a journalist, I know it can be difficult to write articles that are negative, but it's part of the job. We are watch dogs, and our purpose is to make sure the public knows about everythign going on in thier world, no matter how small or large of a town they live in. We keep up with the events and discussions that happen throghout the government to be sure the public knows what's going on, and knows that everything is done fairly and in their best interest (which never happens).

So that's my two cents for the day. I highly recommend the book to anyone, especially journalists, looking for a good read and a different one. If you are venturing to Florence, however, maybe wait until after your trip to read it. Although you really only need to worry about "Il Monstro" if you are having sex in a car in countryside.

For more information, go to the author's website:

http://www.mosterofflorence.co.uk/