Nick's Picks

Continuing our regular feature of book recommendations from Uptown Borders' sales manager, Nick Taylor:

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The Monster of Florence
by Douglas Preston with Mario Spezi

"Truth is stranger than fiction" is an old saying that comes to mind when recounting one of my most memorable non-fiction reads. As an old favorite in my bookstore career, I've pitched this book dozens of times. If I've hand-sold it to you, you are probably familiar with a rant that goes a little like this:

"You would really like The Monster of Florence. If you have ever read anything about Hannibal Lecter from Thomas Harris or seen any of the films, specifically Hannibal, that film actually used this case study in helping develop some of the more graphic parts. It simply accounts for the most horrific, documented scenes I've ever read.

"The book is divided into two parts, the first being the history of the murders and the second being the more modern day where the author finds himself, along with Spezi, as a suspect pursued by the authorities."

If quotes from life leave you disinclined, I must throw in again a reference to the substantial number of books I've devoured during my stay at the bookstore in Uptown (around 230 books since 10/21/2007) while marking this as a definite non-fiction favorite.

Through the pages you will witness Spezi recall devastating memories of the fourteen murders, bite down on your lip while tearing through the next gored image, and remain stymied by the killer at large in this, The Monster of Florence, A True Story.

- Nicholas Taylor, Sales Manager, Uptown Borders