Monster(s) of Florence

by Douglas Preston

It’s time to wake up and smell the coffee and I just happen to have some brewing right now. Ah! One cup filled with a mix of freshly brewed coffee and soy based artificial flavoring. That’s more like it.

This morning, the cat has come in from the garage and now sits in the window and contemplates the outside world. She is also contemplating running away if those darn twins and other assorted guests don’t leave her house!

And...I just finished reading The Monster of Florence by Douglas Preston. I see by the publication date that the library got their copy almost right away! Anyway; it was a great read; finished in just two days. And what struck me most powerfully about the book was the behavior of the people of Florence. I had assumed that in this ancient city, a city where the Renaissance flowered and the Dark Ages turned to enlightenment, that the citizens would be…how should I say it? A little more intelligent? The behavior of the police and the justices was, as the author noted, worthy of a Pink Panther movie. If it hadn’t been true, you could have died from laughter. As it was, after reading this book, I have no desire to ever visit Italy. Not because of the horrific crimes committed in Florence, but because the ‘authorities’ scare the heck out of me!