Here's the transcript for Monster of Florence by Douglas Preston and Mario Spezi
April 4th, 2009 - 2:00 P.M.

BGE: Welcome, everyone!
Monster of Florence is here!
Candi...I missed ya! Where did you go?
Hi, Nancy!

Nancy L: Hi, Brenda!

BGE: How are you? I missed you in Savannah.

Nancy L: Missing out on Savannah was a huge disappointment. It just wasn't meant to be.

BGE: No, I think not, and everyone except me had a huge struggle getting there
It was the Atlanta airport and that storm that made everyone's travel plans full of havoc.

Nancy L: Thank goodness, I have a very philosophic daughter.

BGE: What did she say? That it just wasn't meant to be? I believe that, very strongly.

Nancy L: Exactly!

BGE: That's my philosophy also, and it proves to be true about 100% of the time.

Nancy L: So, I've got this air credit with Continental with an exception because of the horrible weather. We can use the credit without incurring a charge for rewriting the tickets.

BGE: That's pretty good of them, isn't it?

Nancy L: Sorry, typo! I meant to type "So now"

BGE: No worries, I make typos all of the time. I call them 'y-tops' because that was the way I typed typos once!

Nancy L: I'm anxious to get started.......I just can't get this book out of my mind

BGE: Candi keeps trying to sign in and not making it...wonder what's happening for her? Shall we wait a few more minutes for Ginger and Candi?

Nancy L: Sure

BGE: How's the weather in your corner of the world today?

Nancy L: It's gloriously beautiful, sunny and warm, about 78 degrees

BGE: We have sunshine and warm temps! YAY! Spring has sprung, at last..

BGE: 78 degrees is perfect, isn't it? I love the weather in the 70's, not much higher.

Nancy L: Time to start planting again.

BGE: Yep, I need a day in the greenhouse where I buy all of my luscious plants!
The owner starts everything in December, planting her seedlings and ordering her perennials and shrubs and trees. Nice way to get through winter!

Nancy L: We have a wonderful nursery close by, like strolling in the park. I feel like a dieter in a candy store each time I'm shopping there.

BGE: I love the smell!!!!

Nancy L: Shall we go ahead and begin? It's 15 minutes after.

BGE: So, it's 15 past...let's start. Ginger may have forgotten and Candi is logged in on Slowtrav but not able to log in here, I think. She's tried a few times and never gets in.
HA! Brilliant minds think alike! Sure, Nancy, you go first!

Nancy L: True! I had read several books by Douglas Preston and enjoyed them. He approached this one as a real mystery writer, which brought a lot to the book, I think.

BGE: I thought it was a scary reality that someone only curious and wanting to write the story could be indicted for the crime that he was writing about. That's a frightening thought. It could happen to anyone.

Nancy L: Absolutely! I sometimes have an insane curiosity about things and could imagine myself in his shoes.

BGE: No doubt! What does that say for the police system, though? Were they just trying to scare him off from investigating or were they covering up for someone else, and he was getting too close to the truth?

Nancy L: At least, their handling of the investigation, etc. was curious and makes you wonder.

BGE: It was very casual. At least, that was my feeling about it. Here were people being viciously slaughtered and it didn't seem like any huge issue to the local police.

Nancy L: I also think that the situation may have been more political than depicted in the book.

BGE: I never thought of that! Why do you think it might have been?

Nancy L: My cousins lived in Rome and Naples for 9 years!

BGE: Ohhhhhh, they'd understand the political aspect then!

Nancy L: One of the reasons they eventually moved back to the US instead of retiring in Italy.

BGE: Oh, because it was just too too political? How did it affect them, when they were living there?

Nancy L: In all fairness to the Italians, Preston did comment that, unlike most crimes, there appeared to be no comprehensible motive, little evidence, and the process of discovery didn't lead, one way or another, to the truth.

BGE: Did they ever figure out who the person was who committed the crimes? I didn't read that anywhere.

Nancy L: I didn't either.

BGE: Imagine living in the neighbourhood...you'd never feel safe! Still, I cannot believe that their way to handle the investigative reporter was to charge him with the crime in order to shut him up...

Nancy L: My cousins were living in Rome and Naples at that time and were horrified but not personally affected.

BGE: They heard about and knew about the murders? Usually, and this may well show my ignorance about the country, but I don't think of Italy as a country with a violent crime history.

Nancy L: I agree with you last comment. Perhaps, investigative reporters were not taken seriously at that time. However, Spezi appeared to be well thought of in police circles up to a point.
Again, your thought, where they getting too close?
I think I'm one comment behind you.

BGE: 's ok, I'll wait!

Nancy L: I agree, I've never thought of Italy as a violent place. As an Italian friend told me, "We may rob you, but we won't kill you!"
What are you reading now? I'm between books, so I just read The Secret Life of Bees again.

BGE: Be back in a moment...

Nancy L: I'll just sip on my Dr. Pepper

BGE: Sorry, cell phone for work...done now!

BGE: I love The Secret Life of Bees! I want to see the movie!

Nancy L: You will love the movie, I promise! It's a must-see.

Nancy L: What's our next book?

BGE: Next book? Why, The Secret Life of Bees by Sue Monk Kidd, of course!

I also just finished reading The Last Cato by Matile Asensi...good read!

Nancy L: That is on my list

BGE: Now, I'm reading Rush Home Road And her other book, The Girls, was excellent!

Nancy L: Thank you. You're a credible book reviewer. I'll check them out.

BGE: Awwwww, thanks, Nancy!
Rush Home Road reminds me a little of The Book of Negroes by Lawrence Hill.
Not the same story line but lots of similarities, and the author had added in the sadness of growing older and living with no one to look after the central character in the book. Very touching.

Nancy L: Any more thoughts? Let's remember to tell Mindy not to get too snoopy when in Italy next month!

BGE: Too funny, Nancy...Mindy will laugh about that!
I've just answered a PM from Candi, as she is trying to join us and getting shut out every time! Weird!

Nancy L: I hate to miss Candi, but I need to sign off for now. As always, I've enjoyed visiting with you. Let's do it again soon.

BGE: Nancy, I just lost the entire chat transcript!

BGE: Nancy...

Nancy L: Can I do something from here?

BGE: Oh, here it is back again! Weird! I couldn't see anything that we've written, but now it is back.
Gremlins in the internet.
OK, better close, also...take good care and thanks for stopping by!
Ciao for now, Nancy!

Nancy L: Perhaps we need an exorcism! Ciao for now!

BGE: Maybe! 'bye!!!

BGE: I'm here, Candi!

BGE: candi?

BGE: Yep, you've just left the room, Candi!