"Amanda Knox left her home in Seattle for one year of study in Perugia, Italy in the fall of 2007. Three months later Meredith Kercher, one of her roommates, was brutally murdered in the cottage they shared with several others. Amanda and her boyfriend, Raffaele Sollecito, were arrested just three days later and convicted of the murder two years after that. Unless her sentence is reduced or overturned on appeal, Amanda will not return home until the year 2033. She will be 46 years old and will have spent the prime of her life in Italian prisons.

Amanda Knox is innocent."

So begins The Monster of Perugia, which tells the story of the framing of Amanda Knox by powers within the justice system of the small city of Perugia, Italy. Now that Amanda and Raffaele have spent more than three years in prison, many people have learned enough of the truth behind the lurid headline deceptions to realize that Amanda and Raffaele Sollecito, her boyfriend at the time, are clearly innocent of the crime.

What most people still do not begin to understand, however, is that these wrongful convictions were not a matter of justice taking its course – frustrating, slow, but beneath it all fair. The wrongful convictions of Amanda and Raffaele were the result of deliberate acts perpetrated by corrupt and dishonest people. Those people have abused their powers of office, they have savaged the lives of innocent young people, and racked their families and loved ones. They should be brought to a halt, and they should be brought to justice.

By drawing on historical and literary allusions, Monster of Perugia shows what has happened in the most powerful terms available. Many other commentaries have drawn back from the brink of speaking the full truth about what has happened in Perugia. The truth in this matter is extreme, it is outrageous, and at times, it is unbelievable.

Strong reactions to The Monster of Perugia are already beginning to come in. Two of the first:

Douglas Preston, bestselling author with Mario Spezi of The Monster of Florence, which described the investigations of a series of murders in the region of Florence, Italy involving the same prosecutor as this case, wrote this.

"The Monster of Perugia is a fascinating book, essential for anyone interested in the horrific case of Amanda Knox. Waterbury, an expert in forensics and the scientific evaluation of evidence, shows how virtually all the evidence used to convict Knox of murder was fraudulent, manipulated, and concocted. He makes the clearest case yet that she was framed by powerful Italian authorities intent on covering up their own mistakes. I highly recommend this well-written, clear, gripping, and ultimately infuriating book."

Another reaction comes from Thomas Wright, author and founder, FriendsofAmanda.org (FOA).

"This book presents an overview of the Amanda Knox case unlike any other. It meticulously records the folly, spectacle, and outrageous injustice lurking behind an Italian facade. Though his insights cut like a scalpel and aim a high-powered microscope at every questionable detail and procedure, Waterbury is more than a scientist. The real power of this presentation lies in its organizing principle, pointing out the historical and literary precedents to be found at every turn.

He proves his main theorem unequivocally - that although the monstrous wrongs committed against Amanda Knox happened on Italian soil, they can absolutely happen to anyone, regardless of country or culture, anywhere, at any time. By the end, Waterbury makes us understand what it's like to be an entirely innocent victim of a corrupt system. He tells us the truth and calls us to action."

If you want to learn the truth about this case, if you want to understand just how far supposedly educated, civilized people have gone to advance their selves at any cost in other's suffering you will want to read The Monster of Perugia.