Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil

4.4 4.4 out of 5 stars | 14,488 ratings

Price: 14.99

Last update: 05-18-2024


About this item

THE LANDMARK NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • An enormously engaging portrait of a most beguiling Southern city: “Elegant and wicked.... [This] might be the first true-crime book that makes the reader want to book a bed and breakfast for an extended weekend at the scene of the crime." —The New York Times Book Review • 30th Anniversary Edition with a New Afterword by the Author.

Shots rang out in Savannah's grandest mansion in the misty,early morning hours of May 2, 1981. Was it murder or self-defense? For nearly a decade, the shooting and its aftermath reverberated throughout this hauntingly beautiful city of moss-hung oaks and shaded squares. John Berendt's sharply observed, suspenseful, and witty narrative reads like a thoroughly engrossing novel, and yet it is a work of nonfiction. Berendt skillfully interweaves a hugely entertaining first-person account of life in this isolated remnant of the Old South with the unpredictable twists and turns of a landmark murder case.

It is a spellbinding story peopled by a gallery of remarkable characters: the well-bred society ladies of the Married Woman's Card Club; the turbulent young redneck gigolo; the hapless recluse who owns a bottle of poison so powerful it could kill every man, woman, and child in Savannah; the aging and profane Southern belle who is the "soul of pampered self-absorption"; the uproariously funny black drag queen; the acerbic and arrogant antiques dealer; the sweet-talking, piano-playing con artist; young blacks dancing the minuet at the black debutante ball; and Minerva, the voodoo priestess who works her magic in the graveyard at midnight. These and other Savannahians act as a Greek chorus, with Berendt revealing the alliances, hostilities, and intrigues that thrive in a town where everyone knows everyone else.

Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil is a sublime and seductive reading experience. Brilliantly conceived and masterfully written, this true-crime book has become a modern classic.

Top reviews from the United States

Prime member
5.0 out of 5 stars Good read
Reviewed in the United States on May 8, 2024
Great book great description of the city of Savannah
jmk444
4.0 out of 5 stars A riveting read....
Reviewed in the United States on April 4, 2002
I thought John Berendt did a very good job of weaving a rich tapestry of eccentric characters and a fascinating setting, into an original true crime story. The book is based on an actual murder that set the precedent for OJ Simpson's defense, that is challenging the police and Medical Examiner's handling of the crime scene evidence.
Berendt spent eight years in Savannah, researching the book that originally started out as an article and it shows! In fact, maybe it shows too much...that is, what I gather, most of his critics have a problem with - INFO DUMP. Berendt does give reams of background material, but I never found it slow going. After reading this book you could picture Savannah and Berendt spun the same kinds of word pictures of each character. You'd swear you knew them all after reading this book.
Jim Williams, a wealthy antiques and collectibles dealer, was charged with the murder of his live-in assistant (and part time male prostitute) Danny Hansford and the trial set off a local firestorm.
As in the OJ case there were no witnesses - Williams charged self-defense, the prosecutor charged murder and the case went to trial...FOUR TIMES!
The original sticking point was the total lack of gun powder residue on Danny Hansford's hands, indicating that he never fired a gun and that Williams may have simply murdered him. Throughout the trials, Williams maintains his innocence as the prosecutor builds more and more circumstantial evidence that shows increasing animosity between Williams and Hansford, Hansford's wild demeanor and bad temper.
In one trial, a single juror, a woman who'd had to defend herself against a violent ex-husband, held out for acquittal, resulting in another hung jury. The fourth trial was moved to Augusta, Georgia - "the heart of the Bible Belt," where the homosexual overtones where not expected to play very well. In Berendt's story, Jim Williams begins telling him how Danny grabbed a gun in which the firing pin had been filed down and Williams reached into his desk for his own gun and fired, fearing the younger man's rage. But Williams lawyer comes in with a blockbuster piece of evidence - neither the police at the scene, nor the hospital staff had bagged Danny Hansford's hands at the scene. In fact, they'd been bagged with plastic bags, which would allow any gun powder residue to be washed away by the condensation. Williams was off the hook!
The book is a fascinating murder mystery, set in a fascinating town, with an array of exotic characters. There's Minerva, the voodoo princess, who helps Jim Williams commune with Danny dead spirit. Joe Odom is the house squatting, local entrepreneur. Lady Chablis (Frank) is a black transvestite who puts on burlesque shows at some of the local venues. There's even a man who walks the leash of a dog that died years ago, in order to keep receiving the $25/week for walking his late bosses pet.
This book is certainly worth reading if only to see the way our legal process actually works. Just as in the OJ case, money appears to triumph over justice in the end. But what else is new? When or where has it been otherwise? After spending nearly two years on the hardcover bestseller list, I guess most folks have read this...if you haven't, by all means check it out. It's a very well crafted read.
Laurie Grela
5.0 out of 5 stars A great read!
Reviewed in the United States on April 18, 2024
I heard about this book on a morning news program. This is one of the few books of late that I couldn’t wait to make the time to read. Even better, the characters were and are real. Fabulous!!
John S
5.0 out of 5 stars The life of Savannah
Reviewed in the United States on April 19, 2024
Well written and fun to read even if you’re NOT planning a visit to Savannah. And I recommend both the book and the visit.
Alan and Emily
3.0 out of 5 stars A story about Savannah, GA, and its people
Reviewed in the United States on July 23, 2023
3.5 stars out of 5 for Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil by John Berendt.

Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil by John Berendt has been on best-seller lists and was described as a modern classic, so I perhaps expected too much. I found the beginning of the novel to be kind of hard to get into, and the storyline was all over the place, with many different characters who didn’t seem to be part of the main murder plot. That all made more sense once I remembered that the novel was based on real people and events, but I wish the story was more focused, with dates included at the beginning of the chapters to help readers better follow the timeline.

Midnight does have some very interesting characters, though, including drag queen Chablis and voodoo priestess Minerva. The descriptions of Savannah are also memorable, especially since I visited Savannah for the first time when I was about halfway through the book.

The ending seemed sad and anti-climatic, but that’s not surprising in a book based on real life with few likable characters. I would describe the overall story as interesting rather than entertaining. I did enjoy the peek into the history of Savannah, but it might improve reader experience if book blurb writers would stop describing the novel as suspenseful and instead emphasize the non-fiction aspect.
Customer image
Alan and Emily
3.0 out of 5 stars A story about Savannah, GA, and its people
Reviewed in the United States on July 23, 2023
3.5 stars out of 5 for Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil by John Berendt.

Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil by John Berendt has been on best-seller lists and was described as a modern classic, so I perhaps expected too much. I found the beginning of the novel to be kind of hard to get into, and the storyline was all over the place, with many different characters who didn’t seem to be part of the main murder plot. That all made more sense once I remembered that the novel was based on real people and events, but I wish the story was more focused, with dates included at the beginning of the chapters to help readers better follow the timeline.

Midnight does have some very interesting characters, though, including drag queen Chablis and voodoo priestess Minerva. The descriptions of Savannah are also memorable, especially since I visited Savannah for the first time when I was about halfway through the book.

The ending seemed sad and anti-climatic, but that’s not surprising in a book based on real life with few likable characters. I would describe the overall story as interesting rather than entertaining. I did enjoy the peek into the history of Savannah, but it might improve reader experience if book blurb writers would stop describing the novel as suspenseful and instead emphasize the non-fiction aspect.
Images in this review
Customer image
MEED
5.0 out of 5 stars True story
Reviewed in the United States on May 6, 2024
Fantastic book. A real page-turner
jane magana
4.0 out of 5 stars charming AND boring
Reviewed in the United States on January 4, 2024
This book is like 2wong fu meets to kill a mockingbird.

A truly charming little tale of a man charged with murder, and its a true story!

It is a little bit laborious and slow but I found it worth it in the end
Stephanie Keitt
5.0 out of 5 stars read 3 times
Reviewed in the United States on April 3, 2024
I’ve read this novel for the third time now and enjoyed it just as much as I did years ago. The deep character development and unique tale of Savannah. There is no other book like this!

Best Sellers in

 
 

Forever (Empire High Book 8)

4.6 4.6 out of 5 stars 2221
6.99
 
 

Storm and Fury (The Harbinger Series Book 1)

4.5 4.5 out of 5 stars 8638
1.99
 
 

When the Moon Hatched: A Novel (The Moonfall Series Book 1)

4.5 4.5 out of 5 stars 20136
12.99
 
 

Not So Truly Yours: A Fake Dating Romance (The Harder They Fall)

4.8 4.8 out of 5 stars 3356
4.99
 
 

Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow: A novel

4.4 4.4 out of 5 stars 106707
5.99
 
 

Hate Mail: If you love The Hating Game and Icebreaker you’ll love this enemies to lovers romcom!

4.3 4.3 out of 5 stars 13093
0.99
 
 

Murder Your Employer: The McMasters Guide to Homicide

4.4 4.4 out of 5 stars 3573
1.99
 
 

The Hobbit: 75th Anniversary Edition

4.7 4.7 out of 5 stars 71502
1.99