Skip to Main Content (Press Enter) Toggle side nav

Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil

By John Berendt

By John Berendt

By John Berendt

By John Berendt

By John Berendt

By John Berendt

By John Berendt
Read by Jeff Woodman

By John Berendt
Read by Jeff Woodman

By John Berendt
Read by Anthony Heald

By John Berendt
Read by Anthony Heald

Best Seller
Paperback $17.00

Jun 28, 1999 | ISBN 9780679751526

Hardcover $30.00

Jan 13, 1994 | ISBN 9780679429227

Ebook $10.99

May 12, 2010 | ISBN 9780307538376

Audiobook Download $19.98

Nov 22, 2005 | 904 Minutes

Audiobook Download $11.48

Nov 22, 2005 | 190 Minutes

All Formats
+
    Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil by John Berendt
    Paperback $17.00
    Jun 28, 1999 | ISBN 9780679751526

    Buy from Other Retailers:

    See All Formats (4) +

    Paperback
    –

    • Paperback $17.00

      Jun 28, 1999 | ISBN 9780679751526

      Buy from Other Retailers:

    Hardcover
    +

    • Hardcover $30.00

      Jan 13, 1994 | ISBN 9780679429227

      Buy from Other Retailers:

    Ebook
    +

    • Ebook

      May 12, 2010 | ISBN 9780307538376

      Buy from Other Retailers:

    Audio (2)
    +

    Buy the Audiobook Download:

    About Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil

    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 enormously engaging portrait of a most beguiling Southern city has become a modern classic.

    About Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil

    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: A Savannah Story is a sublime and seductive reading experience.  Brilliantly conceived and masterfully written, this enormously engaging portrait of a most beguiling Southern city is certain to become a modern classic.

    About Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil

    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 enormously engaging portrait of a most beguiling Southern city has become a modern classic.

    About Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil

    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 enormously engaging portrait of a most beguiling Southern city has become a modern classic.

    About Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil

    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: A Savannah Story is a sublime and seductive reading experience.  Brilliantly conceived and masterfully written, this enormously engaging portrait of a most beguiling Southern city is certain to become a modern classic.

    Read An Excerpt

    Reading Guide

    Read An Excerpt

    Reading Guide

    Read An Excerpt

    Reading Guide

    Read An Excerpt

    Reading Guide

    Read An Excerpt

    Reading Guide

    Also by John Berendt

    My Baby Blue Jays
    The City of Falling Angels
    The City of Falling Angels
    See all books by John Berendt

    Also by John Berendt

    My Baby Blue Jays
    The City of Falling Angels
    The City of Falling Angels
    See all books by John Berendt

    Also by John Berendt

    My Baby Blue Jays
    The City of Falling Angels
    The City of Falling Angels
    See all books by John Berendt

    Also by John Berendt

    My Baby Blue Jays
    The City of Falling Angels
    The City of Falling Angels
    See all books by John Berendt

    Also by John Berendt

    My Baby Blue Jays
    The City of Falling Angels
    The City of Falling Angels
    See all books by John Berendt

    About John Berendt

    John Berendt writes a monthly column for Esquire. He has been the editor of New York magazine and lives in New York.

    About John Berendt

    John Berendt writes a monthly column for Esquire. He has been the editor of New York magazine and lives in New York.

    About John Berendt

    John Berendt writes a monthly column for Esquire. He has been the editor of New York magazine and lives in New York.

    About John Berendt

    John Berendt writes a monthly column for Esquire. He has been the editor of New York magazine and lives in New York.

    About John Berendt

    John Berendt writes a monthly column for Esquire. He has been the editor of New York magazine and lives in New York.

    Product Details

    Category: 20th Century U.S. History

    Paperback | $17.00
    Published by Vintage
    Jun 28, 1999 | 400 Pages | 5-3/16 x 8 | ISBN 9780679751526

    Category: 20th Century U.S. History

    Hardcover | $30.00
    Published by Random House
    Jan 13, 1994 | 400 Pages | 5-1/2 x 9-1/4 | ISBN 9780679429227

    Category: 20th Century U.S. History

    Ebook | $10.99
    Published by Vintage
    May 12, 2010 | 400 Pages | ISBN 9780307538376

    Category: 20th Century U.S. History | Audiobooks

    Audiobook Download | $19.98
    Published by Random House Audio
    Nov 22, 2005 | 904 Minutes | ISBN 9780739334546

    Category: 20th Century U.S. History | Audiobooks

    Audiobook Download | $11.48
    Published by Random House Audio
    Nov 22, 2005 | 190 Minutes | ISBN 9780739334539

    Inspired by Your Browsing History

    Buy other books like Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil

    ‹ ›
    Thunderstruck
    Thunderstruck
    Erik Larson
    Seabiscuit
    Seabiscuit
    Laura Hillenbrand
    In Cold Blood
    In Cold Blood
    Truman Capote
    Furious Hours
    Furious Hours
    Casey Cep
    Agent Zigzag
    Agent Zigzag
    Ben Macintyre
    Franklin and Winston
    Franklin and Winston
    Jon Meacham
    D-Day Girls
    D-Day Girls
    Sarah Rose
    Say Nothing
    Say Nothing
    Patrick Radden Keefe
    Eye of the Needle
    Eye of the Needle
    Ken Follett
    The Diary of a Young Girl
    The Diary of a Young Girl
    Anne Frank
    American Spy
    American Spy
    Lauren Wilkinson
    Elephant Company
    Elephant Company
    Vicki Croke
    Destiny of the Republic
    Destiny of the Republic
    Candice Millard
    City of Thieves
    City of Thieves
    David Benioff
    The Bridge at Andau
    The Bridge at Andau
    James A. Michener
    Citizens of London
    Citizens of London
    Lynne Olson
    Miracle at St. Anna
    Miracle at St. Anna
    James McBride
    Wartime Lies
    Wartime Lies
    Louis Begley
    Bull Mountain
    Bull Mountain
    Brian Panowich
    The Ratline
    The Ratline
    Philippe Sands
    The Greatest Generation
    The Greatest Generation
    Tom Brokaw
    Black Cross
    Black Cross
    Greg Iles
    Greyhound (Movie Tie-In)
    Greyhound (Movie Tie-In)
    C. S. Forester
    Churchill
    Churchill
    Andrew Roberts
    Once Upon a Secret
    Once Upon a Secret
    Mimi Alford
    The Last Days of Night
    The Last Days of Night
    Graham Moore
    The River
    The River
    Peter Heller
    The Napoleon of Crime
    The Napoleon of Crime
    Ben Macintyre
    Double Cross
    Double Cross
    Ben Macintyre
    When the Emperor Was Divine
    When the Emperor Was Divine
    Julie Otsuka
    Ravensbruck
    Ravensbruck
    Sarah Helm
    Sweet Thunder
    Sweet Thunder
    Ivan Doig

    Praise

    “Elegant and wicked…. Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil 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

    Awards

    Lambda Book Award WINNER 1994

    Looking for More Great Reads?
    21 Books You’ve Been Meaning to Read
    Get the latest updates from John Berendt
    And go from well-read to best read with book recs, deals and more in your inbox every week.
    And go from well-read to best read with book recs, deals and more in your inbox every week.
    By clicking SIGN UP, I acknowledge that I have read and agree to Penguin Random House’s Privacy Policy and Terms of Use.
    Dismiss
    Thanks!
    Something awesome is on its way.
    Back to Top

    Visit other sites in the Penguin Random House Network

    Raise kids who love to read

    Brightly

    Raise kids who love to read
    Today's Top Books

    Today's Top Books

    Want to know what people are actually reading right now?
    An online magazine for today’s home cook

    TASTE

    An online magazine for today’s home cook