Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil

By: John Berendt

Narrated by: Jeff Woodman, Will Damron, John Berendt

NATIONAL 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

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.

Critic reviews

“Forceful, clear, gripping, Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil is the best nonfiction novel since In Cold Blood and a lot more entertaining, since Berendt’s book has everything going for it—snobbism ruthless power, voodoo, local color, and a totally evil estheticism. I read it till dawn.”—Edmund White

“John Berendt has written a gorgeous and haunting blend of travel book and murder mystery. It is enchanting and disturbing and deeply atmospheric.”—Michael Herr

“John Berendt has the ability to make the truth read like an exciting novel. This book is original, funny, and bleak—and it beckons quite alluringly to armchair adventurers who are as curious about human nature as about the nature of certain places. I finished reading it convinced that Savannah, may be the greatest performance artist of our day.”—Ann Beattie

“All the old passions are on parade through New South Savannah in John Berendt’s wickedly funny new book.”—Richard Russo

Beyond the movie, great book, perfect narrator

This book was perfectly read by Jeff Woodman, whose voice was reminiscent of the narrator/main character in the movie version (John Cusack). The movie started about 2/3 of the way into the story, was great to finally hear the whole TRUE story. Listened to this all the way on a driving trip to Michigan and the miles flew by, enjoyed every bit.

Best written story - and true!

I appreciated hearing the interview with the author at the end of this book. He makes it very clear that each character is real and each was aware that he or she would be in the book. And such colorful characters couldn’t be invented; it’s like another world. Excellent writing.

Great X-ray of a town

I really liked the portrayal of a small city trapped in its own idiosyncratic oblivion.
The narrator was good and clear, however, I found some of his voices (Lady Chablis and Minerva) a bit annoying. Overall, a good read (or should I say a good listen?)

Quintessential Southern Literature

Any additional comments?

Why on earth did I wait so long to read this? And why have I never been to Savannah? In the south we do love our crazy and there was plenty of it in this book. The best part is it's all true.

Jeff did a great job of narrating. His voices were perfect for each character and helped bring them to life even more than just reading the book would have done.

I can't say enough how much I love this book.

This is one of my favorite books to listen to as I drift off to sleep. The narrator does a fantastic job and the story is fun and interesting. I have listened to this more than any other audio book I have, which are many.