NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • A modern classic of true crime, set in a most beguiling Southern city—now in a 30th anniversary edition with a new afterword by the author The basis for the upcoming Broadway musical, coming in 2025! “Elegant and wicked . . . 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. In this sharply observed, suspenseful, and witty narrative, John 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 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 drag queen; the acerbic and arrogant antiques dealer; the sweet-talking, piano-playing con artist; young people 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. Brilliantly conceived and masterfully written, Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil is a sublime and seductive reading experience.

This book tells a true story of intrigue, murder, forgery and eccentricity set in the steamy, surreal atmosphere of Savannah, Georgia.

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.

A #1 New York Times Bestseller! "Funny, insightful, illuminating . . ." —The Boston Globe Twelve years ago, Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil exploded into a monumental success, residing a record-breaking four years on the New York Times bestseller list (longer than any work of fiction or nonfiction had before) and turning John Berendt into a household name. The City of Falling Angels is Berendt's first book since Midnight, and it immediately reminds one what all the fuss was about. Turning to the magic, mystery, and decadence of Venice, Berendt gradually reveals the truth behind a sensational fire that in 1996 destroyed the historic Fenice opera house. Encountering a rich cast of characters, Berendt tells a tale full of atmosphere and surprise as the stories build, one after the other, ultimately coming together to portray a world as finely drawn as a still-life painting.

A blue jay building a nest outside his window prompts John Berendt to find his camera and record the familiar, yet always fascinating sequence of events that will unfold, from eggs being laid to chicks emerging and trying to fly. Children and adults alike will be astonished at the adventurous spirit of one particularly curious young blue jay as he ventures into the world. The author of the best-selling Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil brings his narrative skill to this up-close and delightfully informal account of an event that recurs each spring.

Illustrated throughout with 2-color and tinted maps and drawings and numerous photographs, Rebuilding Central Park is the first close examination of these invaluable 843 acres in more than a century.

Savannah, la vieja ciudad sureña del añejo esplendor georgiano, es la verdadera protagonista de esta espléndida novela de misterio. ¿Libro de viajes o novela de misterio? Quizás ambas cosas a la vez, pues la protagonista, vieja dama que conserva aún la singular belleza de su decadencia, es una geografía que explorar y un ente vivo cuya placidez puede tornarse tragedia. La vieja dama es Savannah, la ciudad sureña del añejo esplendor georgiano. Hoy tiene alrededor de doscientos mil habitantes y un displicente aire provinciano. Sus viejas mansiones, como ahogadas en un bosque de magnolios, dan ese toque de Edén en el que no puede faltar el diablo. Porque también en Savannah hay, parafraseando a Brassens, «hermosos asesinatos». Medianoche en el jardín del bien y del mal es una obra ejemplar en muchos sentidos: por el sortilegio del paisaje urbano que evocan sus páginas, por la suave, amistosa ironía con que son retratados sus habitantes y por el cuidadoso ejercicio de tensión con que se relata el gran acontecimiento del asesinato. Escrita desde la fascinación de John Berendt por las gentes, el paisaje y las costumbres de la soberbia Savannah, esta novela, a caballo entre la realidad y la ficción, es una irónica y sugerente exploración de la vida social y privada de una ciudad donde lo ordinario se convierte en extraordinario. Clint Eastwood la llevó a la pantalla en 1997; con esta nueva edición recuperamos lo que ya es un clásico contemporáneo. Esta novela pertenece al #FondoDeEditor de Literatura Random House «Este libro es la puerta de entrada a un mundo repleto de historias, la llave de acceso a una sociedad cerrada, el pasaporte a una galería de personajes extravagantes y estrafalarios. Este libro es un clásico contemporáneo.» Claudio López Lamadrid La crítica ha dicho... «Elegante y mordaz [...]. Medianoche en el jardín del bien y del mal podría ser considerada la primera novela, basada en un crimen real, que suscita deseos de reservar un bed and breakfast en la misma escena del crimen durante un fin de semana largo.» The New York Times Book Review «Elegante, brillante, divertidísima y seductora.» Kirkus Review «Esta novela es una historia maravillosamente bien contada y perspicaz sobre la vida en Savannah, Georgia, durante los ocho años que este periodista de la revista Esquire pasó allí.» Booklist

-- A Savannah calendar by the author of the best-selling book, Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil. -- 12 vibrant portraits of buildings and settings that bring the beguiling city of Savannah to life -- 2 million copies of Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil in print! -- 3 years on The New York Times bestseller list! -- Now a major motion picture directed by Clint Eastwood, starring Kevin Spacey and John Cusack!