Product Description

A haunting tale of murder, love and innocence lost set in post-war Tuscany from the award winning author of 'The Whaleboat House'. Behind a villa in the heart of Tuscany lies a Renaissance garden of enchanting beauty. Its grottoes, pagan statues and classical inscriptions seem to have a secret life of their own -- and a secret message, too, for those with eyes to read it. Young scholar Adam Strickland is just such a person. Arriving in 1958, he finds the Docci family, their house and the unique garden as seductive as each other. But post-War Italy is still a strange, even dangerous place, and the Doccis have some dark skeletons hidden away which Adam finds himself compelled to investigate. Before this mysterious and beautiful summer ends, Adam will uncover two stories of love, revenge and murder, separated by 400 years! but is another tragedy about to be added to the villa's cursed past?

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #4135 in Books
• Published on: 2007-07-02
• Original language: English
• Binding: Paperback
• 400 pages

Review
Acclaim for 'The Savage Garden': 'An intriguing puzzle, elegantly written! a pleasure to read! the atmosphere of an Italian summer and of the mysterious garden are beautifully captured' Sunday Telegraph 'Mills writes beautifully; leading us gently and atmospherically through the Tuscan renaissance garden! an unusual, captivating novel that is a cut above the norm' The Times 'Unputdownable! hugely atmospheric' Daily Mirror 'Entertaining! Mills weaves together two murder mysteries in his elegantly contrived plot' Times Literary Supplement 'Mills has done his research! there are potent mysteries, a beautiful heroine and a charismatic old lady who knows a lot more than she's saying, which is enough to keep the reader, like Adam, rearranging the puzzle pieces until they all slot into place' London Lite 'A fine sense of period and place, a well-managed narrative, crisp prose and fascinating information! Mills is one to watch' Spectator 'Mills juggles the mysteries of three periods, switching between centuries with a conjuror's skill! the book is beautifully written, giving life to the figures in their Tuscan landscape' Literary Review 'A mesmerizing piece of writing! Mills is a skillful writer and combines all the disparate strands into a striking tapestry' Independent 'An intriguing historical thriller which confirms him as a first-class and unusual crime writer' Daily Mail 'A beautifully penned, high-brow crime thriller' City AM 'To be savoured! Mills weaves together an intriguing mixture of love, loss and divided loyalties' Guardian 'Very well-written with memorable characters' Birmingham Post 'A keen sense of loss and longing suffuses "The Savage Garden"! a romantic and gracefully executed literary puzzle. Mills creates an enchanting vision of wooded glades and grottoes, temples and reflecting pools! a tantalizing mystery' New York Times Praise for 'The Whaleboat House': 'A master of the art of murderous storytelling.' Sunday Times 'This is an intriguing, atmospheric, literary crime novel. The uneasy juxtaposition of two communities is brilliantly evoked by Mark Mills.' Daily Mail 'Subtle and stylish!Mills is clever, unravelling the story from several angles.' Observer 'The requisite qualities of a film script -- atmospheric details, lucidity and a simple, spare style.' Sunday Telegraph 'A very rich book -- rich in detail and history and local color; rich in characters and conflict and mystery; and, most importantly, rich in wonderful writing.' John Grisham 'Complex and compelling!Mark Mills reveals himself to be a master storyteller.' Val McDermid 'A striking and assured first thriller!worldly and impeccably researched.' William Boyd

The Times
`Mills writes beautifully... an unusual, captivating novel that is
a cut above the norm'

Daily Mirror
`Unputdownable... hugely atmospheric'

Customer Reviews

Slow beginning, middle and end. Disappointing.
I really wanted to enjoy this book, but unfortunately the pace of the story was just a little slow. I read this book just after it had been a Richard and Judy read, thinking it would be a good quality story and nothing about the story has stuck out, making it an easily forgettable read. Was disappointed when I originally read it. Might read it again soon and see if my opinion has changed.
I would recommend to borrow this book off a friend, and if you like it, then bother spending money on your own copy.

Different
Not the type of book I normally read, but well written, art and history a good combination. Found it a little slow to start with, but the twists and turns were good, and as secrets unfolded quite gripping. Caz

Not the best book ever but I loved it all the same
I really enjoyed this book, and unlike other reviewers found it fast-paced, rather than slow-paced. Mills keeps everything relevant, and there weren't loads of sidetrack storylines, which can often make a good novel slightly infuriating. Very much a summer read though. Not one if you're looking for a literary great, but if you want enjoyable, easy reading with a couple of twists, and great story-telling then this is definitely worth a go!

I, for myself, loved the Renaissance garden, with all the Classical references - Echo and Narcissus being my favourite of Ovid's Metamorphoses. And I also loved the image of late 50s Italy that was created. Really made me want to escape!