Release Date: June 28, 1999
Format: Paperback
Pages: 386
Source: Purchased
From Goodreads: 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.
My review: When we decided to take our recent vacation to Savannah, GA so many people recommended this book to me that I ordered it right away. I didn’t start it until a few days before we left for our vacation, but the descriptions within the pages of Savannah had me even anticipating our trip more than ever. After now having been to this wonderful city, I can firmly say that this book fully provides the setting of Savannah – the lush squares around the city, the centuries of history, and the haunted feel of the long ago dead.
The story of this murder is really almost a story of Savannah itself – the city and its citizens are woven through The Mercer House and this grisly death. I have read other true-crime books before, and this one ranks up pretty high. The story wasn’t dry like some non-fiction can be, but instead flowed like life – characters and days leading up to a few bullets and one dead body.
If you are traveling to Savannah this is a must read. If you are fond of true-crime stories or books that ooze that Southern feel I recommend this too.
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