What do a crooked party-animal lawyer, an African American drag queen, a wealthy homosexual antiques dealer, a piano player who knows 6000 songs, a Voodoo queen, and the Georgia bulldog mascot have in common? They are all characters in John Berendt's record setting bestseller, Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil. Never has a work of nonfiction been so informative and so much fun. Not only are the characters eccentric, but the entire city of Savannah fits that description as well. This beautiful, antebellum hothouse of the Old South is more a state of mind than a destination. Savannahian's revere their history, worship their ancestors, are very status and race conscious, and love to party. Berendt spent eight years in Savannah and the first part of this book is more of a travelogue-introducing us to the history of Savannah and the quirky characters that will play a big part in the story later on. I especially liked Berendt's comparisons of Savannah to her sister city, Charleston. The bulk of Midnight deals with a murder "mystery." Jim Williams (the antique dealer) lives in the stunning Mercer Mansion, and kills an employee in the house. But was it murder or self-defense? How the story unfolds is as fascinating as it is entertaining. Midnight is definitely something that could only happen in Savannah. Midnight is a huge book, and it has had a major impact on this small city. At first, many Savannahian's were aghast at "The Book" and especially, the way it portrayed their eccentricities. But many residents came around as tourism skyrocketed (and increase of over 46%) as readers flocked to Savannah. The Midnight Phenomenon has been a boon to the economy, and there are now tours, lectures, slide shows and even a gift shop based on The Book. Even the Bird Girl statue that graces the cover had to be moved to the museum for safekeeping. I fell in love with Midnight when I first read it a number of years ago. My husband and I also listened to the unabridged book on a long drive to Savannah, which made it even more enjoyable. The movie version is an extremely poor and not very authentic adaptation of the book. But if you want to see shots of Savannah (especially the Mercer Mansion) or the real Lady Chablis (the drag queen who plays herself), it might be worth a look. Otherwise, stick to Berendt's wonderfully written book. Or at least, read the book first.

I thought John Berendt did a very good job of weaving a rich tapestry of eccentric characters and a fascinating setting, into an original true crime story. The book is based on an actual murder that set the precedent for OJ Simpson's defense, that is challenging the police and Medical Examiner's handling of the crime scene evidence. Berendt spent eight years in Savannah, researching the book that originally started out as an article and it shows! In fact, maybe it shows too much...that is, what I gather, most of his critics have a problem with - INFO DUMP. Berendt does give reams of background material, but I never found it slow going. After reading this book you could picture Savannah and Berendt spun the same kinds of word pictures of each character. You'd swear you knew them all after reading this book. Jim Williams, a wealthy antiques and collectibles dealer, was charged with the murder of his live-in assistant (and part time male prostitute) Danny Hansford and the trial set off a local firestorm. As in the OJ case there were no witnesses - Williams charged self-defense, the prosecutor charged murder and the case went to trial...FOUR TIMES! The original sticking point was the total lack of gun powder residue on Danny Hansford's hands, indicating that he never fired a gun and that Williams may have simply murdered him. Throughout the trials, Williams maintains his innocence as the prosecutor builds more and more circumstantial evidence that shows increasing animosity between Williams and Hansford, Hansford's wild demeanor and bad temper. In one trial, a single juror, a woman who'd had to defend herself against a violent ex-husband, held out for acquittal, resulting in another hung jury. The fourth trial was moved to Augusta, Georgia - "the heart of the Bible Belt," where the homosexual overtones where not expected to play very well. In Berendt's story, Jim Williams begins telling him how Danny grabbed a gun in which the firing pin had been filed down and Williams reached into his desk for his own gun and fired, fearing the younger man's rage. But Williams lawyer comes in with a blockbuster piece of evidence - neither the police at the scene, nor the hospital staff had bagged Danny Hansford's hands at the scene. In fact, they'd been bagged with plastic bags, which would allow any gun powder residue to be washed away by the condensation. Williams was off the hook! The book is a fascinating murder mystery, set in a fascinating town, with an array of exotic characters. There's Minerva, the voodoo princess, who helps Jim Williams commune with Danny dead spirit. Joe Odom is the house squatting, local entrepreneur. Lady Chablis (Frank) is a black transvestite who puts on burlesque shows at some of the local venues. There's even a man who walks the leash of a dog that died years ago, in order to keep receiving the $25/week for walking his late bosses pet. This book is certainly worth reading if only to see the way our legal process actually works. Just as in the OJ case, money appears to triumph over justice in the end. But what else is new? When or where has it been otherwise? After spending nearly two years on the hardcover bestseller list, I guess most folks have read this...if you haven't, by all means check it out. It's a very well crafted read.

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