Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil

Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil is probably one of the most atmospheric books I've read in a while. I listened to the audiobook, and I highly recommend it. I'm not sure I would have rated it 4 stars without experiencing the story through Jeff Woodman's narration. My guess is it'd lie closer to 3 as some sections may have dragged a bit in the first half.

Before reading, everyone should be aware this is a nonfiction novel, reads like a novel, and the author uses artitistic license to accomplish that. He addresses it in his acknowledgements and had discussed it elsewhere as well. It's not straight nonfiction true crime that simply walks the reader the facts of the case. It creates a thorough and complete story that is very interesting. I remember reading that the book was extremely well-received by the people of Savannah.

The characters studies are interesting, and the language will be very accessible to most people (which is understandable given the author is a magazine writer). The way certain things are talked about or addressed is indicative of the time and place in which it was written, so keep that in mind.

I recommend this to anyone who likes true crime or general fiction.