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The Savage Garden Audiobook
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(3.01) - 2,808 listener ratings
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Publisher Description
Adam Strickland, a somewhat aimless young scholar at Cambridge University, is called to his professor’s office one afternoon and assigned a special summer project: to write a scholarly monograph about the famous Docci garden in Tuscany. Dedicated to the memory of a fifteenth-century nobleman’s young wife, the garden is a mysterious world of statues, grottoes, meandering rills, and classical inscriptions. But Adam comes to suspect that something sinister lies buried in the garden’s strange iconography. What if Lord Docci’s wife was murdered, and her memorial garden is filled with pointers to both the method and the motive of the crime?
As the odd history unfolds, Adam finds himself drawn into a parallel intrigue. Through his evolving relationship with the lady of the house—the ailing, seventy-something Signora Docci—he hears stories of yet another violent death in the family, this one much more recent. The Signora’s eldest son was shot by Nazi officers on the third floor of the villa, and her husband, now dead, insisted that the area be sealed and preserved forever. Like the garden, the third-floor rooms are frozen in time.
As Adam delves into his subject, he begins to suspect that his seemingly innocent history project might be a setup. Is he really just the naive student, stumbling upon clues, or is he being used to discover the true meaning of the villa’s murderous past?
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"An amazing novel that has 2 distinct mysteries that get solved within, narrated by an English art student still not yet having found himself. It was written by a screenwriter who delighted me in writing in a beautifully visual style that had me immersed in Tuscany in the hot summer of 1958. There is some post-WW II intrigue, as well as some humor, love and drama, surrounded by a Renaissance Tuscan garden and villa, all interwoven in a book I couldn't put down. This author, Mark Mills, deservedly won recognition with his first novel, Amagansett, which took place in post-WW II Long Island, New York. There are 2 more of his I will need to track down!"
— Jay (4 out of 5 stars)
The Savage Garden Listener Reviews
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" Honestly I couldn't get very far into this book. It didn't peak my interest at all. "
— Cindy, 2/16/2014 -
" Listened to it and probably would have been better had I read it since I had a hard time keeping track of all the different family connections. Loved the dry British humor and it was an interesting art history mystery... "
— Valerie, 2/7/2014 -
" A darkly provocative mystery set in the Tuscan hills; clue by clue the mystery of the ancient garden is revealed; and a more recent murder. Fun! Fun! Fun! "
— Barbara, 2/1/2014 -
" A surprising story about the secrets within a family. "
— marsha, 1/31/2014 -
" Got this as a swap whilst on holiday having whizzed through my book club book. Its just great. A love story (not my usual thing) but an old murder mystery with roman gods thrown in for good luck. Loved it. "
— Gillian, 1/30/2014 -
" I found this on the street. It was not bad. "
— Sheri, 1/6/2014 -
" Really enjoyed this book. It moved along quickly and painted a vivid picture of the architecture within the book. "
— Kristina, 12/28/2013 -
" Quite a good story but I didn't feel the writing was up to much. Wouldn't recommend this book. "
— Diana, 11/20/2013 -
" I don't know how he did it, but this is a love story, history who dunnit, study of the classics (dante), which is set in 1958, with a magnificant back history. It sounds like it should be a mess and difficult to ready - but it's a really well paced novel and a lovely read. "
— Robin, 8/30/2013 -
" Um, a tad predictable & pretentious. Read it if you like the Italian countryside in the 50s. And murder "mysteries". "
— Lindsey, 5/13/2013 -
" A promising but disappointing book, in my opinion. Too many characters and descriptions made me lose interest along the way. "
— Felicia, 5/12/2013 -
" A very captivating story. As one reviewer noted it slowly built. I liked Mills first novel a little more but he truly is a gifted writer. "
— Mary, 3/28/2013 -
" Intriguing....I enjoyed the connections made between the classics and the garden as the mystery unfolded! "
— Kathy, 1/5/2013 -
" Um romance invulgar e cativante. "
— Babete, 12/21/2012 -
" This book starts out slowly, but a very interesting and complicated plot unfolds. The story hinges on some knowledge of mythology and art/art history; something I wish I knew more about. I may read it again just to learn more about the allusions used throughout. "
— Whitney, 12/10/2012 -
" This book was GREAT! I loved the mystery that I wasn't expecting and I loved that it was set in Tuscany. I spent many afternoons in the seaside town where one scene takes place. If you liked Da Vinci Code, then you'll love this, too! "
— Jeana, 11/16/2012 -
" Two of my favourite things - an intriguing mystery and a beatiful garden - in one. What's not to like? "
— Fiona, 8/14/2012 -
" This was a very interesting story! Fascinating and engaging!! "
— Katie, 11/10/2011 -
" Great mix of history, intrigue and architecture. Riveting. "
— Greenwood, 11/7/2011 -
" Pleasant to read on hot summer nights, very evocative, but thin in the end. Plus I thought the women were pretty...uh...sexually liberated for the time (early 1950s). "
— Pattie, 9/28/2011 -
" great book. Well written, good storyline. I would definately recommend this. "
— Susanne, 9/25/2011 -
" The second book I've read by him, the first being The Information Officer. He is an awesome writer. Loved it! "
— Paula, 8/3/2011 -
" An interesting story of an Italian garden and the mystery that it holds. There actually are two 'murder mysteries' entwined: one from several hundred years ago and one from WWII. A decent plot and some interesting characters. "
— Pa, 5/22/2011 -
" I really enjoyed Amagansett, so was excited to read this, but found it a little less interesting than expected. An enjoyable read, but not a page-turner as I'd hoped. "
— Wendy, 5/2/2011 -
" This was a Book Club read so I "had" to finish it. It started out slow for me but I found more interested as the book moved along. Toward the final 1/3 of the book, the need to read what was happening kept me up late. A good mystery and a taste of Italy. "
— Dawna, 3/27/2011 -
" More like 3.5, but very good! "
— Emma, 3/19/2011 -
" My first DNF of the year, I couldn't even get myself past 100 pages. Yawn! <br/> <br/>I skimmed to the end to see if the story got any better, and it didn't! :-s "
— Ana, 3/9/2011 -
" Um romance invulgar e cativante. "
— Babete, 2/4/2011 -
" Good imagery, neat mystery with history and interesting people in a twisty plot. Really liked it. "
— Rissi, 12/26/2010 -
" This is a pretty good mystery, especially if you like a slooow reveal. Right now, I'm preferring a faster plot, with more action. Recommended to anyone who likes smart, literary mysteries. Oh and learn more about Italy and art in the process! "
— Zeke, 12/15/2010 -
" This was an amazing surprise of a read, not what I was expecting at all. Intrigue, family drama, a centuries old mystery tied into a current mystery all at a beautifully vivid villa in Italy. Just a GREAT read! "
— Jason, 11/24/2010
About Mark Mills
Mark Mills is a screenwriter and the author of The Savage Garden and Amagansett. His first novel, Amagansett, was published in a dozen countries and received the British Crime Writers’ Association John Creasy Memorial Dagger Award. A graduate of Cambridge University, he lives in Oxford with his wife and their two children.
About Ian Stuart
Ian Stuart was born in London, England. He was an actor, known for Rainbow Rabbit Reliant (2010), Anima (1998) and The Deadliest Season (1977). He was married to Alexandra O’Karma. He died on February 17, 2013 in Manhattan, New York City, New York, USA.