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The Savage Garden
The story of two murders, four hundred years apart - and the ties that bind them together.
From the author of the acclaimed national bestseller Amagansett comes an even more remarkable novel set in the Tuscan hills: the story of two murders, four hundred years apart-and the ties that bind them together.
Adam Banting, 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 a famous garden built in the 1500s. Dedicated to the memory of Signor Docci's dead wife, the garden is a mysterious world of statues, grottoes, meandering rills, and classical inscriptions. But during his three-week sojourn at the villa, Adam comes to suspect that clues to a murder are buried in the strange iconography of the garden: the long-dead Signor Docci most likely killed his wife and filled her memorial garden with pointers as to both the method and the motive of his crime.
As the mystery of the garden 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 finds clues to yet another possible murder, 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. Delving into his subject, Adam begins to suspect that his summer project might be a setup. Is he really just the naive student, stumbling upon clues, or is Signora Docci using him to discover for herself the true meaning of the villa's murderous past?
From the author of the acclaimed national bestseller Amagansett comes an even more remarkable novel set in the Tuscan hills: the story of two murders, four hundred years apart-and the ties that bind them together.
Adam Banting, 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 a famous garden built in the 1500s. Dedicated to the memory of Signor Docci's dead wife, the garden is a mysterious world of statues, grottoes, meandering rills, and classical inscriptions. But during his three-week sojourn at the villa, Adam comes to suspect that clues to a murder are buried in the strange iconography of the garden: the long-dead Signor Docci most likely killed his wife and filled her memorial garden with pointers as to both the method and the motive of his crime.
As the mystery of the garden 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 finds clues to yet another possible murder, 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. Delving into his subject, Adam begins to suspect that his summer project might be a setup. Is he really just the naive student, stumbling upon clues, or is Signora Docci using him to discover for herself the true meaning of the villa's murderous past?
388 pages, Paperback
First published July 10, 2007
119 people are currently reading
5266 people want to read
About the author
Mark Mills
10 books154 followersLibrarian Note: There is more than one author by this name in the Goodreads database.
Mark Mills is a British writer of screenplays and novels. His first screenplay was BAFTA-nominated short film One Night Stand starring Jemma Redgrave and James Purefoy in 1993; this won Mills a 'Best Screenplay' award at the Angers European First Film Festival in 1995.
Mills's first novel was Amagansett, later reissued under the title The Whaleboat House published in 2004; this won him the 'Best Crime Novel by a Debut Author' at the Crime Writers' Association Award. His second novel, The Savage Garden, was published in 2006. His third novel, The Information Officer, was published in April, 2009.
Mark Mills is a British writer of screenplays and novels. His first screenplay was BAFTA-nominated short film One Night Stand starring Jemma Redgrave and James Purefoy in 1993; this won Mills a 'Best Screenplay' award at the Angers European First Film Festival in 1995.
Mills's first novel was Amagansett, later reissued under the title The Whaleboat House published in 2004; this won him the 'Best Crime Novel by a Debut Author' at the Crime Writers' Association Award. His second novel, The Savage Garden, was published in 2006. His third novel, The Information Officer, was published in April, 2009.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 715 reviews
October 16, 2019
Prevarication
Savage Garden is an engrossing and intriguing story, but what raises it to another level are the very clever links with neoclassical literature, especially Dante’s epic poem Divine Comedy. The soul’s journey towards God from Inferno (Hell), through Purgatorio and onto Paradiso (Heaven) is one of the oldest classics. I recently discovered that an Irish monk, Marcus wrote his book, The Vision of Tundale two centuries before Dant's Inferno and tells of the 9 levels of torture towards hell. These 9 levels are a big aspect of this story but the reference is explicit about Dante's version.
In 1958, Adam Strickland is a Cambridge University art history student, under the supervision of Professor Leonard and is offered a summer assignment in a Tuscan villa, to research the famous memorial garden owned by Signora Docci. The garden of the Docci Villa is majestic with meandering pathways, sunken groves, statues, inscriptions and neoclassical structures. On the first inspection, it is art and nature coming together to provide a symbolic memorial dedicated to the memory of a nobleman’s wife.
On subsequent deeper inspections, something feels misaligned and there are a few anomalies to the replication of the original story of Dante’s 9 circles of hell. The thought strikes Adam that they might be deliberate and organised as a puzzle. The suspicion adds brilliantly to the magical seductive feel of the story and consequently, quite a number of secrets are concealed in the house and garden. Gradually Adam resolves some teasing clues and the mystery starts to unfold.
In post Second World War Tuscany, the aftermath of the war is still remembered and pertinent. The Docci villa was used by the Nazis as a base in the area and still maintains that stigma. A family member was murdered during the Nazi occupation and parts of the house have been sealed ever since. Amidst the suspense and deception, there is a romantic interest, a threat from the locals, and family revelations that are shocking. Mills does a wonderful job adding all these layers to an intriguing plot that plays on prejudices and weaves in a classic puzzle. The pace is leisurely but it suits this story very well.
I was so captivated with The Savage Garden, its storyline, subplots and writing style that I bought all Mark Mills’ books. Mills delivers an interesting story, good characters, great visualisation of the surroundings, and captivating and intriguing plots. This was my favourite book at one time, and still one I would highly recommend.
Savage Garden is an engrossing and intriguing story, but what raises it to another level are the very clever links with neoclassical literature, especially Dante’s epic poem Divine Comedy. The soul’s journey towards God from Inferno (Hell), through Purgatorio and onto Paradiso (Heaven) is one of the oldest classics. I recently discovered that an Irish monk, Marcus wrote his book, The Vision of Tundale two centuries before Dant's Inferno and tells of the 9 levels of torture towards hell. These 9 levels are a big aspect of this story but the reference is explicit about Dante's version.
In 1958, Adam Strickland is a Cambridge University art history student, under the supervision of Professor Leonard and is offered a summer assignment in a Tuscan villa, to research the famous memorial garden owned by Signora Docci. The garden of the Docci Villa is majestic with meandering pathways, sunken groves, statues, inscriptions and neoclassical structures. On the first inspection, it is art and nature coming together to provide a symbolic memorial dedicated to the memory of a nobleman’s wife.
On subsequent deeper inspections, something feels misaligned and there are a few anomalies to the replication of the original story of Dante’s 9 circles of hell. The thought strikes Adam that they might be deliberate and organised as a puzzle. The suspicion adds brilliantly to the magical seductive feel of the story and consequently, quite a number of secrets are concealed in the house and garden. Gradually Adam resolves some teasing clues and the mystery starts to unfold.
In post Second World War Tuscany, the aftermath of the war is still remembered and pertinent. The Docci villa was used by the Nazis as a base in the area and still maintains that stigma. A family member was murdered during the Nazi occupation and parts of the house have been sealed ever since. Amidst the suspense and deception, there is a romantic interest, a threat from the locals, and family revelations that are shocking. Mills does a wonderful job adding all these layers to an intriguing plot that plays on prejudices and weaves in a classic puzzle. The pace is leisurely but it suits this story very well.
I was so captivated with The Savage Garden, its storyline, subplots and writing style that I bought all Mark Mills’ books. Mills delivers an interesting story, good characters, great visualisation of the surroundings, and captivating and intriguing plots. This was my favourite book at one time, and still one I would highly recommend.
January 31, 2026
Although a dual timeline historical dram, I had to stick this on my suspense thriller shelf as Mills unlike a lot of historical dual timeline drama writers, thought story first, and reciting and luxuriating in the historical fiction second.
Two murders, four hundred years apart is the opening setting, but such a well written opening, that I felt Mills was unable to maintain the pace, or resolve the murders in as good a way; still, this was more than an OK read though, and I am no fan of dual timeline historical fiction, but this one I liked. Three Starred, 6 out of 12 joint.
2007 read
Two murders, four hundred years apart is the opening setting, but such a well written opening, that I felt Mills was unable to maintain the pace, or resolve the murders in as good a way; still, this was more than an OK read though, and I am no fan of dual timeline historical fiction, but this one I liked. Three Starred, 6 out of 12 joint.2007 read
September 22, 2018
Entertaining read, though not always challenging enough for me and here and there a bit predictable and even a bit boring at times for me. All in all, an enjoyable pretty good read. 3 stars.
July 9, 2015
A quick, easy and absorbing read with a mildly compelling plot and an interesting cast of characters. I wasn't too impressed with the quality of the writing, though; one of the reviews quoted on the jacket makes the rather outlandish claim that it's of Booker nominee standard, but there's noticeable repetition of several phrases, the sex scenes are frankly terrible, and the dialogue is littered with slang that I don't think would have even existed in 1950s Britain, let alone been understood by a remote community of Italians speaking (conveniently perfect) English as a second language. Still, the book has a satisfying conclusion which ties up all the loose ends of the plot, and it was an enjoyable way to pass a couple of dull evenings.
January 7, 2009
While reading this book I was torn between digging up my old art history books, brushing up on my classics, and running off to a villa in Italy, hopefully one with an amazing sculpture garden. The plot unfolded beautifully and with bits and pieces of the classics and art intertwined with descriptions of this amazing garden. An art history lesson tucked into a mystery. Now if I could just find that villa in Italy....
August 30, 2007
Andrew Strickland is a somewhat unfocused art history student at Cambridge University. His work is rather lackadaisical, drawing heavily on his source material without coming to many original conclusions. He prefers to spend his days drinking with friends and has given little thought to his thesis. After all, it’s not due for a year.
Everything changes when Andrew’s mentor, Professor Leonard, assigns him to a special summer project. The owner of a famous memorial garden in Tuscany has requested that Professor Leonard find someone to write a scholarly monograph exploring the symbolism in the garden. Andrew accepts the assignment, hoping he’s on the track of a good thesis.
The Docci garden, dedicated to the memory of a fifteenth century nobleman’s young wife, is peaceful, secluded and filled with classical symbols. Previous scholars have drawn parallels between the garden’s statuary and Ovid’s Metamorphoses.
As Andrew delves into the garden’s meandering paths and shadowy grotto, however, he comes to suspect that the hidden meaning is much more sinister. Could it be that the garden serves as much more than a memorial to a tragically deceased young woman? Is it possible that the carefully chosen references and precisely placed ornaments describe the method and motive of her murder? Do the clues in the garden point to the identity of her murderer?
Signora Docci is the matriarch of the Docci family. She resides in the family villa, built shortly before the death of the nobleman’s wife. She is the keeper of the family history, leading Andrew gently towards the truth and doling out information in tantalizingly small morsels.
Andrew’s investigation into centuries-old events unearths a much fresher murder hidden in the shadows of the Docci villa. Signora Docci’s eldest son, Emilio, was murdered by Nazis on the third floor of the villa during the final days of German occupation. The rooms, sealed off by Signore Docci, are frozen in time. They forever provide a precise snapshot of the rooms as they were the evening of Emilio’s murder.
After Signore Docci’s death, Signora Docci abided by his wishes, keeping the rooms under lock and key. Like the garden, the untouched rooms contain clues – clues that might lead an inquisitive mind to wonder who really killed Emilio, and why.
In The Savage Garden, Mark Mills has created a fascinating and conflicted world. The beauty of the garden, the villa and the Tuscan countryside belies the brutality that lies just beneath the surface. Blood spilled, whether it was 400 years ago or in recent memory, will have its voice.
Mills masterfully reveals each piece of the puzzle, drawing his readers along at an almost leisurely pace. The story reads like a lazy summer afternoon – each new clue is discovered in its own time. Yet the murders add an urgent undercurrent to the narrative, pulling the readers forward until all is understood.
I enjoyed this novel. It was a change of pace from the suspense fiction I read so often. The Savage Garden forced me to slow down. The beautiful descriptions, intriguing mystery and references to classical literature demanded that this story be savored rather than devoured. Mills’ vivid descriptions brought his people and places to life, allowing me to completely lose myself in his story each time I opened the book.
I can’t think of a better way to spend a long, hot summer afternoon!
(Review published in the Burlington Times-News, 7/22/2007)
Everything changes when Andrew’s mentor, Professor Leonard, assigns him to a special summer project. The owner of a famous memorial garden in Tuscany has requested that Professor Leonard find someone to write a scholarly monograph exploring the symbolism in the garden. Andrew accepts the assignment, hoping he’s on the track of a good thesis.
The Docci garden, dedicated to the memory of a fifteenth century nobleman’s young wife, is peaceful, secluded and filled with classical symbols. Previous scholars have drawn parallels between the garden’s statuary and Ovid’s Metamorphoses.
As Andrew delves into the garden’s meandering paths and shadowy grotto, however, he comes to suspect that the hidden meaning is much more sinister. Could it be that the garden serves as much more than a memorial to a tragically deceased young woman? Is it possible that the carefully chosen references and precisely placed ornaments describe the method and motive of her murder? Do the clues in the garden point to the identity of her murderer?
Signora Docci is the matriarch of the Docci family. She resides in the family villa, built shortly before the death of the nobleman’s wife. She is the keeper of the family history, leading Andrew gently towards the truth and doling out information in tantalizingly small morsels.
Andrew’s investigation into centuries-old events unearths a much fresher murder hidden in the shadows of the Docci villa. Signora Docci’s eldest son, Emilio, was murdered by Nazis on the third floor of the villa during the final days of German occupation. The rooms, sealed off by Signore Docci, are frozen in time. They forever provide a precise snapshot of the rooms as they were the evening of Emilio’s murder.
After Signore Docci’s death, Signora Docci abided by his wishes, keeping the rooms under lock and key. Like the garden, the untouched rooms contain clues – clues that might lead an inquisitive mind to wonder who really killed Emilio, and why.
In The Savage Garden, Mark Mills has created a fascinating and conflicted world. The beauty of the garden, the villa and the Tuscan countryside belies the brutality that lies just beneath the surface. Blood spilled, whether it was 400 years ago or in recent memory, will have its voice.
Mills masterfully reveals each piece of the puzzle, drawing his readers along at an almost leisurely pace. The story reads like a lazy summer afternoon – each new clue is discovered in its own time. Yet the murders add an urgent undercurrent to the narrative, pulling the readers forward until all is understood.
I enjoyed this novel. It was a change of pace from the suspense fiction I read so often. The Savage Garden forced me to slow down. The beautiful descriptions, intriguing mystery and references to classical literature demanded that this story be savored rather than devoured. Mills’ vivid descriptions brought his people and places to life, allowing me to completely lose myself in his story each time I opened the book.
I can’t think of a better way to spend a long, hot summer afternoon!
(Review published in the Burlington Times-News, 7/22/2007)
March 30, 2010
At a glance this book is an interesting blend of art, history and mystery. However as you begin reading it, it turns out to be a total disappointment.
First of all, there are shabby dialogues...gosh! I just can't believe, that those phrases, that the main characters employed in their daily life, can be called dialogues at all. For ex,
“It’s different.”
“What?”
“The sound.”
“How?”
“I don’t know.”
This is, undoubtedly, a real "masterpiece"! And suchlike dialogues are everywhere!
Then there is the main character, Adam. He had been staying at Villa Docci for just a week but had already become so nosy and sometimes even impolite, that I just wanted to stifle him! One moment that killed me on the spot was when after dinner he asked the hostess' granddaughter to stay at Villa, because it was late and there was enough room for all of them. I just wanted to yell at him: "Stop playing a host! That's not your house!"
Ok, I understand, that his immoderate curiosity was, well, "planned from above", but it looked really artificial and annoying.
And, of course, there are mysteries. Two murders. At first you are really intrigued, but when you reach the middle of the book everything becomes clear and you can just stop there, because nothing really happens later on.
By and large, the premise was really good, but its implementation was poorly done.
First of all, there are shabby dialogues...gosh! I just can't believe, that those phrases, that the main characters employed in their daily life, can be called dialogues at all. For ex,
“It’s different.”
“What?”
“The sound.”
“How?”
“I don’t know.”
This is, undoubtedly, a real "masterpiece"! And suchlike dialogues are everywhere!
Then there is the main character, Adam. He had been staying at Villa Docci for just a week but had already become so nosy and sometimes even impolite, that I just wanted to stifle him! One moment that killed me on the spot was when after dinner he asked the hostess' granddaughter to stay at Villa, because it was late and there was enough room for all of them. I just wanted to yell at him: "Stop playing a host! That's not your house!"
Ok, I understand, that his immoderate curiosity was, well, "planned from above", but it looked really artificial and annoying.
And, of course, there are mysteries. Two murders. At first you are really intrigued, but when you reach the middle of the book everything becomes clear and you can just stop there, because nothing really happens later on.
By and large, the premise was really good, but its implementation was poorly done.
June 12, 2011
Note to self: you didn't like this book. It is tedious for several reasons. Firstly, I'm not in to Greek or Roman mythology and sadly this is central to the story. Secondly, it's set in 1958 but you keep forgetting because this isn't tied in to the tale enough. Thirdly, what are the three sex scenes about? They seem to be written in a different voice by a different author. Fourthly, the writer is really mean about giving the reader clues to help you piece together the crime (or maybe I missed this because I was almost in a Greco-Roman mythology coma at this point). Fifthly, You could do with reading Dante's 'Inferno' and Machiavelli's 'Prince' to enjoy all the references. I found this a bit pompous (yes, Mark, you went to Cambridge and these are probably the books you read there. YAWN.). Sixthly, the story keeps taking unexpected turns which, because there are few clues in the plot, make you feel duped; as though the plot wasn't well thought out before the author started writing.
October 11, 2007
This book uses the magic and allure of Tuscany to its advantage by setting a taut mystery within one of the region’s gardens. Mills does a great job of setting the stage for his mystery…which is much more psychological than action. Mills’ main character, Adam Strickland, is a Cambridge grad student who is given what appears to be the assignment of a lifetime. While in the gardens of Tuscany which he is to write about, he uncovers a mystery several centuries past. This mystery of long ago leads him to a more recent, equally as brutal crime.
July 11, 2011
Too dull to keep reading. It's kind of hard to get excited about a mystery featuring Art History majors obsessing over the arm positions of statues and what they might mean. Maybe there was more to the book but I couldn't find any of it in the first 80 pages.
September 25, 2016
Entre as 3,5⭐️ e as 4⭐️
October 25, 2025
When characters are described so wonderfully even weaknesses in the plot or a few particular scenes cannot overshadow a star, which is why this remains a 5-star read.
Its premise suggested nothing new to my reading world but the love I felt for Amagensett placed this in my hands regardless of the premise.
There's something about Mark Mills that I find comforting. He floats between literary and general fiction, as if it were the work of a duo, something unique to his style and consistency (or intriguingly his inconsistency) 🤔
Anyway, this went deeper than I imagined and it was all the better for it. I loved the Greek Mythology aspects and the maddening ways of the Docci Villa.
Loved it. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Its premise suggested nothing new to my reading world but the love I felt for Amagensett placed this in my hands regardless of the premise.
There's something about Mark Mills that I find comforting. He floats between literary and general fiction, as if it were the work of a duo, something unique to his style and consistency (or intriguingly his inconsistency) 🤔
Anyway, this went deeper than I imagined and it was all the better for it. I loved the Greek Mythology aspects and the maddening ways of the Docci Villa.
Loved it. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
March 16, 2017
O melhor do livro é ser passado em Itália.
Achei um bocado cansativo de ler, prendeu-me pouco.
Achei um bocado cansativo de ler, prendeu-me pouco.
September 18, 2020
I've heard of cold cases before, but four hundred years apart? I didn't read the blurb before reading the book or I'd have known this, so I was quite surprised to discover this and that they were somehow connected. I've always wanted to go to Italy, so when Adam Strickland goes there to study a specific type of garden to write a thesis, I was more than happy to read on.
I was surprised by how much this story was able to provide and such a variety of subjects it covered: obviously gardens but the descriptions were plentiful and detailed; I was able to truly visualize a walk through the Italian towns and feel like I was there experiencing Italy; the mythology and history behind many of the statues there; and I loved the mystery of the secret garden and a locked floor.
I think this is one book that others might enjoy more than they thought, as long as they can make it through the slow start.
I was surprised by how much this story was able to provide and such a variety of subjects it covered: obviously gardens but the descriptions were plentiful and detailed; I was able to truly visualize a walk through the Italian towns and feel like I was there experiencing Italy; the mythology and history behind many of the statues there; and I loved the mystery of the secret garden and a locked floor.
I think this is one book that others might enjoy more than they thought, as long as they can make it through the slow start.
February 16, 2011
Well, this is one of those books that makes me feel like I better become an author. Seriously, can any old crap become a bestseller? If so, let me start writing. That's a bit mean, but DUDE. It was a bit rubbish.
It tells the story of a young man who as a university project goes to study a Renaissance garden in Italy. It's written in the past, and opens with him in university, and the narrator says of his past self: "Try as he might, he couldn't penetrate the workings of that stranger's mind, let alone say with any certainty how he would have dealt with the news that murder lay in wait for him, right around the corner." I mean, seriously. Murder . . . right around the corner. Hurl.
So it's quite charmingly evocative of an Italian summer, but then it goes down a sort of de Vinci style what secret was hidden in the garden 400 years ago type route, which is distinctly borderline as a plot. We discover a 400 year old murder and also a contemporary one, and also have a love interest and some distinctly dodgy sex scenes.
I got it at a short story reading event I went to quite randomly, where there were cupcakes with labels saying 'Eat Me' (as in Alice in Wonderland) and books saying 'Take Me' - of which this was one - and so though I didn't enjoy the book I enjoyed the rather sweet way I came by it.
I just have to tell you that the first line of the author's bio is "Mark Mills graduated from Cambridge University in 1986." I guess that's the beginning and end of his life and everthing we need to know about him. Hurl.
More of my reviews at www.booksof2010.blogspot.com
It tells the story of a young man who as a university project goes to study a Renaissance garden in Italy. It's written in the past, and opens with him in university, and the narrator says of his past self: "Try as he might, he couldn't penetrate the workings of that stranger's mind, let alone say with any certainty how he would have dealt with the news that murder lay in wait for him, right around the corner." I mean, seriously. Murder . . . right around the corner. Hurl.
So it's quite charmingly evocative of an Italian summer, but then it goes down a sort of de Vinci style what secret was hidden in the garden 400 years ago type route, which is distinctly borderline as a plot. We discover a 400 year old murder and also a contemporary one, and also have a love interest and some distinctly dodgy sex scenes.
I got it at a short story reading event I went to quite randomly, where there were cupcakes with labels saying 'Eat Me' (as in Alice in Wonderland) and books saying 'Take Me' - of which this was one - and so though I didn't enjoy the book I enjoyed the rather sweet way I came by it.
I just have to tell you that the first line of the author's bio is "Mark Mills graduated from Cambridge University in 1986." I guess that's the beginning and end of his life and everthing we need to know about him. Hurl.
More of my reviews at www.booksof2010.blogspot.com
July 24, 2009
I agree with many of the other reviews: slow paced, but the atmosphere and the story's setting in beautiful Tuscany, a place I have visited, created by Mark Mills more than makes up for the pacing. It is also extremely erudite: a cultured and well-written story. Well done Mr. Mills. I enjoyed it.
ADDENDUM: Coming across this book again in sorting out a few bookshelves (in real life), I re-read it. The reason being that it turned out the author had successfully evoked images in mind when reading it, that were strangely beautiful. And it's a love story - and love stories (good ones) fascinate me if I can explore the "experience" of falling in love through the eyes of the character created.
In doing so however, I changed my view of the main character through whose eyes the story is told. He turned out to be rather different than my original memory of him: courageous as well as sensitive; and not as I had portrayed him in my earlier review. So I removed my criticism of him!
And I disagree with one reviewer who commented that the ending left her dissatisfied. There were a couple of (important) loose ends which the author deliberately left to one's imagination - but then, do all the very best stories not do that? And aren't they supposed to?
Only the pacing therefore, prevents it from getting the "big five" rating . . . . but then that's also a matter of taste. I urge you to read this book if you enjoy stories that are very different - and also very well-crafted.
ADDENDUM: Coming across this book again in sorting out a few bookshelves (in real life), I re-read it. The reason being that it turned out the author had successfully evoked images in mind when reading it, that were strangely beautiful. And it's a love story - and love stories (good ones) fascinate me if I can explore the "experience" of falling in love through the eyes of the character created.
In doing so however, I changed my view of the main character through whose eyes the story is told. He turned out to be rather different than my original memory of him: courageous as well as sensitive; and not as I had portrayed him in my earlier review. So I removed my criticism of him!
And I disagree with one reviewer who commented that the ending left her dissatisfied. There were a couple of (important) loose ends which the author deliberately left to one's imagination - but then, do all the very best stories not do that? And aren't they supposed to?
Only the pacing therefore, prevents it from getting the "big five" rating . . . . but then that's also a matter of taste. I urge you to read this book if you enjoy stories that are very different - and also very well-crafted.
November 28, 2007
Another book about a house with a dark past -- and another reference to Jane Eyre!
Set in Tuscany in 1958, Adam - an art history undergrad - goes off to stay at a villa to study the sculpture in the gardens for his thesis. As he uncovers the message of the gardens, and subsequently a crime committed 400 years ago, he also begins to uncover a similar crime much closer to home.
Whilst the plot is a little far fetched, this is beautifully written and the descriptions of the Tuscan landscapes, and the gardens of the Villa especially, suck you in. There is also a lot of ancient Greek mythology and references to Ovid's Metamorphasis and Dante's Inferno so I was right at home. The beauty of the writing allows for suspencion of disbelief.
My only complaint would be that there is something very modern about the writing so that the reader keeps forgetting, certainly until obviously reminded, that it is 1958, not 2007.
Set in Tuscany in 1958, Adam - an art history undergrad - goes off to stay at a villa to study the sculpture in the gardens for his thesis. As he uncovers the message of the gardens, and subsequently a crime committed 400 years ago, he also begins to uncover a similar crime much closer to home.
Whilst the plot is a little far fetched, this is beautifully written and the descriptions of the Tuscan landscapes, and the gardens of the Villa especially, suck you in. There is also a lot of ancient Greek mythology and references to Ovid's Metamorphasis and Dante's Inferno so I was right at home. The beauty of the writing allows for suspencion of disbelief.
My only complaint would be that there is something very modern about the writing so that the reader keeps forgetting, certainly until obviously reminded, that it is 1958, not 2007.
June 25, 2011
The Savage Garden, the second novel by British author Mark Mills, is a literary mystery in the tradition of juxtaposing historical and contemporary events. Set in the post-World War II era, it focuses on Cambridge student Adam Strickland who is in search of a subject for his art history thesis. His mentor suggests that he research an Italian garden found on the estate of Signora Francesca Docci. The garden was built by the villa's first owner, Federico Docci, and has been recognized as a tribute to his wife Flora, who died when she was only 25. From the moment Strickland first walks through the garden he begins to suspect that there is more to the tranquil setting that meets the eye and that the statues placed in various sections may be more than a tribute to the mythological guardians as has been assumed for hundreds of years. As he endeavors to unravel the puzzle of the garden, his conversations with Signora Docci, her family, and her long-time companion make him aware of a more recent mystery. Emilio, the Signora's eldest son, was killed during the German occupation--apparently by drunken German soldiers. But there have already been two versions told of the murder. Is there a third, more accurate version yet to be told?
I had a very rocky start with this novel. The first chapter has, what seems to me, a completely pointless scene with Strickland and his then girlfriend. She is a writer and they are discussing a portion of her book when all of sudden Mills throws in a description of how her breasts were straining against the fabric of her shirt. And I'm thinking "Have I stumbled into a bodice-ripper when I wasn't looking? Will there be 'throbbing' next?" Totally unnecessary description and it almost caused me to stop reading. Because if every time a female character was brought onstage we were going to be given unnecessary sexual descriptions, then I was not interested. It didn't help that the girlfriend was pretty much not essential at all and that it didn't matter that she was a writer. She dumps him...and that makes him all the more eager to go to Italy for his research, but that could have been established in a much better way.
Fortunately Mills gets the torrid romance novel prose out of his system early on (he handles future romance scenes much more deftly) and soon gets down to business with the literary mystery. I was completely enthralled with the secrets of the garden and the quest to discover its hidden meaning. Given my reading over the past year, I should have picked up on the literary clues that were essential to the solution, but even though I missed those references I did see the basic secret long before Strickland. Mills does a very good job balancing the historical and contemporary mysteries, although I must admit that I was more interested in the secrets of the garden than I was in the murder of Signora Docci's son. Overall, Mills also does very well with his characterization--giving the individuals depth and making the reader interested in their motives. The only reservations I have are with the character of the contemporary villain--we aren't given enough to provoke either sympathy or revulsion--and I would have liked to have seen a bit more of Strickland's mentor, Professor Crispin Leonard.
This was a very satisfying and interesting literary mystery. I learned quite a bit about Italian art and history. There was plenty of action and adventure and (after that first chapter) even a bit of romance. A fast-paced, good summer-time read. Three and a half stars.
I had a very rocky start with this novel. The first chapter has, what seems to me, a completely pointless scene with Strickland and his then girlfriend. She is a writer and they are discussing a portion of her book when all of sudden Mills throws in a description of how her breasts were straining against the fabric of her shirt. And I'm thinking "Have I stumbled into a bodice-ripper when I wasn't looking? Will there be 'throbbing' next?" Totally unnecessary description and it almost caused me to stop reading. Because if every time a female character was brought onstage we were going to be given unnecessary sexual descriptions, then I was not interested. It didn't help that the girlfriend was pretty much not essential at all and that it didn't matter that she was a writer. She dumps him...and that makes him all the more eager to go to Italy for his research, but that could have been established in a much better way.
Fortunately Mills gets the torrid romance novel prose out of his system early on (he handles future romance scenes much more deftly) and soon gets down to business with the literary mystery. I was completely enthralled with the secrets of the garden and the quest to discover its hidden meaning. Given my reading over the past year, I should have picked up on the literary clues that were essential to the solution, but even though I missed those references I did see the basic secret long before Strickland. Mills does a very good job balancing the historical and contemporary mysteries, although I must admit that I was more interested in the secrets of the garden than I was in the murder of Signora Docci's son. Overall, Mills also does very well with his characterization--giving the individuals depth and making the reader interested in their motives. The only reservations I have are with the character of the contemporary villain--we aren't given enough to provoke either sympathy or revulsion--and I would have liked to have seen a bit more of Strickland's mentor, Professor Crispin Leonard.
This was a very satisfying and interesting literary mystery. I learned quite a bit about Italian art and history. There was plenty of action and adventure and (after that first chapter) even a bit of romance. A fast-paced, good summer-time read. Three and a half stars.
June 5, 2016
A literary mystery that had me completely absorbed.
It's 1958 and Cambridge art-history postgrad Adam Strickland, recently dumped by his girlfriend, is persuaded by his tutor that the topic of his thesis should be a memorial garden in the grounds of an Italian villa. Once arrived, Adam discovers the garden is strangely haunting -- that it's by no means just a random repository of sculptures, that everything in it has a meaning and contributes to the telling of a story . . . to, in fact, the confession of a centuries-ago murder. But there's more. There has also been, as Adam deduces, a more recent murder in the villa, one whose perpetrator has used the chaos of the war's end to cover up his tracks.
I found the former mystery by far the more entrancing. In order to solve it, Adam must rely upon his knowledge of Dante and Machiavelli . . . and also upon the contributions of his flaky brother, Harry. At times I got to partial solutions before Adam and Harry; far more often they beat me to it. In other words, the book offered me a great game of deduction. It's also one of the few novels where the map at the front -- in this instance of the garden -- is actually useful, because the garden's geography is also part of the mystery's solution.
Having worked out the riddle of the garden, Adam proceeds to sniff out the truth about the latterday killing. Here he's helped by Harry again and by the villa's ancient doyenne, Francesca, and her hot designer granddaughter Antonella. Adam rather swiftly falls in love with Antonella and she apparently likewise with him; but is it possible that she's manipulating his emotions in order to mislead him about the truth of the family's more recent secret?
As I say, I was captivated by the older mystery, less so by the newer one -- in fact, although I was by no means bored by the latter, I wasn't 100% sure why Mills had included it. Even so, he managed to pull together the two different elements skilfully enough that it was only later that I began to have my doubts.
The book has a couple of really quite raunchy scenes that may upset the prim. The first of these is surprisingly real, in that the participants seem to be gloriously improvising, while the latter is rather staged, as if imagined for a screenplay.
Overall, very much the kind (well, one of the kinds) of book that I like, with an intellectual mystery at its core and some very human characters interacting with each other as that mystery unfolds; it has, too, a smack of John Fowles's The Magus. This is a novel that demands you don't leave your brain at the door.
It's 1958 and Cambridge art-history postgrad Adam Strickland, recently dumped by his girlfriend, is persuaded by his tutor that the topic of his thesis should be a memorial garden in the grounds of an Italian villa. Once arrived, Adam discovers the garden is strangely haunting -- that it's by no means just a random repository of sculptures, that everything in it has a meaning and contributes to the telling of a story . . . to, in fact, the confession of a centuries-ago murder. But there's more. There has also been, as Adam deduces, a more recent murder in the villa, one whose perpetrator has used the chaos of the war's end to cover up his tracks.
I found the former mystery by far the more entrancing. In order to solve it, Adam must rely upon his knowledge of Dante and Machiavelli . . . and also upon the contributions of his flaky brother, Harry. At times I got to partial solutions before Adam and Harry; far more often they beat me to it. In other words, the book offered me a great game of deduction. It's also one of the few novels where the map at the front -- in this instance of the garden -- is actually useful, because the garden's geography is also part of the mystery's solution.
Having worked out the riddle of the garden, Adam proceeds to sniff out the truth about the latterday killing. Here he's helped by Harry again and by the villa's ancient doyenne, Francesca, and her hot designer granddaughter Antonella. Adam rather swiftly falls in love with Antonella and she apparently likewise with him; but is it possible that she's manipulating his emotions in order to mislead him about the truth of the family's more recent secret?
As I say, I was captivated by the older mystery, less so by the newer one -- in fact, although I was by no means bored by the latter, I wasn't 100% sure why Mills had included it. Even so, he managed to pull together the two different elements skilfully enough that it was only later that I began to have my doubts.
The book has a couple of really quite raunchy scenes that may upset the prim. The first of these is surprisingly real, in that the participants seem to be gloriously improvising, while the latter is rather staged, as if imagined for a screenplay.
Overall, very much the kind (well, one of the kinds) of book that I like, with an intellectual mystery at its core and some very human characters interacting with each other as that mystery unfolds; it has, too, a smack of John Fowles's The Magus. This is a novel that demands you don't leave your brain at the door.
May 25, 2008
Despite the very slow pace of this novel I found it hugely atmospheric. Maybe especially so because I know some of the places mentioned personally, A particular favourite being Bomarzo, The Sacred Wood.
Will definitely appeal to lovers of Italy, Gardens their histories and thrillers. It was only my interest in these first two that kept me turning the pages at first because I found I was almost halfway through before the mystery pulled me in properly. I was pulled in very slowly by the mystery of the two interrelated murders, committed four hundred years apart. It is believed that there is some sort of curse that will be lifted if the riddle of these deaths can be solved.
The protagonist Adam Strickland who is studying the Renaissance Garden at Villa Docci in Tuscany for his university thesis, by personal invitation is unwittingly drawn in by the family to help solve the mystery. Adam successfully uncovers the mysteries of the garden, completely unaware of the danger he is putting himself in, by nosing around into the dark past of the Docci family.
After the slow start I was surprised at how gripping this mystery eventually became.
Will definitely appeal to lovers of Italy, Gardens their histories and thrillers. It was only my interest in these first two that kept me turning the pages at first because I found I was almost halfway through before the mystery pulled me in properly. I was pulled in very slowly by the mystery of the two interrelated murders, committed four hundred years apart. It is believed that there is some sort of curse that will be lifted if the riddle of these deaths can be solved.
The protagonist Adam Strickland who is studying the Renaissance Garden at Villa Docci in Tuscany for his university thesis, by personal invitation is unwittingly drawn in by the family to help solve the mystery. Adam successfully uncovers the mysteries of the garden, completely unaware of the danger he is putting himself in, by nosing around into the dark past of the Docci family.
After the slow start I was surprised at how gripping this mystery eventually became.
November 7, 2017
I was a little wary about this book, since it has a lot of mediocre reviews but it actually surprised me! It wasn't the best book I read this year, but it was really engaging and enjoyable. It has a lot of elements that I recently grew to like - a family mystery, an old building, a mysterious garden. The mystery plot was my absolute favourite thing about it and I loved all the connections to the Greek mythology. It made me glued to the book, because I wanted to find out the truth really badly and I found all the descriptions very atmospheric.
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April 5, 2008
I read this for a book group and hated it. There are so many plotholes and unfinished elements. You get the feeling that the writer read the Da Vince Code and thought he too could write a thriller based on his knowledge of art history. The result is far from thrilling though; the characters are not believable(particularly the female ones), the plot is highly contrived and even more unbelievable than the characters and the ending is rushed. On the plus side, the descriptions of the garden and of Tuscany in general are vivid and detailed; they are the book's only saving grace.
September 12, 2015
Wat een hele mooie detective roman is dit. Een literaire "who-done-it". Niet schuwend klassieke meesterwerken te verwerken in dit boek. Adam krijgt van zijn professor de vraag of hij een scriptie wil schrijven over een tuin in Toscane. Het jaar is 1958 en Italië heeft nog de wonden van de tweede wereld oorlog. Hij is een naïeve Engelsman van 22 jaar die in een totale andere wereld terecht komt. Maar hij heeft een heldere blik, en blik die zijn gastvrouw wel kan waarderen. Er ontspint zich het verhaal van de tuin, die een herinnering is aan een te vroeg overleden vrouw honderden jaren geleden. Waarom is de tuin werkelijk aangelegd? Daarnaast het verhaal van de moord op een van de zoons van de gastvrouw. Wat is er nu werkelijk gebeurt?
February 10, 2017
If you've forgotten how entertaining a gothic romance can be, this is the book for you. "The Savage Garden" is a direct descendent of Wilke Collins' "The Woman in White" and that's a darn good pedigree. And I would also call this an adult version of a childhood favorite, "The Secret Garden." In this gothic romance, Mills oddly manages to have his hero running through the woods in underwear and boots as opposed to the traditional barefoot young lady heroine in a flowing nightgown. (And how, exactly, Mills gets away with this is certainly entertaining in and of itself.) We also have a garden with secrets, mysterious characters galore, and numerous scenes of steamy lovin'. An entertaining read, all in all.
January 27, 2018
I first read this book in 2007. I stumbled across it again and am happy to say, I enjoyed it 11 years later.
August 2, 2016
* 2,5 *
September 27, 2020
"When they start killing the men of ideas, you can be sure the Devil is laughing."
Cambridge art history student, Adam Strickland, travels to Tuscany in 1958 to work on the Renaissance garden of the Villa Docci near Florence. The garden was apparently created by a grieving husband in memory of his dead wife who died in 1548 aged 25 but Adam soon realises that the garden features some discordant iconography and that it harbours much darker secrets than is outwardly apparent, as does the villa itself. Soon, Adam is drawn into a complex mystery which shifts between the 16th century and the latter days of German Occupation in the country towards the end of WWII, and into the web of intrigue woven by the Docci family, which he tries to unravel with the aid of references found in Ovid and Dante.
Mills manages to paint a vivid depiction of a Renaissance garden complete with wooded glades, grottoes, temples, amphitheatres, classical statues and reflecting pools, however I felt that at times he simply went into too much unnecessary detail, made too many digressions into classical mythology or the evolution of orang-utans, meaning that although they had some minor bearings on the plot it sometimes lost its momentum.
Similarly although Mills subtly uses a suspicious death as a way of examining the scars left behind by war in tight knit communities and how families learn to cope in the aftermath, I felt that he failed to really consider quite why he had decided to set the story in 1958 other than the fact that it wasn't too long after the end of the war. This element of the novel somehow lacked the necessary authenticity, in particular I struggled to believe that young, unmarried women of the period would have such a carefree attitude to sex, even amongst University students and Italians.
Overall I found this a fun read that had been well researched but by no means a classic.
Cambridge art history student, Adam Strickland, travels to Tuscany in 1958 to work on the Renaissance garden of the Villa Docci near Florence. The garden was apparently created by a grieving husband in memory of his dead wife who died in 1548 aged 25 but Adam soon realises that the garden features some discordant iconography and that it harbours much darker secrets than is outwardly apparent, as does the villa itself. Soon, Adam is drawn into a complex mystery which shifts between the 16th century and the latter days of German Occupation in the country towards the end of WWII, and into the web of intrigue woven by the Docci family, which he tries to unravel with the aid of references found in Ovid and Dante.
Mills manages to paint a vivid depiction of a Renaissance garden complete with wooded glades, grottoes, temples, amphitheatres, classical statues and reflecting pools, however I felt that at times he simply went into too much unnecessary detail, made too many digressions into classical mythology or the evolution of orang-utans, meaning that although they had some minor bearings on the plot it sometimes lost its momentum.
Similarly although Mills subtly uses a suspicious death as a way of examining the scars left behind by war in tight knit communities and how families learn to cope in the aftermath, I felt that he failed to really consider quite why he had decided to set the story in 1958 other than the fact that it wasn't too long after the end of the war. This element of the novel somehow lacked the necessary authenticity, in particular I struggled to believe that young, unmarried women of the period would have such a carefree attitude to sex, even amongst University students and Italians.
Overall I found this a fun read that had been well researched but by no means a classic.
January 29, 2022
3.5 Estrelas.
Este livro esteve quase 7 anos na minha estante há espera que pegasse nele. Na altura decidi comprá-lo porque tinha lido do mesmo autor o "House of the hanged" e tinha ficado completamente rendida. Supostamente, o "The secret garden" seria ainda melhor pelo que me tinham dado a entender. Porque demorei então 7 anos a chegar a ele? Sinceramente, não sei muito bem. Contudo, sei que a expetativa se aguentou ao longo de todos estes anos. Por isso mesmo, não pude deixar de ficar desiludida. Este livro não é mau, mas poderia ter sido tão melhor! O mistério é interessante mas não deslumbra. Para além disso, achei as descrições do autor sobre o jardim algo maçadoras. E normalmente sou bastante tolerante com passagens mais discritivas mas nesta obra acho que cortavam um pouco o ritmo da leitura. Gostei do Harry que trouxe uma componente bastante cómica à história. Em relação ao resto, gostava que o ritmo da trama tivesse sido um pouco mais acelerado e o final melhor explorado e desenvolvido. Achei que as últimas páginas tentaram resolver demasiadas coisas.
Este livro esteve quase 7 anos na minha estante há espera que pegasse nele. Na altura decidi comprá-lo porque tinha lido do mesmo autor o "House of the hanged" e tinha ficado completamente rendida. Supostamente, o "The secret garden" seria ainda melhor pelo que me tinham dado a entender. Porque demorei então 7 anos a chegar a ele? Sinceramente, não sei muito bem. Contudo, sei que a expetativa se aguentou ao longo de todos estes anos. Por isso mesmo, não pude deixar de ficar desiludida. Este livro não é mau, mas poderia ter sido tão melhor! O mistério é interessante mas não deslumbra. Para além disso, achei as descrições do autor sobre o jardim algo maçadoras. E normalmente sou bastante tolerante com passagens mais discritivas mas nesta obra acho que cortavam um pouco o ritmo da leitura. Gostei do Harry que trouxe uma componente bastante cómica à história. Em relação ao resto, gostava que o ritmo da trama tivesse sido um pouco mais acelerado e o final melhor explorado e desenvolvido. Achei que as últimas páginas tentaram resolver demasiadas coisas.
July 6, 2025
You know what? I enjoyed it. The romantic subplots felt unnecessary, and the book opens with a confusing fictional excerpt from a throwaway character—feel free to skip that. But beyond those quirks, it’s a fun and surprisingly twisty read. Bonus points for making a book about unseen art history genuinely engaging.
I found this book on the shelf of a Scottish cottage we rented on vacation. There’s something I love about reading what has been left behind on strangers’ shelves.
I found this book on the shelf of a Scottish cottage we rented on vacation. There’s something I love about reading what has been left behind on strangers’ shelves.
September 26, 2017
A very enjoyable mystery set in Italy. Two mysteries entwined in one house that a young student discovers with some peril to himself along the way.
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