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Available
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?… (more)
User reviews
LibraryThing member cbl_tn
I spent a wonderful week in Florence and Tuscany a few years ago and I thought this book would remind me of the great works of art and architecture and the beautiful landscapes I saw on my trip. What's not to like about Italy? Unfortunately, I found that I didn't care for Adam, the novel's main
The author used quite a lot of symbolism in the novel, but he was often too obvious with it. Adam arrived at his discoveries in stages. I think most readers would figure out a great many of the puzzles before Adam worked them out in the novel. I know I did, and therefore I experienced very little suspense or surprise during my reading.
Because of the amount of symbolism and allusion in the novel, I would recommend that readers brush up on classical mythology and on Renaissance art and literature before reading this book. Readers might also want to have a book of Renaissance art reproductions handy.
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character. It's not that I didn't like him. I just didn't care about him, at all. I was interested in his research project, not his personal life. I kept reading just to learn the solution to the mysteries he encountered at the Villa Docci.The author used quite a lot of symbolism in the novel, but he was often too obvious with it. Adam arrived at his discoveries in stages. I think most readers would figure out a great many of the puzzles before Adam worked them out in the novel. I know I did, and therefore I experienced very little suspense or surprise during my reading.
Because of the amount of symbolism and allusion in the novel, I would recommend that readers brush up on classical mythology and on Renaissance art and literature before reading this book. Readers might also want to have a book of Renaissance art reproductions handy.
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LibraryThing member PilgrimJess
"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
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
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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.
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LibraryThing member jimgysin
A mysterious death in 1548. Another in 1945, in the waning days of WWII in Europe. Both involve the Docci family and revolve around their Tuscan villa and its famous garden. This is a highly literate novel and a two-fer on the mystery front. The majority of the story takes place in 1958, and the
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more recent death takes primacy as a young Cambridge scholar looks into matters. Both plot lines and their resolutions are extremely interesting. Add a whole host of fascinating characters, a superb narrative, a fair amount of academia, and plenty of Italian history and mythology and you end up with almost everything that I look for in a compelling novel. A real gem. Show Less
LibraryThing member brokenangelkisses
This is a strange story, so perhaps it is fitting that it is initially presented in quite a strange way. A map of the titular garden is juxtaposed with a very short prologue on the first two pages. The map shows a classical, carefully organised garden; the prologue hints at murder, disaster and
Adam Strickland certainly thinks so. A rather careless young man, he is easily tempted to take what he hopes will be a lazy assignment in sun-kissed Italy, writing about a garden with classical features. Gradually, Adam realises that the garden’s careful set-up is hiding a sinister secret – and, rather more worryingly, so are his hosts…
Mills has worked hard to create intrigue in this story, so it is sad that I felt that the novel failed almost totally on this level. The prologue hints at something dreadful, but once I reached the end of the story I was left wondering if the horror encapsulated there had really been uncovered. The prose style is so mild and the resolution so well mannered that I couldn’t really fit the tone of the whole novel with the threatening and obscure prologue.
More successful are the shady characters Mills employs to flesh out the story. Adam’s hostess has odd conversations with her faithful servant which are interspersed with the rest of the action and seem to offer a sense of threat towards our young hero. A conversation in a bar leads to darkening of the atmosphere. A suspect refuses to confess. These incidents and characters did create a limited tension which was perhaps ultimately restricted by the subject matter. Both of the crimes Adam pursues are old news: nothing can arise from his success except a certain sense of pride. Equally, it seems that the consequences when he is in danger are likely to be slight. There is so little he can do, even if he finds out the truth, that our hero is scarcely a threat to anyone.
Really, this is a coming of age story disguised as a thriller. Just as well, really, since I wasn’t thrilled. Adam’s relationships with his charismatic brother, a young Italian woman and, finally, his parents are explored and developed, albeit sometimes rather too briefly. He begins to learn his place in the world and gain confidence in his abilities. (Once again, somewhat contradicting the negative tone of the prologue.) I enjoyed seeing Adam grow as a person, although none of the other characters seemed sufficiently ‘real’ to cause such personal growth.
The supposed hub of the story, the garden, was a problem for me. The story hidden in it was ingenious, but I almost felt that Mills was too interested in pushing his own cleverness than in genuinely entertaining the reader. This is not because he includes too much context – he could, in fact, have usefully included slightly more to help guide the reader through the maze of Latin references – but because the garden is repeatedly described in so much detail and the length of time taken to begin to crack the code is emphasised. Personally, I have very little interest in architecture or gardens, so I suspect that I was not the ideal reader! It certainly was possible to picture the garden and almost explore it with Adam. A more patient reader, or one with more interest in the aesthetics, would probably gain a lot more from the story than I did.
The conclusion seemed a long time coming after everything except the love interest had been resolved as far as was possible. Given my lack of engagement with the story as a whole, I was really rushing to try to reach the end – through boredom, not enthusiasm. I thought this was a shame and do wonder if my reading became slightly self-reinforcing: I expected to be bored, therefore I was bored.
Overall, I found much of it intensely dull, but I think this may have been mostly due to my lack of interest in the aesthetic details. Perhaps subconsciously I also knew Adam couldn’t suffer too much (because he was clearly alive to be discussed in the prologue) and so didn’t fully extend my sympathies and interest towards him. Whatever the cause, I was disappointed by this novel and would not recommend it, except to hardcore fans of historical mysteries.
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confusion, showing the reader what is hiding beneath the seemingly picturesque but actually ‘savage’ garden. So far, I found the storyline slightly intriguing. Could there really be a secret hidden in this garden?Adam Strickland certainly thinks so. A rather careless young man, he is easily tempted to take what he hopes will be a lazy assignment in sun-kissed Italy, writing about a garden with classical features. Gradually, Adam realises that the garden’s careful set-up is hiding a sinister secret – and, rather more worryingly, so are his hosts…
Mills has worked hard to create intrigue in this story, so it is sad that I felt that the novel failed almost totally on this level. The prologue hints at something dreadful, but once I reached the end of the story I was left wondering if the horror encapsulated there had really been uncovered. The prose style is so mild and the resolution so well mannered that I couldn’t really fit the tone of the whole novel with the threatening and obscure prologue.
More successful are the shady characters Mills employs to flesh out the story. Adam’s hostess has odd conversations with her faithful servant which are interspersed with the rest of the action and seem to offer a sense of threat towards our young hero. A conversation in a bar leads to darkening of the atmosphere. A suspect refuses to confess. These incidents and characters did create a limited tension which was perhaps ultimately restricted by the subject matter. Both of the crimes Adam pursues are old news: nothing can arise from his success except a certain sense of pride. Equally, it seems that the consequences when he is in danger are likely to be slight. There is so little he can do, even if he finds out the truth, that our hero is scarcely a threat to anyone.
Really, this is a coming of age story disguised as a thriller. Just as well, really, since I wasn’t thrilled. Adam’s relationships with his charismatic brother, a young Italian woman and, finally, his parents are explored and developed, albeit sometimes rather too briefly. He begins to learn his place in the world and gain confidence in his abilities. (Once again, somewhat contradicting the negative tone of the prologue.) I enjoyed seeing Adam grow as a person, although none of the other characters seemed sufficiently ‘real’ to cause such personal growth.
The supposed hub of the story, the garden, was a problem for me. The story hidden in it was ingenious, but I almost felt that Mills was too interested in pushing his own cleverness than in genuinely entertaining the reader. This is not because he includes too much context – he could, in fact, have usefully included slightly more to help guide the reader through the maze of Latin references – but because the garden is repeatedly described in so much detail and the length of time taken to begin to crack the code is emphasised. Personally, I have very little interest in architecture or gardens, so I suspect that I was not the ideal reader! It certainly was possible to picture the garden and almost explore it with Adam. A more patient reader, or one with more interest in the aesthetics, would probably gain a lot more from the story than I did.
The conclusion seemed a long time coming after everything except the love interest had been resolved as far as was possible. Given my lack of engagement with the story as a whole, I was really rushing to try to reach the end – through boredom, not enthusiasm. I thought this was a shame and do wonder if my reading became slightly self-reinforcing: I expected to be bored, therefore I was bored.
Overall, I found much of it intensely dull, but I think this may have been mostly due to my lack of interest in the aesthetic details. Perhaps subconsciously I also knew Adam couldn’t suffer too much (because he was clearly alive to be discussed in the prologue) and so didn’t fully extend my sympathies and interest towards him. Whatever the cause, I was disappointed by this novel and would not recommend it, except to hardcore fans of historical mysteries.
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LibraryThing member carolcarter
For decades one of my favorite books has been The Magus by John Fowles, both versions. I have read both of them multiple times. Last night I had the pleasure of finishing The Savage Garden by Mark Mills. This is only his second book and he looks relatively young which is always a good thing to my
The Savage Garden takes place in Italy in 1958. A young Cambridge student of Art History is sent by his advisor to examine a very special garden in Tuscany. The garden itself is full of surprises and is not what it seems at first glance. Nor is anyone in the Docci Villa which owns the garden and surrounding property. Like The Magus there are incidental ties to the German occupation and there are almost as many twists and turns and surprises.There is more than one mystery to be solved by the protagonist and he does so brilliantly. In the end the young student comes away with much more than just his thesis. Mills' writing is so effortless that I could see the garden perfectly in my mind's eye and hear the wind and almost smell the surrounding countryside. Several hours of reading would pass in a flash. Reading like this is what I live for (after my family of course). I have no doubt I will find this book on my shelf in years to come and be delighted to read it again
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mind. I certainly hope he has many more novels in him. The Savage Garden owes quite a lot to The Magus, whether intentionally or otherwise. There are huge similarities and yet they are both wonderfully unique.The Savage Garden takes place in Italy in 1958. A young Cambridge student of Art History is sent by his advisor to examine a very special garden in Tuscany. The garden itself is full of surprises and is not what it seems at first glance. Nor is anyone in the Docci Villa which owns the garden and surrounding property. Like The Magus there are incidental ties to the German occupation and there are almost as many twists and turns and surprises.There is more than one mystery to be solved by the protagonist and he does so brilliantly. In the end the young student comes away with much more than just his thesis. Mills' writing is so effortless that I could see the garden perfectly in my mind's eye and hear the wind and almost smell the surrounding countryside. Several hours of reading would pass in a flash. Reading like this is what I live for (after my family of course). I have no doubt I will find this book on my shelf in years to come and be delighted to read it again
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LibraryThing member punxsygal
Adam Strickland, a young scholar at Cambridge University is assigned a special summer project to write a thesis about the famous Docci garden in Tuscany. As the story unfolds Adams is drawn into a parallel intrigue. What was behind the creation of the garden, a grieving husband's dedication to his
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wife? And what really happened the day the Germans withdrew from the Villa in WWII? I was pulled into the story immediately and was anxious to see how things were unfolding. Show Less
LibraryThing member sfeggers
I had a hard time with the language being awkward in places but was able to get over it. The book definitely picked up in the second half. The plot was predictable but the characters were good.
LibraryThing member magdalen
The book was rather predictable and the characters were shallow and stereotypical. The hero: young and clever and attractive, the girl he falls for: extremely beautiful regardless of a scar that stretches across her forhead (yeah right!), the Italian host family: all interesting and rich and
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adoring the hero. And the happy end totally corny and ridiculous. Not my cup of tea. Show Less
LibraryThing member ellenmarine
Read this very recently, as per the recommendation of the lovely Richard and Judy :D
As far as novels from this category (i.e. from the spate of novels dealing with ancient history that have arisen post-Dan Brown) go, it's alright.
The research undertaken by the author is an improvement of Dan
However, it does have a certain charm, largely due to the location and period in which it is set (Tuscany and the last 1950s respectively) and the comparatively decent research undertaken by Mark Mills definitely won it brownie points for me.
As far as novels from this category (i.e. from the spate of novels dealing with ancient history that have arisen post-Dan Brown) go, it's alright.
The research undertaken by the author is an improvement of Dan
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Brown's; yet the plot "revelations" are often obvious; I felt no real affinity with any of the characters, and the sex scenes (amongst the most unromantic I think I've ever read) sounded like they may have been written by a 13-year-old schoolboy.However, it does have a certain charm, largely due to the location and period in which it is set (Tuscany and the last 1950s respectively) and the comparatively decent research undertaken by Mark Mills definitely won it brownie points for me.
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LibraryThing member riverwillow
Its a nice book, but strangely unsatisfying. It has echoes of The Da Vinci Code as Dante's Inferno is the key to the story of the garden. This is very interesting and has encouraged me to reread Dante, but somehow it just doesn't work, while the contemporary mystery which is intertwined throughout
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the story just isn't mysterious or compelling. The best I can say about this book is that it feels well researched and Mark Mills isn't a bad writer, but something went slightly wrong as it just didn't grab me the way a mystery novel should. Show Less
LibraryThing member bkladyatl
A good but long read. A little too literary than usual for me. But all in all a good mystery.
LibraryThing member AnneliM
Mediocre story made interesting by the Tuscan setting. A young student, by researching a Tuscan garden and villa, comes upon an old mystery.
LibraryThing member samsheep
I quite enjoyed this as a simple mystery story but really it was not at all good at character or conjuring the atmosphere of 1950s Italy. Quite surprised by all the glowing reviews it was covered in as it really was not particularly good writing.
LibraryThing member LeHack
Adam Strickland is a student at Cambridge. Professor Leonard gives him a task for the summer, to travel to Italy and write about the garden at Villa Docci.
This most unusual garden, a memorial to Flora
Bonfadio, has statues and pools, but they are positioned in an unusual manner. Prof Leonard
There is also mystery surrounding the current family at Villa Docci. One of the sons was killed during the German occupation of the Villa. Superstition in the village says that there is a curse on Villa Docci and the families who live there.
I picked up this book because I liked Amagansett, the author's previous novel. Even though there is a drawing of the garden in the front of the book, I wish it had been clearer. It didn't help much when the author took the reader through the garden. The story moved along nicely and held interest throughout.
This most unusual garden, a memorial to Flora
Bonfadio, has statues and pools, but they are positioned in an unusual manner. Prof Leonard
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describes it as Art and Nature coming together. Adam thinks there is a clue in the garden as to how Flora died.There is also mystery surrounding the current family at Villa Docci. One of the sons was killed during the German occupation of the Villa. Superstition in the village says that there is a curse on Villa Docci and the families who live there.
I picked up this book because I liked Amagansett, the author's previous novel. Even though there is a drawing of the garden in the front of the book, I wish it had been clearer. It didn't help much when the author took the reader through the garden. The story moved along nicely and held interest throughout.
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LibraryThing member SmithSJ01
The best out of the Richard & Judy books for me. I loved every minute of this slowly unwinding mystery. Perhaps being a big fan of Dante was helpful, I don't know. I found the ending confusing though, maybe there was something I was missing, not sure.
All the characters are great, deceptive in
All the characters are great, deceptive in
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their own ways. A great plot and evocative narrative. It was a pleasure to relax and become involved with the novel. I was completely hooked from the start. The chapter lengths made a difference as there were good places to stop if you wanted to rest (I read this in one sitting so it was necessary). Nothing else of his has grabbed my attention so I'm pleased I came across this one. Show Less
LibraryThing member tronella
I bought this book in a supermarket because the cover looked interesting, and grocery shopping is boring sometimes. It's a historical mystery story, I suppose: an art history student goes to this big country house in Italy to study its gardens, and in doing so comes across two mysteries -- the
This isn't a work of great literature or anything, and I ran into my usual problems with non-plot-advancing sex scenes, but it's a nice story, and the descriptions of the gardens are really great in places. At times, the way everything linked together (the student's life, and both deaths) seemed a bit overly contrived, but then again if things had been left unexplained I suppose that would have annoyed me just as much.
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death of the owner's son during WWII, and another death which is cryptically explained by the garden's statues.This isn't a work of great literature or anything, and I ran into my usual problems with non-plot-advancing sex scenes, but it's a nice story, and the descriptions of the gardens are really great in places. At times, the way everything linked together (the student's life, and both deaths) seemed a bit overly contrived, but then again if things had been left unexplained I suppose that would have annoyed me just as much.
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LibraryThing member MzCaledonia
I loved the mythology in this book and how it was used to unravel the mystery of the memorial garden, although I did find it hard to believe Adam was the only one who could see it! The murder plots were intriguing and held my interest for most of the book but I was starting to get weary towards the
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end. It seemed to fall a bit flat for me by then. Show Less
LibraryThing member phoebesmum
I read this for the same reason, probably, that many others did: ex-Ottakars was selling it for about a pound if you bought £x of other stuff, and why would you say no? It's not bad: young English student in the 50s goes to Italy to write a thesis on a formal garden, uncovers not just one but two
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Dark Mysteries at the heart of the rose. Bonus for him, I guess. Show Less
LibraryThing member melancholycat
The Savage Garden is about Cambridge student Adam Strickland and his time spent at a Florentine villa, studying the art of its grand garden as a summer research project. Villa Docci is beautiful, but haunted by secrets: the mysterious death 400 years before of the young wife of the villa's owner
I really enjoyed this novel: visualizing the beautiful architecture and gardens of Florence, the Italian lifestyle post-WWII, and the mystery of secrets hidden in plain sight. The weaving of history, art, architecture, Dante, and mythology are utterly engrossing and fascinating. I don't really understand why some reviewers felt that the novel was overshadowed by its sex scenes; yes there was sex in the novel, but nothing too lewd or graphic. I've read novels where the sex was raunchy and unnecessary, but this was not such a novel. And being a college-aged male, spending 2-3 weeks in a foreign country alone, it was not out of character at all for our protagonist to have sex. Nonetheless, good book, definitely recommend.
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and the death of Signora Docci's eldest son, Emilio, 15 years before, at the end of WWII. Adam strives to unlock the secret of the garden and discover the true circumstances under which Emilio was killed - before he becomes another victim of the villa. I really enjoyed this novel: visualizing the beautiful architecture and gardens of Florence, the Italian lifestyle post-WWII, and the mystery of secrets hidden in plain sight. The weaving of history, art, architecture, Dante, and mythology are utterly engrossing and fascinating. I don't really understand why some reviewers felt that the novel was overshadowed by its sex scenes; yes there was sex in the novel, but nothing too lewd or graphic. I've read novels where the sex was raunchy and unnecessary, but this was not such a novel. And being a college-aged male, spending 2-3 weeks in a foreign country alone, it was not out of character at all for our protagonist to have sex. Nonetheless, good book, definitely recommend.
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LibraryThing member LukeS
Mark Mills is rapidly becoming a favorite. I was so taken by [Amagansett] that I doubted he could equal it in this subsequent work. I'm very pleased to be able to say he didn't disappoint. He seems to have the ability to spin a mystery out of a multitude of situations, and if the library's waiting
Adam Strickland has just finished his end-of-term exams at 1958 Cambridge when his mentor offers him the opportunity to review and write a thesis on an unspoiled Renaissance garden in Tuscany. His ready acceptance plunges him into a centuries-old murder mystery, and the intrigue and life-threatening danger that surround it. Along the way, we touch on a more recent murder, and the family haunted by both to the present day. Young Adam excels at medieval symbolism and culture, and apparently also at following clues from much more recent crimes. Or is he?
This story offers us the sympathetic strengths of a very bright young man, adept at gleaning clues from Dante as well as modern forensics. Other attractive characters abound here, such as Adam's ne'er-do-well sculptor brother Harry, and Antonella, the beautiful-but-scarred young woman who may or may not have ulterior motives for seducing Adam. This work is cleverly constructed, a compulsive page-turner, and a very gratifying, multi-layered thriller.
Have at it! And explore the rest of Mills's oeuvre while you're at it. I certainly am.
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list for his latest, [The Information Officer], is any indication, a horde of other readers feel the same way.Adam Strickland has just finished his end-of-term exams at 1958 Cambridge when his mentor offers him the opportunity to review and write a thesis on an unspoiled Renaissance garden in Tuscany. His ready acceptance plunges him into a centuries-old murder mystery, and the intrigue and life-threatening danger that surround it. Along the way, we touch on a more recent murder, and the family haunted by both to the present day. Young Adam excels at medieval symbolism and culture, and apparently also at following clues from much more recent crimes. Or is he?
This story offers us the sympathetic strengths of a very bright young man, adept at gleaning clues from Dante as well as modern forensics. Other attractive characters abound here, such as Adam's ne'er-do-well sculptor brother Harry, and Antonella, the beautiful-but-scarred young woman who may or may not have ulterior motives for seducing Adam. This work is cleverly constructed, a compulsive page-turner, and a very gratifying, multi-layered thriller.
Have at it! And explore the rest of Mills's oeuvre while you're at it. I certainly am.
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LibraryThing member bcquinnsmom
Savage Garden is the story of Adam Strickland, who is given a great chance to do some research for a thesis project in Tuscany. There he gets to know the family of Signora Docci, who live in a villa built in the 16th century by an ancestor. Within the villa is a beautiful garden that is to be the
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topic of Adam's thesis. As Adam begins an earnest study of the garden, he discovers that there are secrets waiting to be uncovered there in the form of statuary and the very layout of the garden. He discovers that a murder had been committed some 4 centuries earlier, and piecing together his research, is able to come up with his own theory about that murder. But more is going on besides Strickland's research; the current Docci family seem to be hiding something as well, something that seems to center on the oldest son, who had supposedly died at the hands of the German occupiers of the villa during the Nazi regime in Italy. As Adam gets closer to the truth, he realizes that there is someone that perhaps wants him to stay quiet. So that's the plot. Normally, this would have tickled me, because I do love a good "lets-uncover-the-clues-from-literature" type story, but this one I did not like. It is truly more of a tale of who's manipulating who here, and although I enjoyed the literary references throughout the novel, this one just didn't grab me. Others may like it, but this one just didn't do it for me. Show Less
LibraryThing member gypsysmom
Interesting mystery set in Tuscany in the 1950's. An art history student from England looks into the origins of an ancient garden and discovers hidden meanings that point to a murder. At the same time he suspects that the death of the oldest son of the family during the war was not the doing of
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German soldiers. Lots of references to classical mythology and Dante's Divine Comedy that made me wish I knew more. Show Less
LibraryThing member mydomino1978
A slow starter, it was about half way through the book that events begin coming together. I had just about given up, when Adam, an art history student, begins solving two murders that occur 400 years apart. There is a twist but I wouldn't want to spoil the book. It was worth finishing, and I would
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consider reading more of this author. Show Less
LibraryThing member avhacker
THIS BOOK WAS AMAZING!!!!!!!!
LibraryThing member cameling
I don't think Mark Mills could write a bad book, but having said that, this, in my opinion, is the weakest he has produced thus far.
Adam, graduate student, is sent off to a friend of his professor's in Italy to research the architecture and history of a garden in the villa. There he finds that all
Even as Adam uncovers hidden secrets, so too does he start to fall in love. I thought Mr Mills could have delivered a much shorter book that packed a greater punch. At times, I found my attention wavering as he seemed to ramble tediously over (as I was later to realize) some really unimportant details and scenes.
If this was the first book of his that I'd read, I may not have been eager to read his other, much better written books, Amagansett and The Information Officer.
Adam, graduate student, is sent off to a friend of his professor's in Italy to research the architecture and history of a garden in the villa. There he finds that all
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is not as they appear, and before long, he is swept up by feelings of unease. What is it about the sculptures in the garden and the way the garden is laid out that draws him to the library to read Dante's Inferno? Is the villa or the family Docci who lived there cursed? Are there really sinister reasons for the deaths that have occurred there and what were they? Even as Adam uncovers hidden secrets, so too does he start to fall in love. I thought Mr Mills could have delivered a much shorter book that packed a greater punch. At times, I found my attention wavering as he seemed to ramble tediously over (as I was later to realize) some really unimportant details and scenes.
If this was the first book of his that I'd read, I may not have been eager to read his other, much better written books, Amagansett and The Information Officer.
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Awards
Crime Writers' Association Awards (Shortlist — 2007)
Theakstons Old Peculier Prize (Longlist — 2008)