The Savage Garden
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Review
Praise for ‘The Whaleboat House’:
‘A master of the art of murderous storytelling.’ Sunday Times
‘This is an intriguing, atmospheric, literary crime novel. The uneasy juxtaposition of two communities is brilliantly evoked by Mark Mills.’ Daily Mail
‘Subtle and stylish…Mills is clever, unravelling the story from several angles.' Observer
‘The requisite qualities of a film script – atmospheric details, lucidity and a simple, spare style.' Sunday Telegrap
‘A very rich book – rich in detail and history and local color; rich in characters and conflict and mystery; and, most importantly, rich in wonderful writing.’ John Grisham
‘Complex and compelling…Mark Mills reveals himself to be a master storyteller.' Val McDermid
‘A striking and assured first thriller…worldly and impeccably researched.’ William Boyd
Praise for ‘The Whaleboat House’:
‘A master of the art of murderous storytelling.’ Sunday Times
‘This is an intriguing, atmospheric, literary crime novel. The uneasy juxtaposition of two communities is brilliantly evoked by Mark Mills.’ Daily Mail
‘Subtle and stylish…Mills is clever, unravelling the story from several angles.' Observer
‘The requisite qualities of a film script – atmospheric details, lucidity and a simple, spare style.' Sunday Telegraph
‘A very rich book – rich in detail and history and local color; rich in characters and conflict and mystery; and, most importantly, rich in wonderful writing.’ John Grisham
‘Complex and compelling…Mark Mills reveals himself to be a master storyteller.' Val McDermid
‘A striking and assured first thriller…worldly and impeccably researched.’ William Boyd
Review
Praise for The Whaleboat House: 'A master of the art of murderous storytelling.' Sunday Times 'This is an intriguing, atmospheric, literary crime novel. The uneasy juxtaposition of two communities is brilliantly evoked by Mark Mills.' Daily Mail 'Subtle and stylish. Mills is clever, unravelling the story from several angles.' Observer 'The requisite qualities of a film script -- atmospheric details, lucidity and a simple, spare style.' Sunday Telegraph 'A very rich book -- rich in detail and history and local color; rich in characters and conflict and mystery; and, most importantly, rich in wonderful writing.' John Grisham 'Complex and compelling!Mark Mills reveals himself to be a master storyteller.' Val McDermid 'A striking and assured first thriller!worldly and impeccably researched.' William Boyd
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
185 of 192 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
I discovered Mark Mills by accident - he spoke alongside Emer McCourt at Edinburgh Book Festival a couple of years back. His debut, Amagansett (renamed Whaleboat House) was a period murder mystery set in Long Island just after WWII. It was stylish, well written and dealt with the social issues as the local population were being displaced by wealthy NYC types.
Mark Mills has now followed this up with a novel set in Tuscany in the 1950s. A young English student is tasked with uncovering the mysteries of a 400 year old memorial garden at a castle owned by a friend of his Cambridge tutor. As the mystery is uncovered - details matching with various classical texts - our student hero Adam discovers that the present day family have their own secrets. He starts to unravel those secrets, discovering what really happened when the castle was occupied by the Germans in the war.
The writing is well researched and very intelligent. Mills creates an air of menace that gets stronger as the novel progresses. But his forte is in creating believable characters with shades of light and dark. As the finger of suspicion is pointed, the suspects don't panic and wave guns around, they don't seek confrontation. Arguments are avoided, issues skirted. This lack of action then adds to the suspense and intrigue.
Moreover, the scene setting works well. Mills is a master of painting a scene with vivid, clear language. In this case, the mountains, the castle and the villages create a very claustrophobic atmosphere - the perfect environment for feuds to simmer and vengeance to be taken. And within each confined space, yet more confined spaces are created. Tuscany - the village - the castle - the garden - the grotto... The pacing, too, works very well. The details are covered effectively but painlessly in the opening third of the novel. The pace then quickens as the plot thickens. This really is a page turner.
And the denouement, when it arrives, is well thought through, completely lucid despite being really quite complex. It is a far cry indeed from Agatha Christie's unveiling of the culprit in front of the assembled guests and constables.
This is a thoughtful, literary version of the crime novel - and all the better for that. I think Mark Mills will go on to become a very well known name; deservedly so.
Mark Mills has now followed this up with a novel set in Tuscany in the 1950s. A young English student is tasked with uncovering the mysteries of a 400 year old memorial garden at a castle owned by a friend of his Cambridge tutor. As the mystery is uncovered - details matching with various classical texts - our student hero Adam discovers that the present day family have their own secrets. He starts to unravel those secrets, discovering what really happened when the castle was occupied by the Germans in the war.
The writing is well researched and very intelligent. Mills creates an air of menace that gets stronger as the novel progresses. But his forte is in creating believable characters with shades of light and dark. As the finger of suspicion is pointed, the suspects don't panic and wave guns around, they don't seek confrontation. Arguments are avoided, issues skirted. This lack of action then adds to the suspense and intrigue.
Moreover, the scene setting works well. Mills is a master of painting a scene with vivid, clear language. In this case, the mountains, the castle and the villages create a very claustrophobic atmosphere - the perfect environment for feuds to simmer and vengeance to be taken. And within each confined space, yet more confined spaces are created. Tuscany - the village - the castle - the garden - the grotto... The pacing, too, works very well. The details are covered effectively but painlessly in the opening third of the novel. The pace then quickens as the plot thickens. This really is a page turner.
And the denouement, when it arrives, is well thought through, completely lucid despite being really quite complex. It is a far cry indeed from Agatha Christie's unveiling of the culprit in front of the assembled guests and constables.
This is a thoughtful, literary version of the crime novel - and all the better for that. I think Mark Mills will go on to become a very well known name; deservedly so.
79 of 82 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
This is the first novel by Mills that I have read. I admit, I came to it via the Richard & Judy summer read bookclub. Having been disappointed with previous selections for this year, I have to say I wasn't holding out much hope at the beginning of me enjoying this. Happily, I was found to be wrong.
The book is about Adam, a university student who is encouraged to travel to Italy to the Villa Docci, home of the Docci family, by his lecturer. Adam is told that there is an interesting 400 year old memorial garden there, which could be a good subject for his thesis. As he sets out, he does not realise just how enchanting this garden shall be. Made up from hidden groves, grottos, statues depicting Greek gods and goddesses, this garden is more than first appearances would suggest. Rather than being a mere memorial garden, it holds a secret hidden in the imagery and symbolism it contains.
As Adam emerses himself more into the secrets of the garden, he also begins to suspect that the living members of the Docci family also have their secrets to hide, secrets that seem to echo history.
Mills does a fantastic job at creating mystery throughout this book. At first, I was unsure that the premise of the book would be enough to carry it. However, the way that Mills explains the symbolism of the garden, you completely get carried away with the unfolding mystery. I loved how the garden was linked to a piece of literature - as a lover of English throughout my whole life, Adam's pouring over literary texts to unlock secrets of the past was an absolute delight.
The characters are also superbly written. Having finished the book, I could see the progression that took place in Adam, for example. Just how he says at the end, he is unrecognisable as the young man who appears at the beginning. His brother, Harry, is also a fabulous character - almost the complete opposite to Adam, although at first he seemed rather cliche and crass, he in fact added humour and another element to the book, something that Adam's character was unable to provide.
As a summer read, this novel ticks all the right boxes. It is intelligent, cleverly written, encorporating many interesting themes. Highly recommended.
The book is about Adam, a university student who is encouraged to travel to Italy to the Villa Docci, home of the Docci family, by his lecturer. Adam is told that there is an interesting 400 year old memorial garden there, which could be a good subject for his thesis. As he sets out, he does not realise just how enchanting this garden shall be. Made up from hidden groves, grottos, statues depicting Greek gods and goddesses, this garden is more than first appearances would suggest. Rather than being a mere memorial garden, it holds a secret hidden in the imagery and symbolism it contains.
As Adam emerses himself more into the secrets of the garden, he also begins to suspect that the living members of the Docci family also have their secrets to hide, secrets that seem to echo history.
Mills does a fantastic job at creating mystery throughout this book. At first, I was unsure that the premise of the book would be enough to carry it. However, the way that Mills explains the symbolism of the garden, you completely get carried away with the unfolding mystery. I loved how the garden was linked to a piece of literature - as a lover of English throughout my whole life, Adam's pouring over literary texts to unlock secrets of the past was an absolute delight.
The characters are also superbly written. Having finished the book, I could see the progression that took place in Adam, for example. Just how he says at the end, he is unrecognisable as the young man who appears at the beginning. His brother, Harry, is also a fabulous character - almost the complete opposite to Adam, although at first he seemed rather cliche and crass, he in fact added humour and another element to the book, something that Adam's character was unable to provide.
As a summer read, this novel ticks all the right boxes. It is intelligent, cleverly written, encorporating many interesting themes. Highly recommended.
11 of 11 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase
I started this book with some trepidation, thrillers, murders and mysteries are not my norm when it comes to books. I have since changed my mind! The murders have already been committed, by the time we see Adam make his journey to Italy and we are taken on a journey as he uncovers what happened in these murders and also how they are being hidden from those left around them. In fact the clues are all around and I learnt just as much about Dante's Inferno, (though confess to having to go and find some additional information about it) as Adam did and how this knowledge helps him solve clues but also create more along the way.
There are some quite 'wordy' passages, and this book requires an element of concentration to keep with the plot, but once it has you hooked then you are in the garden with Adam and those he meets along the journey to solving the mystery. It is billed in some places as somewhat of a thriller, it isn't it is a mystery though and if you are happy with a fairly loose mystery and no overly descriptive passages about how the murders were committed then you will enjoy it.
There are some quite 'wordy' passages, and this book requires an element of concentration to keep with the plot, but once it has you hooked then you are in the garden with Adam and those he meets along the journey to solving the mystery. It is billed in some places as somewhat of a thriller, it isn't it is a mystery though and if you are happy with a fairly loose mystery and no overly descriptive passages about how the murders were committed then you will enjoy it.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
Good plot: poor writing
I had this lined up to read on my holidays earlier this month. I usually choose books that have more than the usual appeal for the hols and often put aside items throughout the... Read more
Published 3 months ago by Franko
The Savage Garden
This book began with great promise - lots of suspense. What could be more tantalizing than a top floor of a large villa being closed off to all (shades of Jane Eyre), and an... Read more
Published 4 months ago by EL EMMO
mediocre, very dull, a strange mishmash
What an annoying book! It started off well, Adam, a Cambridge undergraduate, is offered a summer job in Italy to research an old garden. Read more
Published 4 months ago by L. Bretherton
Thoroughly enjoyed it
I really enjoyed this book . The first chapter tells us about the main character and his task to go to Italy. Read more
Published 6 months ago by Naj
Good beach reading, not a keeper
In theory I should have really enjoyed this - a historical mystery with clues to a four-hundred year old murder dotted around the garden of the title. Read more
Published 7 months ago by 4u1e
Digging below the surface
Adam Strickland's professor suggests he travels to Tuscany to study the Renaissance garden at the Villa Docci. The year is 1958. Read more
Published 8 months ago by Clive A. H. Still
an enjoyable tale
An enjoyable read, elegantly written with finely - if not a little stereotypical at times - drawn characters. Read more
Published 14 months ago by bookworm
The Savage Garden
You pick some books up and think 'I'll enjoy this' or 'Not sure, but will give it a try' or even 'This is hard work but I am determined to finish it'... Read more
Published 16 months ago by Sandra Rowe
`Abandon all hope, ye who enter.'
Adam Strickland is drifting towards his degree in art history in 1958 when he is called to his professor's office one afternoon. Read more
Published 18 months ago by J. Cameron-Smith
One of the best books I have ever read
The Savage Garden, although the title does not sound so inspiring, is truly one of the best books I have ever read in my not short life. Read more
Published 23 months ago by Bookworm
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