The Savage Garden

Our first Crime Club book for 2008 is The Savage Garden by Mark Mills. Set in Italy in 1958 when WWII is still fresh in the minds of locals, student Adam Strickland travels to a villa to study a mysterious Renaissance garden. He unravels the intriguing reason for the garden's construction and also discovers a recent murder much closer to his hostess' family. The crime scene on the upper floor of the villa has been sealed off since it happened - perhaps because of grief, or perhaps to preserve the scene to ensure justice is eventually done. Adam blunders on to discover the truth, but who is really in control? The story builds slowly, then builds its pace as the truth is finally revealed - about the garden and the upper floor of the villa. 3 1/2/5