Disclosure: As an Amazon Associate, Bookish Wisdom earns from qualifying purchases. This doesn't change our picks or your price.
Quick answer: If you liked Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil, read The City of Falling Angels, In Cold Blood, The Devil in the White City and A Confederacy of Dunces. All mix real or imagined crimes with eccentric characters and a strong sense of place.
John Berendt's 1994 book is a true-crime story set in Savannah, full of eccentric locals, society parties and a trial. The books below share its sharp eye for place and people. They mix nonfiction and fiction, with true crime, Southern humor and strong settings. All are real, in-print books.
Table of Contents
Quick Picks at a Glance
| Book | Author | Ages | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|
| The City of Falling Angels | John Berendt | Adult | more Berendt |
| In Cold Blood | Truman Capote | Adult | classic true crime |
| The Executioner's Song | Norman Mailer | Adult | true crime epic |
| The Devil in the White City | Erik Larson | Adult | history plus murder |
| A Confederacy of Dunces | John Kennedy Toole | Adult | comic characters |
| Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Cafe | Fannie Flagg | Adult | Southern charm |
| Where the Crawdads Sing | Delia Owens | Adult | Southern mystery |
| The Heart Is a Lonely Hunter | Carson McCullers | Adult | Southern gothic |
| To Kill a Mockingbird | Harper Lee | Teen and adult | Southern classics |
| Other Voices, Other Rooms | Truman Capote | Adult | Southern gothic |
| Breakfast at Tiffany's | Truman Capote | Adult | glamour and loneliness |
| The Prince of Tides | Pat Conroy | Adult | Southern family sagas |
| The Great Santini | Pat Conroy | Adult | family drama |
| Cold Sassy Tree | Olive Ann Burns | Adult | small-town humor |
| The Secret Life of Bees | Sue Monk Kidd | Adult | Southern comfort |
1. The City of Falling Angels by John Berendt
Berendt's follow-up about Venice, after a fire at the Fenice opera house. Another portrait of a place and its characters.
Best for: more Berendt.
2. In Cold Blood by Truman Capote
The true story of the murder of a Kansas family, told like a novel. A landmark of true crime.
Best for: classic true crime.
3. The Executioner's Song by Norman Mailer
The story of Gary Gilmore's life and execution in Utah. Long, flat and gripping.
Best for: true crime epic.
4. The Devil in the White City by Erik Larson
A serial killer lurks around the 1893 Chicago World's Fair. Narrative nonfiction with a thriller pace.
Best for: history plus murder.
5. A Confederacy of Dunces by John Kennedy Toole
Ignatius J. Reilly wanders New Orleans in a comic masterpiece. Eccentric and hilarious.
Best for: comic characters.
6. Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Cafe by Fannie Flagg
Two timelines tell a Southern town's story. Funny, tender and rich with character.
Best for: Southern charm.
7. Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens
A girl raised alone in a marsh is accused of murder. Nature writing meets a courtroom plot.
Best for: Southern mystery.
8. The Heart Is a Lonely Hunter by Carson McCullers
A deaf-mute man in a Georgia town draws confessions from the lonely. Quiet and moving.
Best for: Southern gothic.
9. To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee
A lawyer defends a Black man in 1930s Alabama while his daughter watches. The classic of courtroom conscience.
Best for: Southern classics.
10. Other Voices, Other Rooms by Truman Capote
A boy goes to live in a decaying Southern mansion. Gothic and dreamlike.
Best for: Southern gothic.
11. Breakfast at Tiffany's by Truman Capote
A narrator remembers his glamorous neighbor Holly Golightly in 1940s New York. Short and elegant.
Best for: glamour and loneliness.
12. The Prince of Tides by Pat Conroy
A South Carolina man tells his family's tragic story to his sister's therapist. Lush and emotional.
Best for: Southern family sagas.
13. The Great Santini by Pat Conroy
A Marine pilot's family copes with his tyranny. Fierce and tender.
Best for: family drama.
14. Cold Sassy Tree by Olive Ann Burns
A Georgia boy narrates scandal when his grandfather remarries quickly. Warm and humorous.
Best for: small-town humor.
15. The Secret Life of Bees by Sue Monk Kidd
A girl in 1964 South Carolina finds a home among beekeepers. Warm and wise.
Best for: Southern comfort.
How to Choose
For more Berendt, read The City of Falling Angels. For true crime, In Cold Blood and The Devil in the White City. For comic Southern characters, A Confederacy of Dunces and Fried Green Tomatoes. For gothic mood, The Heart Is a Lonely Hunter and Other Voices, Other Rooms. If you travel to Savannah, take Berendt's book with you. Travel nonfiction often prompts a trip. If you go to Savannah, Charleston or New Orleans, visit the historic districts with a book in hand. Walking tours and local museums can add context, and many libraries have local history sections.
Related: 15 Books Like The Midnight Library You’ll Love · 15 Books Like A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder You’ll Love: Teen Mysteries and Twisty Thrillers
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil about?
It follows Berendt's time in Savannah, Georgia, and the trial of antiques dealer Jim Williams for murder.
Is it a true story?
It is nonfiction, though Berendt changed some details and combined some characters.
Is there a film?
Yes. A 1997 film directed by Clint Eastwood starred Kevin Spacey and John Cusack.
Is Savannah a tourist destination because of it?
Yes. Tours visit locations from the book.
Who is the Lady Chablis?
A real Savannah performer who became a star after the book was published.
Where is Bonaventure Cemetery?
It is a historic cemetery in Savannah that appears on the book's cover.
Is the Mercer House real?
Yes. It is a real historic home in Savannah that features in the book.
Is it true crime or travel writing?
Both. It is a blend of local portraits, a murder trial and humor.