The 216 weeks that Berendt’s book spent on The New York Times bestseller list is still a record. A murder mystery set in Savannah, Georgia, the book is a rare case where popular and critical success coincided. It’s a suspenseful detective story with a taut narrative structure. It’s an immersive plunge into the mores and idiosyncrasies of society in the Deep South. It’s an affectionate and evocative depiction of several outlandish and outsized characters. The only thing it’s not is fiction.
