The Savage Garden

A Garden of Beauty Hides a Legacy of Death

In The Savage Garden, Mark Mills crafts a richly atmospheric mystery set in post-war Italy, where the past lingers like perfume in the summer air. When Cambridge student Adam Strickland is sent to a Tuscan villa to study its Renaissance garden, he expects a quiet academic escape. Instead, he finds a haunting beauty—both in the grounds and in the secrets they conceal.

Two Murders, Four Centuries Apart

The garden, built in memory of a noblewoman who died under suspicious circumstances in the 1500s, is more than a tribute—it’s a puzzle. As Adam deciphers its symbolic architecture, he begins to suspect that its creator left behind clues to a murder long buried in history. But the deeper he digs, the more entangled he becomes in a far more recent crime—one that someone is desperate to keep hidden.

Elegant, Evocative, and Unforgettable

The Savage Garden is a masterful blend of art history and suspense, where the mysteries of love, betrayal, and legacy bloom beneath the surface. Mark Mills delivers a gripping novel filled with intrigue and lyrical prose, perfect for fans of Donna Tartt and Kate Morton.