In 1981, a death at the grandest mansion in Savannah provokes the question: Was it murder or self-defense? The shooting sends a tidal wave through Savannah whose effects are still visible a decade later. With a colorful cast of characters, you'll hardly believe this narrative nonfiction story isn't a novel.

John Berendt's bestseller spent 216 weeks on The New York Times bestseller list, probably for its almost unbelievably quirky characters: a drag queen, a voodoo priestess, a charming swindler, and a murderous(?) antique dealer. Although the murder gave the story a focus, you read Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil for its eccentric look at humanity and not for its murder mystery.