Midnight In The Garden Of Good And Evil

            Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil.
             Midnight in the Garden of Good Evil is a non-fictional novel. Author and narrator John Berendt leaves the hectic life of New York City and buys an apartment in Savannah, Georgia. Berendt makes friends all over the city and tells their stories in the book. Jim Williams is a main character, antiques dealer, and public figure. He is accused of murdering a young man working for him by the name of Danny Hansford. Williams claims that Hansford was attempting to kill him and that Hansfords murder was no more than self-defense. The prosecuting attorney brings up the fact that Williams occasionally asked Hansford to perform homosexual favors for him and the town is stunned with the news. The case is hard to crack because the police tampered with the crime scene before any pictures could be taken and Hansfords hands were never bagged for gunpowder residue. Williams seeks the help of Minevra, the towns' witch doctor. Berendt accompanies Williams and Minevra to some of their many séance's in the graveyard. They attempt to keep the sprit of Hansford from doing wrong on Williams. But even with her help, most of the town turned against him and Williams is charged with the murder of Hansford and is sent to Prison. After two years in Prison Williams attorney takes the case to court again, only this time in Augusta, Georgia. With a new jury, one who didn't even know Williams or Hansford Williams is found not guilty and he can return to his home, Mercer House. Only months after his return home he falls dead of a heart attack, oddly in the same spot where Hansford had died. Another person Berendt meets is Joe Odom. Odom is a middle-aged man with a bad financial history. He is known all over the state for writing bad checks, but is hard to be caught because he has no permanent home. When one of Savannah's homes comes up for sale Joe moves in and lives there until discovered and thrown out.