The Garden of Evil

By David Hewson

In a deserted artist’s studio in the heart of Rome, detectives stumble upon a scene of shocking brutality: two bodies, freshly killed. Looming over them is a painting that bears all the hallmarks of a Caravaggio: a brilliantly colored canvas depicting a violent tableau of beauty and depravity. . . . In David Hewson’s bold new novel of suspense, this grisly discovery sends Detective Nic Costa on a desperate chase through the streets of his city. The consequences are devastating. And for Nic, the case has only just begun.

At the crime scene, detectives find a treasure trove of evidence—from fresh blood to lurid photos of dead prostitutes. For Costa, finding the killer who escaped him is intensely personal. But his prime suspect arrogantly hides in plain sight behind a fortress of money, power, and the law.

Teaming with an art expert, Costa follows clues hidden in the mysterious Caravaggio canvas. As he moves through a maze of history, he begins to make stunning connections to the present case. And each discovery brings him closer and closer to a secret buried in a priceless work of art, a conspiracy dating back four hundred years—and men who will stop at nothing to protect their own private garden of evil.

From modern forensics to the realm of the Medicis, from the force of faith to the corruption of power, The Garden of Evil is a novel steeped in Roman history—and an unforgettable experience in richly atmospheric, modern-day suspense.


From the Hardcover edition.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Random House Publishing Group
• Release date: Jul 29, 2008
• ISBN: 9780440337959

David Hewson

DAVID HEWSON is a former journalist with The Times, the Sunday Times and the Independent. He is the author of more than twenty-five novels including his Rome-based Nic Costa series which has been published in fifteen languages. He has also written three acclaimed adaptations of the Danish TV series, The Killing. @david_hewson | davidhewson.com/blog/

Reviews for The Garden of Evil

[bcquinnsmom · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Although it's not my personal favorite of Hewson's Nic Costa series, The Garden of Evil is a good read all the same, and this was one I did not stop reading until I had finished it completely. As the story opens, a man who picks pockets for a living develops a bit of conscience after he realizes he has picked up among his takings someone's medicine. He traces her to the place he remembers her saying she was going, and finds her in a most bizarre situation; sadly for him. Fast forward a bit to the scene of a homicide, where Nic Costa and his team are working the scene. It seems the murderer hasn't quite gotten away, and as he tries to take him, Nic finds himself at the losing end of some tragic consequences. Thus develops a quest to get to the root of the mystery of a strange group known as The Ekstasists, a ruthless group of men whose leader is technically above the law, a rich and powerful man with roots going back centuries. But this is one man that the police really want and the chase is on.This is another one that is probably not geared to the mainstream reading public. There is a lot of art history here which is woven into the case so if this isn't your cup of tea, move along. However, if you're patient enough and if you enjoy something above average, then you might want to give this book a try. I would suggest that you begin with the 1st in the series, because by this one, #6, the characters have become more developed and you won't really have a handle on them unless you start from the beginning. I have really enjoyed this entire series and I'm not waiting for the US release of #7, Dante's Numbers, but rather I'm purchasing one from the UK. Overall, a good read.

[signoraedie_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This is the first of the Detective Nic Costa crime series I have read and I enjoyed it very much. The setting is contemporary Rome. What added to my pleasure was the intimate knowledge of the city of Rome, the knowledge of Renaissance Roman history and the work of Caravaggio. It made me want to look up all the paintings and look more closely at them!

[maneekuhi · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

The Garden of Evil is the 6th of 9 in David Hewson's Nic Costa series about a police inspector in Rome. It is long, just under 600 pages, perhaps too long by at least 150 pages, and there are sections which bordered unfortunately on Keystone Cop funny, but substitute sisters for cops. Also the dialogue gets a little schmaltzy bot only occasionally does it ring false. I had read only the most current book in the series and when I read a synopsis of TGOE mentioning its ties to Caravaggio and his works I became interested; I also knew I would get another enjoyable tour of Rome, and would learn more about Nic's family and friends - all pluses. This begins with the abrupt end of Nic and Emily's marriage, and only a day or so later he meets Sr. Agata for the first time, a character who also appears prominently in book 9. I will give this series a rest for a few months but will read more, probably not the whole thing. I enjoyed putting my Kindle down often to find a referenced location on Google maps or to look up the real history of an historic figure in the plot. If you also enjoy those kind of "interruptions" this book will have appeal for you. Rated 3.5 stars.

[edwinkort · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Een goede mix van feiten en fantasie. Vol met informatie over het oude Rome, Caravaggio, de De' Medici en meer.
Raakte wel eens de 'weg' kwijt met al de kunstwerken die genoemd werden, en de personages.

Op een dag, een paar maanden na zijn huwelijk met Emily, raakt Nic Costa betrokken bij een moordonderzoek. Een man en een vrouw werden dood gevonden bij een onbekend schilderij van Caravaggio. Tijdens de achtervolging van de gemaskerde dader, komt Emily om het leven.

Een zuster die kunstgeschiedenis kent helpt Nic Costa en zijn team met het verklaren van het kunstwerk. Het team doet, onder leiding van Falcone, verder onderzoek.

Een nader onderzoek levert nog meer lichamen van dode vrouwen op. Allemaal zwarte vrouwen die illegaal in het land waren.

In dit boek was de dader al bekend, maar viel het moeilijk om de bewijzen aan hem te koppelen. De dader was namelijk een zeer invloedrijke man in Rome, en had al met succes eerdere pogingen tot vervolgen tegen gehouden.