Slow burning mystery thriller that might be the start of a new series.

Inspector Raquel Laing faces a complicated case with a sort of timer countdown. The police have a dying man in custody, The Highwayman, who may give them answers and names for a series of murders dating back 50 years. The intensity and pressure increase when a set of remains is found under the base of a huge statue that is being restored on the Gardener Estate. Could this be another of his victims?

The Gardener Estate, a vast property with a huge mansion and extensive formal gardens, has a long history in California. In the family for generations, it was briefly the site of a commune in the 70s when Rob Gardener inherited but had no interest in claiming material possessions for himself. Now, the Estate has been lovingly restored to its former glory by a trust and managed by a board that includes one of Rob's cousins. The hippies have been long gone, but the bones indicate that it was one of them.

Told in a then and now format, the narrative introduces many interesting characters. Raquel learns a lot from the archivist on site and the historical records and photographs from the commune era and tries to find any of those who were there in the 70s to get answers. Although it was slow moving, things really start to pick up in the last fourth of the book and all is revealed in a satisfying conclusion. I found it quite interesting and think that there is much to learn about Raquel so wonder if there will be more novels featuring this character. This wasn't an intense, gripping suspense thriller but more a police procedural mystery.

Thank you to NetGalley and Bantam Books for this e-book ARC to read and review.

Laurie R. King is best known for her long-running Mary.
Russell and Sherlock Holmes Mysteries, but she has also written several excellent stand-alone novels. Back to the Garden falls into that category. The Gardener Estate is steeped in California history and has seen many transformations. It is reminiscent of the Hearst San Simeon Estate, with baronial interiors, exteriors, and extensive gardens. The Estate has always remained in the Gardener family's hands. In the 1970s, the Estate rested in the hands of the "Old Bastard," always referred to by his grandsons." Fort" and Rob Gardener are the heirs to the Estate. "Fort" has already taken off for an ashram in India and disinherited. The rebellious and volatile Rob refuses to be part of his grandfather's plans. He joins the Army and is promptly sent off to Viet Nam. Only a cousin stays involved with the running of the Estate, but since his last name is not Gardener, he can't inherit.

When Rob returns from Viet Nam and inherits, he is still rebellious and volatile. He is also deeply immersed in the 1970s "counterculture." He and his partner, Meadow,
remake the house and grounds into an experiment in communal living. All sorts of people come and go from 1970s cultural icons to petty criminals. "Fort" reappears, still with no designs on the Estate, rather than a seemingly small request. All seemed well until Rob and Meadow decided to have an art and music festival, mainly to showcase the success of their experiment. On that weekend, everything changes. Meadow and "Fort" disappear, and the commune breaks up quickly. Currently, the Estate is managed by a Trust, and Rob is a hermit living on the grounds. The Estate has been returned to its former glory, and big plans are afoot. An immense statue, The Three Eves, has to be moved and shored up. A human skull and remains are discovered beneath.

Anyone who lived through the 70s might remember that there was also a surfeit of serial killers operating in America. Young women on the roads were killed and disappeared all over, particularly in California. When a Cold Case investigator, Racquel Laing from the SFPD, gets wind of the find, she thinks it would fit her case, that of The Highwayman. The Highwayman is in custody, but he is dying. Racquel is on a mission to find out who, other than the nine women they know about, fell victim to him. He isn't talking unless forced to, and Raquel is determined to find out every victim before time runs out. The intersection of the history of the Gardener family and the Highwayman is bound together.

Back to the Garden is an intricate and compelling read with King's signature full-bodied characters and atmospheric writing. Thanks to NetGalley.com and Bantam Books for an advance digital copy. The opinions are my own.

RATING- 4.5 Stars

I would have enjoyed Back to the Garden far more if it had focused on the Gardener Estate and the fall-out from finding a body there. Inspector Raquel Laing is a painfully boring character and the chapters focusing on her tedious serial killer investigation brought the story to a grinding halt; I'm shocked that King has announced that she's making such lifeless character the focus of a series.

Received via NetGalley.

Inspector Raquel Laing is faced with a new mystery. A skull is found on the grounds of a home that was a commune in times past. When she begins to dig into whose skull it might be, she uncovers many missing people from that time. Can she figure out who the skull belongs to before someone else is killed or the killer gets away forever?

Back to the Garden by Laurie R King is the stand alone novel telling several stories: one cold case serial killer investigation, one newly discovered murder, although it took place 40 years earlier, and the struggles of an excellent police officer, Raquel Laing, who was currently on everyone’s black list and has been relegated to cold cases as a way to keep her out of the limelight. The team was investigating a string of murders perpetrated by “The Highwayman,” whom they now had in custody. Well, he was in the hospital, dying. He was very old and he had cancer, and they were hoping he would open up about the crimes, at least providing closure for the dead girls’ families. He would only talk to Raquel and only for short periods of time, and responding only to certain types of questioning. Meanwhile, a body had been discovered under a huge piece of art at the Gardener Estate. The estate was a trip: it had lived several lives. The first as the showpiece of an incredibly wealthy family who had made their fortunes on the backs of others. Then, it had become a hippie commune. Now it was a mansion, struggling as a tourist attraction, wedding venue, et al.

We met a variety of characters in the finely written police procedural. The Commons, as it had been called when it was a hippie retreat, housed nearly 100 people and played host to a variety of well-known musical personalities of the 70s as they passed through the San Francisco music scene. For a short while it had been a self-sustaining nirvana for damaged people. Now, it was struggling, but the people there were all deeply committed to its success. It was a nostalgic story, one of a time gone by, one that most of a generation loved on the periphery of. Most of the residents moved on. Some well, some not, but the readers felt the transition deeply as the beginnings of the transition to the world we now inhabit. It was a good story, and it took a while to solve all the crimes, but it was time well spent for Raquel, despite bringer her back tot he attention of the higher-ups. It was a well-written piece of detective work. I enjoyed it.

I was invited to read a free e-ARC of Back to The Garden by Bantam, through Netgalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own. #Netgalley #Bantam #LaurieRKing #BackToTheGarden

Oh, the romatic myths of the 1960s and 70s. This book showed more of the reality of the time. The brutality. The filth. So much of the movement was a bunch of middle class white people, and some rich white people, playing at revolution with the safety net of their former lives always there to assure them they are safe. The ideas were grand but often untenable to the point of ridiculousness. It was all so much more dirty than people like to admit, too. So, on that background, someone died and no one noticed. That is probably the saddest part of the time. People were just lost. They were not missing because no one knew where they were supposed to be. They ran off whenever the urge hit. They changed their names and became untraceable. This time was ripe for killers and conmen alike. Loved most of the characters and the beautiful descriptions of the home in all of it’s iterations.

“Back to the Garden” by Laurie R. King is another slow-burn of a novel. It is a stand-alone book, not part of one of her popular series.
The book alternates between a “now” and “then” timeline while telling the story of San Francisco Police Lt. Raquel Laing trying to help solve the murders of the Highwayman. The “then” timeline follows Rob and Fort Gardener and other members of the hippie commune they were part of in Oregon and California. Members with rather predictable names like Meadow, Rain, and Sparrow in the 1970’s.
As Lt. Laing works on finding the all the Highwayman’s victims (before their suspect dies), a new set of bones are discovered beneath a shifting statue at the Gardener estate. Lt. Laing must dive into what happened during the Commune years and find out if they must add another victim to the Highwayman or a different murderer.
At the beginning the story felt slow, but I began to be slowly drawn in to the commune members, their way of life, their love and disputes, and it made me much more intrigued about the outcome of that period.
This is a tale about families and the legacy they leave behind, as well as friendships made throughout one’s life.
It is a satisfying puzzle and I recommend to any mystery reader.
Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC.

I received an ARC of this book. Excellent tale with interesting characters and a very intriguing mystery. I love mysteries and this one kept me enthralled until the end. Highly recommend!

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review. This was a fun, engaging, and delightful read. Raquel, on the hunt to determine if the lucrative, mysterious Highwayman is responsible for a discovered skull on the grounds of the Gardner Estate. The story pings back and forth between present time and the past, when Rob Gardener turned the palatial Gardner Estate into a hippie commune full of love, peace, free love, and equality. But how true is that? I won't give away any spoilers but I really liked the back-story building in this novel. At first, it felt a teensy bit slow but King deftly sped it up to hook the reader into each of the characters, their stories, and their connections. Well done!

Back to the Garden is the 1st book that I have read by Laurie R. King. The premise intrigued me.

The book is told in two time-lines. In the present the toppling of a giant statue on the Gsrdener estate reveals a skeleton. Now a museum that is barely breaking even, this is not the type of publicity that they want. Enter detective Raquel Laing, though technically not her jurisdiction, she is interested in the body as she feels it may be the work of a serial killer called The Highwayman. There is another option though, back in the 70’s the Gardener estate was a hippy commune where Rob Gardener’s girlfriend mysteriously vanished. Are the bones connected to that long ago commune with all the dramas it entailed?

Raquel is faced with a mystery with multiple possible outcomes. I enjoyed the book and the back and forth in time as the resolution slowly unfolded.

I recommend this book to people who like a good mystery and the history of a great estate.

Thanks to Netgalley, Random House Publishers and the author for the chance to read and review this book.

A murder mystery, but with the added challenge of being a newly discovered cold case - intriguing! The dual timeline of the commune as it was and how the property currently is (which gave definite Hearst Castle vibes) was well handled and King managed to keep me guessing until the end. A little slow to start, and a few too many characters for me, which meant I occasionally got a little lost, but overall a deftly imagined story well worth your time.

My thanks to Random House - Ballantine, the author, and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this ARC in exchange for an honest review

California royalty, a commune, and a suddenly unearthed, decades-old skeleton—all the ingredients for a first rate mystery. When Inspector Raquel Laing is tasked with determining whether or not the skeleton is linked to the serial killer knowns as The Highwayman, she stumbles upon a web of old secrets, betrayals, and lies. She’ll need every ounce of courage and skill to solve this case before another innocent falls prey to evil.
King does a masterful job of weaving together the clues of the past and present to create a story that kept me turning the pages—all the way to the surprising end!

*Thank you to @netgalley and @RandomHouse for the complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Laurie R. King, where have you been all my life when I wanted a perfect mystery to solve? I am so impressed and this warrants an award for one of my favorite mystery thrillers! The suspense builds over an expanse of 50 years when bones are found beneath a sculpture in the gardens of The Gardener Estate. The mansion, the formal gardens and the "golden" family that paved the way in California with famous artwork, artists and a multitude of famous people, even presidents, that dotted the walls of this mansion is so captivating. In present times, it stands on the massive grounds as a historical museum for tourists. The statue 3 Faces of Eve is under renovation when the concrete base underneath it gives way revealing a secret thought to be safe long after the inhabitants are gone.

Raquel Laing, a well-known investigator with notorious techniques for finding the truth from suspects, is in the area for a cold case from 50 years ago "The Highwayman". A serial killer roamed free to this day. His victims were always young females. When a family contacts the police after they empty their terminally ill father's storage unit revealing a box of 19 female shoes....only one shoe to a pair. They captured a picture of the shoes before tossing them in a dumpster. Later, it would reveal probable evidence of The Highwayman's escapades over time with each victim found with one shoe nearby. Extracting these victims' names and faces from the killer is what Raquel's job is throughout the novel. Exposing what could be a possible indication of his presence in the 70's at The Gardener's Estate at a Midsummer Festival when a young woman, a child and one of the Gardener's heirs goes missing.

The Gardener family are well-known and respected everywhere. When the Gardener parents and grandparents die, leaving the estate to Rob and Fort Gardener, the focus changes. Rob, a Vietnam vet, turns the estate into a commune with all the feels of the 70's and the "peace, love and equality".

What piqued my interest the most was the in-depth look at the estate's archives, photos, films and documents revealing so much more about the inhabitants. Raquel works diligently extracting information from the records and the Highwayman before he dies and also from former dwellers of this mansion to find the identity of the skeleton under the statue and tie it all together. This is so well-written and I was surprised at the end not seeing the twist coming in any form. The history behind it all is a necessity to find out the characters' actions of that fateful night when so many went missing. Wow! I need to read more from this author!

Thank you so much NetGalley and Random House Publishing Company for allowing me to read this ARC in exchange for my honest opinion!

I enjoyed everything about this book. Laurie R. King writes intricately plotted mysteries involving memorable characters and vivid settings. This story is written partly from the present-day perspective of Inspector Liang, who is investigating a potential serial killer active during the 1970s. The rest of the story is told in various characters’ flashbacks to life in a west coast commune in the 1970s.

Liang is smart, dedicated, and frustrated with the criminal justice bureaucracy. It was interesting to watch not only how she conducted her investigation, but also how she made decisions that straddled her personal and professional lives. I found most of the characters interesting and likable, with distinct personalities. I felt as though I knew these people, and I cared about what was happening to them.

The plot was compelling. Switching back and forth between past and present maintained suspense about what was happening in both times, driving me to keep reading just one more chapter until I found myself breathless at the end.

I recommend this for fans of historical mysteries as well as contemporary police procedurals.

I received an ARC through NetGalley, and I volunteered to provide an honest review.

Solid mystery!

A body found under a Gaddo statue in an old hippie commune. What relationship does it have to Inspector Raquel Laing, SFPD, Cold Case Unit, working on squeezing information about where the bodies are from an inmate dying of cancer, aka The Highlander? The death of young, long-haired blonde women are attributed to Michael Johnston. Stretching out the truth about where his victims are buried is part of his pleasurable game. How to get this lowlife to give ease to families across the nation.
Raquel’s investigations take her back to the 1970’s, to Rob Gardener and his inheritance of a Californian mansion from his very estranged father, to the current times and the now famous feminist artist Gaddo and her sculptures on the property.
How it all fits together is legendary in scope and puzzling in the extreme.
An intriguing cold case that reaches into today and an exciting beginning to a new series.

A Random House- Ballantine ARC via NetGalley.
Many thanks to the author and publisher.
(Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.)

Combining the investigation of a series of murders from the 1970s with a story of family resentments and life on a commune, Back to the Garden is the newest book by Laurie R. King. King is the author of the popular Mary Russell series, the Kate Martinelli series, and several standalone books.

When excavation on the grounds of the historically significant Gardener Estate unearths long-dead human remains, San Francisco PD cold case investigator Raquel Laing visits to see if there is a connection to a series of murders from the 1970s. The Estate is a tourist attraction famous for its architecture, art, and beautiful gardens. Estate Manager Jen Bachus tells Laing about the Estate’s history. Chapters go back and forth in time to tell the story of the Gardener Estate: unhappy family home, party place for elite politicians and celebrities, and a commune of 1970s hippies who lived there happily and peacefully for a time.

In Raquel Laing, King introduces a somewhat mysterious character. We don’t learn much about her. I hope we see her in another book. Thank you to NetGalley for the opportunity to read an advance copy.

When a long buried body is unearthed during renovations at the Gardener Estate a cold case mystery begins. It looks like someone tried to cover up a murder during the estates days as a commune and Investigator Raquel Laing is tasked with finding the culprit.
Could it be connected to a serial killer that stalked the highways pickings up victims in the 1970's or is the killer closer to home? Ray Gardener a troubled and at times violent Vietnam Vet could have something the to do with it.
Back to the Garden was slow to start however once I got to around the 30% mark I seemed to really start to pick up. At that point I couldn't put it down. It was a beautifully written and very reflective mystery that kept me entertained for much of the book.

Thank you, Netgalley and the publisher for allowing me an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I really enjoyed the dual timeline. It was done very well and I particularly liked the 70's setting. I am not big into police procedurals but I felt hooked into this one from the beginning. I will be reading more of this author.

I went in blind to Laurie's writing style - the story blurb intrigued me and reading it was fascinating. I love mysteries and crimes, especially when part of the story revolves around art and architecture. This is told from multiple points of view, with unreliable narrators, time skips (looking back into the past), piecing together a story through multiple mediums, and delivering an interesting twist to a whodunit.

I recommend this book to those that enjoy stories about hippie communes, mysteries, art, California, and feuding families.

I received a free early reader copy courtesy of NetGalley, Bantam and Laurie R. King and am voluntarily leaving my honest review.

After reading Back to the Garden, I was disappointed to see that it was listed as a standalone thriller. Then I read author Laurie R. King's blog and learned that it's the first in a new series featuring Raquel Laing. My initial disappointment turned to happiness. Raquel Laing is just too good a character for one book; readers deserve to see more of this maverick police officer who walks with a cane and is a whiz at reading people's facial expressions. Laing is the type of police officer who believes in responsibility over compliance: if something is the right thing to do, she's going to do it rather than obey some pencil pusher's request to cater to the rich and shameless-- even though she knows she may lose her job. Now... that's my kind of character.

Just as much as I enjoyed Laing's character, I also loved the setting. Back to the Garden switches back and forth between the present day and the 1970s when Rob Gardener turned the estate into a commune. Even if you're not old enough to remember the 1970s, the setting will come to life as Laing interviews people and reads the documents that Mrs. Dalhousie finds for her. This book is an excellent "whose body?" and "whodunit?" that kept me wondering and guessing from beginning to end.

Many writers of long-running series need a break from those characters, and I am so glad that Laurie R. King has decided to introduce us to Raquel Laing. If you've read and enjoyed Michael Connelly's Renée Ballard mysteries, you really need to meet Raquel Laing. Bring on Raquel's next investigation!