I am a big fan of Laurie R. King, especially the Mary Russell mysteries. I was eager to read something different of hers. Back to the Garden is a stand alone novel about the Gardner Estate and the Gardner family. The estate is a sprawling property with exquisite gardens and a colorful history including many colorful figures from the music and movie industry. As the Estate is being brought into the 21st century, some repairs uncover a human skull, thought to date back to the 1960s at a time when the estate was occupied by a commune. Inspector Raquel Laing is called in to determine who the skull belonged to and if that person was a victim of a notorious serial killer known as the Highwayman who travelled up and down the west coast. The man claiming to be the Highwayman is on his deathbed and very slowly reeling out victims' names and the locations of their bodies. Raquel must unearth the remaining people who lived at the Estate during the time of the commune, a group of young people living off the land and sharing everything. . Rob Gardner, one of the brothers who inherited the Estate and brought the commune to live there still lives on the property,. He, the current staff and the exhaustive archives help Raquel uncover the amazing past. As the deadline looms closer and the Highwayman's health dwindles Raquel must delve further into the events of the past. I enjoyed this book very much. King's usual attention to detail and luscious descriptions of the people and their surroundings bring the Estate to life. King's fans will enjoy this book as will anyone who likes to read a good, very well-written mystery. Many thanks to Net Galley for the chance to read the ARC.

Sadly, this book was not for me. It was a little too slow, and I couldn't connect with the characters.

A well developed story told across two time periods. The suspense of the story carries the reader throughout and it was an enjoyable read!

A mystery, thriller, throw in a serial killer on his death bead plus bringing us back to the Woodstock era and you have Back to the Garden by Laurie R. King.
The main character, Inspector Raquel Laing who must prove that she can play nice in the sandbox so to speak. She is brought in to a fifty year old case where bones are discovered on an estate that has quite a bit of history behind it. First Inspector Laing must find out whose bones these are and when were they left here?

One of the things I liked about this book is the character of Raquel. She is a very closed off person who might have a few secrets of her own. She is a very hard working and determined person and does not like to leave any detail or information to chance. I really wanted to get to know her and see how her mind worked. Once I did get to know her a bit I couldn't put the book down. With the book written in the past and the future you really got to know many of the outlining characters . Two brothers coming to a home that they both hated but one trying to make a family, the kind he never had. The other stopped in for a visit and then go back to a life people wouldn't understand. Then everyone disappears. Is it the work of this serial killer the so called Highwayman? Was he the one who hide these bones all these years? Will he tell the inspector who it is?

Laurie R. King is a new author for me. and I happy that I was approved for this book. The only issue I had with it was that it did take me awhile to get into it. Once I did I couldn't put the book down. The ending surprised me and I like being surprised when I am reading.

Thank you Random House, Net Galley for the advanced copy. Thank you Laurie R. King for bringing us back to the days of peace and love and for writing a wonderful mystery.

This story is divided between then and now, the seventies and present time. A disillusioned Vietnam vet with an awful, controlling grandfather eventually winds up in a commune, all peace and love. Following the commune through its part of the story is like watching a trainwreck in slow motion. You know it is all going to fall apart. The question is how bad will it be? In present day San Francisco an unofficial group is attempting to find the victims of The Highwayman and get them identified before the murderer expires in the hospital. When a body is uncovered at the last location of the commune Inspector Raquel Laing tries to determine if this is another victim of the serial killer. This is an absolutely fascinating mystery and time capsule rolled into one!

Back to the Garden is a fantastic tale of mystery, love and deceit. One of my favorite types of books are those that have a mystery that takes place in the past as well as the present, and this book had it in spades. There’s something about a well done mystery that is invigorating, and this was done well. While I can’t say as a whole that I am terribly interested in the 70’s as an era, the way King wrote this book made it interesting. Usually I like my mysteries older, and all the original people dead. But that’s just me.

In the case of this book, I loved that some of the players were still alive. In this book we’ve essentially got two plotlines going on at the same time, because there are two mysteries. First is the mystery of the skeleton underneath to the statue. The second is an old man who was a serial killer. But how do these two cases relate? The mystery is fascinating because there are lots of moving pieces and people. At times it can be a bit difficult to keep everyone straight, but overall it isn’t too bad. The ending did surprise me — and it was enjoyable that I hadn’t guessed it.

In addition to a fantastic mystery, two of the main characters are women, and are interested in dating each other. I liked the tiny romance subplot that was included. For me, it added more depth to the characters and made them more believable rather than just parts of the puzzle the author needed. How the author weaves the mysteries and plot together worked well for me, and I couldn’t put it down. I was invested in this book from the first few pages. One thing that I loved was the writing was easy to read and the pacing was fantastic. It wasn’t too slow and it wasn’t too fast. It was the perfect combination that had both suspense and action in equal measures.

I am definitely going to be searching out more of this author’s works, because I very much enjoyed this book! A page turner that gripped me and wouldn’t let me go!

One of our local treasures in my hometown is author Laurie King. Her best-known books are part of a series, but the latest is a standalone – and it’s great fun!

The story in Back To The Garden is set in the Central Coast region of California, and skips back and forth from the present day to the 1970s – and involves a cold case, possibly a serial killer, and a fascinating protagonist: San Francisco PD Detective Raquel Laing, who has a unique combination of skills. Despite a physical impediment that requires her to use a cane, and a social impediment that makes it a challenge for her to get along with her colleagues, as she is pretty much clueless when it comes to reading social cues. But her high !Q and persistence combine to make her something of a wizard when it comes to solving crimes.

Somewhat reminiscent of Hearst Castle, a local landmark that belongs to one of those “California Royalty” families is now managed by a Trust and, as part of a renovation, a human skull is uncovered when a statue is removed, and Raquel is exploring whether this might be another in a string of victims of a 70s-era serial killer known as The Highwayman.

The investigation keeps coming back to Rob Gardener, who was a troubled Vietnam vet in the 70s, and is now a grizzled recluse, still living in a corner of the estate. Raquel’s challenge is to figure out whether this skull is part of the long list of victims that the Highwayman (now captured and near death) admits to killing.

Ms. King expertly captures the declining end of the free and easy 60s as well as the entrance into the serial killer heyday of the 70s. I hope that this is the first in a series featuring Inspector Raquel Laing. It’s a good solid mystery (which I didn’t guess, but I pretty much NEVER do, and I’m OK with that), with excellent characters and a wonderful capturing of the incredible Central Coast. With thanks to Random House-Ballantine and NetGalley, it’s a solid five stars *****

I've only truly read the Mary Russell/Sherlock Holmes series from Laurie R. King, so I don't have much experience with her otherwise, but I enjoyed this just as much, if not more, than some of the recent books from that series.

Raquel is a compelling narrator with amazing detective skills--which we learn took practice--but also moral quandaries about the line between working a case and pursuing justice. The secondary characters are strong as well, and the gardens where much of the novel is set hold their own as a compelling setting--especially when the audience is taken back into the 1970s gardens.

Sharp readers may be able to unravel the mystery, but it doesn't come across as so obvious one can't miss it. I enjoyed this modern mystery with links to the 1970s counter culture as well as the multiple West Coast serial killers from around that time. Thanks to NetGalley for an advance copy to read.

Laurie R. King's book Back to the Garden has a mysterious setting that draws you into the book. What if you had a magnificent estate with a breathtaking garden full of famous artwork with human remains discovered beneath it? Inspector Raquel Laing is called to the site to solve a fifty year old case. Who is the victim, and even better, who is the murderer?

Back to the Garden has an intricate murder plot with a lot of outlying factors. The writing alternates between the time of the murder and the search for answers now. Although the story takes a bit to get into, my interest was piqued which kept me turning pages. This is my first Laurie R King novel and I was impressed. There is room for a sequel and I'm hoping it will happen.

Back to the Garden by Laurie R. King is available on September 6th.

Thank you, NetGalley and Random House - Ballantine, for allowing me to review this e-book. I look forward to reading more from the talented Laurie R. King.

Thanks to Bantam and Netgalley for an ARC of this book. Although Laurie King is well known through her Russell/Holmes books, until recently I hadn't had the pleasure of reading any of her books. That era has officially ended. This was a wonderful mystery well told.

Raquel Laing is a San Francisco detective with an odd set of impediments. She walks with a limp and requires a cane to get around. She also came to police work with a high IQ but a diminished ability to read social clues. This made getting along with her partners and the rest of the force difficult and made advancement impossible. She is then taken under the wing of an older, semi-retired cop who sets her on the path to becoming a master at reading others. As the story opens, a serial killer from the seventies has been captured at the very end of his life. He is responsible for multiple murders but is he responsible for the body found under a work of art at an estate very reminiscent of the Hearst castle in California? Laing is there to find out.

King skillfully overlaps the end of the flower power sixties in California and what unfortunately turned out to be the serial killer seventies with the Golden State Killer, Ed Kemper and the Hillside strangler making headlines. The title of the book takes on multiple conotations as the estate had become a communal farm at the begining of the decade. It alsoharkens back to Joni Mitchell's song about Woodstock at the end of the sixties which in turn hearkens back to the Garden of Eden. Not to put too fine a point on it, the work of art is called Eve. In a sense, the estate itself should be considered a main charachter

The characters are interesting, the writing is terrific and although the book starts out slowly, it gains momentum and comes to an exciting conclusion. There are enough gaps in what we know about the charachters to make me suspect that this is the start of another series and Raquel would be an a charachter I would like to learn more about. I would highly recommend this book

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher, I was received a copy of Laurie King's new "Back to the Garden." I'm a big fan of her Mary Russell series, so I was anxious to see the development of a new character. I was not disappointed. Inspector Raquel Laing becomes involved in the intricacies of a 50 year old murder, when bones are found on the grounds of an old California mansion. The mansion and grounds are now a public garden, after being home to a powerful family, and then a hippy commune.

Ms. King deftly switches chapters between "then" and "now", as the inspector digs deeper and deeper into the mansion's and its inhabitants' past. The chapters are just long enough to get you involved in that particular part of the story, before jumping either forward or back. And throughout the book, you get to know Raquel as a no-nonsense determined investigator. I kept changing my mind as to who the victim, as well as the murderer was.

I look forward to getting to know more about Inspector Laing and her cases. I hope Laurie King continues this character in a series.

Thank you Netgalley for letting me review this book. Another great best seller by this author Laurie R King.
takes place in california. The beautiful garden on the estate owned by california royalty, In the 1970s it was taken over by Rob Gardiner.

The estate is in the process of renovating for the future, when they find a skull that looks like it has been there quite sometime.

Inspector Raquel Laing (a great character) is called in and finds out that the murder took place 50yrs ago, when the estate was run by Rob Gardiner, who had turned it into a commune for spreading peace and love and where artist and musicians like to hang out.

At the time of the murder-a serial killer called the Highwayman was killing people namely women in california. Could this be one of his victims? Lots of people have disappeared from the estate after the Midsummer festival. a woman, child and rob's brother fort.

the description of the garden back in the 1970's was very well written. Inspector Laing is a like-able character. A must read!!
#Netgalley

Thriller that had me hooked from the beginning. The going back and forth in time only added to the tension. Short enough chapters that kept the reader saying just one more...

My thanks to Net Galley and Random House for this arc to review

Plot begins with a dead body found inside a statue at The Gardens. Detective Raquel Laing is called in to solve this cold case. The story is told in 2 time lines. Present day,with Raquel and her investigation and the past,when the Gardens was a commune and the body may have been one of the residents. We also have serial killer Michael Johnston on his death bed giving Racquel locations of his victims.

I really liked the general mystery of this. My own negative comments is I would have liked background on why Raquel walked with a cane and less of the commune story. Good story though.

Courtesy of Netgalley I received the ARC of Back to the Garden by Laurie R. King. I thoroughly enjoyed reading this dual time-line cold case mystery, set in northern California during the commune era of peace and love. With themes of the post Vietnam era, hitchhikers and serial killers, reverence for the land, relationships, and the meaning of family, this exciting novel is detailed and suspenseful...a page turner!

I really loved this book! It gave me everything I wanted out a thriller/murder mystery book with romance and suspense that kept me on my toes! This is a book everyone should read, the writing style is so great and the author captures you in the story and you never want to put it down! Finished it all in one sitting!!! For fans of thrillers and mysteries and romance and suspense!

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group for access to this ARC in exchange for an honest review!

This was fine; a nice modern departure from the Mary Russell books. I like how much time she took with the setup and liked the stories from the commune years as well as the modern story. I thought it was a good mystery but didn't have a good connection to any of the characters. It was a bit like the reading version of a tv show I'd have on the background, fine but not compelling. I've read other of King's books outside the Russell books (Touchstone, Folly, Lockdown) but they resonated more with me than this one did. I did love her descriptions of the gardens at the estate though!

I received an advance copy of this book from Netgalley and the publisher to review.

Back to the Garden
By Laurie R. King

This is a very interesting mystery with a strong, but flawed, protagonist. Raquel Laing of the SFPD, is a talented investigator. Because of her skills at "reading" suspects, she is known by fellow officers as the "mind reader".
She walks with a limp, uses a cane, and seems to be under a cloud with the Department. Neither her injury nor why she is on shaky ground is ever explained (yet another mystery).

This is really two mysteries in one. The first, which brings Raquel to the Gardener Estate, involves the discovery of a body under a concrete slab which supports a statue. Raquel is investigating a serial killer, Michael Johnston, known as the Highwayman. Johnston is dying of cancer when he is caught, and law enforcement is desperate to find out just how many young, blond women he has killed and where the bodies are located. The sadistic killer is reveling in the attention and toying with police. There is some indication that the body at the Gardener Estate might be one of his victims. However the body is so old, that forensics is having a hard time even determining the sex of the victim.

Raquel is trying to trap Johnston into giving them more information about his kills before he dies. At the same time she must solve the mystery of the body at the Gardener Estate. Is it related to the other victims, or is this another matter entirely?

I found this a fascinating story which jumps back and forth in time, which leads to multiple red herrings. I have to say that the identity of the Gardener victim was a surprise – I didn't see that coming. I very much enjoyed this book.

Inspector Raquel Laing can seem difficult to work with, according to her peers. With the help of her mentor and her own persistence, she strategizes and hones her skills reading people's tells, making her an exceptional investigator, and improving her people skills, rising quickly through the San Francisco Police Department. Now Inspector Laing is recovering from an injury and working through a cold case with a recent break. But the serial killer's health is deteriorating, and Laing and her underground cold case colleagues are in a race against time to find his victims and bring peace to their families.

One trail leads to the famous Gardiner estate and gardens, where bones have been discovered under a famous sculpture from the 1970's - a time when the estate of California nobility was turned into a commune by the grandson and heir to the pretentious estate. As time runs out can Inspector Laing find the answers she needs before it's too late?

This new stand-alone mystery from best-selling author Laurie R. King (Mary Russell & Sherlock Holmes), is another fantastic read from the author!
Thank you to Random House and Net Galley for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review. Pub. date: September 6, 2022.

Really enjoyed this book. It hooked me from the very beginning and kept me hooked the entire time! Would recommend to others