As readers of my reviews will know, I've been disappointed by many of King's more recent Russell/Holmes books. So I thought perhaps a stand-alone with new characters would be better. Alas. King gives her protagonist many of the same attributes as her earlier characters--she's queer, she's disabled, she breaks professional rules--but without any charm or appeal. Other characters are paper-thin and created for single uses, it seems: the agoraphobic sister with the big true crime internet network, the love interest who blushes a lot, the older wise woman on staff, etc. King also gives her protagonist the ability to read micro-expressions, a technique that pushes the book into SFF space, making everything about the book a bit unwieldy. They mystery itself is fine, the idea of a commune taking over a mansion a great setting and device, but the wit and erudition of King's previous work is still very much MIA.

Oh, Laurie King, you've done it again! I'm a huge fan of the Mary Russell series and will eagerly dive into anything that this author pens. Back to the Garden was another well-plotted and compellingly written story set in what seems to be King's second-favorite landscape, California. Deftly spanning the past (1970s) and the present, this mystery novel is full of colorful characters, any of which could be hiding the missing clue to solve one—or more—50-year-old murder case. A great read.

Inspector Raquel Liang of the San Francisco Police Department has reached a crossroads in her career. A somewhat unorthodox involvement of her techie sister in a previous case ended with Raquel’s transfer to the Cold Cases Unit, and she’s under strict instructions to do everything by the book from now on if she wants to keep her job as the SFPD’s psychological investigator. So when news comes of old bones found under a concrete slab at the spiffy Gardener Estate in San Mateo County—a modus operandi associated with a serial killer from the 1970s known as the Highwayman—Raquel finds herself dealing with a case outside her jurisdiction but definitely within her area of expertise.

An added incentive for Raquel is that the Highwayman has just been identified, but he’s in the hospital with terminal cancer—and even after fifty years, he’s still playing games with the law. If the police can identify one of his victims, he will cooperate by supplying information on another, unknown to them. But time is running out, and more than a dozen victims remain unnamed. The body at the Gardener Estate may therefore answer the questions of two grieving families.

Interspersed with Raquel’s search for information on the victim, we follow the events preceding the murder in 1979, when—for reasons explained in the novel—the now pristine Gardener Estate hosted a hippie commune devoted to organic gardening, free love, and a steady supply of drugs. As we move back and forth between past and present, the complex story of one exceedingly troubled family slowly emerges, the link between the commune and the Highwayman is revealed, and Raquel’s commitment to do everything by the book is tested—until one final, dramatic twist forces her to decide what matters most.

Although this novel didn’t hook me instantly—as fifteen-year-old Mary Russell did crossing the Sussex Downs with her nose in a book—it builds at an intensifying pace to a satisfying conclusion. The characters, both major and minor, are complex and fascinating. Definitely well worth your time.

I will be hosting a written Q&A with the author on my blog (linked below) in September 2022.

Having never read anything by Laurie King, I did not know what to expect. Let's say, I do hope that this is the beginning of a new series with Racquel Laing! Racquel is a "Sherlock Holmes" type, reading people's clues by their "tells". She arrives at a mansion turned commune turned trust to solve the mystery of hidden bones under a long time standing piece of art work in the garden. The story twist and turns, yet ties together perfectly. Thanks to Random House, Ms King, and NetGalley for the chance to pre-read in exchange for an honest review.

Very good standalone mystery from the author. A murder mystery 50 years in the making, is it the work of the serial killer The Highwayman or maybe someone from the mansions commune 50 years ago.?
Cold case detective Laing is on the case but will she break all the rules to solve it? An interesting look at counter culture 50 years ago and the fabulously wealthy early California family and it’s troubled history.

I absolutely love the way Laurie R. King tells a story. Whether it's her fabulous historical Russell/Holmes series or contemporary fiction like Lockdown, she has a magnificent knack for drawing readers in and refusing to let them go until she is finished regaling them with the lives of her characters.

Back to the Garden is a very clever blending of the historical and the contemporary, showcasing her talents both as a novelist and as a researcher. I don't always enjoy back-and-forth-in-time stories, where the narration shifts in perspective, voice, and time period. It can be disruptive and jarring, and inevitably one of the storylines - current or flashback - is more engaging than the other. Not so at all here. King is brilliant at crafting characters that are flush with life in all its fruits and foibles and is equally adept at establishing - and resolving - mysteries through intricate and interconnected plot lines that weave together into complex and lyrical stories.

I thoroughly enjoyed this one, and felt like the ending just might hint at the possibility of more adventures with the fearless Raquel Laing - and I for one absolutely hope that is the case. She was a marvelous protagonist and would be a fabulous series-lead!

Back in the '70s, a disaffected heir turned the palatial Gardener estate into a full-on hippie commune, the Commons. The experiment only lasted a few years, but it was long enough for someone to commit and conceal a murder. The skeleton has finally come to light. Inspector Raquel Laing hopes to link it to the reign of terror of a dying serial killer she's been interrogating. The narrative alternates between her current dissection of the Highwayman's twisted mind and the history of the Commons, from hopeful beginning to abrupt collapse. Nicely plotted procedural. Hopefully King will make this a series, because the modern characters deserved more fleshing-out.

I always experience some hesitation in selecting a stand alone or beginning of a new series by an author I love -- will I be disappointed, or will I love it as much as their other works?

I found the central characters of Back to the Garden engaging, and the mystery drew me in, causing me to keep reading late into the night. Inspector Rachel Laing's interactions with the suspected killer were reminiscent of those of Clarice Starling with Hannibal Lector in Silence of the Lambs. I do have to say though that I found the ending a bit abrupt, leaving me with questions unanswered. Dare we hope there will be a sequel?

Many thanks to NetGalley and Bantam for the opportunity to read the eARC.

I LOVE Laurie R. King's Mary Russell/Sherlock Holmes series, but for reasons that escape me I had not read another book by her until now. While I eagerly await another Russell, the some of the main things that make that series so amazing are present in Back to the Garden- namely Ms. King's incredible writing, and ability to create vivid characters. I have read a LOT of mysteries in my life- Ms. King's writing is at the very top of the genre.
I prefer to read series, so I can get more of characters I enjoy, but with Ms. King's writing I'll gladly devour a stand-alone such as Back to the Garden. The plot drew me in quite quickly, and I really enjoyed main character Raquel Laing. Ms. King achieves an amazing depth of characterization in relatively few words, in a way I rarely if ever see in the mystery genre.
The plot is pretty slow moving- not a quick thriller- as is also the case with her Mary Russell books. It's a lot more "literary" than many mysteries, which I greatly enjoy. That being said, the plot drew me in and kept me interested throughout! Thoroughly recommend Back to the Garden and honestly (for myself too) all of Ms. Kings books!

This a a stand alone novel from the great Laurie R. King, taking a break from the Mary Russell/Sherlock Holmes series. The story takes place on a grand estate in California that was, for a while, a commune led by the estate's heir. In time the commune dissolved and the estate opened its doors and glorious garden to the public. During some repair work a skull is discovered and Inspector Raquel Laing is tasked with solving the mystery surrounding it. Was the skull a victim of a notorious serial killer? And who is it? What follows is a great story with compelling characters, using two timelines, the present and the very interesting commune times. It's another great read from Laurie R. King.

A fabulous stand alone novel, Back to the Garden features an interesting new character -Inspector Raquel Laing. Raquel is focused on her work and less inclined to pick up social cues. She has trouble fitting in her precinct and is currently on probation. A complicated but completely plausible and believable set of circumstances have placed her at the forefront of a series of cold cases related to a possible serial killer.

The Highwayman was feared and discussed but never captured in California in the 70's. Raquel is called out of her paid leave to assist when a bedridden man in hospice is identified and a skeleton is unearthed on the grounds of an old mansion with a colorful history. Excellently paced and peppered with flashbacks, this novel will keep you guessing and engaged to the very end! Laurie King is the New York Times bestselling author of the Mary Russell and Sherlock Holmes series, but I hope she has time to write more about Raquel, she might be my favorite policewoman to date! If you like mystery with flashbacks, a strong and flawed female heroine, or just want a an interesting thriller featuring a serial killer, Back to The Garden is for you!
#randomHouse #Netgalley #BacktotheGarden #LaurieRKing

Honestly I started this book and made it maybe 2 or 3 chapters in and I just couldn’t get into it. For me, it lagged so much at the beginning that Even though it was definitely my type of read, that slow beginning held me back. But it got better, sooo much better! I loved the flashbacks and the author noting “then” and “now” so not to confuse anyone. Once it started flowing I couldn’t put this book down! The hippie commune and the mystery around the bones was so interesting to me! I found all of the characters to be so interesting and so different from each other! I’m so happy I gave it another shot! So thankful NetGalley and publishers allowed me to review for them.

I received this ARC through NetGalley. This is a new standalone (although I hope it is the start of a new series) by the author of the popular Mary Russell series. Inspector Raquel Laing is working feverishly to solve the cold cases suspected of being tied to a serial killer who preyed upon young women during the 1970’s. When a body is discovered buried beneath an immense sculpture on the grounds of a mansion that was the site of a hippie commune during that same era, she suspects that it may be another victim.
As the story moves from present to past, the Northern California Flower Child era is brought to life. The plot is peeled away carefully, and just when you think you’ve figured it out: not so fast! You’re left wondering who the victim is until the pulse-pounding ending.
This is a gripping story full of the desperation of the inspector to solve these cases at the risk of her own career, and the nostalgia of a bygone era that was not all peace and love.I hope we see more books featuring Inspector Laing as well as her techno-savvy sister. I thoroughly enjoyed it.

Relax Mary Russell fans. Raquel Laing, the lead character in Laurie King's newest book, is at least as smart and every bit as intriguing as Sherlock Holmes' wife.

Laing is a San Francisco Police Department detective. She answers a call about human bones discovered beneath a sculpture at a grand estate south of the city. The body might be another to add to the multiple cold cases of blonde women who have disappeared over decades.

While the estate is now a showcase, it was a hippie commune when the cement was poured over the body. The Vietnam veteran who inherited the property from his grandfather now lives on the edge of the estate, which was restored to its grandeur and opened to the public after the commune fell apart.

Laing is a riddle. She uses a cane but never tells what happened to her leg. Her standing at the police department is shaky but we never learn why. We do meet a seasoned officer who encouraged her to hone her interpersonal skills and who involves her in the cold case investigation.

"Back to the Garden" paints a picture of Woodstock past and leaves lots of interesting questions for King to answer should she decide to feature Laing in another book.



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I would like to thank NetGalley for the ARC copy that I received.
Raquel Laing is an SFPD officer assigned to investigate a skull found beneath a statue on the magnificent Gardner estate in California. Could it be tied to the serial killer known as the Highwayman, now lying in a hospital with only days left to live? The statue was erected when the estate hosted a commune back in the 60's, and the story of life back then was really interesting. I liked inspector Laing, and her clever interrogation techniques based on close observation of body language. The novel was not a page-turner, but an interesting mystery none the less.

“Back to the Garden,” by Laurie R. King (9780593496565), publication Date: 6 September 2022, earns four stars.

Laurie King is a brilliant writer, and I am a dedicated fan of her writings, particularly her Mary Russell series. This book seemed a bit slow in establishing its rhythm but picked up as it developed five storylines.

One storyline centered around the well-heeled but complex Gardner family, and it is sumptuous estate during the permissive 1970s. Another focused on the present-day Gardner family and its trust-run estate. A third focused on the history of the protagonist, the brilliant but socially inept Inspector Raquel Laing and her problematical history with the San Francisco Police Department, which ended up with her being becoming part of an unofficial task force pursuing the elusive serial killer named “The Highwayman.”

These storylines “merge” with the discovery of a body under a controversial statue on the grounds of the Gardner estate, a murder potentially linked to this serial murderer. A distracting fifth story line involved Inspector Laing’s burgeoning love interest with a member of the Gardner Trust staff, Estate Manager Jen Bachus. It probably was to show Inspector Laing was not so coldly analytical. Ultimately, the book wraps up with confirming the identity of the person the SFPD now knows is The Highwayman and solving the cold case murder of the person buried underneath the statue on the Gardner Estate’s grounds. The former will not surprise the reader, but the latter comes out of the blue.

In summary, the book begins slow and ends abruptly with the reader ending up juggling a lot of storylines that overly flip-flop between the past and the current day. I found myself looking forward to the present-day storylines while wishing the past received less attention. The best parts of the book are those involving Inspector Laing’s investigative work with cold cases. Despite this sometimes overly complex mosaic, I thoroughly enjoyed Laurie King’s writing (as I always do) and look forward to reading more from her.

Thanks to the publisher (Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine, Bantam) for granting this reviewer this opportunity to read this Advance Reader Copy (ARC), and thanks to NetGalley for helping to make that possible.

A new protagonist and hopefully series from Laurie R King is always welcome!
Thanks to NetGalley and Bantam for the ARC to preview in exchange for my honest review. Expected publication date is September 6 2022.
This is a cold case mystery with multiple focuses. There is the story of the Gardener family and estate primarily set in the 70s. There is the story of an admitted serial killer who is dying and a team is trying to learn the extent and location of his victims. The two merge for investigator Raquel Laing when a body is discovered on the Gardener estate.
I found Raquel to be an intriguing heroine and other characters were also well developed. The different time lines were generally well managed but I found the description of the 70s action a little tedious at times. The modern day characters and angles were more interesting and written with better flow. The plot was very compelling with lots of unexpected twists.
Overall I really enjoyed reading this book. I highly recommend it for fans of the Mary Russell/Sherlock Holmes series by this author as well as all who enjoy a really well crafted mystery story

Back to the Garden is an excellent thriller that kept me locked in the whole time. I am interested in the settings and time frame as I grew up in that area and lived there during the 1970s, and I found that the descriptions meshed well with my recollections. This is the first book I have read by Ms. King, and I look forward to reading more. Very well done!

A magnificent house, vast formal gardens, a golden family that shaped California, and a colorful past filled with now-famous artists: the Gardener Estate was a twentieth-century Eden. And now, just as the Estate is preparing to move into a new future, restoration work on some of its art digs up a grim relic of the home’s past: a human skull, hidden away for decades. This is a brilliant standalone from one of my favorite writers. Combining all the elements of a good police procedural and a top notch thriller, this book kept me guessing and enthralled until the end. I would love more of this character! Thank you NetGalley for the advanced readers copy for review.

Detective and inspector Raquel is back on cold cases unit. In one of those cases, an estate, where a lot of people disappeared from 40 years ago, is now about to sell to a new owner. That is when a skull is found and Raquel is responsible for diving deeper into the mystery. The book is essentially a good police procedural drama.