Back to the Garden : A Novel by Laurie R. King

 

  Back to the Garden: A Novel by Laurie R. King. Bantam Books, 2022. Adult mystery.

The 1970's Vietnam vet Rob Gardener is back in present day California. With his brother, Fort, the two are heirs to the fabulous Gardener estate and mansion. Police Inspector Raquel Laing comes to find answers to a cold case involving "The Highwayman" killer. She hopes to connect a man who may have lived on the commune there in the 1970's to a series of murders of young women over the years. Soon Raquel is drawn into a new murder on the estate. Who is this new victim?  Are they all connected? Can Raquel find the killer before someone else is murdered? 

Known best for her series of Mary Russell novels, King scores a homerun with this stand along mystery. Readers can only hope that more Raquel Laing novels will follow. King's killer descriptions (pardon the pun) of the estate bring to mind San Simeon. Details about life in a 1960's and 70's commune are fascinating. Even "The Highwayman" will remind readers of Charles Manson. Such a treat to read such unusual bits of historical fiction tied into a great mystery!