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Narrated by:
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Vivienne Leheny
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By:
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Laurie R. King
About this listen
A fifty-year-old cold case involving California royalty comes back to life—with potentially fatal consequences—in this gripping standalone novel from the New York Times bestselling author of the Mary Russell and Sherlock Holmes series
The Gardener Estate is one of the most storied and beloved places on the West Coast: a magnificent house in vast formal grounds, home to a family that shaped California—and fought hard to conceal the turmoil and eccentricities within their walls.
And now, just as the turmoil seems buried and the Estate prepares to move into a new future, construction work unearths a grim relic of the estate's history: a skull, hidden away some fifty years ago.
Inspector Raquel Laing of the SFPD Cold Case Unit has her work cut out for her. Back in the '70s, the Estate was a commune, when its young heir, Rob Gardener, turned the palatial setting into a counterculture Eden of peace, love, and equality. But the '70s were also a time when serial killers preyed on such innocents—monsters like The Highwayman, whose case has just assumed a whole new urgency.
Could these bones belong to one of his victims?
For Raquel Laing—a woman who knows all about hidden turmoil and eccentricities—the Gardener bones seem clearly linked to The Highwayman. But as she dives into the Estate's archives for evidence of his presence, what she finds there begins to take on a dark reality of its own.
Everything brings her back to Rob Gardener himself—now a gray-haired recluse, then a troubled young Vietnam vet whose girlfriend vanished after a midsummer festival at the Estate, fifty years ago.
But a lot of people seem to have disappeared from the Gardener Estate that summer, when the commune fell apart and its residents scattered: a young woman, her child, Rob's brother Fort...
The pressure is on, and Raquel needs to solve this case—before The Highwayman slips away, or another Gardener vanishes.
©2023 Laurie R. King (P)2023 Recorded BooksListeners also enjoyed...
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Performance
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The unthinkable has happened in a small community outside of San Francisco. A series of shocking murders has occurred, the victims far too innocent and defenseless. For Detective Kate Martinelli, just promoted to Homicide and paired with a seasoned cop who's less than thrilled to be handed a green partner, it's a difficult case that just keeps getting harder. Then the detectives receive what appears to be a case-breaking lead.
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Another Fantastic Series by Laurie R. King
- By Anna on 03-29-15
By: Laurie R. King
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The Souls of Lost Lake
- By: Jaime Jo Wright
- Narrated by: Kathryn Markey
- Length: 13 hrs and 43 mins
- Unabridged
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Wren Blythe has long enjoyed being among the Northwoods, helping her father with programming at a youth camp. But when a little girl in the area goes missing, an all-out search ensues, reviving the decades-old campfire story of Ava Coons, the murderess, who still roams the woods. Joining the search, Wren stumbles upon the Coons cabin ruins and a rotting porcelain doll. But even more terrifying is seeing her name etched on the doll's foot like a sinister omen.
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I am Speechless!
- By A+D on 05-13-22
By: Jaime Jo Wright
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The Face of a Stranger
- A William Monk Novel #1
- By: Anne Perry
- Narrated by: Davina Porter
- Length: 13 hrs and 18 mins
- Unabridged
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His name, they tell him, is William Monk, and he is a London police detective. But the accident that felled him has left him with only half a life; his memory and his entire past have vanished. As he tries to hide the truth, Monk returns to work and is assigned to investigate the brutal murder of a Crimean War hero and man about town. Which makes Monk’s efforts doubly difficult, since he’s forgotten his professional skills along with everything else.
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promising start to the series
- By connie on 01-09-10
By: Anne Perry
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Death in Focus
- Elena Standish, Book 1
- By: Anne Perry
- Narrated by: Susan Lyons
- Length: 12 hrs and 4 mins
- Unabridged
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On vacation from London on the beautiful Italian coast, 28-year-old Elena Standish and her older sister Margot have finally been able to forget some of the lasting trauma of the Great War. Touring with her camera in hand, Elena has found new inspiration in the striking Italian landscape, and she's met an equally striking man named Ian. Not ready to part from one another, she and Ian share a train trip home to England. But a shocking murder disrupts their agenda, forcing Elena to personally deliver a message to Berlin that could change the fate of Europe.
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Wow I want to hear more!
- By Marta Richards on 09-28-19
By: Anne Perry
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A Test of Wills
- By: Charles Todd
- Narrated by: Samuel Giles
- Length: 10 hrs and 28 mins
- Unabridged
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Ian Rutledge returns to his career at Scotland Yard after years fighting in the First World War. Unknown to his colleagues he is still suffering from shell shock, and is burdened with the guilt of having had executed a young soldier on the battlefield for refusing to fight. A jealous colleague has learned of his secret and has managed to have Rutledge assigned to a difficult case which could spell disaster for Rutledge whatever the outcome. A retired officer has been murdered, and Rutledge goes to investigate.
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Difficult to follow the narrator
- By Carol on 01-02-13
By: Charles Todd
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Knave of Diamonds
- By: Laurie R. King
- Narrated by: Amy Scanlon, Steven Crossley, Jefferson Mays
- Length: 10 hrs and 40 mins
- Unabridged
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When Mary Russell was a child, she adored her black-sheep Uncle Jake. But she hasn’t heard from him in many years, and she's assumed that his ne’er-do-well ways had brought him to a bad end somewhere—until he presents himself at her Sussex door. Yes, Jake is back, and with a load of problems for his clever niece. Not the least of which is the reason the family rejected him in the first place: he was involved—somehow—in the infamous disappearance of the Irish Crown Jewels from a secure safe in Dublin Castle.
By: Laurie R. King
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Bloodmoney
- A Novel of Espionage
- By: David Ignatius
- Narrated by: Firdous Bamji
- Length: 13 hrs and 3 mins
- Unabridged
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Deep within Pakistan’s borders, a secret CIA team is being systematically dismantled by a cunning enemy. Soon, Sophie Marx, a young, ambitious agent, is on the ground searching for answers. But as she gets closer to the truth, she suffers a devastating betrayal and must risk more than her life to save the world from a terrifying fate.
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A Walk Into The Shadows
- By E on 11-14-11
By: David Ignatius
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The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency
- By: Alexander McCall Smith
- Narrated by: Lisette Lecat
- Length: 8 hrs and 9 mins
- Unabridged
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Mma "Precious" Ramotswe sets up a detective agency in Botswana on the edge of the Kalahari Desert, making her the only female detective in the country. At first, cases are hard to come by. But eventually, troubled people come to Precious with a variety of concerns. Potentially philandering husbands, seemingly schizophrenic doctors, and a missing boy who may have been killed by witch doctors all compel Precious to roam about in her tiny van, searching for clues.
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Transcends its Genre
- By Gene on 12-07-03
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Left for Dead
- A Maeve Kerrigan Novella
- By: Jane Casey
- Narrated by: Sarah Coomes
- Length: 2 hrs and 58 mins
- Unabridged
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A violent rapist is attacking women, leaving them for dead on south London streets. When young policewoman Maeve Kerrigan responds to a domestic disturbance, she's horrified to stumble across the latest victim. But as a new recruit - and a female to boot - she'll have to face down not only her own nerves but rampant sexism from her colleagues if she wants to be taken seriously enough to even assist on the case.
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Waste of time & $
- By Mary Ann on 12-11-16
By: Jane Casey
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The City in the Middle of the Night
- By: Charlie Jane Anders
- Narrated by: Jennifer O'Donnell, Laura Knight Keating
- Length: 13 hrs and 56 mins
- Unabridged
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January is a dying planet - divided between a permanently frozen darkness on one side, and blazing endless sunshine on the other. Humanity clings to life, spread across two archaic cities built in the sliver of habitable dusk. Sophie, a student and reluctant revolutionary, is supposed to be dead, after being exiled into the night. Saved only by forming an unusual bond with the enigmatic beasts who roam the ice, Sophie vows to stay hidden from the world, hoping she can heal.
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One of the best S-F novels I've ever read!!!
- By Michael J. Mcmorrow on 02-17-19
What listeners say about Back to the Garden
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- Needler
- 09-16-22
I remember when......
This was a engaging read, with seamless transitions between two time frames. Laurie was able to bring the past alive, taking me to my teenage years of wishing to be "there" at the core of the flower child revolution. All these decades later, it is easy to forget what it was like at the time, and although I think much of the hippy/commune experience was hype, King described it from many sides, and with a great deal of nostalgia. I'm not sure why mystery writers are so enamored of serial killers (I usually avoid them in the mysteries I read), but there were a number of them during the time period. I'm not sure what has happened to serial killers since then. Have shooting rampages taken the place of serial crimes, or are the serial killers just much better at hiding their crimes? At any rate, King managed to handle the antagonist without an overload of creepiness, and avoided the usual looming thriller plot. This has the makings of a new series, which I would hardily support.
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52 people found this helpful
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- Phelisha's Fire
- 01-26-23
3.5 Stars
I adore Laurie R King. And while I loath the 70's, King brought it powerfully to life. I did enjoy the overall story. A bit perplexed with the very end.
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- EHM
- 01-28-23
Laurie R. King did it again!
I was introduced to Laurie R. King via the MRH series - which I love. In fact, I love them so much, I've read everything else King had written. This book is another excellent work. The story is original, well thought through, and colorful. The characters are believable and the narration is good.
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- Judith Myers
- 01-18-23
Character development is slow and predictable so the story drags.
Not the least bit excited about this book. Even turning up the pace wasn’t enough to keep me on tract.
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- Cathy Smyth
- 01-21-23
Favorite
I enjoyed this one! Interesting dichotomy of the rich mansion and gardens and the communal experience.
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- Sweet Reads and Treats - Mere
- 08-30-23
Hope this becomes a series
I have long been a fan of both Laurie King’s masterful writing and her endearingly complex characters. I was immediately drawn to her Mary Russell series and have reread several titles over the years. I was incredibly excited to learn that she had a new release coming that was something entirely new, and Back to the Garden far exceeded any expectations I had. The idea of a 50 year old cold case coming to life in an estate filled with secrets immediately drew me in and took me on a fascinating ride.
Everything was quiet, until the bones turned up. On the hunt for a killer and the identity of his victims, Inspector Raquel Laing begins digging into the colorful history of a historic home in California. In the archives, she begins uncovering a dark family history and the chaos of a commune from the 1970s. As she gets closer to the truth, danger not only lurks in the past, but also in the present day.
This story is told in several points of view and alternating time periods between the present and the past – the investigation and the story of the commune. As Raquel learns more about the last days of her victim trying to connect them to a serial killer, we experience those events first hand from those who lived them. This story is rich in description with Raquel’s Sherlockian attention to detail and uncanny ability to read people. It is a mystery at heart, but also a fascinating exploration of life in the 1970s at a commune. With details from both the first person perspective of the past and also observations of certain characters in present day, our tale unfolds leaving more questions than answers until the end sneaks up on you from out of nowhere. I really hope to see Raquel in future investigations very soon.
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- Ellis
- 12-04-22
A decent book from a talented author
This work is a bit of a mess. The concept is stellar, but the execution is uneven. Each character was interesting enough, and the prose was compelling throughout. Unfortunately, the book suffers from lack of focus. Who’s the protagonist? When is the main timeline? After finishing the book, I’m not certain I can answer those questions.
With a less-talented author, this would have been a miserable experience. But Ms King has such skill that she holds it together just enough to make it work. I’ll gladly read a sequel, but I hope it is a better book.
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23 people found this helpful
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- Cara Leverett
- 11-27-22
Another great book in this series!
I loved this book as much or more than the others in this series and in King’s other series!
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3 people found this helpful
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- Ron Kuhnel
- 10-27-22
Compelling and Riveting
An Exceptionally well Crafted book with many twists and turns there is no end of drama and the story is exceptionally well read
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2 people found this helpful
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- P. M. Barnard
- 03-03-23
A delightfully different take from Laurie R. King
We have been avid Marry Russel listeners for a decade, but this was a delightfully different take and tone from King. All her skill in pacing and story telling was on full display, and the character development was delightful.
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