Back to the Garden

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A fifty-year-old cold case involving California royalty resurfaces with potentially fatal consequences in this gripping standalone novel. The Gardener Estate, a storied West Coast mansion, is home to a family that shaped California while concealing their inner turmoil. As the Estate prepares for a new future, construction work uncovers a grim relic: a skull hidden away decades ago. Inspector Raquel Laing of the SFPD Cold Case Unit faces a challenging investigation. In the '70s, the Estate was a commune led by young heir Rob Gardener, who transformed it into a counterculture haven. However, that era also saw serial killers like The Highwayman targeting such innocents, raising urgent questions about the skull's identity. Raquel, familiar with hidden turmoil, suspects a connection to The Highwayman. As she explores the Estate's archives, she uncovers disturbing truths that lead her back to Rob Gardener, now a reclusive figure haunted by the past. Fifty years ago, his girlfriend vanished after a midsummer festival at the Estate, and many others disappeared that summer as the commune fell apart. With pressure mounting, Raquel must solve the case before The Highwayman escapes or another Gardener goes missing.