Tammy Norman has just returned to Springville, NC after several years trying to make it big in LA and the failure of a long-term relationship with anoTammy Norman has just returned to Springville, NC after several years trying to make it big in LA and the failure of a long-term relationship with another aspiring actor. To be honest, Tammy is a train-wreck; broke, depressed and drifting from one dead-end job and relationship to another. She really does not know what to do and has very few real skills. Her family in Springville, an aunt and cousin are doing their best to help her but Tammy doesn't seem to want help. After moving out of her last boyfriend's home she finds an apartment for herself and starts looking for another job. Her "rainy day" fund is getting severely depleted. When she sees a strange want ad in the local paper, one that seems up her alley because it doesn't seem to require any skills at all.
Enter Shirley Homes, a very odd woman with an office right out of the 19th century. Shirley hires her on the spot for an excellent salary, giving no explanation of what Tammy is meant to do. No wonder, since Shirley is convinced that she is the great-granddaughter of Sherlock Holmes and she wants Tammy to become her modern day "Watson". The firm's very first client arrives in the person of Matt Peterman. Matt is suffering from sleep deprivation after weeks of being woken up by the barking of an invisible dog. When Matt is murdered on the next day the game, as they say "is afoot".
The Case of the Invisible Dog is pure farce, with sinister neighbors, suspicious cops, hostile waitresses, Shirley's long-suffering sister and a taxi-driver who aspires to become a PI. Some of the book is very funny, especially Tammy's interactions with her shrink. Tammy's main goal in her sessions seems to be to tell him as little as possible. It's fun to watch Tammy take charge of the investigation, since Shirley has no discernible sleuthing talent of her own. Maybe Tammy has finally found something that she is good at.
I thought the basic concept of The Case of the Invisible Dog was very fresh and while I didn't find it hilarious, I am intrigued enough to look forward to the next in the series. If only to find out whether Shirley can possibly be as delusional as she seems. Perhaps not, as the solution to the crime suggests.
Thanks to netgalley.com and Random House Alibi for an advance digital copy.
Merged review:
Tammy Norman has just returned to Springville, NC after several years trying to make it big in LA and the failure of a long-term relationship with another aspiring actor. To be honest, Tammy is a train-wreck; broke, depressed and drifting from one dead-end job and relationship to another. She really does not know what to do and has very few real skills. Her family in Springville, an aunt and cousin are doing their best to help her but Tammy doesn't seem to want help. After moving out of her last boyfriend's home she finds an apartment for herself and starts looking for another job. Her "rainy day" fund is getting severely depleted. When she sees a strange want ad in the local paper, one that seems up her alley because it doesn't seem to require any skills at all.
Enter Shirley Homes, a very odd woman with an office right out of the 19th century. Shirley hires her on the spot for an excellent salary, giving no explanation of what Tammy is meant to do. No wonder, since Shirley is convinced that she is the great-granddaughter of Sherlock Holmes and she wants Tammy to become her modern day "Watson". The firm's very first client arrives in the person of Matt Peterman. Matt is suffering from sleep deprivation after weeks of being woken up by the barking of an invisible dog. When Matt is murdered on the next day the game, as they say "is afoot".
The Case of the Invisible Dog is pure farce, with sinister neighbors, suspicious cops, hostile waitresses, Shirley's long-suffering sister and a taxi-driver who aspires to become a PI. Some of the book is very funny, especially Tammy's interactions with her shrink. Tammy's main goal in her sessions seems to be to tell him as little as possible. It's fun to watch Tammy take charge of the investigation, since Shirley has no discernible sleuthing talent of her own. Maybe Tammy has finally found something that she is good at.
I thought the basic concept of The Case of the Invisible Dog was very fresh and while I didn't find it hilarious, I am intrigued enough to look forward to the next in the series. If only to find out whether Shirley can possibly be as delusional as she seems. Perhaps not, as the solution to the crime suggests.
Thanks to netgalley.com and Random House Alibi for an advance digital copy....more
I have been a fan of Kelley Armstrong's books for a very long time since I first became aware of her Otherworld series in the early 2000s. Whether it I have been a fan of Kelley Armstrong's books for a very long time since I first became aware of her Otherworld series in the early 2000s. Whether it is Urban Fantasy, Mystery, Time-Slip, or whatever Rockton or Haven's Rock could be classified as she consistently delivers unique characters and great stories.
The Haven's Rock Series is a spin-off of the Rockton Series, set in the contemporary Canadian Yukon. Rockton was a well-hidden town, founded initially for people fleeing political persecution. Over the years, it became a refuge for anyone who could pay to get in. Casey Duncan was fleeing her possible prosecution for murder and the revenge of the victim's family. Brought in as a detective reporting to the Rockton Sheriff, Eric Dalton. The pairing became both professional and personal. Casey and Eric are now a married couple. When Rockton fell apart, the two founded Haven's Rock. Haven's Rock is meant as an escape for people fleeing trouble not of their own making, and hopefully, fewer serial killers and psychopaths.
Haven's Rock has accepted a mother and two children whose father was killed in front of them after testifying in a trial. The two boys are the first children in Rockton or Haven's Rock, causing concerns they have never faced before. When the younger boy reports seeing a bear with human eyes near the settlement, no one knows what to think. The boy, Max, is insistent, and everyone is all out to find him when he appears to have been abducted. Plenty of strange people are out in the woods, but why would Max be abducted? Coupled with this dilemma, Casey and Eric have their own issue, which is also about a child.
The Boy Who Cried Bear is another gripping installment in this well-constructed series. While the novel could be read as a stand-alone, I think everyone should start with the first in the series and possibly go back to Rockton. You won't be disappointed!! Thanks to NetGalley.com and Minotaur for an advance digital copy. The opinions are my own....more
The third story in this award-winning series features Captain Jim Agnihotri and Lady Diana embarking on a journey from their home in America to Engla The third story in this award-winning series features Captain Jim Agnihotri and Lady Diana embarking on a journey from their home in America to England at the behest of Diana's brother, Adi. Adi is in England on business and wants Jim's help with a matter he only wants to discuss in person. It suits Captain Jim since he has sensed a growing distance between himself and Diana. At first glance, the couple seems ill-assorted. Jim is a half-caste orphan invalided out of the Indian Army, and Diana is from a noble, wealthy Indian family and was university educated in England. Jim's service to the family (Murder in Old Bombay) made him almost a family member. They welcomed him with open arms when Diana set her cap for him. Diana usually gets what she wants! Jim's investigative skills, army background, and Diana's social skills make them a formidable duo.
As much as Jim is happy to take the journey, an old problem arises. Jim is a very bad sailor who never seems to quite overcome it. After one of his bouts, he goes out on the deck, hoping for fresh air and relief. While there, he meets an old soldier, Don Juan Nepomuceno. The two feel a sense of kinship, and the old man is kind to Jim. However, Don Juan is not universally loved, as becomes apparent when he is murdered in a grisly and very personal manner only a few hours later. His past includes the execution of many US Navy prisoners in Cuba years before. Many hate him, and some onboard have reason to do so. The fact that Don Juan is highly placed in the Spanish nobility threatens to create an international incident. The ship's captain asks Jim to find the killer before docking at Liverpool.
Hundreds of passengers are on the ship, from first class to second, and steerage. Then there is the crew. The author does a fine job of keeping them separate and distinct from each other. Diana, as always, involves herself but is limited to the first-class areas. Jim spends every waking hour, while not seasick, all over the ship and learning much about the operations of an ocean liner. Action and life-threatening danger are never far from the duo as they race to solve the murder.
I have enjoyed each of the books in this series and was not disappointed in The Spanish Diplomat's Secret. There is a foreshadowing of the next puzzle for Captain Jim and Lady Diana in the person of Adi. I will be looking forward to it.
I'm always delighted when a new book is published from one of my favorite "set-in-Maine" series. As someone who visits Maine regularly, it is one of mI'm always delighted when a new book is published from one of my favorite "set-in-Maine" series. As someone who visits Maine regularly, it is one of my preferred places on earth, winter or summer, following the stories of the Snowden Family Clambake. After living away from Maine for years, Julia, the eldest daughter, has returned after her father's death to help save the Clambake from bankruptcy. Julia has had many ups and downs, both business and personal, but now the Clambake is stable. As is Julia, even though she is still hurting from her decision to end the relationship with Chris, the man she thought was her life's love.
Hidden Beneath centers on her mother, Jacqueline, and her relationship with other teenage girls years before on Chipmunk Island, an island nearby. Chipmunk is home to a summer colony of wealthy families who only mix a little with Busman's Harbor residents. One of the girls, Ginny, now middle-aged women, had gone missing five years earlier and had been declared dead. Jacqueline asked Julia to accompany her to Ginny's memorial even though the summer season was just starting. There are unusual overtones at the event, and when Jacqueline visits Ginny's cottage, she finds that furniture has been moved and walls have been painted over. The women who were friends years ago are looking for Ginny's missing will. When it is found, Jacqueline learns that she has been named executor. She is astonished because she has only seen Ginny in passing for years. But, being Jacqueline, she is determined to get to the bottom of the riddle of Ginny's disappearance and needs Julia to help.
The mystery of Ginny's disappearance and all the events leading up to it is a twisty tale that kept me guessing. The main attraction of the series for me are the characters and settings, all familiar to me. Having a mystery to try to solve is a big plus. This time I failed and was also blindsided by a possible new romance for Julia from an unexpected quarter! Thanks to NetGalley.com and Kensington Books for an advance digital copy. The opinions are my own.
Veronica Speedwell has been not precisely pining but concerned by the absence of Stoker for several months. The two parted at an impasse due to eventsVeronica Speedwell has been not precisely pining but concerned by the absence of Stoker for several months. The two parted at an impasse due to events in An Impossible Imposter, previous in the series. She has an idea where he might be but has decided to take him at his word and give him space. However, when his older brother, Tiberius, Viscount Templeton-Vane, visits her and asks her to help him find Stoker, she drops everything. Tibirious has a problem that requires Stoker's talents. Twenty years previously, Tiberius made his "Grand Tour" in the company of several young men, self-named "The Seven Sinners." When the seven finished their tour and were dispersing from the Devon Templeton-Vane estate, one of their number met his end on the crumbling Devon cliffs. Lorenzo d'Ambrogio was a fossil enthusiast and had just made the discovery of a lifetime, a megalosaurus buried in the cliff. When the cliff crumbled during a storm, it took both the megalosaurus and Lorenzo. Long thought to be an accident, Tiberious was none the wiser until he received news cuttings about the deaths of two of the "Sinners" enclosed in a threatening note, proclaiming "Revenge for Lorenzo" and a threat to Tiberius. His response is to set up a reunion of sorts with the remaining survivors. When Veronica and Tiberius find Stoker wandering in the forests of Bavaria and present the plan to him, Stoker thinks it a hare-brained and dangerous scheme. But Tibirious knows his brother well and baits the trap with a commission to build a life-sized model of a megalosaurus. As a natural historian and taxidermist, Stoker cannot resist the challenge. He is also troubled about his brother's safety but downplays it. The people who gather at the Estate are not seemingly murderous, but there are undercurrents. At least some of them are hiding secrets regarding the death of Lorenzo and are willing to do anything to keep those secrets.
Veronica Speedwell, modeled on various "Lady Travelers" from the Victorian Era, is completely emancipated, a lepidopterist by trade. She has traveled the world bringing back rare butterfly specimens to earn her living. She is also stubborn as a mule and perfectly matched to Stoker. The verbal by-play between the two is always entertaining, and the scrapes they get into are often hair-raising. I enjoy this series tremendously and look forward to each one eagerly. Thanks to NetGalley.com and Berkley Books for an advance digital copy. The opinions are my own....more
I've been waiting patiently (somewhat) for the final entry in Jane Harper's splendid Aaron Falk Trilogy. The trilogy introduced me to Australian crimeI've been waiting patiently (somewhat) for the final entry in Jane Harper's splendid Aaron Falk Trilogy. The trilogy introduced me to Australian crime fiction and was highly atmospheric, packing an emotional punch, and perfectly plotted. From THE DRY, through FORCE OF NATURE, and now EXILES, Jane Harper's books have shown me a new world. Aaron Falk is a detective in the financial crimes division of the Australian Federal Police based in Melbourne. But he comes from the outback town of Kiewarra, as seen in THE DRY. On his consequential visit to his hometown, he formed a friendship with the new Chief of Police, Greg Raco, and his wife, Rita. The Racos have asked him to be their new child's Godfather. The christening will take place in Greg's hometown, Merrilee. The previous year, Falk visited them for the Merrilee Food and Wine Festival, and the christening is taking place the very same weekend.
Last Year's Festival dealt the Raco extended family a considerable blow. His older brother Charlie's ex-wife, Kim, disappeared from the Festival, leaving her new daughter, Zoe, in a pram, never to be seen again. Her new spouse, Rohan, was having dinner with his parents and was cleared as a suspect. The Racos and their Merrilee friends and family are completely "at sea," saying that Kim would have never left Zoe alone. Charlie and Kim's daughter, Zara, now living with Charlie, and her friend, Joel, are insistent on this. The memories of Kim are close to the surface, especially since her friends had almost lost contact with Kim in the year previous to her disappearance. She had been living in Adelaide, not far away. Tragedy has been no stranger to Merrilee in the past few years. The daughter of the police chief died as a result of an alcohol overdose, and a respected member of the community was killed in a hit-and-run.
As memories surface, it becomes clear that the secrets of all these events are in the close-knit community. The solution to Kim's disappearance will upend their little paradise. But new connections and a new relationship convince Falk that there are more things in life than policing, and after years of being solitary, he can find a new home.
Thanks to Net Galley and Flatiron Books for an advance digital copy. The opinions are my own.
I'm giving Invitation to a Killer a three-star rating, which may be generous. I enjoyed Augusta Hawke's voice and quirkiness in the first book, but thI'm giving Invitation to a Killer a three-star rating, which may be generous. I enjoyed Augusta Hawke's voice and quirkiness in the first book, but this one is an excellent example of a "sophomore slump." The characters, even the humanitarian doctor, were unlikeable. Callie Morgan, the overblown lobbyist's wife, was unlikeable in the extreme. However, I did find Augusta's opinions on the Capitol Hill denizens amusing. They align very closely with my own. I am more than willing to read another book in the series. This one fell flat for me. Thanks to NetGalley and Severn House for an advance digital copy. The opinions are my own....more
Few authors are as prolific and successful in their chosen field as Jayne Ann Krentz, and has who knows how many NYT Bestsellers to her credit. Sleep Few authors are as prolific and successful in their chosen field as Jayne Ann Krentz, and has who knows how many NYT Bestsellers to her credit. Sleep No More kicks off a new trilogy, The Lost Night Files. Krentz specializes in Romantic Suspense with a paranormal twist in both contemporary and historical settings.
Pallas Llewellyn spent the night at The Lucent Springs Hotel and woke up with frighteningly enhanced psychic abilities and no memories of the night. Two other women, Amelia Rivers, and Talia March, had the same experience. They reacted differently, but all their lives have changed. The three have banded together and now have a cold case podcast. They cover all sorts of cases, but their own is always uppermost. When Pallas gets a message from Ambrose Drake suggesting she investigate the Carnelian Sleep Institute and that he witnessed a murder there, she agrees to meet him. After a rough start, the two make a deal to work together. There is a lot of shady activity in the town of Carnelian, including murder, drug rings, and financial malfeasance at a small local college. Krentz always writes engaging characters, and Sleep No More does not disappoint. I especially liked Ambrose Drake, a writer whose life has been upended by his experience at Carnelian. He suffers from crippling sleep deprivation and is not precisely the macho hero. His writing career is in shambles, and his personal life even more so. In fact, he is a mess, but the two manage to find love and support despite it all.
Thanks to Berkley and Netgalley for an advance digital copy. The opinions are my own....more
Murder at Haven's Rock is a spin-off from the earlier Rockton series after seven books. Set in the Canadian Yukon, Rockton is one of the most unique cMurder at Haven's Rock is a spin-off from the earlier Rockton series after seven books. Set in the Canadian Yukon, Rockton is one of the most unique crime series I have read, and I was sad to see it go, even though that storyline had run its course. Rockton was founded as a refuge for people on the run from abusive relationships and problems not of their own making. People with unpopular political views also made up the shifting population. Over the years, Rockton devolved into a money-making enterprise, allowing some unsavory and murderous characters to take refuge there. Sheriff Eric Dalton, who was born there, and his now-wife, Casey Duncan, are tasked with riding herd on the population. Detective. Casey was one of the latest residents running from her problems. Throughout the series, their relationship matures. Casey, in particular, grew more comfortable in her own skin.
When Rockton met its end, the two had enough resources (along with others) to build a new Rockton called Haven's Rock. The plan was to stay away during the settlement building, which is nearly finished. Eric and Casy are called back because the project's architect has vanished into the forest. As one of the crew says, "shit happens up here." Does it ever!! There is a missing woman, a dead woman, an attacked worker, and a gold miner hiding in the forest. There is also a woman living in a highly camouflaged cottage who claims to be a nature photographer. Haven's Rock is not as secluded or safe as hoped.
Some of Rockton's former residents will be returning but are only mentioned here until the end. April, Casey's physician sister, has to come back when the bodies multiply. The new characters are certainly "colorful" and may have nefarious plans. The bad apples will go, but some others whose motives are not clear ask to remain. I predict another stellar series from Kelley Armstrong that will keep me guessing.
Thanks to Minotaur Books and NetGalley for an advance digital copy. The opinions are my own....more
Sci-Fi is not my usual genre. I have read only one series in its entirety: Lois McMaster Bujold's Vorkosigan Saga, and that multiple times. The premisSci-Fi is not my usual genre. I have read only one series in its entirety: Lois McMaster Bujold's Vorkosigan Saga, and that multiple times. The premise of Station Eternity caught my interest immediately. Mallory Viridian has a long-standing problem. Over and over, she finds herself at murder scenes and seems to be the only person who can solve the murder. She has only failed in very few cases. Unlike Jessica Fletcher of "Murder She Wrote" fame, it hasn't made her in demand at parties. The cops hate her and have prevented her from finding jobs. What remains of her family hate her after the murder of her uncle. Her cousin's subsequent arrest and conviction for the crime and her failure to exonerate him are the last straw. Earth's "First Contact" with aliens has just occurred, and Mallory asked for sanctuary aboard Station Eternity, a sentient space station. What could go wrong with no other humans on board?
However, there are two other humans, the Earth Ambassador and a person Mallory knows from her college days. Xan was a casual friend who later joined the US Army. He was also a chief suspect in a murder Mallory couldn't solve. He was reportedly abducted by aliens the same night the murder occurred. The station is a bit of a prima donna, and she houses several alien races. The wasp-like Sundry seems to have a particular fascination with Mallory. She has befriended Stephanie, the giant Gneiss, made of rock. The Gurudev are insect-like stick figures, and the Phantasmagores can blend into any background. One similarity is that they all can form symbiotic relationships with other species and find humans lacking because humans cannot. Even Eternity has a symbiote; a Gurudev, Ren, is murdered, and everything goes to hell in a handbasket. A shuttle is headed from Earth and loaded with VIP visitors, the first to be allowed. Eternity goes mad and partially destroys the shuttle.
Station Eternity is a wild ride full of unique, often hilarious, and sometimes horrifying characters. It keeps you guessing until the end with non-stop action. Who will survive, and why is Mallory's estranged aunt aboard the shuttle?
The picturesque town of Blackwater Falls in the Rocky Mountains of Colorado seems an ideal place to live and work. The setting is glorious, with campiThe picturesque town of Blackwater Falls in the Rocky Mountains of Colorado seems an ideal place to live and work. The setting is glorious, with camping and trails for visitors. The leading employers are Apex Dynamics, a tech research firm, and Natural Foods, a meatpacking plant. There is also a large population of Muslim refugees from all over the world, primarily Syria and Somalia, most of whom work at Natural Foods.
Underneath the surface, however, bubbles a stew of hate and corruption. The hate comes from a prominent evangelical church and its accompanying biker gang, the Disciples. The corruption stems from the Sheriff, who has a finger in every pie and absolute control in the town. Inaya Rahman is a local who has returned after a traumatic stint at the Chicago PD. She is part of the new Community Response Unit, led by Lt. Waqas Seif. Her first significant crime is genuinely horrific, the murder of a promising refugee student, Razan Elkader. Razan was nailed to the door of the local Mosque in a sick parody of the Crucifixion. The disappearance of two Muslim teenage girls preceded the murder of Razan, ruled runaways by the Sheriff with little to no investigation. Neither the church nor the Sheriff has escaped scrutiny. The FBI has an operative implanted with the Disciples and the police department.
Blackwater Falls is a complex and timely novel in which just about everyone's motives are suspect at one time or another. Inaya is a well-portrayed character, as are her Hispanic partner and a Black firebrand attorney. Both are female, and the three become close friends and colleagues. I suppose I am as ignorant as the average American about the lives of immigrants. Blackwater Falls gave me a look into those lives, especially a Muslim woman who wants to operate as a professional yet feels the tug of her religious beliefs. Inaya's decision to wear the hijab when the other women in her family do not is just one instance.
The themes of violence and social justice resonate in Blackwater Falls and make for a compelling read. Thanks to NetGalley and Minotaur Books for an advance digital copy. The opinions are my own....more
The newest book in this historical mystery series takes us back to London in the summer of 1814 when the nation was celebrating the signing of the TreThe newest book in this historical mystery series takes us back to London in the summer of 1814 when the nation was celebrating the signing of the Treaty of Paris of the years-long Napoleonic Wars. The celebrations center on the grand Parks of London, with the staging of the replica Battle of Waterloo on the Serpentine River in Hyde Park. Lord Wrexford and his new wife Charlotte will inevitably be at the center of the celebrations due to their high positions. Complications arise when Wrexford's two wards, Raven and Hawk, discover a man's body floating in the Serpentine. The man, identified as Jeremiah Willis, a well-known engineer, and inventor, was thought to be set upon by criminals hoping for loot. The oddity was that Willis was plainly dressed and a black man. More pressing are Charlotte's family obligations. Her brother Hartley has invited them to his in-laws' estate. Belmont. When they arrive, they see all is not well. Belmont is distracted, his wife Louisa is stiff, and there are signs of economic stress. A visitor from London arrives, demanding to see Wrexford. It seems that Jeremiah Willis was far from unimportant. He was designing a repeater gun whose use would revolutionize warfare. The plans have not been found, and the government wants them back. So do all the major European government representatives present for the celebrations. There are rumors of an auction of the plans. To gain Wrexford's cooperation, the man insinuates that he knows Charlotte's alter ego, A. J. Quill, a notorious satirical artist.
The Wrexford and Sloane novels are favorites of mine. They never displease, full of action, historical detail, and color. The characters are well-rounded and believable. My favorites are the former street urchins, Raven and Hawk, who are maturing into intelligent and gifted young men. A welcome addition is Peregrine, the future Lord Belmont. I'm looking forward to the next book in the series.
Thanks to NetGalley and Kensington Books for an advance digital copy. The opinions are my own, ...more
It has been a while since I read the Walt Longmire series, but when I had a chance to read Hell and Back, I was pleasantly reminded just a few pages iIt has been a while since I read the Walt Longmire series, but when I had a chance to read Hell and Back, I was pleasantly reminded just a few pages in. Johnson's prose is beautiful, and the character of Walt is one that you just want to spend some time with. This is not quite the Walt I remember since Johnson takes him into mystical territory. He has strayed there in previous novels, but not to this extent.
Hell and Back opens with Walt waking up snow-covered in a street. He is also covered in blood and doesn't know his name or where he is. He sets off for the nearest lights in a diner just beginning to close. Despite an advancing blizzard, the pretty waitress (who looks somewhat familiar) still makes a meal for him. She also helps him with his name on the hatband inside his cowboy hat. He is in Fort Pratt, Montana. Fort Pratt was the home of an Indian Training School that burned to the ground over a hundred years ago, killing thirty boys. The waitress tells him there haven't been any good stories in Fort Pratt since.
The fact that Walt is missing is not lost on Vic Moretti, his under-sheriff, and his longtime friend, Henry Standing Bear. Both, along with Walt's giant indeterminately bred hound "Dog," have set off to find him in the teeth of the blizzard, and the story switches between them and Walt. Walt's wanderings feature meetings with all sorts of characters in the snowy landscape, both natural and possibly imagined. The gates of the training school are still standing. When Walt crosses onto the grounds, he thinks he is back in time to when the school was still operating, to the very day it burned at 8:17pm.
This departure may throw longtime readers of the series, but Johnson gives us the twists in plotting and robust character building that we expect. I am decidedly not a fan of Westerns, probably because I watched too many bad ones on TV in my childhood. Johnson has taken a risk with Hell and Back but succeeds in all ways.
Thanks to NetGalley and Viking for an advance digital copy. The opinions are my own....more
Laurie R. King is best known for her long-running Mary. Russell and Sherlock Holmes Mysteries, but she has also written several excellent stand-alone nLaurie R. King is best known for her long-running Mary. Russell and Sherlock Holmes Mysteries, but she has also written several excellent stand-alone novels. Back to the Garden falls into that category. The Gardener Estate is steeped in California history and has seen many transformations. It is reminiscent of the Hearst San Simeon Estate, with baronial interiors, exteriors, and extensive gardens. The Estate has always remained in the Gardener family's hands. In the 1970s, the Estate rested in the hands of the "Old Bastard," always referred to by his grandsons." Fort" and Rob Gardener are the heirs to the Estate. "Fort" has already taken off for an ashram in India and disinherited. The rebellious and volatile Rob refuses to be part of his grandfather's plans. He joins the Army and is promptly sent off to Viet Nam. Only a cousin stays involved with the running of the Estate, but since his last name is not Gardener, he can't inherit.
When Rob returns from Viet Nam and inherits, he is still rebellious and volatile. He is also deeply immersed in the 1970s "counterculture." He and his partner, Meadow, remake the house and grounds into an experiment in communal living. All sorts of people come and go from 1970s cultural icons to petty criminals. "Fort" reappears, still with no designs on the Estate, rather than a seemingly small request. All seemed well until Rob and Meadow decided to have an art and music festival, mainly to showcase the success of their experiment. On that weekend, everything changes. Meadow and "Fort" disappear, and the commune breaks up quickly. Currently, the Estate is managed by a Trust, and Rob is a hermit living on the grounds. The Estate has been returned to its former glory, and big plans are afoot. An immense statue, The Three Eves, has to be moved and shored up. A human skull and remains are discovered beneath.
Anyone who lived through the 70s might remember that there was also a surfeit of serial killers operating in America. Young women on the roads were killed and disappeared all over, particularly in California. When a Cold Case investigator, Racquel Laing from the SFPD, gets wind of the find, she thinks it would fit her case, that of The Highwayman. The Highwayman is in custody, but he is dying. Racquel is on a mission to find out who, other than the nine women they know about, fell victim to him. He isn't talking unless forced to, and Raquel is determined to find out every victim before time runs out. The intersection of the history of the Gardener family and the Highwayman is bound together.
Back to the Garden is an intricate and compelling read with King's signature full-bodied characters and atmospheric writing. Thanks to NetGalley.com and Bantam Books for an advance digital copy. The opinions are my own.
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