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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.
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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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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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The Last Party
- A Novel
- By: Clare Mackintosh
- Narrated by: Chloe Angharad Davies
- Length: 13 hrs and 17 mins
- Unabridged
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On New Year's Eve, Rhys Lloyd has a house full of guests. His vacation homes on Mirror Lake are a success, and he's generously invited the village to drink champagne with their wealthy new neighbors. But by midnight, Rhys will be floating dead in the freezing waters of the lake. On New Year's Day, Ffion Morgan has a village full of suspects. The tiny community is her home, so the suspects are her neighbors, friends and family—and Ffion has her own secrets to protect. With a lie uncovered at every turn, soon the question isn't who wanted Rhys dead . . . but who finally killed him.
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Great mystery
- By HistoryLover on 11-25-22
By: Clare Mackintosh
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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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Shutter
- By: Ramona Emerson
- Narrated by: Charley Flyte
- Length: 8 hrs and 53 mins
- Unabridged
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Rita Todacheene is a forensic photographer working for the Albuquerque police force. Her excellent photography skills have cracked many cases—she is almost supernaturally good at capturing details. In fact, Rita has been hiding a secret: she sees the ghosts of crime victims who point her toward the clues that other investigators overlook. As a lone portal back to the living for traumatized spirits, Rita is terrorized by nagging ghosts who won’t let her sleep and who sabotage her personal life.
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This is why you cannot trust good reviews
- By Prabhakar J. on 10-23-22
By: Ramona Emerson
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A Christmas Journey
- By: Anne Perry
- Narrated by: Terrence Hardiman
- Length: 3 hrs and 36 mins
- Unabridged
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It's Christmas and the well-born guests who have gathered at Applecross for a delicious weekend of relaxation are warmed by roaring fires, mistletoe, and gorgeously wrapped gifts. It's scarcely the setting for misfortune, and no one - not even that clever young aristocrat and budding sleuth Vespasia Cumming-Gould - anticipates the tragedy that is to darken this light-hearted holiday house party. But soon one young woman lies dead, a suicide, and Vespasia must uncover the heartbreaking truth behind the tragedy.
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Never tire of Anne Perry
- By Joan on 12-22-17
By: Anne Perry
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Time of Justice
- Mara Brent Legal Thriller Series, Book 1
- By: Robin James
- Narrated by: Vivienne Leheny
- Length: 8 hrs and 10 mins
- Unabridged
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This trial should be a slam-dunk. A faceless powerbroker has other ideas.... Small-town prosecutor Mara Brent must be tough as nails to succeed in her male-dominated profession. But she harbors a soft spot for the victims who rely on her courtroom skill, especially the wheelchair-bound rape survivor she’s known since her first day on the job. So when her friend’s unsolved case reopens with a DNA match and an arrest, she’s determined to finally bring a monster to justice.
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This one’s a WOW!!!!
- By shelley on 05-04-20
By: Robin James
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What the Lady's Maid Knew
- Riftmagic Saga Series, Book 1
- By: E. E. Holmes
- Narrated by: Mary Sarah
- Length: 13 hrs and 19 mins
- Unabridged
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Imagine a London where magic is real...real, but feared. This is Eliza Braxton's London, and she has always accepted her place in it gladly. As one of the Riftborn, her magic has relegated her to the servant class, where she dutifully serves as the lady's maid in one of the most powerful households in the country. There, she uses her remarkable powers of persuasion to keep Elder Hallewell's rebellious daughter in the path to an arranged match of power and prosperity. Eliza has never questioned her loyalty...until now.
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Why narrator, why?!?!
- By Krissy on 04-15-21
By: E. E. Holmes
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Broken Places
- By: Tracy Clark
- Narrated by: Shari Peele
- Length: 12 hrs and 58 mins
- Unabridged
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Cops can make mistakes, even when they're not rookies. Deeply traumatized by a shooting incident, Cass Raines resigned from the Chicago PD, leaving one less female African-American on the force. Now she's the head of a one-woman private investigation agency. She also plays chess with the only father figure she's ever known, Father Ray Heaton. When Father Ray asks Cass to look into a recent spate of vandalism at his church, she readily agrees to handle the case. But only hours later she's horrified to discover his murdered body in the church confessional, a dead gangbanger sprawled out nearby.
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Promise Not Yet Realised
- By Lia on 06-15-20
By: Tracy Clark
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A Mind of Her Own
- By: Paula McLain
- Narrated by: Hillary Huber
- Length: 1 hr and 15 mins
- Unabridged
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Marie Sklodowska, 25, is studying science at the Sorbonne—one of the only universities in the world that has begun to admit women. A thousand miles from her native Poland, with no money and the odds stacked against any woman daring to pursue a career in such a rigorous field, Marie throws herself into her studies. She’s certain that to succeed in a man’s world, she will have to go it alone.
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Based on a true story
- By Kingsley on 03-01-19
By: Paula McLain
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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- Claudia Mastroianni
- 02-06-23
old and new
A stand-alone with a new detective, but Kate Martinelli fans will find a familiar face anyway!
I liked this quite a lot, in terms of pacing and how the story built tension. I’m agnostic regarding hearing more from this heroine vs other stories from Laurie R King—either would be good!
Excellent narration.
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- Susan
- 01-17-23
Good story, excellent performance
I’ve read all of Laurie Kings work. My favorites are the Mary Russels. This one is not as great as those, but a good, detail rich yarn with an interesting new character. I’ll be looking for the next one in what seems to be the beginning of a new series.
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- Linda
- 01-17-23
Ahh the 70's
Maybe because I remember the era fondly but I enjoyed the story. I'm not sure if young adults were more innocent but they were definitely naive.
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- Sekova
- 01-12-23
Hopefully the start of a new series.
Great story and narrator! Couldn't wait to get back to the story to listen.
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