“Pushing daisies” is frequently referred to individuals dead and buried, but in the thoughts of a serial killer they all turn into flowers in a garden as told in the new noir novel by M. Everett Baylor titled, The Garden.

Projecting snippets of thoughts from a tormented mind, twisted by child abuse and sexual violence, the formation of a serial killer is rather logically developed. Starting as a young lad, the runt of two twin boys, torn away from his twin brother since of physical deformities and the want for medical procedures beyond the affordability of his biological parents, his life is left to the fate of foster parents. Continuously becoming bullied in school, abusively disciplined by his father, and sexually tortured by those he trusts, his life is carelessly plucked from his family members and placed into a system of bureaucratic ambivalence all too often allowing for the innocent cast-offs of young children to become victims of violence and sexual abuse. The method perpetuates a haven for dysfunctional adults to have their way with young young children whose only wish is to seek a house and safety.

M. Everett Baylor interleaves a rather terse dialogue throughout The Garden perpetuating an impression of normalcy juxtaposed against the hidden agenda of “adding flowers to the garden,” which indicates victims to their graves. This frightening dichotomy of personalities inside his character is hauntingly eerie as the victims become trapped like an insect in a predator’s grasp. With revenge as a motive, the townspeople are faced with a killer amongst them, hiding in plain sight. In numerous methods this storyline parallels some of the serial killing profiles such as Jeffrey Dahmer or that of David Berkowitz, much better identified as the “Son of Sam.”

I located The Garden to have some disturbing scenes, by style of course, but generating it in my opinion not suitable for young adult reading due to gruesome violence, child abuse and the underlying theme of vengeance. A somewhat much more mature audience, searching for simplicity in a storyline with insightful murderous circumstances would, nonetheless, locate this very entertaining. The Garden moves swiftly, getting for the most part predictable dialogue but does pack a punch with a clever twist that I need to say was extremely artfully foreshadowed. The Garden will absolutely leave an impression on all readers. M. Everett Baylor has written The Garden as the premier book of his series titled, The Montclair Murders. Just realizing there is a sequel tells you a single thing – the devil is nonetheless out there! It teaches all readers, so articulately quoted by the author, “Death comes with a smile, a dozen roses, and hungry for a meal.”