On October 1, 2019, there was a show of force from law enforcement officers in response to a kidnapping call in Santa Cruz, California. The victim was 50-year-old Tushar Atre. Shortly thereafter, police located his body; he had been shot and stabbed. The Santa Cruz County Sheriff’s Office began chasing leads and learned that Tushar’s involvement in the recently legalized cannabis industry might have played a role in his slaying. One of the initial calls that the authorities had made when he was missing was to his on-again, off-again girlfriend, Rachael Lynch.

Rachael had experience in the marijuana industry as a cultivator, relying on her agricultural education to grow a fairly lucrative product. In 2016, she moved to Santa Cruz as it provided the perfect location for her to spend time with her ailing mother. She fortuitously rented an Airbnb from Tushar, who took an interest in his guests and checked in on them often. The pair soon bonded over surfing, and Tushar gave the novice Rachael pointers. As they began to talk more, she told him about her weed business.

"Scott Eden has penned a terrific true crime thriller that possesses the cinematic attributes of 'Breaking Bad' with similar elements of human tragedy."

Tushar was the CEO of AtreNet, a web design company that brought him success and wealth, yet he confessed to being bored. He wanted to create something, and much of what Rachael disclosed about her cultivation resonated with him. In California, the winds of change were blowing towards legalization of recreational marijuana, and the opportunity to make a splash in the industry appeared rife. Tushar wanted to partner with Rachael and commence a start-up operation where cannabis extraction would be the focus. Within a short period, they were both romantic and business partners.

The first bump in their relationship was when Tushar brought in another partner, Evan Scott, who had been successful in moving cannabis extract in the past and made enormous profits. Rachael didn’t like the idea of being minimized or pushed out completely. Tushar had big ideas for the operation and committed a large amount of funds (as did Rachael), yet his hard-charging ways led to alienating employees and an eventual revolt that resulted in Scott leaving the business.

As the years passed, product was being made on Tushar’s property, yet the profits were as volatile as his and Rachael’s relationship. By 2019, money concerns coupled with Tushar’s erratic behavior led to their separation. The last time Rachael heard from Tushar, she believed that he had turned a corner in the business and in life. His shocking death brought sadness and questions as the motive for his murder seemed to revolve around the drug business, and the rumor mill churned out a list of suspects, including Rachael.

A KILLING IN CANNABIS is an intense dramatic mystery about a man who had outsized ambition in making a claim for himself in the marijuana industry, yet was brought down by hubris and the murderous actions of those seeking retribution. Tushar Atre was a huge personality, filled with charisma and intelligence, yet his venture into the marijuana business and his crossing the line into the illicit split his personality into a “Jekyll/Hyde” persona.

Scott Eden has penned a terrific true crime thriller that possesses the cinematic attributes of “Breaking Bad” with similar elements of human tragedy. He designs the narrative in a non-linear fashion, but does so in a way that is commendable as the story goes from the crime scene to the past and then forward with the investigation. The book comes replete with the memorable characters who played a role in the marijuana trade in California, along with the evolution of the legalized marijuana industry as it has experienced both highs and lows in the wake of Proposition 64.