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A Killing in Cannabis: A True Story of Love, Murder, and California Weed
A shocking murder at the nexus of Silicon Valley, California surf culture, and the cannabis gold rush exposes the dark side of the legal weed business in this revelatory work of investigative journalism.
Santa Cruz is one of the country’s surf meccas and a favored getaway of the Silicon Valley elite. For decades, marijuana has been cultivated, consumed, and trafficked in these mountains, one of the most important regions in the country for the crop. It’s where Ken Kesey threw his wild parties, where back-to-the-land types came to live off the grid, and where Tushar Atre, Silicon Valley founder, was found brutally murdered.
Charismatic, ambitious, arrogant, and rich, Atre was the leader among a clutch of tech execs and venture capitalists with a voracious appetite for risk, work, and money, riding waves at dawn and then putting in fourteen-hour days. When he met Rachael Lynch, a maverick cannabis grower and mover of product, he had a vision of how their lives could come together in business and in love. Atre sought to disrupt the newly legal cannabis trade by funding a start-up with black market capital. This illegal pursuit would entangle him with an array of colorful and dangerous characters, many of whom had compelling reason to want him dead.
Award-winning journalist Scott Eden’s panoramic investigation exposes the symbiotic relationship between the legal weed world and its shadowy, illegal counterpart. It is a story of love, greed, and betrayal, set in a world where visionaries, hippies, masters of the universe, and stone-cold killers are all stakeholders, eager to exploit the power of the plant.
Santa Cruz is one of the country’s surf meccas and a favored getaway of the Silicon Valley elite. For decades, marijuana has been cultivated, consumed, and trafficked in these mountains, one of the most important regions in the country for the crop. It’s where Ken Kesey threw his wild parties, where back-to-the-land types came to live off the grid, and where Tushar Atre, Silicon Valley founder, was found brutally murdered.
Charismatic, ambitious, arrogant, and rich, Atre was the leader among a clutch of tech execs and venture capitalists with a voracious appetite for risk, work, and money, riding waves at dawn and then putting in fourteen-hour days. When he met Rachael Lynch, a maverick cannabis grower and mover of product, he had a vision of how their lives could come together in business and in love. Atre sought to disrupt the newly legal cannabis trade by funding a start-up with black market capital. This illegal pursuit would entangle him with an array of colorful and dangerous characters, many of whom had compelling reason to want him dead.
Award-winning journalist Scott Eden’s panoramic investigation exposes the symbiotic relationship between the legal weed world and its shadowy, illegal counterpart. It is a story of love, greed, and betrayal, set in a world where visionaries, hippies, masters of the universe, and stone-cold killers are all stakeholders, eager to exploit the power of the plant.
384 pages, Hardcover
Published February 3, 2026
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 83 reviews
January 25, 2026
Dateline on steroids. With weed, tech money, and a body in the mountains.
I went into A Killing of Cannabis knowing next to nothing about the cannabis industry-and came out fully obsessed. Scott Eden drops you straight into Santa Cruz, where surf culture, Silicon Valley ambition, and newly legal "Cush" collide in the messiest way possible.
At the center is Tushar Atre: charismatic, brilliant, arrogant, wildly wealthy. Dawn surf sessions, brutal tech hours, oceanfront home. Then comes Rachael Lynch-a cannabis entrepreneur-and suddenly love, business, and ego are dangerously entangled.
Here's where it goes off the rails: Atre decides to disrupt legal cannabis using black-market money. Spoiler: this attracts exactly the kind of people you don't want knowing your address. In 2019, Atre is abducted from his Santa Cruz home, murdered, and dumped in the mountains-leaving behind a trail of betrayal, greed, and suspects with motive.
Eden expertly stitches together a true-crime narrative crowded with dreamers, counterculture figures, criminal networks, and power-hungry dealmakers-all scrambling to cash in on a lucrative green rush. Each chapter lands like a late-night true-crime bombshell, Every chapter feels like another Dateline reveal, and you'll keep flipping pages trying to figure out who finally crossed the line.
True crime + cannabis + tech hubris = unputdownable.
This one had me hooked. A must-read for true-crime addicts.
I went into A Killing of Cannabis knowing next to nothing about the cannabis industry-and came out fully obsessed. Scott Eden drops you straight into Santa Cruz, where surf culture, Silicon Valley ambition, and newly legal "Cush" collide in the messiest way possible.
At the center is Tushar Atre: charismatic, brilliant, arrogant, wildly wealthy. Dawn surf sessions, brutal tech hours, oceanfront home. Then comes Rachael Lynch-a cannabis entrepreneur-and suddenly love, business, and ego are dangerously entangled.
Here's where it goes off the rails: Atre decides to disrupt legal cannabis using black-market money. Spoiler: this attracts exactly the kind of people you don't want knowing your address. In 2019, Atre is abducted from his Santa Cruz home, murdered, and dumped in the mountains-leaving behind a trail of betrayal, greed, and suspects with motive.
Eden expertly stitches together a true-crime narrative crowded with dreamers, counterculture figures, criminal networks, and power-hungry dealmakers-all scrambling to cash in on a lucrative green rush. Each chapter lands like a late-night true-crime bombshell, Every chapter feels like another Dateline reveal, and you'll keep flipping pages trying to figure out who finally crossed the line.
True crime + cannabis + tech hubris = unputdownable.
This one had me hooked. A must-read for true-crime addicts.
March 3, 2026
This was really interesting but there were sooo many characters and people introduced it was really hard to keep them straight. I was really invested in the main story, but some of the side tangents made the flow a little confusing. Overall, super interesting case and a great work listen!
October 10, 2025
I was so thrilled to receive the ARC of this book from Goodreads because this story took place in my hometown. I remember hearing about this crime happening, just a mile away from my home. I found this book to be well researched and honest. I also really enjoyed the cannabis history that was entwined with Tushars story. I would definitely read another book by this author. Five stars.
February 10, 2026
Excellent. I had some thoughts, linked to below:
https://www.nobhillgazette.com/arts_a...
https://www.nobhillgazette.com/arts_a...
March 16, 2026
Thank you to Spiegel & Grau, the author and NetGalley for a DRC in return for an honest review.
Scott Eden’s A Killing in Cannabis is not a conventional true-crime narrative. Rather than focusing exclusively on the murder of tech executive and cannabis entrepreneur Tushar Atre, Eden uses the case as a lens through which to examine the turbulent and often contradictory world of California’s cannabis industry in the years immediately following legalisation. The result is a hybrid of murder investigation, business reporting and social commentary that sets this book apart from more typical crime stories.
One of the book’s greatest strengths is its exploration of the cannabis economy after California Proposition 64. Passed by voters in 2016, the measure legalised recreational cannabis for adults over 21 and created a regulated marketplace for licensed cultivation, distribution and sales. In theory, this was meant to bring an underground industry into the light. In practice, the transition proved messy. High taxes, strict regulations and complicated licensing requirements meant many growers continued operating in the grey market, creating a strange overlap between legitimate businesses and long-standing black-market networks. Eden’s reporting shows how this unstable environment created opportunities for conflict, exploitation and crime.
Readers who enjoyed watching the Netflix series Ozark will likely appreciate this aspect of the book. Although A Killing in Cannabis is non-fiction rather than a crime drama, it explores similar themes: remote landscapes where illicit activity can flourish, businesses operating in legal grey areas and large amounts of cash circulating outside the traditional banking system. Just as Ozark examines the intersection of crime and legitimate enterprise, Eden’s reporting reveals how the emerging cannabis industry brought together Silicon Valley entrepreneurs, legacy growers, and opportunistic criminals in a volatile and sometimes dangerous ecosystem.
Readers who appreciated the true-crime book Chained Birds: A Crimemoir by Carla Conti may also find A Killing in Cannabis compelling. Both books go beyond simply recounting a crime and instead explore the wider systems and environments that allowed the events to occur. Like Chained Birds, Eden’s reporting places the crime within a broader social and economic context, helping readers understand how complex networks of people, money and circumstance can contribute to tragedy. For readers who enjoy true crime that combines investigative reporting with deeper contextual insight, the two books share a similar appeal.
Eden spent years reporting the story, interviewing investigators, employees and figures within the cannabis community. The book provides a detailed picture of Atre’s business dealings and the broader culture surrounding cannabis cultivation in the Santa Cruz Mountains. Rather than presenting a simple villain-and-victim narrative, Eden paints a complex portrait of an industry in transition, where personal conflicts, financial disputes and the lingering influence of the black market created an environment ripe for tragedy.
However, the book’s depth can also be a drawback. Readers expecting a tightly plotted, fast-paced murder investigation may find the narrative occasionally meandering. Large portions of the book focus on the history and structure of the cannabis industry, sometimes pushing the central murder story into the background. In addition, the extensive cast of growers, investors and employees can be difficult to keep track of.
The portrayal of the victim may also surprise some readers. Eden does not shy away from describing Atre as a complicated and sometimes controversial figure whose business dealings created friction with others in the industry. While this nuanced portrayal helps explain the broader context of the case, it may challenge readers who prefer clearer moral boundaries in true-crime narratives.
Since the book’s publication, the lengthy prosecution has concluded. Between 2025 and March 2026, all four men involved in the kidnapping and murder were convicted in separate trials, with several receiving life sentences without parole. The final defendant was found guilty in March 2026, nearly six years after the crime.
Ultimately, A Killing in Cannabis succeeds because it treats the murder not simply as an isolated act of violence, but as a symptom of a broader economic and cultural system. Readers interested in investigative journalism, industry exposés, or true crime that explores the forces behind the crime will find much to appreciate here. Those seeking a fast-moving mystery may find the pacing slower than expected, but for readers willing to engage with its wider context, Eden’s book offers a fascinating and illuminating look at the realities behind California’s legal cannabis boom.
#AKillinginCannabis #NetGalley
Scott Eden’s A Killing in Cannabis is not a conventional true-crime narrative. Rather than focusing exclusively on the murder of tech executive and cannabis entrepreneur Tushar Atre, Eden uses the case as a lens through which to examine the turbulent and often contradictory world of California’s cannabis industry in the years immediately following legalisation. The result is a hybrid of murder investigation, business reporting and social commentary that sets this book apart from more typical crime stories.
One of the book’s greatest strengths is its exploration of the cannabis economy after California Proposition 64. Passed by voters in 2016, the measure legalised recreational cannabis for adults over 21 and created a regulated marketplace for licensed cultivation, distribution and sales. In theory, this was meant to bring an underground industry into the light. In practice, the transition proved messy. High taxes, strict regulations and complicated licensing requirements meant many growers continued operating in the grey market, creating a strange overlap between legitimate businesses and long-standing black-market networks. Eden’s reporting shows how this unstable environment created opportunities for conflict, exploitation and crime.
Readers who enjoyed watching the Netflix series Ozark will likely appreciate this aspect of the book. Although A Killing in Cannabis is non-fiction rather than a crime drama, it explores similar themes: remote landscapes where illicit activity can flourish, businesses operating in legal grey areas and large amounts of cash circulating outside the traditional banking system. Just as Ozark examines the intersection of crime and legitimate enterprise, Eden’s reporting reveals how the emerging cannabis industry brought together Silicon Valley entrepreneurs, legacy growers, and opportunistic criminals in a volatile and sometimes dangerous ecosystem.
Readers who appreciated the true-crime book Chained Birds: A Crimemoir by Carla Conti may also find A Killing in Cannabis compelling. Both books go beyond simply recounting a crime and instead explore the wider systems and environments that allowed the events to occur. Like Chained Birds, Eden’s reporting places the crime within a broader social and economic context, helping readers understand how complex networks of people, money and circumstance can contribute to tragedy. For readers who enjoy true crime that combines investigative reporting with deeper contextual insight, the two books share a similar appeal.
Eden spent years reporting the story, interviewing investigators, employees and figures within the cannabis community. The book provides a detailed picture of Atre’s business dealings and the broader culture surrounding cannabis cultivation in the Santa Cruz Mountains. Rather than presenting a simple villain-and-victim narrative, Eden paints a complex portrait of an industry in transition, where personal conflicts, financial disputes and the lingering influence of the black market created an environment ripe for tragedy.
However, the book’s depth can also be a drawback. Readers expecting a tightly plotted, fast-paced murder investigation may find the narrative occasionally meandering. Large portions of the book focus on the history and structure of the cannabis industry, sometimes pushing the central murder story into the background. In addition, the extensive cast of growers, investors and employees can be difficult to keep track of.
The portrayal of the victim may also surprise some readers. Eden does not shy away from describing Atre as a complicated and sometimes controversial figure whose business dealings created friction with others in the industry. While this nuanced portrayal helps explain the broader context of the case, it may challenge readers who prefer clearer moral boundaries in true-crime narratives.
Since the book’s publication, the lengthy prosecution has concluded. Between 2025 and March 2026, all four men involved in the kidnapping and murder were convicted in separate trials, with several receiving life sentences without parole. The final defendant was found guilty in March 2026, nearly six years after the crime.
Ultimately, A Killing in Cannabis succeeds because it treats the murder not simply as an isolated act of violence, but as a symptom of a broader economic and cultural system. Readers interested in investigative journalism, industry exposés, or true crime that explores the forces behind the crime will find much to appreciate here. Those seeking a fast-moving mystery may find the pacing slower than expected, but for readers willing to engage with its wider context, Eden’s book offers a fascinating and illuminating look at the realities behind California’s legal cannabis boom.
#AKillinginCannabis #NetGalley
March 28, 2026
Great writing about an interesting true crime story. Met the author too so it was an easy 5 stars for me.
March 31, 2026
This book is a masterpiece: brilliantly written, with an intriguing double plot line and fantastic characterization. The historical and scientific interludes augment a riveting story. Best book I’ve read in the past few years.
March 25, 2026
From the opening sentence, I was pulled into the fast-moving current of information and intrigue that never lets up in A Killing. Yes, the title gives a pretty good sense of what’s to come, but the real pleasure is in how the story unfolds—step by step—across the key periods in Tushar’s life and the people he interacts with. The depth of the reporting is the real reason this book works, and why the journey to the final reveal is both gripping and deeply satisfying. It’s proof that even when you think you know where a story is headed, the ride can still surprise and delight.
March 25, 2026
This book is fantastic from start to finish — incredible reporting, beautiful writing, and edge-of-your-seat suspense. It's obvious how much effort went into not just the gathering of material for this book, but also into its very careful crafting.
March 12, 2026
The hardest thing to do in narrative nonfiction is make real people feel like characters… fully dimensional, visible, audible… when all you have are the facts as reported.
Scott Eden does this throughout A Killing in Cannabis in a way that genuinely surprised me. Tushar Atre, Rachael Lynch, the growers, the investigators — I could see and hear all of them, even when they were nothing but words on a page. That’s not a given in true crime. That’s craft.
The book itself is everything the reviews say it is: a riveting murder mystery, a cultural history of California cannabis, a love story that ends in tragedy. But what stayed with me was the writing underneath the reporting. Eden never lets the narrative become just a crime. He makes sure you never forget the people inside it.
Scott Eden does this throughout A Killing in Cannabis in a way that genuinely surprised me. Tushar Atre, Rachael Lynch, the growers, the investigators — I could see and hear all of them, even when they were nothing but words on a page. That’s not a given in true crime. That’s craft.
The book itself is everything the reviews say it is: a riveting murder mystery, a cultural history of California cannabis, a love story that ends in tragedy. But what stayed with me was the writing underneath the reporting. Eden never lets the narrative become just a crime. He makes sure you never forget the people inside it.
February 17, 2026
This was so good, I couldn’t put it down. It definitely reads like a really good Dateline episode.
December 9, 2025
I received this book as a giveaway from Goodreads for which I thank you. As for the book I enjoyed it very much. I never heard of this crime and learned a little more about cannabis. I didn’t realize so much could be done with the plant.
October 11, 2025
This page turner is an eye opening expose of the huge cannabis industry in California. Wow!
I received this book from Goodreads.
I received this book from Goodreads.
April 13, 2026
This is a must read. Especially if you are from the southern part of the Bay Area (as I am). Hard to explain but it is basically about a tech guy who tried to make a bunch of money right before recreational marijuana would be available for sale legally. And he was killed.
March 21, 2026
Really a 3-book-in-1 combo of cannabis history in California, tech bro idiocy, and a murder mystery. I can attest that people in cannabis don't like paying invoices on time, that shit is annoying.
April 6, 2026
Sooooo interesting. Captures how Silicon Valley, Santa Cruz surfers and the black market weed community came together to capitalize on the legalization of recreational weed….and the dangers of doing so….
My only qualm was that I wish I read this physically instead of an audiobook bc there’s a lot of characters to keep track of
My only qualm was that I wish I read this physically instead of an audiobook bc there’s a lot of characters to keep track of
May 26, 2026
3.5 > 3.0 kind of vibe
June 4, 2026
So brilliantly written. Tired so I’ll come back to this
July 7, 2026
perfect book for people that watch murder documentaries and think “wow i really wish i knew the entire life story of all the meaningless side characters”
July 13, 2026
2.5 rounded up to 3, WAY too long
March 30, 2026
I listened to the audio version by narrator Garrett Brown.
Let’s begin with the perfect title. This non-fiction book is about a murder of a premiere cannabis producer in California, in 2019. The “killing” though, also refers to the enormous money to be made from these large production outfits.
When I mentioned to friends and my husband my reading this book, they all remembered this in our local news, as Santa Cruz County is where this happened. Also happens to have been (maybe still?) a hub for cannabis in many forms…first when it was illegal, then legal for medical purposes, now fully legal in California. (Is Santa Cruz not a hub for many variations of consciousness expansion, and through substances? Look up MAPS… https://maps.org).
Anyways, I digress. This locality is, however, 95% of what drew me to read this book. Or I should say, listen to. Which may have been a mistake. Was I unable to keep track of the dozens of players, and all the detailed information about forms of pot and how it is produced, sold, what markets buy it, and more, because it was too hard to absorb auditorily? Or was it, as some investigative journalists tend to do when they try book writing, just written with far, far too much unnecessary detail? I can’t be sure.
But I would tend to trust my gut on this and say, “Too much detail.” I didn’t see how it added to hear the story of the upbringing of the victims’ (Tushar Atre) mother, or know about soooo many people (though perhaps the latter was to make the reader try to guess who was the killer). For someone super interested in pot history and production, there is much here to mine, however. The author obviously did a ton of work: research, interviews, investigation. Yes, about the case; but also the many figures, the history of cannabis, the way black market intersecting with legal market made for complex situations, and oh so much more.
It was interesting to note the big overlap between Silicon Valley bros (highly successful ones), those in or getting into the weed business, and surfing, where a good number of them seemed to have met one another. That’s Santa Cruz, alright!
The author does a good job describing the complex personality of Atre, how he had the far reach of so many friends and business connections, making things happen, having big parties…but also being quick to seriously alienate and upset others with his arrogance, demands, and personality. The relationship between him and his love Rachael is also described well (let’s just say, lotta ups & downs!).
The book has two timelines: the day or so of the murder, and the whole backstory. The meandering (to me) story (many names, history of weed or players, etc.,) got more interesting in the last 2 hours of the 12, as the writing tightened up, the mystery heated up, and the crime itself was getting honed in upon.
If the cannabis world is of interest to you, definitely pick it up. If you are more interested in true crime that has a tight plotline, you may feel frustrated, although it’s still a fascinating story overall, due to the enormous reach of Atre and the way the cannabis world is so woven into things. It’s funny to me how completely and utterly unaware I have been of this “big” thing, reaching into so many different worlds, affecting and affected by many strata, right in my own backyard.
And please read the excellent publishers blurb above and a few of the marvelous other reviews here. I just find myself rather over this book, so unlike my usual more detailed dissections, I’m pointing you onward. Truly, just reading some of these other reviews had me feeling like I learned and understood many interesting things which were not always even clear to me in the book. Others have done a superb job of explaining some of the components of what this story means in the broader scale of social relevance, capitalism, alternative lifestyle, the legal system, and more.
Let’s begin with the perfect title. This non-fiction book is about a murder of a premiere cannabis producer in California, in 2019. The “killing” though, also refers to the enormous money to be made from these large production outfits.
When I mentioned to friends and my husband my reading this book, they all remembered this in our local news, as Santa Cruz County is where this happened. Also happens to have been (maybe still?) a hub for cannabis in many forms…first when it was illegal, then legal for medical purposes, now fully legal in California. (Is Santa Cruz not a hub for many variations of consciousness expansion, and through substances? Look up MAPS… https://maps.org).
Anyways, I digress. This locality is, however, 95% of what drew me to read this book. Or I should say, listen to. Which may have been a mistake. Was I unable to keep track of the dozens of players, and all the detailed information about forms of pot and how it is produced, sold, what markets buy it, and more, because it was too hard to absorb auditorily? Or was it, as some investigative journalists tend to do when they try book writing, just written with far, far too much unnecessary detail? I can’t be sure.
But I would tend to trust my gut on this and say, “Too much detail.” I didn’t see how it added to hear the story of the upbringing of the victims’ (Tushar Atre) mother, or know about soooo many people (though perhaps the latter was to make the reader try to guess who was the killer). For someone super interested in pot history and production, there is much here to mine, however. The author obviously did a ton of work: research, interviews, investigation. Yes, about the case; but also the many figures, the history of cannabis, the way black market intersecting with legal market made for complex situations, and oh so much more.
It was interesting to note the big overlap between Silicon Valley bros (highly successful ones), those in or getting into the weed business, and surfing, where a good number of them seemed to have met one another. That’s Santa Cruz, alright!
The author does a good job describing the complex personality of Atre, how he had the far reach of so many friends and business connections, making things happen, having big parties…but also being quick to seriously alienate and upset others with his arrogance, demands, and personality. The relationship between him and his love Rachael is also described well (let’s just say, lotta ups & downs!).
The book has two timelines: the day or so of the murder, and the whole backstory. The meandering (to me) story (many names, history of weed or players, etc.,) got more interesting in the last 2 hours of the 12, as the writing tightened up, the mystery heated up, and the crime itself was getting honed in upon.
If the cannabis world is of interest to you, definitely pick it up. If you are more interested in true crime that has a tight plotline, you may feel frustrated, although it’s still a fascinating story overall, due to the enormous reach of Atre and the way the cannabis world is so woven into things. It’s funny to me how completely and utterly unaware I have been of this “big” thing, reaching into so many different worlds, affecting and affected by many strata, right in my own backyard.
And please read the excellent publishers blurb above and a few of the marvelous other reviews here. I just find myself rather over this book, so unlike my usual more detailed dissections, I’m pointing you onward. Truly, just reading some of these other reviews had me feeling like I learned and understood many interesting things which were not always even clear to me in the book. Others have done a superb job of explaining some of the components of what this story means in the broader scale of social relevance, capitalism, alternative lifestyle, the legal system, and more.
February 15, 2026
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.
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.
Reviewed by Philip Zozzaro
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.
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.
Reviewed by Philip Zozzaro
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
I recently saw a promotional flyer for an event at local (wonderful) independent bookstore. Bookshop Santa Cruz “… welcomes award-winning investigative journalist Scott Eden for a discussion with Steve Palopoli about A Killing in Cannabis: A True Story of Love, Murder, and California Weed.” Great timing! Thanks to Spiegel & Grau and NetGalley, I just finished reading an ARC of the book, which I received in exchange for this honest review.
I am one of the lucky people who live in Santa Cruz, known as “one of the country’s surf meccas,” located just over the mountains from Silicon Valley. I’ve been familiar with the weed culture for years, having previously lived in Humboldt County (also well known as an area where for decades, marijuana has been cultivated, consumed, and trafficked). Our geographic location combines proximity to both weed and tech, and these were both part of what drew Tushar Atre to an oceanfront home less than two miles from my home. Atre was known to be charismatic, ambitious, arrogant, and rich, a man who lived large, often surfing at dawn then working incredibly long hours in tech. After meeting a woman named Rachael Lynch, a cannabis entrepreneur, the two joined up in business as well as in a personal relationship.
For some reason, Atre thought it would be a great idea to disrupt the newly legal cannabis industry by funding a start-up with black market capital, pretty much guaranteeing that he’d become tangled up with some sleazy characters, who just might see benefit to him being permanently eliminated. In 2019, at the age of 50, Tushar Atre was abdicted from his home in the Pleasure Point area of Santa Cruz County, then killed and dumped in the mountains. Almost immediately, four people (two of whom were ex-employees) were arrested, and are being tried separately, with the first trials taking place in 2025. Three have been convicted of first-degree murder and sentenced to life without parole; the fourth is in the middle of his trial, which is scheduled to resume in early 2026.
I found it particularly interesting as it took place in my town and has been in the news for the past few years, with lots of juicy details coming out along the way. I am looking forward to the event, which will feature author Scott Eden along with Steve Palopoli (local editor for the Bay Area News Group) in a discussion of the book (Scheduled for Wednesday, February 11, at 7 p.m.). Four stars.
I am one of the lucky people who live in Santa Cruz, known as “one of the country’s surf meccas,” located just over the mountains from Silicon Valley. I’ve been familiar with the weed culture for years, having previously lived in Humboldt County (also well known as an area where for decades, marijuana has been cultivated, consumed, and trafficked). Our geographic location combines proximity to both weed and tech, and these were both part of what drew Tushar Atre to an oceanfront home less than two miles from my home. Atre was known to be charismatic, ambitious, arrogant, and rich, a man who lived large, often surfing at dawn then working incredibly long hours in tech. After meeting a woman named Rachael Lynch, a cannabis entrepreneur, the two joined up in business as well as in a personal relationship.
For some reason, Atre thought it would be a great idea to disrupt the newly legal cannabis industry by funding a start-up with black market capital, pretty much guaranteeing that he’d become tangled up with some sleazy characters, who just might see benefit to him being permanently eliminated. In 2019, at the age of 50, Tushar Atre was abdicted from his home in the Pleasure Point area of Santa Cruz County, then killed and dumped in the mountains. Almost immediately, four people (two of whom were ex-employees) were arrested, and are being tried separately, with the first trials taking place in 2025. Three have been convicted of first-degree murder and sentenced to life without parole; the fourth is in the middle of his trial, which is scheduled to resume in early 2026.
I found it particularly interesting as it took place in my town and has been in the news for the past few years, with lots of juicy details coming out along the way. I am looking forward to the event, which will feature author Scott Eden along with Steve Palopoli (local editor for the Bay Area News Group) in a discussion of the book (Scheduled for Wednesday, February 11, at 7 p.m.). Four stars.
March 12, 2026
it feels like someone dropped the chapters of this book on the floor, mixed them up, shuffled them, and haphazardly put them back in order. why are we being told the murder victim’s girlfriend’s teen experience with weed at 50% of the book? why are we jumping from 2018 to 2015 to introduce a new character? why are chapters about the crime randomly strewn in throughout the recounting of the businesses the victim started? not sure where weed came from? don’t worry, the author tells you 40% of your way through the book!
this isn’t even resemblant of the logical information-gathering process of a police investigation - it is about 85% side characters that have nothing to do with the murder. i think we spent an equal time reading about the business ventures of people who DID NOT work with the murder victim as those who did.
i have never come across a more poorly organized and disorienting book in my entire life (which is very disappointing, i enjoy the publishing company). the chapters made so many time jumps that i could only figure out what happened post-murder when i heard “the body” about 2 minutes into the chapter. then of course i have to go back and reread it.
if you want to save yourself some time, read/listen to only the last two chapters of the book - those two alone tell you everything you need to know.
this would’ve worked better as two separate books: one as a chronological timeline of the murder investigation and one as anecdotes about weed legalization and growing in california.
my least favorite part of the book was the author’s judgmental and unnecessary comments about the murder victim and his business practices. i don’t read nonfiction to hear a murder victim get judged by the author - i am perfectly capable of making my own decisions about the people and businesses in this book.
i now quote an example of just how rambly and unnecessary the author’s opinions and prose is, ““all of it interconnected. its people webbed together in business and in life. each person a story. each person layered with stories. each person’s story, touched now, by that consummate chad. or was he a chad? tushar atre”
like dpmo stop calling a murder victim a chad
this isn’t even resemblant of the logical information-gathering process of a police investigation - it is about 85% side characters that have nothing to do with the murder. i think we spent an equal time reading about the business ventures of people who DID NOT work with the murder victim as those who did.
i have never come across a more poorly organized and disorienting book in my entire life (which is very disappointing, i enjoy the publishing company). the chapters made so many time jumps that i could only figure out what happened post-murder when i heard “the body” about 2 minutes into the chapter. then of course i have to go back and reread it.
if you want to save yourself some time, read/listen to only the last two chapters of the book - those two alone tell you everything you need to know.
this would’ve worked better as two separate books: one as a chronological timeline of the murder investigation and one as anecdotes about weed legalization and growing in california.
my least favorite part of the book was the author’s judgmental and unnecessary comments about the murder victim and his business practices. i don’t read nonfiction to hear a murder victim get judged by the author - i am perfectly capable of making my own decisions about the people and businesses in this book.
i now quote an example of just how rambly and unnecessary the author’s opinions and prose is, ““all of it interconnected. its people webbed together in business and in life. each person a story. each person layered with stories. each person’s story, touched now, by that consummate chad. or was he a chad? tushar atre”
like dpmo stop calling a murder victim a chad
February 20, 2026
Thank you to NetGalley and Spiegel & Grau by Spotify Audiobooks for giving me an advanced readers copy of the audiobook edition of "A Killing in Cannabis" by Scott Eden in exchange for my honest review.
I find the modern fixation on true crime and the industry that's sprung up around it, especially podcasts, to be pretty gross. Everyone is an amateur detective but with no regard for the grieving these heinous crimes have changed forever. It makes me uncomfortable and I stay away from it, AND YET.
Going through pre-pubs, trying to find some interesting new audio to intersperse into my early year reading, I saw the title and cover of "A Killing in Cannabis," and immediately read the blurb. The widely spread legalization in the United States and its economic impact has been interesting to me, and the continued black market and the overlap between the two was something I hadn't considered. And if a "tech entrepreneur" (read: bro) ends up meeting his own demise by being too clever, or greedy, or a total prick, I guess I gotta note my own biases because (checks notes) I'm not losing sleep over it.
What followed was a meticulously reported, fast-paced non-fiction accounting of Tushar Atre's entrance into the marijuana trade in Northern California on the cusp of legalization. Scott Eden's writing is vivid, and it's easy to imagine the bros, the cops, the weirdo hippies, the heavies, and the terrifying lifers that all come into close contact through Atre's story. Any number of these people were given plenty of reason to lay him out in a shallow grave, and as the story ends in its tragic way, the investigation goes in directions that the first 85+% of the book certainly wouldn't lead you to expect.
I learned a lot about the dark side of the weed industry in America (and import/export), its history, some of the major historic moments in the legalization movement. This book was a totally compelling, engrossing read and would be of interest to anyone that wants an inside look at the darker side of the marijuana trade.
I find the modern fixation on true crime and the industry that's sprung up around it, especially podcasts, to be pretty gross. Everyone is an amateur detective but with no regard for the grieving these heinous crimes have changed forever. It makes me uncomfortable and I stay away from it, AND YET.
Going through pre-pubs, trying to find some interesting new audio to intersperse into my early year reading, I saw the title and cover of "A Killing in Cannabis," and immediately read the blurb. The widely spread legalization in the United States and its economic impact has been interesting to me, and the continued black market and the overlap between the two was something I hadn't considered. And if a "tech entrepreneur" (read: bro) ends up meeting his own demise by being too clever, or greedy, or a total prick, I guess I gotta note my own biases because (checks notes) I'm not losing sleep over it.
What followed was a meticulously reported, fast-paced non-fiction accounting of Tushar Atre's entrance into the marijuana trade in Northern California on the cusp of legalization. Scott Eden's writing is vivid, and it's easy to imagine the bros, the cops, the weirdo hippies, the heavies, and the terrifying lifers that all come into close contact through Atre's story. Any number of these people were given plenty of reason to lay him out in a shallow grave, and as the story ends in its tragic way, the investigation goes in directions that the first 85+% of the book certainly wouldn't lead you to expect.
I learned a lot about the dark side of the weed industry in America (and import/export), its history, some of the major historic moments in the legalization movement. This book was a totally compelling, engrossing read and would be of interest to anyone that wants an inside look at the darker side of the marijuana trade.
March 13, 2026
This book’s a hybrid — like specific and targeted strains of cannabis — that manages to do several things at once. Like the most rave-reviews have said, it bursts out of the gate with a murder and the subsequent puzzling mystery. But the mystery sort of circles, mimics the reality of the investigation, a sprawling narrative with clues that keep revealing others, a dogpile of clues, revelations, possible red herrings, blind alleys, and out of nowhere, there’ll come a tantalizing possibility. Nonfiction needs to be bold, and I thought this one absolutely was. It took risks. I kept going back to the opening lines, which I dug, and which acted like an incantation: There are good trips, and there are bad trips. This reading experience set up its own kind of trip. Connections seem solid, and then prove tenuous. I entered this book like it was going to be a slam-bang speed chase, but I got treated to a different journey instead — an illumination, precise and occasionally startling, of a whole world I didn’t know existed, right in America's back yard. It’s been the gold rush out there in Cali for more years than I realize, and like all gold rushes it’s full of desperate characters who don’t seem to realize how desperate they are. A Killing in Cannabis is an elegantly written investigation not only of Tushar Atre, but of a time, and a place, that we’re going to look back on with fascinated horror in a few years, the 2010s and 20s, post-tech, post-gig, before it all dovetailed and went to shit.
March 18, 2026
I’m not a big fan of true crime books, but the story in A Killing In Cannabis sounded intriguing. An entrepreneur in Santa Cruz becomes involved in the illegal cannabis trade and ends up murdered. The book explores the shady relationship between the legal and illegal weed trade. I had no clue that the legal weed trade was so onerous (taxes, regulations and licensing requirements) that many growers continued to sell on the illegal side. And of course, doing business on the illegal side led to a whole group of unsavory characters and raw deals being done.
While the book was interesting and I felt I learned a lot about the business, I found the format confusing. The book flips around between time periods and characters. There were a lot of characters and keeping everyone straight was problematic for me. Eden spends a large portion of the book explaining the industry which means at times the book is overly dry. I listened to this and I think it’s a book better read.
My other problem was that the murder victim, Tushar Atre, was just not a very nice person. He had a bad habit of screwing over all of his business partners and employees. It was easy to see why there could have been a whole slew of folks wanting him dead.
People looking for a fast paced, taut story will be disappointed.
Four men were arrested, two of whom had been Atre’s employees. Each was tried individually and the fourth was just convicted last week.
While the book was interesting and I felt I learned a lot about the business, I found the format confusing. The book flips around between time periods and characters. There were a lot of characters and keeping everyone straight was problematic for me. Eden spends a large portion of the book explaining the industry which means at times the book is overly dry. I listened to this and I think it’s a book better read.
My other problem was that the murder victim, Tushar Atre, was just not a very nice person. He had a bad habit of screwing over all of his business partners and employees. It was easy to see why there could have been a whole slew of folks wanting him dead.
People looking for a fast paced, taut story will be disappointed.
Four men were arrested, two of whom had been Atre’s employees. Each was tried individually and the fourth was just convicted last week.
October 11, 2025
I received an ARC. I hadn’t heard of Tushar Atre before, so this was a fascinating true crime story intertwined with a well-researched history of California’s cannabis industry. It is equal parts cannabis industry exposé, true crime investigation, and tell-all... and would make a good limited TV series.
Even if you’ve seen headlines about the case, this book offers a far deeper lens into the motivations and risks surrounding Atre’s life and death, and those involved in the cannabis trade in California pre-legalization. Eden clearly spent these last 5 years researching.
It’s a true story, still unfolding legally, and at times reads like fiction.
The only drawback is that the trials are still ongoing, which makes the book feel a bit unresolved. I wish Eden had been able to go to one of the hearings or receive some legal commentary to round it out.
But I have a feeling it is about the journey with this book, and not necessarily the destination. And it was a wild journey.
The book opens with a cannabis regulatory timeline, and I would’ve loved a short preface from Eden explaining his personal connection to the story - why this story? There are lingering questions - especially around how Atre’s family and close former friends might react - but that’s part of what makes this so compelling.
I definitely learned a lot that I would probably have never learned otherwise.
Even if you’ve seen headlines about the case, this book offers a far deeper lens into the motivations and risks surrounding Atre’s life and death, and those involved in the cannabis trade in California pre-legalization. Eden clearly spent these last 5 years researching.
It’s a true story, still unfolding legally, and at times reads like fiction.
The only drawback is that the trials are still ongoing, which makes the book feel a bit unresolved. I wish Eden had been able to go to one of the hearings or receive some legal commentary to round it out.
But I have a feeling it is about the journey with this book, and not necessarily the destination. And it was a wild journey.
The book opens with a cannabis regulatory timeline, and I would’ve loved a short preface from Eden explaining his personal connection to the story - why this story? There are lingering questions - especially around how Atre’s family and close former friends might react - but that’s part of what makes this so compelling.
I definitely learned a lot that I would probably have never learned otherwise.
April 19, 2026
Scott Eden’s A Killing in Cannabis is a meticulously reported work of narrative journalism that dissects the collision between Silicon Valley ambition, California’s cannabis economy, and entrenched criminal networks. At its core, the book uses a single violent murder as an entry point into a far larger system of money, influence, and moral compromise.
The strength of the work lies in its structural clarity and investigative depth. Eden maps the interconnected worlds of legal cultivation, illicit supply chains, and venture-backed experimentation, showing how legalization did not eliminate the black market but instead reconfigured it. The result is a layered portrait of an industry defined as much by opportunity as by exploitation.
Beyond the crime itself, the book functions as a case study in modern capitalism operating at the edge of legality. It examines how charisma, capital, and risk converge in high-growth environments, and how quickly innovation can collapse into violence when regulation and ethics lag behind market incentives.
The strength of the work lies in its structural clarity and investigative depth. Eden maps the interconnected worlds of legal cultivation, illicit supply chains, and venture-backed experimentation, showing how legalization did not eliminate the black market but instead reconfigured it. The result is a layered portrait of an industry defined as much by opportunity as by exploitation.
Beyond the crime itself, the book functions as a case study in modern capitalism operating at the edge of legality. It examines how charisma, capital, and risk converge in high-growth environments, and how quickly innovation can collapse into violence when regulation and ethics lag behind market incentives.
June 22, 2026
Thank you to Spiegel & Grau for providing this book as an eARC. All opinions expressed in this review are my own.
This book is extremely timely and fascinating from beginning to end. Although it lags in some parts, what it lacks in immediate excitement it makes up from in crafting a satisfying narrative. Scott Eden masterfully blends philosophical debate on drug consumption, the history of weed and how it came to California, and the complexity of tackling legalization. Additionally, this book provides insight into Silicon Valley and the propensity of its power players for participating in certain kinds of spirituality, belief about the power of certain substances, and the way that this would ultimately further impact the nature of weed trade in California.
Garrett Brown is an excellent narrator and is good at balancing the different tones that are present in this book, and his voice is emotive and good at holding your attention.
This book is extremely timely and fascinating from beginning to end. Although it lags in some parts, what it lacks in immediate excitement it makes up from in crafting a satisfying narrative. Scott Eden masterfully blends philosophical debate on drug consumption, the history of weed and how it came to California, and the complexity of tackling legalization. Additionally, this book provides insight into Silicon Valley and the propensity of its power players for participating in certain kinds of spirituality, belief about the power of certain substances, and the way that this would ultimately further impact the nature of weed trade in California.
Garrett Brown is an excellent narrator and is good at balancing the different tones that are present in this book, and his voice is emotive and good at holding your attention.
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