"The flower-covered corpse" by Michael Avallone c.1969, a paperback
novel published before TLB, seems to have many odd parallels
to the Manson/TLB story.

"Ed Noon has a ball when a gang of groovy ghouls and hideous hippies close in for a communal kill"
"The first bad vibration came when a famous Guru was found swinging on a Greenwhich Village meat hook. The next arrived when someone used a bomb to blow more than hippies minds. The summer of love was over, and the only trace of flower power was the scent of poppies. The only way Ed Noon could turn off a turned-on killer was to take the ultimate trip to the depths of the Underground, where speed, sex and Satanism ruled supreme, and everyone was cool. Especially the corpses."
In modern conspiracy theory parlance, a "synchronicity" is an image, usually in the form of a movie or a TV show, that eerily seems to presage a spectacular crime that occurs not long after.
Another name for this phenomenon is "Predictive Programming"
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_conspiracy_theories#Predictive_programming
"Many theorists allege that the contents of fictional media, in a process called "predictive programming",
are manipulated to reference planned false flags, technological
innovations, social changes, and other future events. These references
are understood to be a conditioning and brainwashing tool, such that the
public becomes more accepting of these events than they would be
otherwise. Predictive programming theories have been used to explain
events such as the September 11 attacks, COVID-19 pandemic, and the
assassination of Charlie Kirk and connected with media such as Die Hard,
The Simpsons, Contagion, and anime such as Blue Gender."
A famous example is the episode of the "Lone Gunmen" TV show, where the terrorists plan to fly a plane into the twin towers--aired before 9/11!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cmmOVSmmdwk
--There are references to a "Temple Kreshna Rukka." Compare to the FOTW's Krishna Venta.
"Under and over all the musical mayhem, a steel guitar cried and cried for the mass murder being performed on Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. If there was a bull fiddle, it was out to pasture for this slaughter."
"An elbow away, a.. Messiah-looking bearded kid flung his arms high in human sacrifice..."
"The singer stopped his lament, fell to his knees and kissed the floor." Compare to Charlie falling to his knees and kissing feet.
"In town to pick up a piece of Merrick's new show. ... Wants a little action to while away the hours while Merrick splits up the angels."
Compare to Manson Documentary film producer Merrick.
"...some hippie cult had tried to kill me.."
"All three had... switchblade knives. ... "Fuzz," one of them said softly, "do you believe in the power of love?"
pg70
"I toyed with the Black Muslim concept and didn't know whether to discard it or not.... Stranger things had happened in a City suddenly gone berserk with Civil Rights wars and confusions."
pg73
"He's a Guru who runs a temple of some joking kind and is lording it over a bunch of young jerks who are looking for the answers to everything. I don't know if he uses drugs, snake oil or religion...." ....
"If this (guru) is on the level and selling that kind of medicine to the younger generation, it bothers me. Just imagine what kind of power that could be."
pg79
"There were about a million naked teenagers in the plot, all burning draft cards..."
pg82
"His mitts were tied behind him with leather thongs."
pg83
"You remember how that rich girl from Connecticut was killed last year in that orgy-dope-love case..." Compare to 'the love and sex cult.'
pg95
The PI investigating has ties to the feds
"Your red, white, and blue hot line has been quiet. No calls from D.C. today. .. Sometimes I worked for the President himself." Compare to Reeve Whitson.
pg97
"...there's a lot here but how about the time he chased two Black Muslim representatives down MacDougal Alley waving a pistol and a sabre? Seems he didn't want them to use his crusade or Temple as a pressure group in their fight." Compare to "Last week some black dudes come here looking for Charlie… he says he’s going to cut them up.” (Watkins)
pg98
"False
prophet or misguided bunkum artist, he had obviously been somewhat on
the side of the angels. Anybody who says no to the Black Muslims ....
pg112
"I tried not to think about the sliced-up millionaire in Larchmont, lying on his green lawn, spouting red blood like a water fountain."
pg113
"Yes, I'm his girl. And I don't care if he's twice my age. He's the dearest, sweetest man I ever met and no wise remarks from you will ever make me change my mind..."
pg121
"That kid... He got rough last night. Two other kids with him."
pg123
"The chimes sang out in a fluted, oddly melodic rending of something recognizable. .. It was the Beatles...."
pg187
"Joe... and his two flower friends were having their LSD trip right in front of us."
There are also multiple references to a drug burn being tied in with the case.
--------------------------------
A mass murder, a communal kill, a famous guru, young loves half his age, hippies, naked teenagers, sex orgies, LSD, speed, satanism, pistols, knives, swords, leather thongs, bloody bodies lying on the lawn, a drug burn, the Black Muslims, and the Beatles.
And it's all supposed to be just a big coincidence? I think there's more to it.
oo-ee-oo!
