Publishers Weekly
05/27/2024
British botanist Saffron Everleigh juggles research, romance, and murder in the diverting third installment of Khavari’s historical mystery series (after A Botanist’s Guide to Flowers and Fatalities). In 1923 London, Saffron has turned her back on the comforts of aristocratic life to work in a lab, where she’s routinely condescended to by her male colleagues. She harbors a crush on fellow scientist Alexander Ashton, whose brother, Adrian, has been named a suspect in the recent poisoning death of a Russian researcher. At Alexander’s urging, Saffron looks into the killing in hopes of clearing Adrian’s name. Meanwhile, she wards off the advances of Nick Hale, her best friend’s older brother who’s just arrived in the city. When one of the Russian scientist’s colleagues is also murdered, Saffron infiltrates the secretive lab where the pair worked and discovers that Alexander and Nick have been hiding crucial information from her all along. Though Khavari throws too many characters into the mix and the mystery’s momentum stalls in the middle, she brings everything together with a rewarding final act. It’s a solid entry in a dependable series. (June)
From the Publisher
Praise for A Botanist’s Guide to Society and Secrets:
“A thorny mystery and budding romance combine with a fascinating look at the many uses of plants.”
—Kirkus Reviews
“Rewarding . . . A solid entry in a dependable series.”
—Publishers Weekly
“[A] clever British mystery.”
—Historical Novels Review
Praise for the Saffron Everleigh Mystery series:
“Kate Khavari creates the winning combination of an intriguing mystery and a resourceful and engaging heroine.”
—Frances Brody, author of the Kate Shackleton mysteries
“Kate Khavari has created a charming mystery, full of twists that are as intriguing and deadly as the plants her characters love. Saffron Everleigh is clever and determined, the sort of sleuth that readers will be eager to make space for on their bookshelves. I'm already looking forward to her next adventure!”
—Katharine Schellman, author of the Lily Adler Mysteries
“A Botanist’s Guide to Parties and Poisons combines all the things I love most in a mystery: a smart and charming heroine, a cleverly-plotted puzzle, and a hint of romance. Well researched and brimming with the dangers of scientific intrigue, it’s sure to keep readers turning pages. I hope to see a lot more of Saffron Everleigh!”
—Ashley Weaver, author of the Amory Ames mysteries
“Delightful and twisty, A Botanist's Guide to Parties and Poisons will immerse you in 1920s academic London and have you turning pages to the end. Saffron Everleigh is a plucky heroine that readers will want to join for the next adventure. An engaging read!”
—Lydia Kang, author of Opium and Absinthe
“An exciting debut with a determined protagonist whose future is sure to contain romance and mystery.”
—Kirkus
“Khavari is off to a promising start.”
—Publishers Weekly
“Intelligent, witty, and brave . . . Khavari has created a fast-paced, interesting mystery.”
—Bookpage
"[A] delightful new novel . . . Perfect for fans of Miss Fisher’s Murder Mysteries."
—CrimeReads
“Many captivating twists . . . Readers get a tantalizing glimpse of Jazz Age London.”
—Historical Novel Society, on A Botanist's Guide to Flowers and Fatalities
Kirkus Reviews
2024-03-23
Two scientists are fatally poisoned. Could their work for the government be the reason?
Saffron Everleigh, a botanist specializing in poisonous plants who’s already been involved in solving several murder cases, is struggling to succeed at University College London. Female scholars get precious little respect in the 1920s, and many feel that she’s trading on the name of her well-regarded father. Upon returning from a conference in Paris, Saffron learns that Adrian Ashton—the brother of her sometime love interest, microbiologist Alexander—is a suspect in the death of a Russian horticulturalist. Her connection with DI Green prompts Alexander to ask her to investigate, and she starts sleuthing with help from various colleagues. Also involved is her roommate Elizabeth Hale’s brother, Nick, whose claim to work for the Agricultural Ministry is most likely a cover for something more sinister. On top of that, Nick has had mysterious dealings with Alexander in the past that neither man wants to discuss. After another scientist dies from poisoning, Nick talks Saffron into taking a job at the lab where the Russian had been working. Slipping into the routine job at the lab, Saffron gets to observe the people who work there and snoop into experiments that are sometimes conducted for highly questionable purposes. Her relationship with Alexander deepens, but she remains suspicious of what he’s hiding, and her new job proves more dangerous than it had looked.
A thorny mystery and budding romance combine with a fascinating look at the many uses of plants.
