A Botanist's Guide to Parties and Poisons
Author: Kate Khavari
Publication date: June 7, 2022 by Crooked Lane Books
Genre: Historical Mystery
Rating: 3 cowboy boots 👢👢👢
Summary: Saffron Everleigh is in a race against time to free her wrongly accused professor before he goes behind bars forever. Perfect for fans of Deanna Raybourn and Anna Lee Huber, Kate Khavari’s debut historical mystery is a fast-paced, fearless adventure.
London, 1923. Newly minted research assistant Saffron Everleigh attends a dinner party for the University College of London. While she expects to engage in conversations about the university's large expedition to the Amazon, she doesn’t expect Mrs. Henry, one of the professors’ wives to drop to the floor, poisoned by an unknown toxin.
Dr. Maxwell, Saffron’s mentor, is the main suspect, having had an explosive argument with Dr. Henry a few days prior. As evidence mounts against Dr. Maxwell and the expedition's departure draws nearer, Saffron realizes if she wants her mentor's name cleared, she’ll have to do it herself.
Joined by enigmatic Alexander Ashton, a fellow researcher, Saffron uses her knowledge of botany as she explores steamy greenhouses, dark gardens, and deadly poisons. Will she be able to uncover the truth or will her investigation land her on the murderer’s list?
My thoughts: The cover is alluring and the title enchanting. The summary suggests a uniquely laid out plot filled with mystery and intrigue. Khavari gives readers a fast paced story right from page one. While the opening scene laid the much needed groundwork, it introduced way too many characters at once. Although all of the characters have distinctly different traits readers may have a hard time keeping them separate throughout the rest of the book. Something about the main character Saffron doesn't seem to have been fully explored/developed and therefore she seems a bit unmoored at times. What is unveiled about Saffron explains plenty about her determination level. Her inquisitiveness, curiosity, and dedication to unveiling the truth make for questionable decisions that ultimately make matters worse. Alexander Ashton makes a charming accomplice who balances out Saffron's compulsive side remarkable well. A mystery with plenty of twists and turns with a spark of romance on the side. A strong debut.
I received a copy of this title via NetGalley.
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