I appreciate the publisher allowing me to read this book. I really enjoyed reading it the plot was interesting and the characters made me want to know more about them. I highly recommend.

It had been a while since I read a Wrexford & Sloane novel, but I had no problem jumping right back into the world. There were characters that at first I didn't remember but Andrea Penrose did a good job of reminding us and quickly moving on with the story. You could probably read this without the other ones, but would miss the background of this little put together family. Hawk and Raven are growing up and it's a joy to see them becoming little gentlemen weasels. Also the banter between Wrexford and Charlotte with a bit more romance in this book is sweet.

It is still very mystery focused as in this book we are trying to figure out who murdered a botanist who made an important discovery. The backdrop and details of the Royal Botanic Gardens is a nice change of landscape and is interesting in it's own way. You can tell a lot of research was done. There is a lot of guessing in who could have been the murder and every character introduced is fleshed out really well. The pace picks up a lot towards the middle and we get to see more of Charlotte's family and past friends. I was still guessing up till the end and found it enjoyable.

I'm one book behind, but I'm excited to pick up Murder at the Serpentine Bridge.

Thanks to NetGalley and Kensington Books for providing me a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Continuing my journey to reader-recovery (see my previous two posts), I read the latest in another favourite historical mystery series, Penrose’s Regency-set Wrexford and Sloane, Murder At the Royal Botanic Gardens. I read it steadily over the past two days (yet one more way to stave off the reality of returning to work after a gloriously idle summer; with major de-cluttering, but still). I love this series for the same reason I read others: the characters, the characters, the characters…and their relationships.

Set in a time of rigid class divisions, Penrose’s series is a wonderful fantasy of cross-class found family. At its heart are the Earl of Wrexford, dark, brooding, powerful, volatile at the series start and Lady Charlotte Sloane (aka skewering cartoonist A. J. Quill), disinherited, disgraced, and thus free of social convention; this, she and Lord Wrexford have in common, which is why their growing love is as much built on a shared upholding of justice, defending the underdog, and prizing people’s worth on merit, not birth as attraction, compatibility, shared purpose, and companionship. Along the way, they have picked up and created their found family, as Charlotte notes in the present volume “love was the true bond that tied all of her odd little family together”: valet and co-sleuth Gideon Tyler; formidable “housekeeper” McClellan; two adopted “guttersnipes”, “Weasels” Raven and Hawk; brilliant mathematician Lady Cordelia Mansfield; “coroner” Basil Henning; Bow Street Runner Griffin; Wrexford’s friend and Cordelia’s business partner, Christopher “Kit” Sheffield; and my favourite, Charlotte’s Aunt Alison, the dowager Countess of Peake. Together they band to expose baddies, putting themselves in mortal danger and always coming through for each other.

The key to a great series, like Penrose’s, Montclair’s, Harris’s, or Raybourn’s, is world-building whose lodestone is character+history. Characters evolve, Montclair’s did this beautifully in the latest Sparks and Bainbridge, but stay recognizably beloved; the “history” may comprise one era, but highlights changes and/or different aspects of it, Harris’s latest Sebastian St. Cyr did this wonderfully. History is conveyed, or implicated by the crime, usually a murder. Penrose’s latest is centred on the murder of a botanist and revolves around early 19th-century figures who advanced the scientific study and nomenclature of plants, Alexander von Humboldt, for example, though he doesn’t figure in the story; others do.

Quoting the back-cover copy may help clarify a complex mystery plot:

The wedding of the Earl of Wrexford and Lady Charlotte Sloane is not-to-be-missed, but the murder of a brilliant London scientist threatens their plans—and their lives…The upcoming marriage of the Earl of Wrexford and Lady Charlotte Sloane promises to be a highlight of the season, if they can first untangle—and survive—a web of intrigue and murder involving the most brilliant scientific minds in Regency London…

One advantage of being caught up in a whirl of dress fittings and decisions about flower arrangements and breakfast menus is that Charlotte Sloane has little time for any pre-wedding qualms. Her love for Wrexford isn’t in question. But will being a wife—and a Countess—make it difficult for her to maintain her independence—not to mention, her secret identity as famed satirical artist A.J. Quill?

Despite those concerns, there are soon even more urgent matters to attend to during Charlotte and Wrexford’s first public outing as an engaged couple. At a symposium at the Royal Botanic Gardens, a visiting botanist suffers a fatal collapse. The traces of white powder near his mouth reveal the dark truth—he was murdered. Drawn into the investigation, Charlotte and the Earl learn of the victim’s involvement in a momentous medical discovery. With fame and immense fortune at stake, there’s no shortage of suspects, including some whose ruthlessness is already known. But neither Charlotte nor her husband-to-be can realize how close the danger is about to get—or to what lengths this villain is prepared to go . . .

In pursuing the villain(s) who murdered Josiah Becton, Charlotte, Wrexford, and their motley crew of co-sleuths, encounter motives of corruption and exploitation. The mystery reads like a maze, where one lead ends in a dead-end, another begins, until the “dastards” are foiled in a stupendously suspenseful scene on the night-time Thames, where our heroes and heroines have to brave freezing water to thwart an international crime, catch the villains, and save the day. Which they do. Of course.

I was fascinated with the botanical detail and held my breath during suspenseful scenes, but mostly I was touched by how Penrose made the bonds among her characters strong, bonds of love, companionship, and care. It is a theme that crops up over and over again and centres the danger of sleuthing in the bedrock of mutual care and affection. Here is Wrexford on the Weasels:

The boy slipped down from his stool–a little too enthusiastically, he observed. Like moths drawn inexorably toward a flame, both Hawk and Raven had no fear of flying straight into the maw of danger. He would have to have a talk with them about tempering their devil-may-care actions. Especially as they would soon be an official family, not merely individuals linked together by love. Love. A word that never came easily to his tongue. Funny how it no longer stuck in his craw…

Wrexford and Charlotte’s love and care in this exchange:

“…please don’t suggest that I can choose to conveniently turn away from it.” Charlotte couldn’t keep the brittleness out of her voice. “A tiny step here, a small turn there, and before you know it, one’s moral compass has lost all sense of direction”

“True north is etched indelibly on your heart,” he replied softly. “You’ll never lose your way between Right and Wrong. And I think you know by now that I would never, ever ask you to compromise your principles.” She closed her eyes for an instant. “

Oh, fie, Wrexford–it’s not you I’m questioning. It’s myself. There are so many complications to consider, and I can’t help but worry–“

“Uncertainties are always part of life. We shall deal with them as they arise.” Wrexford caught her hand and gave it a squeeze.

Charlotte echoes the sentiment on Wrexford’s behalf in the following:

“I should have told Bethany that I wasn’t free to assist with an unfortunate incident in the conservatory. I saw you were about to seek me out, and yet I went with him.” Wrexford drew in a measured breath. “That was a mistake.”

“A mistake to follow your conscience?” she asked.

Finally a twitch of his lips. “I don’t have a conscience. I tend to act on ill-tempered impulses.”

“Bollocks,” she uttered. “You spoke earlier of a moral true north. Your heart is unerringly drawn to that same point on the compass.”

Charlotte and Wrexford’s love for and commitment to each other (with nice banter thrown in) are obvious in these exchanges, as is another element essential to the mystery: an adherence to a “moral compass”. (It would be a great load of fun if Penrose and Harris penned a few scenes together, given their series share both a historical era and an ethos, with Charlotte and Wrexford sleuthing with Sebastian and Hero!) A new Wrexford and Sloane comes out at the end of September and I look forward to it as I do to every addition to this great series. With Miss Austen, we agree, Murder In the Royal Botanic Gardens is evidence of “a mind lively and at ease,” Emma.

Andrea Penrose’s Murder At the Royal Botanic Gardens is published by Kensington Books. I am grateful for an e-galley offered by Kensington, via Netgalley.

Like others have stated, it was a good premise but I feel that the story dragged and the character development was slow.

This book is the fifth in an historical murder mystery series that began with Murder on Black Swan Lane. There are now six novels in all.

I have often wanted to visit the Royal Botanic Gardens so I was drawn to this title. Unfortunately in this story all does not go well for a scientist who was attending a symposium in a beautiful location. Suspects abound.

The need to resolve this case moves the central protagonists away from their wedding plans and into case solving. Readers will hope that they are able to get things back on track.

The New York Public Library praises this series and I can see why. I think that I will go back to the beginning with Charlotte and Wrexford.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Kensington Books for this title. All opinions are my own.

Mr. Becton, an American Botanist, is found dead in one of the Royal Botanic Gardens' Greenhouses in London, England. There was one witness to the crime. Hosack Wrexford arrives at the scene and finds evidence of poisoning. Who did it and why?

Overall I enjoyed the characters and the story. However, I felt there were too many characters to keep straight, it was a slow read, and at times I felt confused; like I was missing key information to fill in the gaps. I would recommend this book to fans of the series and readers that enjoy a good historical fiction mystery!

Thank you to NetGalley and Kensington Books for the ARC in exchange for my honest review!

I really enjoy Mrs. Penrose regency mysteries. They are truly a delight to read. The main characters are smart and independent. I also think the author does an excellent job in making the regency era come alive! The mystery itself was very intriguing! It is filled with two tats and turns! Therefore, this regency mysteries is an engaging series with likable protagonists! I recommend this for fans of Stephanie Burgis, Jane Steen, and Irina Shapiro!

As this is apparently book 5 in the series and I hadn’t read any of the previous ones, I jumped into this one with no previous knowledge to help me understand the characters or their relationship. While I did think Wrexford and Sloane were well written, I didn’t think they had a good romantic relationship, but that may be due to my lack of background. The mystery was well paced and overall enjoyable to read, but the end did drag.

Thank you again to the publisher in providing me with this ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

Murder at the Royal Botanic Gardens by Andrea Penrose is a well done cozy mystery, but unfortunately it fell a bit short for me personally. I understand that this is book number 5 in the series, but taking this into account the characters seemed a bit underdeveloped to me.

The overall setting of the book was very atmospheric, however it seemed like there was a lot of repetition and not too much moving forward.

HELLO WREXFORD AND SLOANE! Whew! I was so worried that we wouldn’t hear any more from them after their engagement. I’m so happy they’re continuing to solve scientifically-based crime. In Murder at the Royal Botanic Gardens, Lord Wrexford is ready to introduce Lady Charlotte Sloane to society as his fiancee, a complicated enough endeavor due to their histories. However, they miss their first dinner with a symposium of botanists when they’re called away to investigate the death of one of the participants. As usual, and despite their reluctance due to their upcoming nuptials, Wrexford, Sloane, and the whole gang gets sucked into finding justice for the deceased doctor.

Per usual, Penrose writes an engaging mystery with a lovable, ragtag gang of sleuths with a scientific focus. Murder at the Royal Botanic Gardens is focused on botany, rather than a “hard” science like engineering, which I found a bit easier to understand. However, even when topics are a little more complex (combustion engines or electricity, for example), Penrose does a good job of focusing on the far-reaching implications of the science rather than the mechanics.

We see the recurrence of a villain in this novel: DeVere is back! He was introduced in Murder at Kensington Palace, although I can’t even remember in what context at this point. It was a couple of books ago, so I apologize. Based on Wrexford and Sloane’s reaction to DeVere in this book, he was a pretty nasty villain, and I do remember that he had a pretty impressive conservatory, so it’s fitting that he’s back.

There are only 2 faults that I have with this book/series: first, again, being that the word “pragmatic” is definitely overused throughout the book and the series. I don’t think patterns like this are something that I normally pick up on, so I feel like it has to be really obvious if I’ve caught it! It’s not super irritating, but it’s definitely noticeable. The other fault I have with this novel is the repetition of love, loyalty, and friendship as a theme. I mean, it’s obviously a positive theme throughout the book, but I’m just not sure it needs to be explicitly stated so often.

“Pragmatic,” “pragmatism,” and the theme of love, loyalty, and friendship are stated much throughout this novel (and the previous, if truth be told). Those are the emotions that readers get from the characters in the scenes they’re presented in, but I’d say they’re implicit in about 50% of cases. I don’t always need the explanation of a meaningful glance between Wrexford and Sloane, or when Charlotte looks at the people she cares about. I think Penrose oversells it a little, rather than letting the reader take on the emotions of Wrexford or Sloane.

Regardless, those are two very minor complaints compared to the great writing, colorful cast, and excellent plot of Murder at the Royal Botanic Gardens. I really do like Wrexford and Sloane et. al, and am eager to see the next adventure they find themselves embroiled in as well as the next steps in their personal lives.

Lady Charlotte Sloane’s upcoming marriage to the Earl of Wrexford is the social event of the season. Charlotte is feeling some pre-marital jitters, not because she isn’t in love with her husband-to-be, but instead because becoming a countess is a sea-change for her and her two wards, fondly referred to as the Weasels. Will she be able to continue creating secret cartoons under the pseudonym A.J. Quill? Though few people know, Charlotte is the “famed satirical artist” whose every sketch skewers the foibles of the Ton.

The engaged couple decide to attend a symposium at the Royal Botanic Gardens. Early in the evening, the secretary of the Royal Society, Lord Bethany, approaches Wrexford discreetly.

“Forgive the interruption, sir.” The look of alarm in his eyes belied his smile as he drew Wrexford aside. “But might I ask you to come with me to the conservatory. There’s been an . . . unfortunate mishap.”

That’s one way of describing the discovery of Mr. Becton’s corpse among the exotic specimens. Wrexford has an involuntary sense of someone walking over his grave as he contemplates the possibility that Becton did not die a natural death.

Though this death did not involve him or those he held dear, he knew all too well how murder—if this, in fact, proved to be one—had a way of reaching out and entrapping innocent victims within its tentacles.

To Lord Bethany’s dismay, it’s a murder, not a mishap. Becton’s close friend, Dr. Hosack, examines the scene and realizes there is proof that puts paid to the notion that Becton had a wonky heart.

A bad heart be damned.



Unless he was much mistaken, the tiny telltale flecks of white powder indicated that it wasn’t the Grim Reapers’s blade that had cut his friend’s life short.



The mortal blow had come from some earthly hand.

Wrexford and Charlotte wonder why anyone would kill a scientist but they are told to follow the money. Mr. Becton was deeply involved in research that had the potential to result in a new medicine. One of Becton’s colleagues shared that Becton was scared that someone was trying to steal his research. The victim also worried about the safety of others and kept his momentous medical discovery to himself so as not to endanger others.

Few of their compatriots fully recognize Lady Charlotte as Wrexford’s counterpart, adhering to the custom of protecting what they perceive to be the weaker sex. But the earl considers her his partner in all ways, including criminal investigations where her differing perspectives inevitably prove helpful as they hone their collaborative detecting skills. Her wards, the Weasels, navigate murder in their own inimitable style: their skills are needed and they are smart enough to anticipate how they might be most helpful. In fact, Hawk’s revelations (he followed Lady Charlotte and Wexford to the Botanical Gardens) sets the stage for the investigation. Hawk tells the couple that someone threw a glass at him—he rejects Wexford’s factotum’s statement that he did something wrong, although Hawk did venture into a side gallery instead of staying put.

The boy made a face. “It’s him who should have his bottom birched. He damaged a valuable Asplenium ruprechtii from the wilds of the Orient.”



Wrexford felt his muscles tighten. A quick glance showed Charlotte had fisted her hands in her skirts.



“A gentleman threw a glass into the plantings, sweeting?” she asked.



“Oiy.”



“Can you show me exactly where this was?” the earl demanded.



“I ain’t—I’m not—telling a faradiddle, sir,” answered Hawk, a note of hurt shading his tone.



“I’m not suggesting you are, lad.”



“Poison,” said Tyler, quickly making the connection. “You suspect the killer used poison?”



The boy straightened from his slouch, his eyes instantly coming alert. “Are we investigating another murder?”



“We,” replied Wrexford, “are doing no such thing.”

I wouldn’t take a bet that the two Weasels won’t be involved in solving the latest mystery to be dropped at the feet of Lady Charlotte and Wrexford. The complicated plot sees the return of Charlotte’s nemesis, Justinian DeVere. Charlotte is sure that somehow DeVere is involved in the scientist’s murder. There are many red herrings, however. Wrexford, in a rather human way, is suspicious of visiting an Italian botanist, someone Charlotte knew and liked when she was married to her first husband.

Andrea Penrose is skillful at incorporating the scientific discoveries of the day into her plots. In her last Regency mystery, Murder at Queen’s Landing, Charlotte and Wrexford are tantalized by a machine that purported “to more accurately calculate math function.” Botany is the focus of Murder at the Royal Botanic Gardens. Penrose shared, “While my “miracle” plant in this book—and the nefarious plot that revolves around it—is entirely fictional, it was inspired by the ‘discovery’ (they learned of it from the indigenous peoples of the region) of cinchona bark by the early Spanish explorers. Cinchona—often called Jesuit’s bar—contains quinine, and was the only treatment for malaria at the time . . .”

A plot that concerns machinations around the development and profit of a potentially life-saving drug seems almost modern—but perhaps Lady Charlotte’s favorite saying, “Fortune favors the bold,” is a timeless prescription for success. The investigators are pushed to their limits as they attempt to unravel the complex story of why a respected scholar was killed in a conservatory. Latin lovers will rejoice because, as always, the latest Wrexford and Sloane mystery is liberally sprinkled with aphorisms like “Fortes fortuna juvat.”

For readers who are not ready to say goodbye to the Wrexford and Sloane mysteries, some good news from the author—she’s signed a new contract to continue the adventures of Wrexford and Charlotte.

Wrexford and Sloane are at it again! Tensions are high as the world's leading botanical experts come together for a conference to share recent discoveries when one of their number is found dead. Add in upcoming nuptials and family reunions for a smart mystery full of page-turning adventure and real character development.

Good and interesting premise… I love a good historical mystery with a touch of romance. A good addition to the series. Looking forward to more work from the author.

While this is the fifth title in the series, it's the first I've read. Penrose provides plenty of background so that wasn't a problem. She also does a good job of navigating the Regency setting, with what seemed to be many authentic details while not trying to mimic Jane Austen's style. The mystery was intriguing, building on the development of medicine and science at that time in history, and I liked the characters, especially "the weasels". Definitely recommended for historical mystery fans. I plan to go back and read the others in the series.

Part of the series of murder mysteries featuring the Earl of Wrexford and fiancee Charlotte Sloane, we find these two just about to get married, but encountering mayhem in the Royal Botanical Gardens. Entertaining and elegant, this is a fine addition to the series.

I have voluntarily read and reviewed a copy of this title given to me via NetGalley. I really enjoyed this book. It was really well written and it just had you trying to solve the mystery. I look forward to seeing what’s next from this author.

I've read all the previous books in the Wrexford and Sloan series and I've enjoy the them all. I love a good historical mystery. Especially one set in nineteen century London. I love how the relationship between Wrexford and Sloan has developed throughout the series, and how all the supporting characters help them along the way. The mysteries usually keeping me guessing and I love the mix of mystery and romance.

⭐⭐⭐⭐

I enjoyed this one quite a lot. I found it to be well written and well paced (mostly...It dragged a bit towards the end). I loved the setting and time period. The plot was intriguing and kept me guessing. The characters were well developed and likable. My only complaint, and this may be because I have read none of the other books in the series, but I found the "romance" between Charlotte and Wrexford to be dull. They had zero on page chemistry. 🤷🏻‍♀️ However, as I said, that could be because I have not read the previous books.

**ARC Via NetGalley**

Andrea Penrose gives us another Regency historical Wrexford and Sloane mystery in Murder at the Royal Botanic Garden. Charlotte Sloane is finally engaged to marry the Earl of Wrexford after partnering in solving several murders. A botanist is killed at the Botanic Gardens before he can deliver a talk to the Royal Society about a plant that can help treat malaria. Whodunit? Aristocratic criminals? American shipping magnates? Complex story with interesting characters.

Wonderful and clever. Truly enjoyed this one, Thank you netgalley and publisher for this arc in exchange of an honest review.