There is a big symposium in the Royal Botanic Gardens. A famous botanist, Becton, is out in the garden, and is poisoned by a glass of champaign just before he was to give a talk announcing his great discovery. He is found by his friend Dr. Hosack. Lady Charlotte Sloane and her fiancee, the Earl of Wrexford are at the meeting, and are immediately drawn into the murder investigation. Of course, they are helped by Dr. Hosack, Hawk and Raven, MacClellan and Tyler, and Sheffield as well as Griffen, the Bow Street Runner. There are several possible suspects, they definitely want to capture the murderer before the wedding, as well as find out what Becton's great discovery is.

They find two suspects who have been murdered themselves, and then they finally realize the discovery must be a plant which Becton has hidden in the plant room at the Botanic Garden. There is a lot of danger to the seekers as the location of activity moves to the dockyards. The characters in this book are great and there is a lot of suspense as well as some humor.

Murder at the Royal Botanic Gardens is book 5 in the Wrexford and Sloan series by Andrea Penrose, published by Kensington. The story is set in London 1812 and continues the story of the Earl of Wrexford and Charlotte Sloane this time taking part in a symposium when a prominent botanist is found dead. The victim was about to make a huge medical invention public without planning to make a fortune off of it which might have enticed any present member of the symposium to commit the murder and steal the needed papers to produce the medicine. Wedding planning is put on hold while the couple investigates and Charlotte is worrying about what marrying and becoming Countess of Wrexford might do to her independence and secret identity as satirical artist A.J.Quill.

Main character is Lady Carlotte Sloan works as satirical artist A.J. Quill and the secrecy of this activity seems to have made her independent, but somewhat lonely. She takes care of two orphan street urchins, which shows she has a good heart. I find her relatable and my favorite character.

Supporting main character Anthony, Earl of Wrexford, is the hot tempered scientist with connections which helps conjure up information which helps the investigation, but has a lethal tongue that frightens people who don’t know him. I find his character relatable in his own way as I have met quite a few similar personalities.

I have feel quite familiar with the characters of this series as I have read several. Starting this story felt a bit like coming home to family with the housekeeper mothering Charlotte’s two orphan street urchins making sure they behaved well while Charlotte and Wrexford were off on their investigation. I enjoyed the continued storyline of the series and felt happy for Charlotte to have found her “Mr. Right”. I am excited to learn what the future might look like for them.

I found the plot stood out as interesting and quite a novelty as I have not read any murder mysteries with a similar plot before and certainly not one set in a botanical garden. How a humble element like a medicinal plant might become the dramatic element in a murder mystery was something I have never considered before, but greed for money is a motive very well known.

My favorite part of this story is how Charlotte is thinking about what changes marriage is going to make for her personal and professional life. I love that she considers more elements of her life than title and privilege. She is going to become Countess of Wrexford with a privileged, but more public lifestyle. Secrecy and anonymity needed to work as A.J. Quill might become more difficult. I find it easy as a woman to relate to this kind of thoughts.

I recommend this story to anyone who enjoys murder mysteries and fans of the author’s previous works in particular.
Similar authors to explore might be Dianne Freeman or Anna Lee Huber.
Thank you to Kensington Books and NetGalley for this opportunity to share my honest review. All opinions are completely my own.

Conclusion: Murder at the Royal Botanic Gardens continues the investigations of Wrexford and Sloan as they investigate the murder of a prominent botanist who has made a momentous medical discovery, but has no plans to make money from it.

The marriage of the Earl of Wrexford and lady Charlotte Sloane is just a few weeks away. During their first public appearance together, a visiting botanist is found dead. Even though Charlotte already has much on her plate between wedding plans to make, continuing her art, and coming to grips with how things are changing, a murder cannot be ignored. Will they catch a killer before the danger gets too close?

Five books into this series, I am loving how these characters have progressed. From a wary partnership to a close family, has been fun to watch. The struggle to find a balance in their changing circumstances was absolutely believable. There have been subtle changes to each one, inspired by their association with the other. Even the supporting characters have grown and matured in the time span of these stories.

The historical details about botany were interesting, though at times they went right over my head. In places, the mystery itself were a bit convoluted. There were misdirects, so much that when the murderer was revealed I really had to think if I remembered the name or not.

Overall, this was an excellent addition to the series and I am interested to see where the author takes these characters next. I would recommend this to readers who enjoy historical mysteries, but I would advise to start at the beginning of the series to really appreciate it.

This is the first book by this author that I have read and found it to be a very enjoyable read. Although it is a part of a series, it can be read as a standalone. I found the mystery very engaging and I like the fact the murder happened in the first few pages setting up the story and the mystery. There is a long underlying story that I would have liked to have read before this but is not necessary for you to understand the relationships and background. There were a lot of characters but they were well written and you didn’t get lost with who was who. There were a few twists that kept you guessing. I will now look forward to going back and reading the books before. I received this as an ARC and freely give my review.

Although well-written, I quite miss the friction and romantic tension between Wrexford and Charlotte that was present in the first 3 books. I found this to be a disappointing entry in the series with the elements that were so compelling to have been somewhat lost.

There are some really great characters in this series and I hope to see them continue to develop in the next book, especially now that Charlotte and Wrexford are married. Thank you to Kensington Books and NetGalley for this advance copy.

Murder at the Royal Botanic Gardens is the next installment of the Wrexford and Sloane series. Wrexfords valet and the weasels play an integral role in this investigation vs. Wrexford and Sloane. Interesting to see others in danger vs. Wrexford and Sloane as in prior novels. Overall satisfying ready, nothing stand out.

Murder at the Royal Botanic Gardens by Andrea Penrose (A Wrexford & Sloane Mystery #5) 4.5 stars

This book is about the upcoming wedding of the Earl of Wrexford and Lady Charlotte Sloan. In the midst of wedding preparations and the complications of combining two households, Wrexford is requested to help in the inquiry into a suspicious death of a botanist from America. There are diplomatic implications since England and America are still hostile to each other. Adding another layer is the information that the victim was going to present his papers on his discovery that would revolutionize medicine. Wrexford and Charlotte have to navigate the worlds of science, finance and politics to find the murderer. Because of the Botanical conference there is no shortage of suspects.

This is my second Wrexford and Sloan mystery. After reading a few pages from this book, I felt that I needed to read a previous book to give this one a fair reading. So I read "Murder at Queen's Landing" the 2020 book and liked it very much. This book is just as enjoyable and intriguing, it excels as a historical mystery. The characters of Wrexford and Charlotte reveal two people who are smart and independent.- Neither suffers fools gladly. The supporting characters are lively and fill the story with color and verve. The ending is action packed and I can't wait for the next book in this series.

Thank you Netgalley and Kensington Books for this ARC.

Murder at the Royal Botanic Garden is another entertaining and fascinating addition to the Wrexford and Sloane mystery series. As with all of the books in this series, Andrea Penrose does an excellent job teaching the reader about historical aspects of science -- in this case, ethnobotany and the medicinal uses of plants. This is a topic that has always interested me, so I was excited to read more about it here. The various real historical figures thrown in added to the fun.

After the major developments between Wrexford and Charlotte in the previous book (including their engagement and Charlotte's decision to return to society), I was curious to see if the dynamics changed here and how that would impact the story. If anything, I think the developments helped strengthen their detecting partnership, as they are no longer keeping back secrets and have learned to trust each other. The same goes for the growing familial bond between Wrexford/Charlotte and Raven/Hawk -- where they each individually might have tried to handle dangerous matters on their own in the past, they now are learning to work as a unit and consider the risks before running off.

The only aspect keeping this from 5 stars was that the pacing felt off in this story. Up to about the 50% mark it was moving along briskly and seemed like it could even wrap up shortly, but then the action and the mystery stalled out for a long stretch before picking up again at the end. I still enjoyed it overall, but it took me longer to read than usual.

Thank you to Kensington and Netgalley for providing an ARC for review!

A fantastic instalment in one of my favourite current series. The plot is intriguing and, as always, focuses on a fascinating scientific development. The character development and the growth in the relationships between Wrexford and Charlotte, Charlotte and the Weasels, and the various secondary characters that Penrose has endeared to her readers was wonderful. The only problem with finishing it is that now I have to wait for another year to read the next one!

"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...

A thrilling new mystery novel from the acclaimed author of Murder at Queen’s Landing, perfect for fans of Deanna Raybourn and Anne Perry! 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...

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..."

I have been on a huge Regency kick lately!

This series just gets better and better. The mysteries and investigations get more complex. The characters become more beloved. There's just one month to go before Wrex and Charlotte marry. Wrex is on his best behavior as he introduces Charlotte to society as his fiancee'. Unfortunately he gets pulled into an investigation of an unexpected death due to Tyler's bragging on his master's abilities. All of a sudden enemies are reappearing and the number of suspects is snowballing. Charlotte fears their lives are in jeopardy until this case is solved. The process of elimination in this story is mind blowing!

5 stars

Excellent story. In this book the romance between Lady Charlotte and Wrexford moves on. We see all the other characters from the series, Raven, Hawk, Mac, Tyler, Cordelia & Sheffield. You could jump in at this stage but I think you would enjoy it more knowing the back stories. In this episode a botanist dies at the gardens. It was the first occasion of Charlotte and Wrexford going out into society as a couple and it obviously didn't work out quite as planned. There are lots of potential villains but the actual one was a surprise to me.

There's only kisses in the romance as the mystery is the main attraction. I think you would enjoy it and heartily recommend this book.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I am a fan of this series for its unique characters and plot. The previous book ended with a case closed and an offer of engagement. The relationship between Wrexford and Sloane has got to be the longest slow-burn romance on planet Earth. There were times when I wished something more would happen between the pair other than intensive eye contact and sometimes I appreciated the character development. Ms. Sloane is still vacillating over meet her remaining sibling, for fear of rejection and general awkwardness. A murder occurs during a special event at the botanical gardens. The poor scholarly fellow was poisoned. But by whom? That's for Wrexford and Sloane to figure out. I thought it was a little ridiculous for our dynamic duo to try to stay out of the investigation when we all know that they and their network of Weasels, street urchins, and informants could gather information better than the police. There were several plotlines going on at once and the transition was a little haphazard, but not too annoying. Previous agitators from past cases make an appearance during the investigation. We get status updates on side characters and what they have been up to. The end of the book ties up nicely with the long-awaited wedding. I hope the dynamic duo will solve more cases in the future.. Solid 3.5 stars

Another great addition to the Wrexford and Sloane series, I especially enjoyed seeing the characters come together as a family and well as the continued maturation of the relationship between Wrex and Charlotte. And, oh yeah, there was a doozy of a mystery in there too.

Something was missing in this book.

The investigation of a murdered botanist felt too split between Wrexford and Charlotte. They seem to be investigating on their own instead of as a team. Considering that they're engaged and planning their wedding, they would be more of a team. They felt very independent of each other regarding their investigation and household. Considering their marriage was in two weeks, that's not a good thing.

Review based on an advanced reader copy provided through Netgalley for an honest review.

I enjoyed this next installment in the series. There wasn't enough Hawk and Raven for me (love those precocious and entertaining kids), a little too much Charlotte obsessing over making sure her loved ones are safe throughout the book, and a little too much uber-competent Wrexford (he knows everything, is commanding, a skilled fighter, a man who can do whatever is required of him at any time). The mystery was enjoyable and surprising, and I enjoyed learning about botany in the 19th century (the author's strength is definitely her research).

Thanks to the publisher for providing an ARC via netgalley in exchange for my honest review.

I enjoy a good mystery, especially if it is set in early England with lords, ladies and a cast of mysterious characters. Andrea Penrose writes a dark mystery with many ups and downs when trying to find the murderer of a very famous doctor of botany.. Then you throw in a planning a wedding between Lord Wrexford and Lady Charlotte and the story really gets going. My favorite character was Housekeeper MClellan. She was a no nonsense women who loved her job taking care of Lady Charlotte and the weasels. Lady Charlotte's wards. through out the book you see that her character becomes stronger and stronger when it comes to the family. Aunt Allison reminds me of the dowergar in Downton Abbey. Raven and Hawk the weasels love their new life and Lady Charlotte, but still love it when asked to help solving the murder and they can revert back to their old ways.
Since I am new to this series I felt that I missed out on how the characters evolved in the other books. I had to go back to see who each character was and how they related to the story.
I loved the history related to the book. I sometimes felt I was in a Ms. Marple or Agatha Christie mystery. It took awhile to get to the real high point of the story which took my attention away from the story. This might have to do with the fact that I didn't know to much about Lady Charlotte's previous encounter with certain character prior to this book.
The suspenseful ending to this book with its many twists kept me engrossed and couldn't wait to find out who really was the killer. . I truly look forward to more adventures with Wrexford and Sloane. and of course the Weasels.
Thank you Kensington Books , NetGalley and of course Andrea Penrose for the early copy. I look forward to reading more.

I really enjoyed ‘Murder At The Royal Botanic Gardens’ by Andrea Penrose. This is the first in the series I’ve read, but I had no problem following the various threads. Charlotte is a very unusual woman for her time. As well as becoming embroiled in murders and proving adept at solving them, she leads a secret life as an acerbic society illustrator. With the help of her fiancé Wrexford, her servants and her wards, she is once again in the middle of a mystery. The death of a renowned botanist is not all it seems. As she delves into the story it turns in a totally unexpected direction.

Lady Charlotte intrigued me. I liked that she was so independent and had a secret life as an illustrator. She could say things and hint at things without outing herself as such. The time period was interesting too. The Regency period isn’t one I immediately think of for murder mysteries. But it works. There were twists and turns I didn’t see coming at all. It was a wonderful way to while away a few hours in a beautifully imagined London of the past.

I was given this ARC for review.

It was great to be back with Wrexford, Sloane and the Weasels plus all the recurring side characters. This story was a complicated one. There were two strands to it and at times it got a bit confusing. The plot was well done though and as usual the research was meticulous.
There was quite a bit, in fact a lot about botany in it and it got tiresome at times.
The romance between Wrexford and Sloane has always been understated but I had expected it to be more to the fore this time because of the wedding but other than being mentioned now and again it wasn't until the end it came more into the story.
There were some great 'bad guys' and it was a darker story than she normally writes. It was very slow at the start and I was well into it before it picked up but the actual tie up of the mystery was brilliantly done.
I would like to have seen more of Sheffield and Cordelia as they were great additions to the last book. Sheffield has been there from the start but hardly featured in this one.
All in all very enjoyable and the descriptive writing was beautiful as usual.

The latest installment in the Wrexford and Sloane mystery series finds the MCs at an important crossroads. It is one month until their wedding, when they will begin a new life together along with Charlotte Sloane’s two young wards, former street urchins Raven and Hawk. If that weren’t enough, Charlotte is anxiously awaiting a visit from her brother, hoping it will prove to be the first step in reconciliation with her brother, who is now head of the family after the deaths of her father and oldest brother.

At their first public appearance as a betrothed couple, Wrexford literally stumbles across another dead body. Although both Charlotte and Wrexford are reluctant to get involved in solving the crime, try as they might to leave it up to the authorities, circumstances conspire to pull them in. The victim is a visiting botanist, and like previous books in the series, solving the murder places a spotlight on some of the era’s scientific discoveries and challenges, providing an opportunity to highlight Wrexford’s expertise in chemistry.

There are some interesting twists and turns to the mystery and the plot keeps moving in unforeseen directions. The reader also gets some additional insight into the relationships between the main and supporting characters. It would be nice to see further interactions between Wrexford and Charlotte as they adjust to married life.

A well-executed addition to the series, which I think is best read after finishing the earlier books to fully appreciate the main characters motivations and relationships.

Thanks to NetGalley and Kensington for a free copy of the book.