This ended up being a middling book for me. I enjoyed the protagonists and the botany angle of the investigation. However, my interest was never fully captured by the mystery. That being said, I think the author has a lot of potential, and I look forward to trying another book by her in the future.

I liked the story's setting - 1920's London, where the main character, research assistant Saffron Everleigh, attends a dinner party for the University College of London. A professor's wife collapses during the party, poisoned by an unknown toxin. Saffron's mentor is the main suspect and she must work through the details to clear his name and find the true culprit. Some of the scenes were a bit slow and I felt they could have been abbreviated or removed to keep things moving along. The writing is easy to follow along and comprehend, and there is a lot of action throughout the story. Despite Saffron often being ridiculed by her colleagues, she never falters and did her best as her passion towards botany went up and beyond. I would enjoy reading a sequel to this novel.

Based on the description I was expecting a much darker, steamier and complex mystery.

The good stuff:
* Liked the premise
* The exploration of women in science during the 1920s was interesting.
* The mystery is solvable by the reader, but not overtly obvious.
* Some of the characters were interesting.
* Well-written, while the plot and characters need work, the writing itself is solid and paints very good imagery and sense of scene.

The less good stuff:
* Slow! So slow, so much doesn't happen, then so much does!
* Romance was meh, none of the characters felt developed so any secondary romance was lackluster.
* Protagonist is presented as intelligent and competent, yet consistently makes bad decisions and fails to draw obvious conclusions.

All together I really liked the idea of this book, but it didn't translate to the page-turner I was expecting.

I received this book as an ARC from NetGalley.

In her debut novel - Kate Khavari paints a picture of London 1923.

Saffron Everleigh is a research assistant to professor Dr. Maxwell at the University College of London. She has fought hard to obtain this position because it is highly unusual for a woman to hold such a position. At a faculty dinner party, one of the professor's wives is poisoned and Dr. Maxwell is being held/charged for the crime. Saffron has to figure out who is framing her boss and try to get the police to listen to her.

Luckily, she has another researcher who is taking her seriously and assisting her with trying to prove who the poisoner is. But, will they run out of time.......

There were a few parts that seemed to drag and naming 2 main characters with similar last names had me confused a few times. However, thoroughly enjoyable read.

Five stars! I love a good who done it with a bit of light romance thrown in. A great mystery with a rich cast of characters.

The book opens in 1920's London at an academic, high society party. The author introduces us to a cast of characters that are each believable and yet each have their own flaws as well. The party was a perfect way to start introducing the cast and within pages, the scene was set! The game was a foot so to speak

Saffron Everleigh is the only woman in the biology department of the University College of London. Although she is fighting against the boys club and societal expectations for a woman of her time, she is determined to follow in her fathers footsteps and she has the support of her mentor, Dr, Maxwell. During the party, a fellow scientists wife, Mrs. Henry, is poisoned and falls into a coma. Dr. Maxwell is the prime suspect as he is not only well versed in poisonous plants, he has had an argument with Dr. Henry her husband. Now Saffron is in a race against time to prove her mentor innocent. With the help of the alluring Alexander Aston, Saffron not only sets out to clear the name of her mentor but she also finds love as well.

I found the character of Saffron to be likeable. She's independent, strong, smart and hardworking. Although she does get herself into some pretty precarious situations, I felt like she was a believable character. I really liked the little bit of romance that was thrown in between her and Alexander and found myself rooting for them to be together. If this is to be a series, I am excited to see what else she gets herself into and how she progresses at the University in her career, plus of course what happens between her and Mr. Ashton.

The last 3-4 chapters were more action packed than I anticipated and I found myself reading feverishly to find out what was going to happen next. Would she and Mr. Aston be able to solve the mystery of who poisoned Mrs. Henry, or would they become victims themselves? I definitely give this book five stars, not only for the story, but also for the writing and the beautiful cover.

Cozy mystery meets historical thriller with romantic vibes and a stunning artsy cover is a dreamy package for my suspense cravings!

Events take place in 1920’s London. Our heroine Saffron is aspiring, fiery, vivid scientist who knows lots about usage of poisons which helps her assist the investigation of suspicious murder attempt!

Her relatable, smart mind and genuine, straightforward, natural traits help to get into the story quickly. Her determination and resilience are feeding her up to fight against condescending, sexist, unfair traits of her colleagues. The author successfully portrayed tough, but also a little impulsive heroine who sometimes acts faster before thinking through which serves a complex trait against her observant traits as a true scientist.

The story opens with a party scene with the attendance of academicians and high society which purposed for presentation of expedition but the night ends with attempted poisoning of one of the members!
Saffron’s teacher Professor Maxwell is accused for the poisoning attempt which pushes Saffron to find out the true perpetrator, teaming up with charming veteran Alexander Ashton. ( when you see the word: charming, you’re already warned that a delicious romance between two characters is about to come out! )

The story started strong but in the middle of the book, the pacing got a little slower and the identity of perpetrator was a little far fetched but it was still enjoyable, interesting, riveting cozy murder mystery. The scientist, quirky heroine development and romance parts are well executed.

It was fun to time travel and read an intriguing suspense story from early 20th century of London which earned four poisoned, smart, tempting, moving stars!

Special thanks to NetGalley and Crooked Lane Books for sharing this digital reviewer copy with me in exchange my honest opinions.

3.5 stars. This is a fast, fun, light-hearted mystery read that has you wondering who was behind the poisoning, was the person poisoned the intended target, and why was it done.

The book starts with the opening scene describing all the characters at the party and the event of the poisoning, and from there is a bit of a Clue/Sherlock Holmes mystery with the main characters Saffron Everleigh and Alexander Ashton (both scientists) trying to solve it. Somewhere in the middle, it turns to a slow burner, then BANG- the last bit of the book I could not put it down, as Saffron and Alexander had gotten themselves “in a pickle”.

As mentioned, this is a fun book with well-developed characters. The time frame of the book is just after WWI and there is an underlying current of “romance” between Saffron and Alexander. I’m not sure if the author intends, but I could see these two as recurring characters in a series, solving more mysteries.

Thank you to NetGalley and Crooked Lane Books for the eARC in exchange for my honest review.

A cozy post world war mystery! Saffron (name aside) is a lovely protagonist even if some of the character building was a bit choppy; that she wasn't demure and actually was super flirty with Alexander was refreshing; this actually reminded me of the Miss Fisher series.

First of all, I would like to extend my thanks to NetGalley and The Crooked Lane for providing me with an e-arc in exchange for an honest review.

3.8/5stars. TW: sexual harrassment, discrimination, murder attempt, derogatory remarks

Because of the stunning cover and the term botany in the title, I thought I was bound to like the book and the verdict for this? I do like the book although there are some qualms that I want to point out why this doesn't meet my expectations. The blurb mention about Deanna Raybourn and I'm a huge fan of her series Veronica Speedwell mystery which I thought was a brilliant historical fiction setting with mystery, executed very well with some of my favourite characters ever, Veronica and Stoker.
In here, we get Saffron Everleigh, a research assistant who specialised in botany and Alexander Ashton, a biology researcher who got involved in the expedition to the Amazon for a research.

Set in 1920s London, a party hosted by the high society and academician for the purpose of expedition was organized and attempted poisoning to one of the members of the party turns the whole situation upside down. Saffron's teacher or Professor Maxwell was accused of the poisoning and Saffron who believed his innocence decided to take the matter intto her own hands to prove he is not guilty. With the help of Alexander Ashton, they are thrown into the secrets of the faculty members of the botany department.

The pacing of the story was good, I like we follow Saffron and her attempt in investigation although by the middle half, things are a bit slow. The revelation was action packed which took me by surprise. For the characters, Saffron as our protagonist was easy to follow, her determination and willingness are admirable, she fight for her position in the male dominated profession. Even though, she was often ridiculed by her colleagues, she never falters and did her best as her passion towards botany went up and beyond. Alexander Ashton was another character which I hope to see more but sadly his part was lacking in development. His interaction with Saffron was sweet but sometimes his words are too blunt and hurtful.

There is not much focus on romance so you might be disappointed if you are expecting that. Although I do think the relationship is more genuine rather than passionate, its exactly what I think of what these characters would do.

Overall, the mystery was fun to read and it was an enjoyable time spending with these characters.

Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for an eARC version of this book in exchange for my honest review.

I think that the clever title and beautiful cover—as well as the exciting blurb about the story—led me a bit astray.

Saffron was very focused on the mystery the entire story. I was disappointed in how little I got to know her. The romance was also very much on the back burner—very very minor.
I thought the overall plot—very CLUE!—was interesting, but everything felt either very convenient—no spoilers, but finding particular plants, for example—or very convoluted and confusing (the back and forth, how very sure saffron was about every instinct she had).

The author writes very beautifully, and I think that there’s a lot of potential here.

I love plants; and had hoped to have loved this book more. The book did have some unique plants featured.

The book was good. It held my attention.

This book took me back to The Ghost Map: The Story of London's Most Terrifying Epidemic by Steve Johnson where Dr. Snow (I believe) learned about anesthetics by taking some and seeing the effects (including timing how long he was passed out).

Thank you to NetGalley, Kate Khavari the author and the publisher/Crooked Lane Books for the opportunity to review the advance read copy of A Botanist's Guide to Parties and Poisons in exchange for an honest review. A Saffron Everleigh Mystery (I believe this to be book 1 of a series).

I found "A Botanist's Guide to Parties and Poisons" to be an enjoyable and informative read. It takes place in 1923 in the world of British Academia. I loved a mystery with the added bonus of the botany of poisonous plants . Saffron Eversleigh is an interesting protagonist and as is Alexander Ashton. I believed the story to be well -researched and the mystery logical and believable. I look forward to more about Saffron in the future. Overall, an enjoyable historical mystery with characters you are interested in to following.

A Botanist's Guide to Parties and Poisons by K. Khavarri, published by Crooked Lane Books, is a standalone mystery romance.
The story is set in the golden twenties of the 19hundereds and tells Saffron and Alexander's story.
The writing hmm, it took me a minute to get in the author's style, maybe a bit stelted for me, but ok in the end. I liked the storyline and the flow of the story. All in all an ok read.

This was a fun mystery set in a historical setting. I loved the atmosphere throughout the story, and the characters were fabulous! Saffron is a strong, independent woman, and the ONLY female working in the bio department. I loved that she was paving the way for future women in this regard. She's also got some flaws that help to fill out her character nicely and provide some frustration throughout the story.

As she sets out to solve a murder, I thought the story slowed just a bit, but it does pick back up. I enjoyed the mystery and reading about how Saffron works to solve it!

Unfortunately, the book didn't work for me when I was quite interested in the title and the synopsis. From the synopsis, it sounds interesting, though. With the mentions of Amazon expedition, greenhouses, dark gardens, and deadly poison. But, the story is rather bland for me, the romance is just meh, the characters are frustrating, the plot is dragging. The POV often changed so quickly that it was confusing whose perspective I’m reading now. But, the talks about plants and some investigation actions are quite fun.

Thank you NetGalley and Crooked Lane Books for the opportunity to read this eARC. All opinions are on my own.

What do I love? I love the cover of this book and I love the title. It’s clever. Its beautiful. It’s a best selling cover and title. I think the story has much room for improvement. I dnf this which is rare for me.

DNF. After the opening scene it draaaags and I tried for weeks but could not get into it. I may circle back later because most of the reviews are glowing but this one just wasn’t for me at this time.

It completely lost my interest after the first POV flip. It happens with no warning and you don’t realize you’re reading as another character for about a page. Had to back track and get into a different frame of mind to absorb it differently.



https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/58202849

"A Botanist's Guide to Parties and Poisons" was a good book. The story begins with a party to celebrate an upcoming Amazonian expedition that includes multiple faculty members from University College London. Among those in attendance is Saffron Everleigh, the research assistant for Dr. Maxwell, a botany professor. The expedition is being led by Dr. Henry, a history professor. During the party, his wife collapses and goes into a coma, having been poisoned. Dr. Maxwell is arrested on suspicion of poisoning Mrs. Henry and the suspected attempted murder of Dr. Henry (whom the police believe was the intended victim). Dr. Maxwell had been overhead arguing with and threatening Dr. Henry, who had denied Maxwell's request to go on the expedition. Also, Dr. Maxwell had brought back a toxic vine from Mexico decades ago, which he had named xolotl (after the Aztec god of death and lightning), and which was growing in one of the college greenhouses. Saffron is convinced that Dr. Maxwell is innocent and sets out to prove his innocence, which involves investigating other faculty members, as well as other people connected to the expedition. Saffron enlists the assistance, somewhat reluctant, of Alexander Ashton, a professor in the biology department, in her investigations.

I liked the character of Saffron Everleigh, especially her intellectual/scientific curiosity and her desire to defend and protect those she cares about. The interactions between Saffron and Alexander were enjoyable. The plot was creative, and there are multiple possible motives for targeting Dr. Henry and/or Mrs. Henry and multiple plausible suspects. One villain is particularly reprehensible. However, despite all the good aspects of the story, the book was not as good as I had expected/hoped. It feels like something is missing, although I cannot really pinpoint what I think is lacking.

I received a copy of the e-book via NetGalley in exchange for a review.

I received this ARC via Netgalley and Crooked Lane Books, in return for an honest review. I loved the cover of this book, the title, and the premise. I’m always wary of historical mysteries, given the limited roles and options for women but hoping the author can weave that deft balance of an interesting story with historical accuracy. While Ms. Khavari managed the latter, the story didn’t hold my attention that well after the well-written opening party scenes.
Set in 1923, Saffron Everleigh is the first female research assistant in her university’s botany department. Sadly, she must cope with misogyny, inappropriate advances, boorish comments and, to top it off, her mentor being accused of murder by poisoning. She develops a relationship with an interesting and handsome biologist, and they join forces to solve the crime. That allows the author to add important points to the story, including WWI PTSD issues and other real challenges of the time. So, this is probably more me than Ms. Khavari as I seek escapism, not dealing with some of these real-life but difficult situations. There is a great deal of potential with her protagonist in future stories and situations. I wish her the best.

I enjoyed reading this book! As a fellow academic, I could relate to the department drama and issues (even though this book is set in the past). I liked the character development and the book contains come unexpected twists and turns that I didn't see coming. Perfect for a fall day and for when you want something that you cant put down for a few days.