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.

In a time when girls definitely didn't run the world, Saffron held her own. She was an interesting character... you can feel her pain in certain situations but she knew how to make the best of her abilities.

(A few slight spoilers ahead... nothing to do with the mystery itself.)

While some cozies tend toward the humorous side, there were definitely some darker aspects to this book. Deadly poison aside, the story touches on workplace harassment (it still exists certainly, but it was disgustingly acceptable in previous times), women's opportunities, and a veteran with what we now know to be PTSD. These all tie together to add depth to the storyline.

I'm very much hoping for the continuation of Saffron's adventures, as I'd like to see where her career takes her, what might come of a certain relationship, and how she grows and matures.

Thanks to Net Galley and Crooked Lane Books for a complimentary digital review copy of this title.

Overall, this is a strong academic mystery with a great backdrop (1920s London). The book was a breeze to read and an enjoyable start to the series. 3.5/5.

Our female lead, Saffron, is smart, curious, and at times reckless. She's the first female botanist in her university's department and is determined to carve a place for herself. The author really leans into Saffron's botany expertise, as she conducts experiments and identifies various poisonous plants to aid the police. The attention to detail is great and definitely adds a layer of authenticity. At times, Saffron's actions are questionable, as she has a tendency to make hasty decisions without planning, which isn't really inline with most scientists, but that's part of what makes her so compelling. While I appreciate how strong and capable Saffron is, I thought her love interest, Alexander, was even more developed. A fellow researcher, Alexander aids Saffron with her investigation while also PTSD from the war. The budding romance between Saffron and Alexander is very sweet, but not particularly deep or surprising.

The weakest part of the book ended up being the villains. While definitely nefarious, they were a little too heightened to feel believable. That said, I was fairly swept up in the world and was able to suspend my disbelief and enjoy the ride.

First of all, I have to say; what a gorgeous cover! It doesn’t really scream cozy, but it’s something I could actually wish to have in a frame.
Anyway, the story is about a female botanist who works as an assistant, and when her boss is framed with putting a woman in a coma, she sets out to prove his innocence.
I truly enjoyed this book, even though it had some slow parts where nothing seemed to be moving. The characters are both believable and likable, and there’s a lot of snooping around, making for some interesting scenes. There’s also some good cooperation with police (though limited), which is seldom seen in cozies, which was a nice change. But it also has something that’s seldom seen in cozies; rather than the sleuth confronting the culprit, something else happens, and teamwork between side characters is ultimately what unveils and captures the villain. That made it feel a bit less satisfying, but it’s a good story nontheless.
Something I really found funny and true is that the protagonist and her interest in studying botany really shines through, allowing for a brief moment of glee in an otherwise appalling experiment.
I’m not entirely sure when this novel takes place, but my guess is in the 1920s, with second main character having troubles coping, in a believable way.

Anyway, I believe this is a mystery that cozy-readers who like that historic time will enjoy. Final score is probably 4.5 stars, with a little knocked off because of the slow part.

In 1925, Saffron (silly name) is the only female member of the botany department at her university. When her mentor is accused of poisoning the wife of a colleague she decides that she needs to investigate to prove his innocence. She drags a handsome biologist into her plan and it goes about how you'd expect it to.

I wanted to love this book but just didn't. It was merely ok.

I loved the opening scene in this novel: 1920’s London, a fancy party filled with academics and members of high society. I was trying to soak up all the details about each character, knowing that something tragic could happen at any moment and that one of them would be responsible. Khavari created quite the cast of characters, each with their own secrets and flaws. Solving this mystery is going to take some digging, quite literally.

Our protagonist, Saffron, is the sole woman working in a biology department/boy’s club in University College of London. I was so frustrated by the way she was treated by many of her male colleagues. I liked many of Saffron’s attributes. She is smart, hardworking, and she has a great relationship with her best friend and roommate. She could be clever and funny. However, Saffron could be careless and impulsive at times, and I wasn’t sure why she was so determined to solve the mystery herself, rather than leave it to the police.

There were some parts of the story I had to push through, as it slowed down after the opening party scenes, but the final 100 pages really picked up, and the climax was more action-packed than I expected. Overall, I enjoyed the story and would gladly read a sequel. 4 stars.