I absolutely adored this book. It had both romance and an intriguing and powerful female main character. The mystery element was well executed, and I loved learning about botany through the eyes of our heroine. This book kept my attention throughout and I thoroughly enjoyed every moment. Three cheers for Kate Khavari!

Synopsis

It's a race against the clock to find who the true criminal is or else your mentor professor ends up behind bars. This is no faint task as we are dealing with poisons, which thankfully you are knowledgeable about. But will that be enough?

Saffron Everleigh works with Dr. Maxwell at the University College of London in the botany department. As the two attend a dinner party, an unexpected crime occurs. A fellow professor's wife is unexpectedly poisoned and in a coma. The police immediately put Dr. Maxwell into custody. While Saffron knows that Dr. Maxwell could never do this, everyone else is preoccupied with the university's upcoming expedition to the Amazon. Saffron will have to navigate all these obstacles, plus being a women in the 1920's. With the help of Alexander Ashton (a fellow researcher) the two have their handful while attempting to find the culprit.

Content Warning: Poisoning, mentions of sexual assault, some violence, mention of war, off-page death of parent in war.

Thoughts?

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

Before I get into the story review, can we please talk about this cover! Immediately when I saw this book I was attracted to the cover. The colors are vibrant and classy. Once I read the book it matched the vibe of the mystery and Saffron as a character. I would 100% want this book on my shelf.

Once I started this book I had a hard time stopping. I thoroughly enjoy a good historical fiction, but when you add in the mystery side of things its a new dynamic that keeps things interesting. Saffron is a character who is well advanced for her time. She sees the struggles of being a women in academia and society, but that does not stop her from finding out the truth. She is determined no matter what happens.

While she is partnered with Alexander Ashton for this story, she is still the primary lead and the attraction the two characters have does not take away from the story. I was following along with their mystery and attempting to figure out who could have poisoned Mrs. Henry. I did not see the criminal coming which allowed me to stay engaged in the mystery.

The one thing about writing reviews for mystery books is to make sure to not reveal too much that will spoil the mystery. I guess the main notable points that I would mention is that the characters are developed well, but I feel like there are parts of the story missing (specifically from Alexander's perspective). Saffron introduces the world of women in the 1920s and in academia, and it is done well. I was far more intrigued by the ideas of poisons then I should have comfortably been. Lastly, that cover is something I have a hard time forgetting.

I now wonder what the next mystery will look like for Saffron and if Alexander will be involved after that ending?

Final Review

Do I think this is a good book?

Absolutely! I wish that there were more books in the series ready to go, I would have immediately started the next one.

Would you classify this as a cozy mystery?

Uhh...I know that some people will classify historical mysteries as a cozy mystery, but I would say that this one can fall into the category of standard historical mystery.

Would I recommend this to anyone and everyone?

I would recommend this to anyone who enjoys historical fiction and mysteries.

This debut mystery by Kate Khavari will be fun for fans of Veronica Speedwell, Lady Darby and Pentecost and Parker. The protagonist, Saffron Everleigh, is an under-rated research assistant at University College of London. With the help of another researcher, she investigates the death of the wife of a faculty member. The book is set in a period when expeditions to under-explored continents could make scientists famous and rich. Saffron, a botanist, is just looking to successfully find a well deserved place in academia.

I'm excited to see that Book #2 is coming up in 2023!

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

"Cozy" mysteries are not usually my "thing". I like the twists and turns and WTF-ness of more contemporary thrillers, so I was hesitant going into this that I wouldn't enjoy it. But I was wrong! The coziness actually drew me in, and I loved the different take on the 1920s. I look forward to seeing where book two takes the reader!

This was a great start to a new series. I really liked Saffron as well as Alexander. I thought it was a really good mystery and I had a hard time figuring it out. I do think the MC was a bit dumb for taking the poison plant stuff to see if it was what really harmed the victimn and bad on her to leave it to Alexander to have to deal with things when she couldn't. Overall though I found it enjoyable.

I received this and as an eARC to read for free in exchange for my honest review. Thank you to NetGalley and Crooked Lane Books for giving me access.

I am a sucker for mysteries and this cover just instantly grabbed my attention. Much like the cover, the story drew me in as well. I did find the pacing to be a little slow at times, but overall I really enjoyed it.

If you love cozy mysteries, strong women, historical fiction, and a splash of romance…this is for you.

A lively romp set in the 1920s, but with a different take than I've read before. I enjoyed the mystery and setting in the university as well as the growing relationship between the main characters.

The main suspects in this enjoyable mystery are professors and their teaching assistants when main character, likeable and slightly reckless Saffron Everleigh, decides to investigate when her mentor Dr. Maxwell is accused of attempting to murder a fellow professor's wife.

Saffron is highly knowledgeable about plants and poisons, but because she’s a woman, her knowledge is not rated highly. Instead, she’s either talked down to, dismissed, or, in the case of the head of the department, sexually assaulted. Dr. Maxwell ensured Saffron could stay on at the university as his assistant, and as far from the department head as possible, for her safety.

Dr. Maxwell’s arrest by police disturbs Saffron’s careful maneuvering through the department, and calls into question who will now head up a months-long research trip to the Amazon. This question is quickly answered when a new teaching assistant Ashton takes his place on the expedition, dashing Saffron’s hope of attending the trip. And, surprisingly, Ashton proves to not be a misogynistic jerk, unlike pretty much everyone else she deals with at the university, and soon he’s somewhat unwillingly helping Saffron investigate, using her knowledge of poisons. In fact, the detective on the case solicits her help, too, finding she knows more about poisons than the coroner does.

If he isn’t cleared, Dr. Maxwell’s livelihood and reputation are at risk, as well as Saffron's position within the university. Saffron ends up uncovering lots of bad blood between professors, divorces and affairs, as well as professional one-upmanship. She also ends up finding the murderer, at risk to herself, starting a romance, and gaining the opportunity to be a consultant for the police.

Though a little rough in parts, this was an entertaining story. The constant jockeying for position amongst the pompous professors and their assistants was well handled. Saffron was, at first, a little hard for me to get a handle on, but as the book progressed, she grew on me. Her tendency to experiment on herself had me worried for her, but her need to find justice for her mentor was laudable, and I look forward to see where Saffron’s new confidence and poisons consulting takes her.

Thank you to Netgalley and to Crooked Lane Books for this ARC in exchange for my review.

This book is such a different take on the 1920s!

It focuses on the role of women in the university system in 1920s Great Britain. Well, the book isn't about that, you know. It's a mystery, with attempted murders, a few suspects, and many plants, including poisonous ones. But the protagonist, Saffron Everleigh, is a botanist who works as an assistant for a University of London professor.

This is the part that I enjoyed most. Through Saffron, I had the opportunity to experience what being a female researcher meant in the mid-1920s. At that time, women had just earned the right to get a degree from a British university, and everyone was still adjusting to the fact that women could indeed be as brilliant researchers as men - or even more brilliant, why not?
The author gives this part of Saffron's life a lot of space, even if it never becomes the story's centre (which is the mystery), and I really enjoyed that.

I also loved the relationship between Saffron and Alexander. A great couple, if you ask me. It was always meant to become a romance, of course, but for most of this book, it is more of a budding relationship, which is also unusual in this kind of story, and I really, really enjoyed that.

The university setting is brilliant. The place, the fields of research and the way people went about it. I loved learning about the exploring expeditions, which were still a thing in the 1920s, and about the people who frequented the university. Everything is so vivid and so skillfully presented.

There's a lot to this book apart from the murder. And that's why I think it's worth giving it a go.

Such a cosy mystery, loved how easy to read this one was. Also loved all of the scientific details. I preferred the botany over the parties, so I was happy with the balance between the two. Loved the writing style.

Cozy mysteries, especially historical ones, are usually not my cup of tea. However, I found this one to be just the right length, level of intrigue, and coziness! The little mystery really did have me curious, and I loved the botanical/academic setting. I will definitely be keeping an eye out for book 2!

(3.5 stars)

I really enjoyed this light and easy historical fiction. Following Saffron through the story felt realistic if not sometimes predictable. Great book if you’re looking for a light and easy palate cleanser in between more intense books.

3 stars

I like historical fiction/period pieces. I like mysteries (although lately, I tend to get more enjoyment out of thrillers). Apparently, I don’t always love how those genres work together. The premise of the story was appealing, the narrative features a strong and independent (if ridiculously, dangerously stubborn) female protagonist, and the cover is gorgeous; even so, I felt my attention wandering a lot because, for some reason, I couldn’t stay focused on it. It wasn’t badly written, but it just didn’t work for me as well as I’d hoped it would. Ah well- they can’t all be winners, and I’m still sure that other readers will be able to appreciate it more than I did.

(3.5 stars)

This book was a very sweet and light read for me. I liked the historical setting and the characters were pretty likeable although I didn’t really relate to Saffron but it still worked in terms of this being a good mystery overall.
I wasn’t entirely gripped during the middle of the novel as I felt like too many characters and plotlines were overlapping one another. However there were some really beautiful lines within this book as Saffron observes the society around her. A worthwhile read with a satisfying conclusion.

I really enjoyed this quick and easy read! This mystery had a few different suspects to keep readers guessing up until the final section of the book. Though minimal, I did also enjoy the bit of romance as well. I world recommend this book if you are looking for something lighter and engaging.

Saffron is Dr. Maxwell's assistant in the Biology Department at University College in London. When Dr. Maxwell gets arrested for a colleague's murder, Saffron works to prove his innocence.
This is a well-written book. I love the banter between Saffron and Alexander and how well they work together to prove Dr. Maxwell is innocent. The book is a little slow at the beginning but picks up in the middle of the story. The book focuses a lot on mental health issues and how to deal with them.
Thank you to NetGalley and Crooked Lane Books for the ARC in exchange for my honest review!

Super fun and enjoyable book - can’t wait for a follow up book!

It’s set in the 1920’s in London, reminiscent of some of the golden age mysteries. The protagonist, Saffron Everleigh, is female; she has to deal with some of the discrimination against women typical of the period, but besides being the main reason she investigate the mysterious death, it’s not a major theme. Likewise, she didn’t have too many current day ideals and sensibilities as other historical books that I’ve read have had. I enjoyed the interaction between Saffron and Mr. Alexander Aston.

Highly, highly recommended.

I received a free copy of this book from NetGalley.com and voluntarily chose to review.

A Botanist’s Guide to Parties and Poisons is a slowly-paced historical mystery.

Set in 1923 at the University College of London, where Saffron Everleigh is attending a dinner party when Mrs. Henry, a professor’s wife, suddenly collapses. The police begin an investigation, which soon reveals that someone poisoned Mrs. Henry. Further investigation leads them to believe that Saffron’s mentor Dr. Maxwell is the primary suspect.

Written in the classic whodunnit style the storyline moves along at a good pace with an interesting cast of characters. Saffron is a likeable and strong protagonist holding her own in a man’s world. Overall a good mystery with the potential to be a series. However, where this book fell short was the pacing. I found it to be very slow and draggy, especially through the middle section. I also wasn’t a huge fan of the romance. It felt forced and clunky.

The references to plants and poisons were the best part – well researched and cleverly blended into the story, but other than that, nothing lived up to the expectations that the gorgeous cover and title had managed to set up.

A Botanist’s Guide to Parties and Poisons has a satisfactory mystery storyline.

I was excited by the blurb of this book, however, I was left disappointed. While the first few pages kept me hooked, it got a bit too tedious. Not as much as a good read as I had hoped

I very much enjoyed this historical mystery and loved the team of Alexander and Saffron.
Many thanks to Crooked Lane Books and to NetGalley for providing me with a galley in exchange for my honest opinion.