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.

First let me say this book has a beautiful cover. The story line of a historical mystery with adventure sounds intriguing. Unfortunately, this book falls flat. The majority of the book is spent giving backstories and explanations while little of the book has story movement. It seems to spin in place as the main characters continually try to discover who is responsible for the murder all the while the story really doesn't go anywhere. I powered through to the end hoping it would pick up the pace- not really. Compared to the rest of the story, the ending was rushed. Disappointing read.

A fun spooky read for the witchy reader! There is a lot of science based reading in this, so not for someone trying to find a fast read. But the romance is fun and so is the girl power!

Trainee botanist Saffron Everleigh attends a party at a posh London house in 1923. But while the guests are gathered to celebrate an upcoming expedition to the Amazon, one of the toasts turns deadly, and Saffron's mentor is suspected of murder. Now she's teamed up with a handsome biologist to try to clear his name.

I should like this? But it's all over the place - Saffron has no clue what she's doing - she just starts randomly suspecting people with incredibly far-fetched theories. The POV switches back and forth between Saffron and fellow researcher Alexander Ashton, which was confusing at times. The action is a bit ludicrous, and Saffron makes some incredibly stupid choices that it's hard to root for her. This feels like it needed another turn or two through the editing process before being released to readers.

Unfortunately it wasn't as good as I wanted it to be: the plot it's interesting, the characters had a lot of potential, it touches several important topics (mysoginy, ptsd,sexual assault), but it was all a bit bland: just a couple of mentions, a bit of telling, but not real conversations on the subjects...I would have loved a bit more depth in, well, everything. Also, the pace was a bit off: it started very slow (it's understandable when your setting up your story), but it picked up the pace to a run in the last third, I felt it a bit unbalanced So, just an ok read for me, entertaining but a bit forgettable.

I was drawn to this book from the title and cover. But was disappointed in the story itself. First I loved the 1920's female in a man's world and how smart she is. I loved the attraction with her fellow scientist, but wanted more of that, I didnt feel the romance expand. The pace lagged, the "action" seemed far fetched, I thought scientists would be smarter! All in all an enjoyable read, but I wanted it to be better!

Thank you to Netgalley for the advanced readers copy I received for the purpose of reviewing this book.

This book has been an excellent read for my holidays, I enjoyed the atmosphere of a 1920’s University and the first female botanist in a University apartment.

I enjoyed Saffron Everleigh as a character and look forward to reading more of her adventures, she is well created as an actual person with a genuine curiosity and I enjoyed reading of her explorations. I felt the characters surrounding Saffron added to the world and provided a good perspective on who she is and who she surrounds herself with.

The historic setting for me mad the text enjoyable and the character traits understandable.

In some ways Saffron makes me think of a young and new Miss Phryne Fisher and I enjoyed the book.

I highly recommend this book if you want an enjoyable read and a light adventure.

Thanks to NetGalley, Crooked Lane Books, and Kate Khavari for an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Synopsis: Set in 1923, Saffron Everleigh is a research assistant in the department of botany at University College of London. When Saffron’s beloved mentor is accused of poisoning a professor’s wife, Saffron finds herself in a race against time to help clear his name and discover who is actually to blame. With the help of her colleague and friend, Alexander Ashton, Saffron won’t rest until she finds out the truth.

Review: Wow. Hats off to Kate Khavari. This is a stunning, fast-paced, engaging, absolutely beautiful piece of work!

The story itself is a classic whodunnit—at a dinner party for the University College of London, a guest collapses and is presumed to be poisoned. It felt like playing a game of Clue! I was excited to try and figure out the real perpetrator while reading.

The main characters are amazing, in a word. The development of Saffron and Alexander as well as their relationship was really the main selling point for me. They work incredibly alongside each other and have some really interesting, fun banter (as well as some tense, chemistry ridden scenes). They also have a connection relevant to the era that attaches them and helps strengthen their relationship.

The writing was really enjoyable and I loved all of the descriptions of the University, the greenhouses, and the characters themselves. I felt like I good really picture each scene and I love being able to do that. The writing made me want to make an aesthetic mood board of this book (as well as go water my plants...)

And of course, this cover and this title are to die for. A title like this feels like it should be an absolute requirement for mysteries.

Overall, really, really amazing work by Kate Khavari. I can’t wait to get my hands on a print copy of this when it comes out next year!

(Trigger warning for mentions of past sexual assault and attempted sexual assault)

I have not read a book this fast in quite a while. It hit some of my favorite things; It took place in 1920s London. It had a murder mystery. And we had two very cute, very nerdy main characters. And as a fan of Agatha Christie or any book/movie/tv show that captures the essence of Agatha Christie, A Botanist's Guide to Parties and Poisoning perfectly captured that.
And while I do love solving fictional crimes, the two main characters are the reason why I loved this story so much. They were just too cute. We had Saffron who is a research assistant for a doctorate professor in botany at the university, but being a woman, she is looked down upon or assumed she slept her way to her spot. But her excitement and affection for botany is contagious and I loved reading her talk all about the science of it, even as someone who does not have a science-oriented mind. And then we have Alexander who is the biologist who will be representing their department in an upcoming expedition to Brazil. He starts off a little distant, a little aloof, but that makes him opening up even sweeter.
Honestly, I loved this story so much that I am at a loss for words. Like I wish I could do a better job convincing you to read this book, but you will just have to trust me when I say, READ IT. Especially if you like murder mysteries, it is going to be your next favorite book.

Review of A Botanist’s Guide to Parties and Poisons by Kate Khavari

Thank you NetGalley and Crooked Lane Books for access to this eARC in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

This book is a historical fiction and mystery novel starring Saffron Everleigh, an assistant to Dr. Maxwell of the botany department at the University College of London. Saffron is attending a party where a colleague’s wife is poisoned, and she falls into a coma. When her boss is accused of the poisoning, Saffron investigates and along the way, she develops feelings for one of her coworkers who assists her in the investigation. The prose in this novel is beautiful. The mystery is compelling and there are new twists and rising stakes at every turn. The romance in this book is sweet and I appreciated that it wasn’t the main focus of the story. I really loved this book. It has some hard to read moments, but it’s an exciting story and the romance was really lovely. Saffron is a funny and impulsive protagonist and I can’t wait to read more of her adventures.

5 out of 5 stars

Trigger warnings: mentions of a past sexual assault, a description of an attempted sexual assault, and violence

A Botanist’s Guide to Parties and Poisons by Kate Khavari is scheduled to be published on June 7, 2022.

*This book was received as an Advanced Reviewer's Copy from NetGalley.

I went back and forth with how I felt about this book. There were many elements I enjoyed; botany, intrigue, a female character trying to rise through a male-dominated profession. And then were elements I didn't enjoy, namely, the romance. Overall, I'd say this one landed at about 3.5 stars for me.

Saffron, our intrepid protagonist, is an assistant at a botany department at her college. As such, she gets to assist others with their dreams and experiments, without driving much of her own. But then, at a party she attends with other faculty, someone is poisoned, and the main suspect is the professor that she works under. She knows it's not him, but how to prove it.

For a scientist, Saffron is wont to take risks and not really think things through. This made the plot drive along, but maybe didn't help her image as someone who can critically think. In fact, she had to rely on her counterpart to save the day at least. Which I didn't really want to see. Well, that and the romance just seemed kind of forced. I would have much preferred they stay friends and drive the plot that way.

I did enjoy all the talk of plants and how plant genetics worked (very brief, but hey, it's there). While I'm not going to vouch for its scientific accuracy, it was at least believable. And the thriller/mystery part of the book was fine. Not too hard to guess, not too easy either.

This was a decent book. The cover and title alone make it worth the intrigue.

Review by M. Reynard 2021

Many thanks to author Kate Khavari, to publishers Crooked Lane Books and to NetGalley for the ARC of A Botanist's Guide to Parties and Poisons. This is my honest opinion.

The first two things I noticed about this book were the beautiful cover and the name of the novel. What a perfect way to set the atmosphere for this lovely and intriguing mystery set in London in 1923, and the atmosphere is really a tangible this all through the novel!

Saffron Everleigh is a research assistant in the botany department in the University College of London. Saffron attends a fancy dinner party where a wife of one of the professors is poisoned and the blame seems to fall on her professor. Saffron is certain that her dear friend is being framed and is determined to use her extensive knowledge of botany to prove it. She infects a fellow researcher, the handsome Alexander Ashton with her enthusiastic sleuthing.

The style of writing is very well fitted to the time the story is set in, while still being just modern enough to avoid sounding tedious (although some of the wording used would not have been appropriate for England in the 1920's, but that was forgivable for me).

I loved how well researched the different aspects of the story were.
Also, some bits of the story were peppered with dry cynicism which was very fitting for the time and place.
Lastly - the romance in the book was just right.

I have never read anything by Ms. Khavari and having enjoyed this book so much, I looked her up.
In her website she writes: "I write the books I wish I could find..." I'm so glad to have found this book :)

3.5 stars-I liked this one- it just missed being a “love” for me though and I can’t quite put my finger on why. There were parts that dragged a bit but it was fairly fast paced and I enjoyed the mystery and intrigue. Saffron was a great main character and I did love her unconventional approach to living her life and taking charge!

A pleasant read set in the 1920s with the character Saffron coming across as a well rounded, personable young woman of her time. The descriptions depict the era beautifully and paint a picture that is highly believable.
My enjoyment was, however, somewhat marred by the use of American spelling for book set in England, American vocabulary (for example, we don't have sidewalks in London, we have pavements, women in Britain carry handbags not pocketbooks !) and the constant use of Saffron to designate the character. I felt a little 'tidying up' was required and this was the reason for only four stars. Apart from these personal annoyances, the book was very enjoyable.

“How on Earth did Saffron find charming information out of people so easy?” -From A Botanist’s Guide to Parties and Poisons

3 stars

Can we talk about this cover? What a dream. And the title? I HAD to read this book. I was immediately pulled into this murder mystery (without an actual murder) that made me feel I was thrown into a game of Clue. Unfortunately, the pace lagged most of the rest of the book. There also felt no real stakes, with no murder being committed. We just are wandering around the university, breaking into gardens and offices rather than do work. I would have liked to see Saffron work on more academic things- not use her “charm” to ask people questions and look over paper. She’s not really that great a detective. I didn’t feel any real romance coming off the two main characters, especially after his quick dismissal at her research project being accepted at the near end. Saffron does a lot of stupid things for the sake of plot. It still was a fairly enjoyable read with a different setting than I’m used to, but not the knockout I thought it would be when I first started reading. If you enjoy historical fiction and mysteries I would give it a go.

Thank you to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for an advanced e-copy in exchange for an honest review.

A Botanists’s Guide to Parties and Poisons is an elegant his-mystery fic with a vivacious main character who has a mind of her own. The story is set in a post world war 1 academic setting and portrays the struggles and challenges faced by women at that period in a simplistic yet engaging manner. The way the author paints the ambition and independence of the main character throughout the plot is admirable. She is quirky yet thrives on being taken seriously as a professional academician, which hits true enough today. For a debut novel, the author definitely did a praise worthy job of making botany colorful and enjoyable. Although the story could have more potential with the pace, which seemed too drawn out and slow for the beginning 60% and rushed rather abruptly towards the end, it makes a splendid light read.
Thank you Net Galley and Crooked Lane Books for this e-arc in exchange for my review!
I published this review on goodreads on September 30, 2021.

With grateful thanks to netgalley for an early copy in return for an honest opinion.
Not my normal reading but was drawn to the book by the cover a totally new author as well its quite a intriguing read I was slightly unsure in the beginning but actually really e joyed it.

3.5 stars

I really liked the character of Saffron. She came across as very realistic, with strengths and weaknesses. She and Alexander were very different types of people but seemed to balance each other well. For some reason, this wasn’t a mystery that I tried to solve, but I just went along for the ride experiencing everything right along with Saffron. This was an interesting look into 1920’s life.

Thank you Net Galley and Crooked Lane Books for this digital arc in exchange for my honest review.

#NetGalley #ABotanist’sGuidetoPartiesandPoisons

While I never thought I would use these two words together this novel is - a witty, mystery. The main character is a bit nutty with an infectious disposition. I found myself smiling as I read. The book was incredibly well-written. While I wasn’t super surprised by the ending, the journey was pretty fun. Thanks Netgalley for the ARC. I published this review on goodreads on September 29, 2021 and will publish an Amazon review closer to publication.

Truly, an enjoyable start to a new series. Kate K. is a fairly new author on the scene, but you can’t tell because the story flows so well. The characters, especially Saffron (pretty name!) and Alexander, had great presence and good chemistry. Alexander is a very layered character; he is just the right combination of mystery and allure. He was part of the element that kept me coming back for more. Saffron is a very driven lead. Who as a botanist and research assistant, is still mourning the death of her father. She was hard to get to know though, but maybe it was just my mood? But what is a series for if not to get to know them more?

I guessed about halfway through who did the crime. That's not a real big surprise, but there are some surprising twists and turns toward the end. Especially dealing with the apprehension of who committed it. (My eyebrows raised for several pages!) I enjoyed that part to the max!
Ending a book with a smile on my face and ready for more is what I love. Very much looking forward to the next book in the series.