With a name like Saffron, a life-path in botany seems like a no-brainer.

Set in London in the early 1920’s, A Botanists’s Guide to Parties and Potions is a dreamy mystery full of peculiar characters and lovable moments.

I was originally drawn to this book by the beautiful cover but the story contained behind the artwork is a masterpiece of its own.

The reader is immediately immersed in the social lives and intellectual world of research assistants and professors. We follow Saffron Everleigh and an unlikely, handsome side-kick as she tries to prove to the police and community that her beloved mentor would never use his botanical knowledge for evil, as some characters are lead to believe through a series of interrelated events.

I really enjoyed this book! While I LOVE historical fiction, I’m not necessarily one to pick up a mystery as my first-choice in genre but I devoured this story in two days.

4.5/5 - my only qualm is that I expected a bigger punch in the last few pages. Maybe we will put more pieces together about Saffron Everleigh in the future …

Highly enjoyed this one. Devoured it within a few days. Really likeable characters & easy to follow plot. It just wasn’t too memorable. Loved the witchy vibes with the potions & poisons. Would highly recommend for an easy read.

Thank you Netgalley, author, and the publishers for allowing me the opportunity to read this e-arc.

Really enjoyed this 1920s era book. Murder mystery based in the 19th and 20th century are some of my favourites and this book definitely met my expectations. The plot is excellent with great twists and turns, and some romance in their too. Also enjoyed the science and the fact that Saffron isn't afraid to follow in her fathers footsteps. Loved the tense atmosphere between the characters at the beginning an excellent set up for an attempted murder mystery book.

This book has everything I love. Murder mystery, a loveable main character and the ability to have me hooked from the start. Reading this book sent me into a world of my own that I didn’t leave until every last page was read. I really hope there will be a sequel as this book deserves that.

I enjoyed this gentle, Agatha Christie-esque story about a young female botanist working in a university during the early 1920s. The heroine Saffron deals with a range of situations including murder, misogyny and gentle romance which offer an interesting insight into the social norms within the era. The sections on poisons and plants are particularly interesting as they offer something a little different to other books of the same genre.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest and unbiased review.

I am often drawn to books that have a science angle and this one had a great title so, why not? I'm so glad to say that it lived up to its promising title! The story is light, interesting, perfectly paced, easy to follow and invest in. The main character is totally likable and a personable heroine in the post-ware era which saw women breaking out of traditional roles, especially in a University setting. Just enough science to keep nerds interested and just enough nefarious people to keep the mystery junkies turning the pages. Good read! Definitely recommend and I look forward to the next installment! Thanks to NetGalley and Crooked Lane Books for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/4259842593

London, 1923. Newly minted research assistant Saffron Everleigh attends a dinner party for the University College of London. While she expects to engage in conversations about the university's large expedition to the Amazon, she doesn’t expect Mrs. Henry, one of the professors’ wives to drop to the floor, poisoned by an unknown toxin. Her mentor turns out to be the main suspect so Saffron takes it upon herself to find out who really committed this murder. With the help of a fellow researcher, she does just that but not without lots of red herrings, fascinating locales and interesting characters. great historical detail that just transported right back to the 1920's. I am hoping these characters show up in another mystery soon! Thank you NetGalley for the advanced readers copy for review.

3.5
Anything that references D. Raybourn as a read alike I am game to try, but nothing ever lives up to the challenge. This book would probably have been a 4 if I wasn't constantly comparing. I almost wish I had gone in with no prior perceptions. That said I hope there is a follow up, because the characters were fun and I see a lot of growth for them.

This was a fresh take on the academic mystery and was a very enjoyable romantic mystery. It was erudite, but not inaccessible ( in all its botanical detail and lore) and the protagonists were motivated enough that their detective antics were credible. . . Even if some activities seemed a bit of a stretch.

Ms. Khavari has written an historic mystery that is both entertaining and interesting. I hope she will pursue these characters in other adventures. Netgalley provided me a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for a candid review.

Do you ever wonder how botanists spend their time? It is by researching poisonous plants and solving attempt to murder cases!.
This book was all about that and much more. The premise involved a university and the lives and politics surrounding the professionals involved.
The story was gripping from the get go and it was a real page turner. The hint of a romance was an added bonus.
Highly recommend to read this book.
Received an ARC from netgalley. Thank you netgalley for this amazing read!

Botany? Check. Poison? Check. Fearless academic searching for the truth? Check.

Kate Khavari's debut novel "A Botanist's Guide to Parties and Poisons" is a vine of mysteries perfect for those who love female-driven Sherlock Holmes novels. Saffron Everleigh, our heroine, is a woman in a man's field in 1920s London. Saffron has the credibility, education, know-how, and family connections to be a leader in the field of botany, but her male colleagues around her can't see past her one supposed fatal flaw: she's not a man.

This all changes when a colleague's wife drops to the floor at a party, poisoned. Saffron's mentor - one of the few colleagues who actually supports her research and work - is the accused. Realizing that her place in the botany department is jeopardized (and her kind boss doesn't seem like he'd be a murderer), Saffron pairs up with her Watson-like colleague, Alexander Ashton, to find the truth - including experimenting with poison themselves.

Saffron shines in this novel - she is the leader of her own investigation and she refuses to let less than pleasant colleagues to stop her or her growing friendship with Alexander distract her. This book is a must-read.

I felt like I was transported back to the 1920s and I LOVED it! The story was so incredibly atmospheric, and I flew through it. I never thought I'd learn this much about botany through a historical fiction book, but I'm absolutely not complaining! You can really see how much effort and work Kate put in to keep everything accurate.

Like Saffron, I'm a research assistant by day and I admired her character! She was very interesting and I really enjoyed watching her go through the process of trying to solve the mystery of the poisioning. I also really enjoyed watching her interact with Alexander and thought they worked quite well together!

I will admit I don't read as much mystery as I'd like to, and this 100% will make me read more mysteries! I'm very excited to see what comes next :))

A strong female character, some romance, a touch of science and the historical setting convinced me right away to read this book. The plot was well constructed and I enjoyed the mystery. It was an addictive read and I finished the book in one evening.

Although Saffron made some questionable decisions, I overall really liked her as a character. Her enthusiasm for plants and for her work is convincing and I enjoyed the setting in the academic world in historical London. I especially loved the botany aspect of this book. The descriptions of the greenhouses and the plants in particular were very creative.

I hope there will be a second book, because I would like to see what comes next for Saffron!

I would like to thank NetGalley and the author for supplying a copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review.

I really enjoyed reading this book! The mystery element is amazing and this book is well-written, the plot and twists are great and that cover art is gorgeous.

I usually read historical fiction from the Georgian/Regency/Victorian eras, but was intrigued by the blurb of this novel.

This is a mystery based in the academic world in post-Great War London. I was interested in the context of the heroine is a female academic at the time, rejecting her noble background to pursue a career in a sexist, male dominated world of science. Saffron is a daughter of a noted botanist, who was a viscount, but also a scientist working at the university, where she is now working as a research assistant to a mentor, Professor Maxwell. He was a colleague of her father's. Both her parents seemed to have a love of botany and plants, which was passed onto Saffron, but when she chose to pursue that as a career, she was not supported by her family and had to strike out on her own.

The start of the novel sets the scene, where the heroine meets the male protagonist, Alexander Ashton, at a social event celebrating a planned expedition to the Amazon. Her mentor, Dr. Maxwell, wanted to be part of this, but was rejected. Ashton is part of the planned expedition crew, headed by another professor, Dr. Henry. He is a man who seems rather notorious for his travel, but also for unfaithfulness to his wife, who is also at the party. Saffron, and Alexander, observe some interesting dynamics amongst the various people gathered at the gala. The night culminates in a toast to the expedition team, which ends with Dr. Henry's wife suddenly collapsing after taking some of the champagne. She ends up in a coma in the hospital and the police are brought in to investigate for a possible poisoning.

Dr. Maxwell turns out to have a specialty and interest in poisonous plants, and in light of some recent arguments in various people involved, is taken away by the police under suspicion of being the poisoner. Saffron cannot believe this is possible of her mentor and proceeds to investigate, with Alexander's assistance, what the poison could be, and who else could be involved.

I initially found the beginning of the book to be a bit slow and hard to get into, as it was a very detailed description of the party and those gathered about it. But it laid the groundwork as to various relationship dynamics and personalities of people involved. It did not help that the layout of the text was varying and inconsistent, but mine was a preview copy, so that should be eradicated in the final published work I presume. Regardless, the author did set up the atmosphere of the book, leading up the poisoning.

I enjoyed the development of the characters of Saffron and Alexander, and their relationship. She seems to be quite passionate about her research but very aware of being a female researcher and how others view her, and the struggle of being recognized. As it is, she appears to have had a number of negative experiences with other men in the department, which has made her wary, but also helps to frame her relationship with Dr. Maxwell, as he seems supportive of her academic endeavours and also father figure to her. So it is understandable how far she would go to prove him innocent.

Alexander is a good foil for her, and it was very intriguing how the author framed some of his experiences, such as being an injured World War I vet, and dealing with "shell shock". I did feel that perhaps more could have been done to more greatly explore this; it did feel rather glossed over to me, especially as there is a connection between Saffron and Alexander, since her father died in the war.

Through their work together, investigating the mystery of the poisoning, they develop a trust and friendship in each other, that becomes and attraction as well, but a cautious one. Especially in light of the expedition to the Amazon is still on, and any budding relationship would have to put up with a 6 month absence from each other. That is ultimately what happens, which makes me think that there is a future story involving these two, and perhaps more about their pasts and how it molds them into who they are.

Overall, after I got through the party at the beginning, I found the pace picked up and enjoyed the mystery that unfolded. I found that the author was very good at defining the various personalities involved, and there was a very creative use of botany and the plant descriptions. The description of the suspected poisonous plants and their effects were very colourful and particularly creative. I do look forward to any future storylines about Saffron and Alexander, and the development of their relationship. I would love to see if the Amazon figures in a story, and how Saffron proceeds with her career.

I received a preview copy from NetGalley and this is my freely given opinion.

A historical fiction with a good premise and a strong female character. The narrative supports the backdrop and gels seamlessly. The romantic portions pulls down the flavour and the theme and becomes cliched. Still an interesting book which would be better with some more emphasis on the botany part.

Thank you to NetGalley and Crooked Lane Books for the copy of this book. My review will be short but honest. The premise of the book was interesting and the main characters well developed. It was a good mystery but I couldn't help but feel it ended more suddenly. It was a shorter book too, probably could have been expanded some. Overall though, a quick interesting read.

I love finding new series and A Botanist's Guide to Parties and Poisons is amazing! The characters are so well done and I am looking forward to getting to know Saffron Everleigh better! A rare woman in the academic world, she is working on her graduate studies in Botany when her mentor is arrested for murder. She doesn't believe he is a murderer and decides to clear his name. Alexander Ashton is a worthy sidekick and just maybe something more. As they investigate the shenanigans of the department and university's faculty and staff, they uncover several motives for murder! The plot is extremely well done and Kate Khavari is a wonderful storyteller. I look forward to the next book! Thank you to #NetGalley for the opportunity to read #ABotanistsGuidetoPartiesandPoisons.

A well rounded and intriguing story, accurately describing both the historical and geographical settings. Interestingly developed characters and twists which keep one's attention throughout, endearing and chiking at the same times. Excellent read.