A Botanist's Guide to Parties and Poisons tells the story of Saffron, a research assistant and botanist that gets embroiled in a scheme when her favorite professor and colleague is accused of poisoning his wife. This book reads like a mystery, but it wasn't quite what I thought it would be. This was a little to "cozy mystery" for me, with all the loose ends tied neatly up by the end. Also, there was a touch of romance, with a budding relationship between Saffron and Alexander, a fellow professor and World War I veteran.

This book wasn't really my cup of tea, in the end. I find myself having a difficult time focusing and staying with cozy mysteries, and although this wasn't exactly billed as such, it reminded me greatly of a "cozy". I had a hard time paying attention to the recording, and found myself not really caring one way or the other with what happened to the characters in the story. It was too "light" for my tastes, but that is not to say that this would appeal to a very wide audience of people, generally speaking. There was nothing in particular wrong with this book, it just was, in the end, not my type of book.

I found it to be well written, with fairly relatable characters. I didn't love the name "Saffron" but it seemed perfect for a "cozy mystery" type.

I enjoyed the narrator, and that is what drew me initially into the story. I found her easy to listen to and understand, and really enjoyed that aspect of this book.

Thank you to the author, narrator, publisher and Net Galley for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Okay first of all, how pretty is this cover?! The cover and the title drew me in instantly and the story itself didn’t disappoint.

The story takes us to London in the 1920s, where a group of academics and scientists are getting ready to leave on an expedition to the Amazon. But at a dinner party prior to their departure, someone is poisoned with an unknown toxin. As Saffron Everleigh takes it upon herself to figure out who did it and why, she just might be in danger herself.

A cozy, historical mystery with a touch of romance? Sign me up. A strong, sassy, smart heroine who doesn’t take any shit? Double sign me up. I loved Saffron throughout the entire story and thought she was super relatable. The setting felt intimate and I felt like I could picture myself in the greenhouses and at the university. While the romance wasn’t the main focus (which I enjoyed), it felt genuine and well developed.

Sometimes I find myself spacing out a bit when listening to audiobooks, but Jodie Harris does an excellent job with narrating. Overall, really enjoyed this cozy mystery and would recommend!
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5

I love a historical cozy mystery, but this one fell a little flat. There was very little build up of tension. Saffron essentially did whatever she pleased (which was often dangerous-self poisoning anyone) without anyone trying to talk her out of it. Not her love interest, her boss, or the police! Her thought process was also on the shallow side.

The saving grace was the narration by Jodie Harris! I loved her voice, it was perfect for getting the reader into the mindset of 1920s London.

DISCLAIMER: I received this book free from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

This audiobook was very fun and exciting to listen to. I love a good murder mystery, and this one gave me Agatha Christie vibes. I loved listening to how Saffron tried to solve the murder herself, and all the various twists and turns the story took. The 1920's time period was a fun addition. The narrator had good pacing.

3.5. I wish the characters were a bit more developed. They come right out of the gate with the murder, but you really only follow one main character.
It has all the elements of a long ago who done it! It’s hard to suspect ppl you don’t know a lot about.

Love the botany element! Big thanks to NetGalley and Kate Khavari for the early listen.

A Botanist’s Guide to Parties and Poisons was such a fun book to listen to.

Saffron Everleigh is a female botanist, smart and personable, who is also subject to the whims of male professors at University College, including a traumatic, almost sexual, encounter with the unpleasant Dr. Birking. She’s attending a party honoring those professors leaving on an expedition to the Amazon, where Mrs. Henry, wife of a professor, is poisoned, and her professor, Dr. Maxwell, is arrested. Believing him innocent, she starts her own investigation into the crime, along with her colleague and romantic interest, Alexander Ashton. What a fun ride the investigation becomes, and the solution to the crime has some unexpected twists.

The narrator, Jodie Harris, was excellent. I had a bit of a hard time in the beginning understanding her British accent, but it soon wasn’t an issue at all. She was so expressive at times with the various character’s dialogue, and that made listening even more of a pleasure.

My thanks to Dreamscape Media and to Netgalley for providing an ALC of the book.

In London, 1923 at University College of London exists a very rare Saffron. This particular varietal is Saffron Everleigh, a research assistant, notable in that she is the first woman to hold such a position, and the only woman currently in the Biology Department, . She works as the research assistant to Dr. Maxwell. A celebratory party is held in advance of an Amazonian expedition which would have researchers from various departments of the University travel to Brazil, the mouth of the river to collect samples, and conduct research in a wide variety of disciplines. Dr Henry, a known ladies man, was to lead the expedition,
It at this party that she strikes up a conversation with Alexander Ashton, a fellow researcher in another department, Their conversation is cut short as they are called in to a decadent dinner. While after dinner drinks and conversation are being consumed, Mrs. Henry, Dr. Henry's wife, falls to the ground, a victim of poisoning. But who would do such a thing and why?
Dr Maxwell is soon arrested for the crime, as he has poisonous plants in his possession, Saffron is determined to prove his innocence and Alexander Ashton is by her side to discover the ruth of what happened. This is an adventure that could prove fatal for both of them.
Kate Khavari beautifully layers description of time and place, the challenges of being a woman in the university system, and the budding relationship between Alexander and Saffron. Wrap all of this in adventure and mystery and you have wonderfully entertaining story,
The cover art is also worth mentioning. It is refreshing to see a unique and beautiful piece of art as well as choice of font. I hope I never have to see the back of two figures holding hands, or a suitcase as they walk toward the horizon that represent their story, This is refreshing,
I look forward to more adventures with Saffron and Alexander...please!
My thanks to NetGallery for audio ARC of this book in exchange for my honest opinion,

What a treat! I listened to the audio, and the narration was well-done, and the story very enjoyable.

I enjoyed following Saffron, and appreciated the attention paid to her struggles as a young woman trying to make a life in academia in the 1920's.

A Botanist's Guide to Parties and Poisons
by Kate Khavari, narrated by Jodie Harris

It's 1923 and Saffron Everleigh is the first woman to hold a research assistant position at University College of London. She loves botany and the work she does but she's run into a variety of male roadblocks while at the college. Still, she thinks the world of her mentor, Dr. Maxwell, and can't let things stand when he is the main suspect for the poisoning of a colleague's wife. Saffron was right there when the woman fell to the ground and she has a few suspicions about who may have poisoned Mrs. Henry.

Saffron soon joins forces with fellow researcher, Alexander Ashton. My favorite parts of the story are when they are joking and flirting. It's obvious they are attracted to each other and would make a great couple. So we have these two researchers trying their hands at amateur detective work since Saffron wants to clear her mentor's name but also wants to determine who really did poison Mrs. Henry. Saffron, with assistance from Alexander, has no qualms about breaking, entering, or stealing and the stodgy head investigator doesn't really seem to mind what she does, either.

There is a lot of plant talk, especially since a plant or plants could be one of the suspects. What we have here is a cozy historical mystery thriller and I would like to see more because I like the duo of Saffron and Alexander very much. Oh, and there is a party or two...shudder...I'm much happier with science than with parties! Jodie Harris does a lovely job of narrating the story.

Thank you to Dreamscape Media and NetGalley for this ARC.

**3.5 stars**

Step into the 1920s and travel to London. This cozy historical mystery will have you investigating deadly plants in a effort to solve a murder mystery.
I enjoyed the botanist angle and where the book takes place at the university. The descriptions are so vivid. It was so easy to picture in my mind.
I found Saffron to be a bit impulsive with her decisions. But in a way understood why she may have done some things. The story dragged for me in the middle and I struggled to pay attention.
The narrator, Jodie Harris did a wonderful job portraying Saffron and the secondary characters. The accent felt authentic to me.
I would recommend this book to lovers of botany, historical mystery, and romance.

Special thanks to Netgalley and Dreamscape Media for the ALC.

The beautiful cover had me eyeing this book for months!

Saffron is an up and coming botanist. In the early 20th century she's facing a lot of push back from her male superiors and peers with rumors and judgments coming from every angle.

When a professor's wife is poisoned at a party speculation ramps up about who could have done it. Saffron is drawn to the puzzle of it all and begins conducting her own investigation to solve it.

She uncovers all manner of sordid relationships, secrets, lies and quite a lot of danger all with a dash of romance from an investigative partner.

A party for an expedition and a poisoning led this book on a classic whodunit.

I liked all of the science details in this book and could really invision the inner workings of the University by the attention to detail that the author gives (especially the poison experiments). What I struggled with was that the middle of this book felt so slow. I think I needed more suspense in the mystery, but found myself glad to be distracted distracted by the Saffron and Alex relationship.

Overall a classic mystery with a bit of an added romance.

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for providing me a copy of this Audiobook for my honest review.

4 ⭐️ // What a cozy, whodunnit mystery!

The title and book cover first caught my eye, and when I read the description, I knew it would be a story I would enjoy.

The main character, Saffron, was relatable and intriguing. I was constantly trying to figure out what was going on inside her mind. Plus, I enjoyed the narrator’s voice, and she made the story come alive!

Otherwise, it was a little hard for me to keep all the characters straight in my head, but once I figured out who was who, I was doing my own mini investigation on potential motives!

What I liked —
🌍 Book based in Europe
🔎 Mystery / Whodunnit
🎩 Based in the 1920’s
🏛 Historical Fiction
👓 “Talk Nerdy to Me” Vibes

Read this book if —
🕵️‍♀️You aspire to be the next Nancy Drew
🌿You know everything about plants
❤️‍🔥Slow burn romances are your cup of tea
🥂You’d drink champagne at a party
👩‍🔬Science was your best subject in school

TW: sexual assault, sexism, parental death, war

Thank you, NetGalley and Dreamscape Media, for providing me an ARC copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Massive thank you to Netgalley for this audiobook. My deepest apologies for any spelling mistakes I might make.

A perfect mystery that anyone who is a fan of the genre will appreciate, whether or not you are also a fan of historical fiction.

Saffron Everleigh is a riveting main character as a woman in STEM. Which is, to say, difficult enough of a field for a woman to be respected in nowadays let alone the time period the book is set. Her intelligence isn't simply "just because" or stated that she is, it's shown again and again how hardworking she is with her research and care– both as a botanist, and now as a self-appointed detective. It's impossible to not root for her and relate.

Attempted murder, multiple poisonings, a blooming (see what I did there?) friendship between colleagues that begins climbing to perhaps something more... A Botanist's Guide to Parties and Poisons keeps the twisting vines of the story's plotlines compelling till the very end.

This was such a unique historical fiction piece that relied totally on plants the other love of my life second to books. It was so cool to see a woman take center stage at this time in history and really allowed us to delve even further into her story. The murder aspect was so interesting and the fact that there were so many players was really fun too!

ARC audiobook provided by NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

“A Botanist's Guide to Parties and Poisons” follows the story of Saffron Everleigh in a race against time to identify a poisoner and free her professor, Dr. Maxwell. The story takes place in London in 1923. Saffron is a research assistant to Dr. Maxwell at the University College of London. While attending a party for the University, she bears witness to Mrs. Henry, the wife of a professor, drop to the floor having been poisoned by an unknown toxin.

Dr. Maxwell is quickly identified by the police as the main suspect, and the evidence against him quickly multiplies. Saffron is convinced of his innocence and is determined to find out the truth to free him, no matter what the risk. Saffron soon enlists the help of a fellow researcher, Alexander Ashton, and the hunt for the poisoner begins. Will they be able to free Dr. Maxwell, or is he not as innocent as Saffron believes? As the story twists and turns, the evidence leads Saffron and Alexander down a dangerous path. Will they solve the mystery in time, or will their hunt for the truth put them right in the sights of the poisoner?

I enjoyed this mystery and its many twists and turns. The descriptions of the world of 1923 and the characters living therein was flushed out well. The author’s writing style made it easy to be swept up in this historical fiction, and the book was nicely paced to keep me engrossed. The main characters were likeable and engaging, taking me along for the ride. I found myself rooting for Saffron and Alexander, and the story kept me guessing until the very end. The satisfying ending itself made sense in hindsight, and it wrapped up well without feeling rushed.

My ARC copy of this book was an audiobook, so I must comment on the narrator. As a whole, I do believe she did a good job. Her narration kept me engaged with the book, and her pacing and inflection added to the story in a positive way. My only negative review is that I wasn’t a fan of all of her male voices, but this is a gripe I have about many female narrators. It wasn’t enough to make me stop listening, however, so this may not be an issue for most people.

Overall, I liked this story a lot. It was interesting, engaging, a little quirky, and all around a good mystery. I would recommend this for fans of mystery novels who are both adult and young adult readers. I enjoyed getting swept up in this mystery, and I’m sure you will, too.

I wanted to love this book so much more but for some reason I just could not connect with the characters or the story itself. The only character I really enjoyed was Saffron. Saffron is a badass female character that takes the lead in this story that takes places within a male-led academia setting. I absolutely adore her for continuously standing up for herself, she was definitely a strong-willed amazing character. Alexander was a character I could have grown to love, but I just felt he was so underdeveloped, which was definitely a let down for me!

This is a typical “WhoDunnit” type murder mystery story, trying to discover who poisoned Mrs. Henry. It really was like a big game of clue. It reminded me of a toss up between ‘The Lost Apothecary’ and ‘The Guest List’ , which I know, kind of a weird combination.

The ending is absolutely open for a sequel to take place. If that happens, I’m sure I would still read the next book, but won’t be jumping into it with full excitement.

3.5 stars

In her debut historical mystery, Kate Khavari introduces us to botanist, research assistant, and amateur sleuth Saffron Everleigh as she uses her vast knowledge of poisonous plants to solve an attempted murder within her university. A historical thriller with a hint of romance thrown in for good measure, A Botanist's Guide is a promising start to what could potentially be a series.

I really enjoyed the concept/cover art for this book, but I didn't find myself as drawn into the mystery as I had hoped that I would. I'm not sure if it was the narration or the actual text, but things felt fairly low-stakes for the majority of the book and the big reveal ends up being a fairly small portion of the text. I did enjoy the social commentary and I still think the idea of a botanist solving crime has merit, so I would be interested to see where this author and character go in the future.

Thank you to NetGalley and Dreamscape Media for an ARC of this audiobook in exchange for a fair and honest review!

A Botantist's Guide to Parties and Poisons is Kate Khavari's debut historical mystery that is set in 1923 London where Saffron Everleigh is following in her father's footsteps as she enters the world of botany as a research assistant at the University College of London. She is tasked with assisting to gather materials and information needed for an expedition to the Amazon which will be bringing back botanical samples for a study being done by her mentor at the college. Unfortunately, during a dinner party celebrating the upcoming expedition, the wife of the expedition's leader is suddenly taken ill and presumed to have been poisoned. Due to some earlier research and altercations her mentor quickly becomes the focus and primary suspect in the crime. Saffron decides to investigate the situation and teams up with Alexander Ashton, a biologist who is going on the expedition.

I found the narration of this audiobook to be quite good as the narrator took the time to develop character voices that were distinct yet appropriate for the historical timeframe of the story. Also, the pace of the narration was done in such a way that the listener is able to follow the story with ease while having their attention captivated by the descriptions and tenor of the narrator.

While this story is fictional, much of the context is taken from actual historical happenings and therefore made for a very interesting book. The author has taken the time to research her subject and although there is much to be learned about the times in which this story was set, it was written in a manner which entertains as well as educates and keeps the listener engaged throughout.

I hope that there will be more mysteries coming from this author and would love to see her continue Saffron's and Alexander's adventures as Saffron breaks through unseen barriers of the educational community.

I received a free copy of this audiobook from NetGalley and Dreamscape Media and am posting this review voluntarily.

I had very high hopes for this academic historical mystery, but alas, I found myself disappointed in the end.

The concept and setting for this are great, and the characters are fine, but the plot (though it begins with potential) is an illogical jumble with several elements that absolutely tanked an otherwise promising concept.

This book has the feel of a romp, which makes the constant threat of sexual violence against the protagonist both as gross as it always is and distinctly out of place in tone. It doesn’t fit with the otherwise adventuring feel of the narrative, and I don’t care for plot devices that place female characters in perpetual danger purely because they are female, particularly when the plot leaves plenty of room to avoid this (in tone, in subject, in narrative arc). It just feels unnecessarily gross and like a lazy way to create tense atmosphere.

I also don’t love faux academics and fake science in a book that is not fantasy and takes much of its tone and atmosphere from its academic setting. Using a fake plant or poison in a real-world setting always feels like cheating, and the way the author explains this in the end note just made it bug me more.

The cartoonish incompetence of the villains at the end of the novel didn’t help, especially when it was paired directly with the icky and lecherous threat of rape.

I loved the setting for this and the idea behind it was good, but the book itself disappointed me greatly.

The book (disappointing though it may be) translates fine to audio format and the narrator is lovely. If anything, the narrator’s good performance helps with the problematic text.