5 stars

A great read. I've read book one and I think a person will benefit from reading it and as it's also a good read so why wouldn't you? Saffron is again involved in helping to solve a murder. The victims received bouquets of poisonous and caustic flowers. As Alexander Ashton is off finding specimens in the rain forests of south america, Saffron has got a helpmate in Dr Michael Lee. . In the beginnging she's not that keen on him but he's a blond charmer and she warms to him. Towards the end of the book Alexander retruns and is jealous of Lee. Even though Alex assumed Saffron knew he was interested in her, he thought the physical presence of all the specimens he found would explain his affection rather than writing about his feelings explicitly. Lots of lovely descriptions of the roaring 20s. I got the baddy right and there's the start of the next book in the epilogue. Will Saffron stay loyal to Alex, despite his PSTD problems or build a different like with Lee.

I will eargerly look our for the next episode . I thoroughly recommend this book.

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

The second book in the Saffron Everleigh mysteries, A Botanist’s Guide to Flowers and Fatalities was an excellent follow up to its predecessor. I have to admit I did not think the first book was amazing but I did enjoy the allure of mystery and all the different poisons. However, this sequel was far better than the first book while still keeping within the scope of the narrative. This was another great mystery and I love the creativity of the book titles in this series.

I really enjoyed getting to meet Saffron In A Botanists Guide to Parties and Poison and I was very excited to receive a free copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for this review. We find Saffron recovering from her own poisoning and assisting Dr. Michael as he travels around helping people who suspect they have been poisoned. When a serial killer who sends bouquets of flowers enters the picture, DI Green calls on Saffron and her knowledge of Botany to help catch the killer. Leading her back into the world of Jazz clubs and high society, Saffron and Dr. Lee trail the killer.

Botanist here is Saffron Eveleigh who finally got her research and her research partner is non other than irritating and charming Dr.Lee. In a fashion typical to her, she finds herself embroiled in a murder mystery that takes from labs, libraries to clubs and parties.

I don’t usually give 5 stars. This one is for me. There were men, more realistic (not that i don’t enjoy unrealistic) than a romcom. There is a heroine (yes! Heroine!!) who is compelled to fight injustice and is a botanist and makes difficult decisions for right reasons. She keeps falling for smart men (what’s a girl to do!!). There is murder mystery! The culprit almost hidden in plain sight.

The only thing that I disliked about this book is that it had to end at some point. Seriously, what a great read! And how soon can we expect the next in the series??? Since I've read the first book in this series, I've been on the look out for the next book. When I found out that it was released, I was pretty hesitant to request, for fear of being rejected. I mean, my review score isn't all that astounding, to begin with. Luckily, the publisher hadn't declined my request and for that I am truly, truly, thankful!

The book cover, the title and the time period are so perfect. I've never known much about the flapper era before I've read this. And who doesn't like flowers? Floriography, the language of flowers will be always a subject that fascinates me a lot. The story and the characters, too, they're marvelous. They each aren't your stereotyped main and supporting characters. I love that their is romance but it isn't sappy. Most of all, the conflict and resolution between the lead characters. I just, there's enough drama and anger, and a whole lot of learning. The mystery is good enough to keep you interested and guessing, as is the thrill..

No dragging parts with this one!

Saffron Everleigh is at it again. While embarking on her first research study with the charming Dr. Michael Lee, Saffron finds herself working with Inspector Green to help solve possibly connected homicides in the area. All of the victims were women who received bouquets just before their deaths, and that is where Saffron’s botany expertise comes in. Each bouquet is distinct, and the language of flowers might hold clues to figuring out the murderer’s identity.

Like before, Saffron doesn’t know when to quit and finds herself revisiting the affluent society she happily left behind. Befriending the victims’ friends, Saffron, along with partner Lee begins to question who to trust. They work to piece together a timeline with clues from conversations as they traipse along with high society from the theatre to jazz clubs on the fringe of proper. Saffron and Lee find drug use has gone rampant and everyone has secrets.

A Botanist’s Guide to Flowers and Fatality is full of twists and turns and is overall a light-hearted read despite the content. It reminds me of Enola Holmes, with a clever and witty heroine hell bent on making her way in world not ready for that level of female independence. The whole love triangle between Saffron, Lee, and Alexander (from the previous book) is a little annoying and not necessary to the story, but didn’t detract me from finishing it. I wish Elizabeth, Saffron’s flatmate, had a greater role—perhaps in the next book.

Thank you to Netgalley, Crooked Lane Books, and of course Kate Khavari for the advanced copy of the audiobook. A Botanist’s Guide to Flowers and Fatality comes out this summer on June 6th and would be a great addition to your beach bag! All opinions are my own.

Saffron Everleigh is back with a new mystery to solve!

Uncovering the truth behind a poisoning within the faculty of University College did not earn Saffron any new friends in her department, but it did earn her the respect of local police inspector, Detective Green.

While Alexander Ashton is off in the Amazon, Saffron is conducting research with a new colleague from the medical department, Dr. Michael Lee. Soon Saffron and Lee are not just doing their research side by side, by attending jazz clubs and befriending society's elites to try to find clues as to who could be sending deadly bouquets & murdering women.

In this second book, Saffron must juggle participating in the investigation, protecting her damaged reputation, and her confusing feelings about Alexander and Lee -- no big deal.

I love Saffron as a leading lady and this book was no different. Her strength, determination, and smarts make this book another winner. Fans of Veronica Speedwell and Lady Darby will enjoy this Victorian-era mystery series.

WOW! Okay. Wow. If you loved Khavari's "Botanists Guide to Parties and Potions," this one is even better! I love this series and can't wait to read the next.

This book picks up a few months after the first. I thought my heart would break when Saffron and Alex Ashton parted ways in book one. He went off to the Amazon on an expedition for six months! Sigh. However, Saffron has been assigned a new project and partner, one rakishly awesome Dr. Michael Lee. The plot thickens...

While Saffron and Lee are working on a study about poisonous plants and documenting strange poisoning cases, her old policeman pal, Inspector Green asks her to consult on a murder case. Two murdered women have received strange poisonous bouquets tied with the same black ribbon shortly before their deaths. Saffron soon finds herself going undercover to investigate the friends of one of the victims and taking Dr. Lee with her.

Oh boy! Khavari has dished up a JUICY love triangle and a fun mystery. I am usually solidly one team or the other when it comes to love triangles, but I waffled quite a bit right along with Saffron on the Alex vs. Lee dilemma. I have never been so torn nor so desperate for a third book!

Read this ASAP and the first book as well. Khavari is a master of the murder-romance genre, serving up satisfying plots, characters and dialogue on every compulsively turned page.

This book was pretty good, although I gotta say I enjoyed the first one more. The story follows Saffron and some new murders she is intent on helping to solve, while also putting herself in danger. I did find her colleague Lee very endearing and Alexander was very annoying, although I loved him in the first book!

This is the second installment to the Saffron Everleigh Mystery series. I really love the way that the 1920s setting is so much more apparent in this novel than the first. I felt very immersed. I like seeing Saffron immerse herself in the case with the go ahead from cops. The mystery is interesting but I feel like things started to get overshadowed by the . . . entanglement. The premise of this story was there, but the execution fell flat for me.

This is charming mystery/romance, starring Miss Saffron Everleigh, a botanist in London in the 1920s. Saffron is a series of contradictions wrapped up into a clever, stubborn woman. She was raised in wealth but chose her academic pursuits instead, and now lives a modest lifestyle. As a female scientist, she is not just in the minority but a total rarity. And, in a time when women were expected to be mild-mannered, she is headstrong and confident.

Saffron has been invited to assist the police in a series of mysterious murders. All of the victims are female, and received unusual floral bouquets immediately preceding their deaths. Saffron's officemate, Dr. Michael Lee, is sometimes helpful and sometimes a distraction as she uses science, art, her wealthy roots and her inquisitive nature to solve the puzzle.

I hadn't read the first iteration of the Everleigh mysteries and I was able to grasp enough of what already happened to not feel left in the dust. The lingering tension between Saffron and her would-be lover Ashton; the professional and criminal mess left by Saffron's last run-in with some on-campus wrongdoers; and the simmering tension between Saffron and her family were all drawn with enough broad strokes that I understood.

This story was enjoyable for several reasons. Saffron is a heroine to root for, and her relationship with her roommate Elizabeth shows a sweeter side to her. Dr. Michael Lee is the hot but annoying coworker that Saffron has to figure out how to deal with. The criminals that they end up investigating are an interesting group of folks.

The things that bothered me are perhaps setups for the next book in the series so I'm not going to list them here. I suppose overall I would have liked to see Saffron work more on her own, rather than in tandem with Dr. Lee, since she's smart and competent enough on her own. His role was distracting to both her and the reader.

A love triangle? In 2023? I think not.

I picked up this book because I really enjoyed the first one. And while this maintained a lot of the aspects I enjoyed about the first, it also included a love triangle which was frankly unbearable. If the love triangle wasn't there this book would've gotten 4 stars but 25% of the book was her debating between two mediocre men.

Aside from my annoyance about the love triangle, this book was good. The actual mystery was quite fun and the 1920s drug scene was interesting. If you can tolerate the love triangle, give it a chance.

I genuinely love the Everleigh books so much! I find it super refreshing to have a female protagonist in a 1920s murder mystery - add academia in rainy England into the mix and I'm sold.
I did like Alexander in the first book more than Lee in the second, but the flower language murders evened that out again. So creative and very niche - love it and I'll definitely purchase it for myself once it's published!

Ahhhhh I absolutely loved this one! I had been waiting on this one for what seems like forever and it was so worth it!

A Botanists Guide to Flowers and Fatality, by Kate Khavari
Published: 6th June 2023
Rating:4/5
Saffron Everleigh is my hero. Working as a researcher for the Botany Department at University College London, she is summoned to help the police in a series of strange murders. The victims are all sent curious bouquets of poisonous flowers a day before being murdered. Everleigh and her handsome new research partner, Dr Lee, must decipher the meanings behind the banquets and solve the murders before anyone else dies. It is a wildly exciting tale, and just as good as the first in the series. I love Khavari's descriptions of post-war London, and the elitist social circles of that period. She tells a brilliant story, and it really is impossible to guess who the killer is. Her characters are so unique, and really well portrayed. You can really see and hear each of their quirks as you read. I loved it :) cannot wait for the next!

4.5/5 stars! I am obsessed with this cover. It is so pretty. I loved this historical mystery novel. I am a fan of poison in stories so I was drawn to this tale. Saffron is hands down my favorite character. She is whip-smart and determined in a time when women were rarely granted permission to be either. I hadn't realized this was the second book in the series and I will absolutely be going back to read the first, although it doesn't seem needed to follow this storyline. The book was so intelligent and expertly crafted. Will 1000% be looking for the next book in this series.

I received an advance review copy for free through NetGalley, and I am leaving this review voluntarily

I was a big fan of the first installment and was really looking forward to this book, but unfortunately it didn’t quite meet my expectations.
Saffron is investigating again, after several murder victims received a bouquet of poisonous flowers. Inspector Green is asking for her consultation on those bouquets, but that’s where the story kind of lost me. After this first consultation Saffrons part was done and I found it quite unrealistic how she forced herself into the investigation and the Inspector just let her. Overall, for me, the beginning of this book was also really slow, and I wasn’t a big fan of the love triangle.
I still really liked the setting of a female researcher at a male dominated university and the botany aspects of the book are great (altough unfortunately there weren’t as much as in the first book). Saffron is a strong character and her determination to solve the case is admirable.
I would like to thank NetGalley, Crooked Lane Books and the author Kate Khavari for supplying a copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review.

A nice follow up to Kate Khavari’s debut novel. The book started a bit slowly, but Saffron really came into her own as it progressed. I really appreciate the growth of the main character and those surrounding her. I look forward to the next adventure, and her further exploration of what it means to be a botanist, an academic, an investigator, a friend, a companion, and a modern woman.

This book is well written and keeps you guessing all the way through. There were many points where I thought I had it figured out but I never would have guessed the ending. You cannot help but fall in love with Saffron and Dr. Lee.

It was kinda interesting although I was expecting much more elaboration on the topic of botany. It is more focused on resolving a crime and the relations between the characters than the crime's link with flowers.

The setting is what kept me interested as it's the early 1920s and part of the plot is still influenced by the Victorian era.

I have to say that I saw the end coming from half of the book onwards and the inclusion of the love triangle was not really for me as I didn't connect with any of them.

One of the good aspects is the female protagonist that is quite independent and throughout the story she remains so and, at a point, she states that she will not lose what she has worked for or change her plans for anyone. I think she is the strongest asset.