While I loved the first 3 books in the series, this one was a bit of a disappointment as it did not focus on Saffron's work with botany, which was the allure for me. On its own, it is a great mystery, but I missed the plants!

A Botanist's Guide to Rituals and Revenge by Kate Khavari is the next volume in her Saffron Everleigh Mystery series that we were waiting for and it doesn't disappoint.
This time we get to see Saffron travel home to her family's estate, and as expected, family drama is the result. Add to that the return of the villain Bill, and a spiritualist taking advantage of Elizabeth's parents, and the pressure is on in the twisty, page-turner of a book.
Well-written and full of suspense and action, this book is charming, intriguing, and romantic all in one.
You can't go wrong with a Kate Khavari historical mystery!
Thank you for the ARC of #ABotanistsGuidetoRitualsandRevenge to #NetGalley and #CrookedLaneBooks.

The 4th book in the series of Saffron Everleigh's adventures. This book had MUCH less botany and more drama as Saffron attempts to figure out what the illusive and evil Bill wants from her before anyone else in her family gets hurt.

This book gives us insight in both Saffron and Elizabeth's families. We get to meet Saffron's beloved mother Violet, and get to see the animosity of Elizabeth's family. Alexander goes along for the ride as he continues to court and support Saffron.

This book has two mysteries--one of the "psychic/medium" and how she manages to do what she's doing and of course--solving the mystery of what Bill wants from Saffron and is willing to kill to get.

The final twist of the book was sort of lackluster. IN fact I found this whole book fairly lackluster. It was sort of like "sigh. well I guess we need to finish this series..."

Even the final letter in the epilogue was kind of lacklaster like--"okay bye".

Definitely liked this one the least of all the books. But it DID have a happily ever after.

3 Stars as it was just okay for me.

*Thanks to NetGAlley and the publishers for an ARC of this book. All opinions are 100% my own.

"Brilliant botanist Saffron Everleigh faces her hardest challenge yet when she returns to her childhood home in the fourth book in the charming Saffron Everleigh mystery series.

Saffron Everleigh returns to Ellington Manor after her grandfather suffers a heart attack. Back in her childhood home for the first time in years, Saffron faces tense family relationships made worse by the presence of the enigmatic Bill Wyatt, hired on as a doctor to the ailing Lord Easting. But the man is no doctor - in reality, he is a mysterious figure involved in the trafficking of dangerous government secrets, and his presence at Ellington can only mean trouble.

When their neighbors, the Hales, invite a spiritual medium into the village who starts angling for Saffron's mother's attention, Saffron realizes that there is more afoot in her hometown than she originally thought. Not to mention inviting Alexander to Ellington has put their budding relationship under her family's microscope.

As tensions rise at Ellington, Bill demands that Saffron hand over old research documents belonging to her late father. With her relatives under his power as their 'doctor,' Saffron fears she may be forced to surrender the files along with her hopes of ever understanding her father's obscure legacy. Nothing and no one is as they seem at Ellington. It's through the perfumed haze of the séance's smoke that Saffron must search for the truth before it's too late."

SPIRITUAL MEDIUM! YAS!

A wonderful read!
This novel drew me in from the very first page and kept me hooked until the end. The characters were vibrant and relatable, the writing was engaging, and the story had just the right balance of heart and humor. Highly recommend!
Many thanks to NetGalley, the author, and the publisher for my ARC. All opinions are my own.

Every book in this series does it for me. I loved the development of each of the characters and the continued progress of the romance. Just enough mystery and romance to keep the pages turning!

After the nail-biting suspense of Saffron's previous adventure, things take a bit of a different tone and pace when she is summoned to her family's country home with Alexander and Elizabeth in tow.

I was really looking forward to seeing how all the ingredients for this book, including the medium and séance elements, would spur things on. It was fascinating to see how the change in setting helped to bring out more of each character's continual post-war trauma sub-plots for them to deal with on top of the ongoing real threat of the mysterious Bill.

At the same time, I felt Bill's presence and blackmailing of Saffron felt a bit off somehow, but will leave that up to each reader to decide. I also liked seeing Saffron and Alexander continue to grapple with their relationship amidst the social status and their own personal barriers. In fact, I think I enjoyed seeing more of Elizabeth's growth and backstory most of all.

As the fourth book, the author does a great job of carrying the plot and characters, but it did feel off in places for me. Perhaps it was not seeing our scientists "doing their thing" more, which has been the biggest draw to this series for me so far (and I usually prefer the sleuthing and romance)!

Definitely recommend, especially for everyone who has been part of Saffron's adventures from the start.

Thanks to NetGalley and Crooked Lane Books for the ARC!

If you are a fan of the Saffron Everleigh books, I need not try to sell this to you; you will want to grab and devour it as I did. If you have not read the series, I shake my head in shame at you.

Saffron has had to go home, not to her London flat, but to her Grandparents' estate, the last place she wants to be. But after the surprise visit from Bill, the man who dressed as a policeman and entered her flat, she found out that he is at her grandparents' estate, posing as a Doctor who is looking after her Grandfather, who has been having some health problems. He wants something from her, something her Father had been working on, and he is holding her family's safety over her.

Eliza and Alexander had come with her for support, but Eliza's family are hosting a Medium who claims to be channelling the spirit of Eliza's dead Brother (who was also Saffron's beau) and they want to expose her for being the fraud she is.

This was another wonderful story, full of twists and turns that leave you guessing as to what Bill wants, and what lengths Saffron will go to to keep her family safe and make sure Bill will not hurt them again. Not only do you love the characters, the complexity of who they are and their traumas, but I always learn something new from the botanical aspect. Plus, they visited Kew Gardens, which is one of my favourite places on earth. A total must-read.

I was hooked from the cover and description so I was glad it was so well written. This was a really well done fourth entry in the Saffron Everleigh Mystery series, it had that charm that I was looking for in this series and continued the story perfectly. The historical mystery element worked well and had that concept and that character development. Kate Khavari wrote this perfectly and was glad I was able to read this.

A Botanist’s Guide to Rituals and Revenge by Kate Khavari is the fourth book in the Saffron Everleigh series. Saffron travels back to her family home with her friend, Eliza and beau, Alexander. She discovers that Bill Wyatt is impersonating as a physician to her grandfather. Mortal peril, disordered family dynamics, and a spiritual medium performing seances make coming home difficult.

I recommend this book for mystery and thriller readers. I have enjoyed the series and the characters have evolved over the last books. The beginning of the book had Jane Austen vibes for me, the pacing was slow but we discover more about Saffron’s family and her home. The last part of the book was action packed with Saffron solving the case

Saffron Everleigh has been summoned home, her elderly grandfather is unwell and the family estate needs attention. Upon her arrival, she discovers that the questions about her father’s mysterious research are still very present and that a spiritual medium has been causing turmoil in the community. This along with Alexander’s introduction to her family and Elizabeth’s concurrent return home, cause some Saffron style chaos and mystery. Will she put the pieces together before it is too late?

This fourth novel of the series is another enjoyable read. The mystery does have a different vibe to it as it ties up loose ends and focuses more heavily on Saffron’s relationship with her family and friends. With that, it’s definitely lighter on the botany and explores more of the romance that has been growing throughout the novels. It also sets the reader up for future adventures. 4 stars.

Based on a digital Advanced Reader’s Copy provided by Crooked Lane Books and NetGalley for an honest review. Thank you!

Saffrib Everleigh is back in the fourth installment of the series. Saffron has been summoned back to her childhood home Ellington Manor, when her grandfather's health has turned to the worse. Saffron along with Alexander Ashton and her bestfriend Eliza Hale to give her the support she needs. Eliza has also been estrainged from her parents and instead of staying with them she chooses to stay at Ellington Manor. Bill Wyatt is also at Ellington Manor acting as Lord Easting's doctor. When the Hales's invite them for dinner they are surprise to see that Madame Martin is there and will be hosting a seance. Just like with all the other Saffron Everleigh books , she finds herself in deeper trouble than she realized and uncovers secerets while she is investigating Dr. Wyatt. I quite enjoy this series and was excited to get my hands on this book. I would like to thank both NetGalley and Crooked Lane Books for letting me read an advanced copy of this novel.

I ended my last review of book 3 in this series with the wish that I would love to have a book 4 - and here we are! I am excited and happy to have received it as an eARC even. The read was really good and I still love the characters a lot. It makes for an 4.5 stars in total! Especially Saffron keeps growing as a character and that not often is the case in longer series. She knows what she wants and stands up for it. This time it’s for example her relationship to Alexander and her career. Alexander becomes more and more a main character. He acts in Saffron’s best interest and always has her back. That I appreciated about him. Elizabeth is Saffron’s roommate and friend and again takes an active part in the plot and I am here for it. She is a strong character and a perfect addition to Saffron.
I liked that this time the mystery was of a different nature than in the past books. Very often in a mystery series one gets one murder after the other and with the Saffron Everleigh mysteries that’s not the case. I find that refreshing. The only point to make is maybe that there were a few too many possible mysteries in the beginning of the plot, but that was minor in my view. All in all I very much enjoyed the book and let’s give it a try: I hope there will be a book 5!

Welcome back, Saffron Everleigh!

I continue to be thoroughly charmed by this historical mystery series. In this addition to the ongoing story, we get to see more of Saffron's family, and along with that, it's interesting to see her (and Alexander & Elizabeth) in a different milieu. The mystery is just a little bit of a letdown compared to the previous books; I like the subplot involving a medium conducting fraudulent seances, which felt very much in keeping with the kind of detecting work Saffron has proven herself best at before, but I don't find the primary antagonist as interesting as I could wish, and consequently the middle section does drag just a bit for me. Still, it's a strong series and I look forward to it continuing, hopefully for many books to come!

Thank you to Crooked Lane Books for the advance copy in exchange for an honest review.

A Botanist’s Guide to Rituals and Revenge by Kate Khavari is the fourth book in the Saffron Everleigh series. Saffron travels back to her family home with her friend, Eliza and beau, Alexander. She discovers that Bill Wyatt is impersonating as a physician to her grandfather. Mortal peril, disordered family dynamics, and a spiritual medium performing seances make coming home difficult.

I recommend this book for mystery and thriller readers. I have enjoyed the series and the characters have evolved over the last books. The beginning of the book had Jane Austen vibes for me, the pacing was slow but we discover more about Saffron’s family and her home. The last part of the book was action packed with Saffron solving the case.

Thank you Crooked Lane Books and Netgalley for the advanced reader copy. All opinions are my own.

Saffron Everleigh and Alexander Asher have my heart! Every book in this series has them on a new adventure, but also reveals just a little bit more about them. It's hard to believe we are still learning about them four books in, but here we are. This was yet another fantastic installment in a series that has quickly become one of my favorites.

While I reread the third book in the series before diving into this one, that's not necessary to understand what is happening. There are enough reminders and explanations that a new reader would be able to follow along. Having recently revisited the story before, though, made me loathe Bill even more. I fear that he'll become a bit of a Moriarty character for our beloved main characters.

Saffron has been motivated to understand her father's research from the beginning of the series and this book serves as a conclusion to that part of the story. She has returned to her family home, where she has access to her father's greenhouse and her mother. That being said, there's a lot of sleuthing and some back-and-forth trips to London as she figures out what her father was working on before he died.

There's a secondary plot involving Saffron's roommate, Elizabeth, and her family. Her mother has two spiritualists staying with her. It wouldn't be a post-war story without a seance or two! That storyline intersects with the main one nicely.

The romantic subplot that's been simmering from the beginning of this series has some wonderful development here. There's also a hint at a secondary romantic plot with Saffron's roommate, Elizabeth. Elizabeth moved into main character territory in the last book and she continues to be a prominent part of the story. I love that we also got to see secondary characters from previous books in this installment.

I enjoyed reading this so much that I'll be reading again when my preorder shows up!

<i>I was given early access to this by the publisher, but the opinions in this review are my own.</i>

Every time I read a Saffron installment, I think, "oooh, this is my favorite." So, in keeping with tradition... Ooooh this is my favorite. But I think it is. Because beyond the Stem and the fierceness of Saffron (and Eliza!) and the continuously budding romance with Alexander, the setting of ABGTRAR had that lovely gothic edge that speaks to my emo soul. I don't think the poor characters had a clear day. They were always bogged down by rain and fog and I LOVED IT. Khavari has this unparalleled knack for the slow burn between Saffron and Alexander all while making the reader fall in love with Lee at the same time. Okay, I may have cheered when he came on the page. All in all, another five star read for me and like I always say, I cannot wait for the next book and anything else Khavari writes.

I love historical mystery and this entire series is a hit! I felt like I was in the 20’s! Saffron is such a likable character! The romance is slow but I like a slow burn! I love the botany, the more interaction between the characters and the new setting, her home!! Really enjoyed this book! Thank you NetGalley for an advanced copy.

I was given an ARC by Netgalley for a review.

Review of A Botanist’s Guide to Rituals and Revenge by Kate Khavari – ★★★★☆ (3.75/5)

This sequel to A Botanist’s Guide to Parties and Poisons (and the following 2 novels) it is another fun 1920s mystery, though the first book in my opinion is still the stand out of the series.

Agsin we follow along as Botanist Saffron Everleigh investigates a suspicious death at a wedding, mixing science, danger, and romance.

What’s Good:

Great 1920s Vibes – The setting feels real and interesting.
Smart, Strong Heroine – Saffron is clever and determined.
Cool Plant Science – The mystery ties in with botany in fun ways.
Romance Adds to the Story – Slow but sweet.
Some Slow Parts – The pacing drags at times.
Not as exciting as book one, but still a solid historical mystery!

England, 1920s: Botanist Saffron Everleigh has been summoned to the one place where she’d prefer to avoid: home. She had left several years earlier to study botany in the footsteps of her father against the wishes of her grandparents, Lord and Lady Easting, but after Lord Easting suffers a heart attack and is being attended by ‘Dr. Bill Wyatt,’ the villain of the previous book, she feel she must comply. When she arrives, Wyatt demands she give him what her late father was researching (a potential botanical poison that be used as a weapon) or members of her family will be harmed.
As if that wasn’t enough, there’s additional background tension. Accompanying Saffron is her best friend Elizabeth Hale, and Saffron’s beau Alexander Ashton. Elizabeth grew up next door to Saffron, running away to London when her parents tried to force her to marry a much older neighbor. She hasn’t been back since. And Alexander is probably not on the top 1000 list of people her grandmother would want Saffron dating. Further complicating things, there’s a medium who’s enticed Elizabeth’s parents to multiple seances and now appears to be after Saffron’s mother. They know that she’s a fake, but why do they feel drugged after attending one of the medium’s performances?
First: as with all the books in the series, the cover is gorgeous! I’ve read other books in the series and have enjoyed them. I love how Ms. Khavari weaves historical pieces – especially those concerning the challenges of being an educated woman in the 1920s – without going overboard and distracting from the story – we hear about getting married, changing one’s name, and then having to face challenge of building one’s reputation again under the new name, but we don’t hear the challenges of opening a bank account under that new name; as a friend said, it’s not so full of gender and other issues that there’s no room for a story.
I also enjoyed the side plots - the medium, Saffron’s mother, Elizabeth’s backstory and dealing with her parents - all helped round out the story. And unlike others in the series, this was less of a whodunnit type mystery and more of digging into the past to find clues to Saffron’s father’s research.
Highly recommended. I received a copy of this book through NetGalley.Com which I voluntarily reviewed.