This is an intriguing addition to the Saffron Everleigh series. It’s definitely a change of pace since the bulk of the story takes place away from London and most of the people Saffron usually associates with. There is also a greater focus on British aristocracy, family drama, and intergenerational tensions and very little active botanical research. That’s not necessarily a bad thing, just different from the rest of the series. I enjoyed reading about Saffron’s childhood home and I really liked her cousin and mother. The mystery itself is less of a mystery and more of a high stakes search for a needle in a haystack. I was honestly more invested in Elizabeth’s quest to discredit a supposed medium. The story as a whole was engaging and I did enjoy it, but this one leans slightly more towards cozy thriller than historical mystery.

Note: This is the fourth book in the Saffron Everleigh mystery series and should be read in order. Book 1 is A Botanist’s Guide to Parties and Poisons.

The plot of the book is very complex, with two mysteries to solve at the same time, but it is a slow-burn read. The good news is that it does pick up more at the end. The characters keep the storyline interesting, and the book ends with a tender moment. It is a great book to stretch your brain a little! I can’t wait to read the next book in the series!

Thank you NetGalley, and Crooked Lane Books for the ARC in exchange for my honest review!

This is book 4 in this series and I think it is the second one I have read. I definitely enjoy these characters and do intend to read them all. Saffron and her friends go back to her home because she is summoned due to her grandfather’s poor health. Unfortunately danger has followed them and there is plenty of family drama to resolve. I liked this mystery but I did get a little frustrated that things with Bill weren’t finished once and for all despite several opportunities. There is also progress to Saffron and Alexander’s relationship with I enjoyed too. I also really liked that Elizabeth also faced her family and past and got to be developed a little more. I listened to the audiobook and enjoyed the narrator quite a bit, she definitely brought this story to life.

Saffron heads home as her grandfather is ill. She certainly didn’t expect Bill Wyatt to show up, or her family to get involved I. He relationship with Alexander, but here we are. Going home isn’t always a walk in the park, but it shouldn’t be this hard either.

This was a great read. The setting gives Downton Abbey vibes and a British cosy is never a bad thing. I adore this well written series!

5 stars – A Clever and Engaging Follow-Up

Saffron Everleigh and Alexander Ashton return in A Botanist's Guide to Rituals and Revenge, and this time, the stakes feel more personal than ever with Saffron’s family drawn into the mystery. This installment delivers all the charm, wit, and intrigue that fans of the series have come to love.

The historical setting is rich and immersive, and Kate Khavari continues to weave botanical knowledge seamlessly into the plot. The chemistry between Saffron and Ashton is as compelling as ever, and their partnership keeps evolving in a way that feels natural and satisfying.

This cozy mystery series is a true gem—well-paced, intelligent, and consistently engaging. I’m truly hoping there’s another book to come. I can’t wait to see where this pair will go next.

I really liked this book. The characters were great and the storyline was well written. This was my first time reading a book from this Author and she definitely didn't disappoint. I was really excited to be chosen to read an ARC copy of this book and can't wait to read more from this Author.

This has been a wonderful series so far. Set in the 1920s, Saffron Everleigh is high born but her family does not approve of her trying to make a living as a botanist like her father did before her. She also runs into lots of prejudice and blocks to her education and career choice at the university she attends and works at. What she didn't expect to find herself involved in was murder. Which unfortunately has happened a few too many times.

In this book, she is going home because she has received word her grandfather is not doing well. Only she discovers, Bill Wyatt, a man who appeared in a previous book and sells government secrets is posing as her grandfather's doctor. He wants her to find information about what her father was researching at the time of his death. If she doesn't, well the threat is obviously implied.

Meanwhile, things are further complicated by the medium who is staying next door with Elizabeth's parents. Elizabeth is determined to prove the woman is a fraud and wants Saffron's help.

Saffron will need all the help she can get from Alexander, her beau, who came with home with her. But will that be enough to save her family before Bill decides more deadly measures will motivate Saffron more?

Overall, I didn't like this one as much as the previous books but it was still good. Bill has become a criminal I wish the writer would dispose of forever. He is beginning to go into Master Criminal status and I find those don't always work well. I really did like the medium subplot and the continuation of Elizabeth into a strong secondary character.

My favorite part was definitely seeing Saffron and Alexander continue to grow in their relationship. They have faced danger before but facing a disapproving family is a completely different sort of challenge.

I look forward to seeing Saffron and Alexander in more mysteries.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest opinion.

Book four in this series and I have read them all.

This one turned out to be the book I have liked the least so far. I found it a little slow and I was not especially interested in either sub plot. Having said that, there was a lot going on between family members and between Saffron and Alexander which was entertaining.

Hopefully we have seen the last of Bill and may get to enjoy seeing Saffron and Alexander somewhere exotic overseas working on an archaeological dig and doing the kind of sleuthing they are good at. I visualise something like the Amelia Peabody series!

My thanks for the ARC goes to NetGalley and Crooked Lane Books. I'm voluntarily leaving a review.

Genre: Historical Mystery, Historical Suspense, Historical Thriller
Subgenre: Romance
Readability: You'll enjoy this series best when read in order.

A BOTANIST'S GUIDE TO RITUALS AND REVENGE taps into the love of seances and spiritualism that surged after WWI—what a great device to use to create mystery and suspense!

I feel like this series has morphed. At first it was more of a murder mystery with a side helping of romance. Now, I feel like it leans more toward suspense and thriller, and I think that is because of the political ramifications that begin in book 3. This makes me curious to see where the author is going to take us in the future. And I do think there will be another book. It is also reminding me a bit of Sherlock because of the villain and growth of the plot's focus.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book and believe fans of historical mystery and suspense will too. I find this to be a quick and engaging read, so even if you haven't started yet, it is not overwhelming.

Happy reading!

A Botanist's Guide to Rituals and Revenge is the fourth book in Kate Khavari's Saffron Everleigh Mystery series. After her grandfather has a heart attack Saffron returns to her family home for the first time in years. What she finds has her very concerned. A man named Bill Wyatt who claims to be a doctor is treating her grandfather and tensions in the family are high. Saffron begins investigating Wyatt and soon learns he is not what he seems. Her suspicions are confirmed when he demands Saffron give him her father's old research documents.

I really love this series. Saffron continues to be one of the elite leads in the historical mystery space. She is smart and determined. I also love the developing relationship between Saffron and Alexander. I do have to say the mystery in this book wasn't quite as good as it has been in the previous books but I still enjoyed it. I can't wait to see where this series goes next!

Thank you to NetGalley and Crooked Lane for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

In what I found to be one of my favorite Saffron Everleigh tales, Saffron returns to her family home when her grandfather has a heart attack. We know family tensions are strong with the Everleighs, but they are downright menacing in this tale. When strange things start happening and strange people start showing up, Saffron must step in to save both her family and their next door neighbors.

Adding ghosts and seances and a glimpse in to Saffron's past, this volume in the Saffron Everleigh Mystery Series is one of the most intriguing. If you are looking for a different kind of cozy mystery read for your escape this summer, this whole series is great, but this one is the tops!

Will Saffron ever be free of these manipulations!

Research botanist Saffron Everleigh has been called back to Ellington. Her grandfather, Lord Easting is ill. Alexander Ashton her beau accompanies her, as does Elizabeth Hale her childhood friend and brother to her dead sweetheart Wesley.
What greets her is Bill Wyatt masquerading as a cardiologist caring for her grandfather. Bill wants something from Saffron, some research of her father’s.
Meanwhile staying on the adjoining Hale Estate is a medium, Madame Martin and her assistant, Bernard Fischer, conning Elizabeth’s parents, friends and the villagers. Both Elizabeth and Saffron are furious.
Heightened tensions, danger, a kidnapping, and a killer willing to do anything to obtain his goals is just part of this intriguing, gut wrenching, latest tale of Saffron’s life.

A Crooked Lane ARC via NetGalley.
Many thanks to the author and publisher.
(Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.)

Returning home after her grandfather’s heart attack, Saffron Everleigh discovers a web of secrets surrounding a mysterious “doctor,” a spiritual medium, and her late father’s research, all threatening her family and her budding romance.

More thriller than mystery, this book focuses on the intrigue surrounding Saffron’s family. It’s fast-paced and atmospheric with a plot that kept me guessing.

Thanks, NetGalley, for the ARC I received. This is my honest and voluntary review.

💫💫💫💫💫

Saffron Everleigh is coming home, and with her, she brings her friend Elizabeth Hale and her boyfriend Alexander Asher. Things are tense at Ellington Manor, with Saffron's family meeting her beau for the first time and her grandfather being ill. While at the manor, Saffron must save the family from an evil man parading as a doctor, who wants something that belonged to her father.
This was a nice, cozy, fun read, and the part of the smart but delusional medium was very enjoyable. I loved Saffron and her boyfriend Alexander. The plot, the botany, and the sleuthing were so delightful. Overall, I loved the book and story!

Thank you, Netgalley and Crooked Lane Books, for this ARC. All opinions are entirely my own.

The fourth book in Saffron Everleigh series had me on the edge of my seat for the last half of the book. And yet there's no murder involved in the immediate story. This book is all about Saffron's and her family and it's a tangled tale to be sure. Saffron is called home due as her grandfather is apparently quite ill. So Saffron goes home with Alexander and her best friend Elizabeth and there are all sorts of hijinks. The main problem is Bill Wyatt is after something from Saffron and he's willing to cause pain in order to get it. He's still a bit sore from Saffron ruining his previous plot and he is not holding back in any way. Then there's the problem of the medium doing seances and bilking locals out of heaps of money, most importantly the Hales (Elizabeth's family).

As I first mentioned, this had me rushing through the second half and it was exciting to the end. The first half moved more slowly and then it just built speed to the end. I loved this entry into the series and found the character development to be excellent, from Saffron to Violet's mother, there was so much happening with these characters. I was pleased to see that Saffron finds she's guilty of some of the same things as some around her and her recognition of this is an excellent point. It just adds to the vulnerability of her character and the fact she is just a human being.

Overall, I give this 4.5 stars. Thank you to Netgalley and Crooked Lane books for giving me a free advanced reader copy. I have provided my feedback voluntarily.

4.25/5 stars

I always look forward to a new Saffron Everleigh mystery to read, and they just keep getting better and better.

This particular book does not feature any murder victims, but rather a couple of dastardly villains (with different plotlines) with threats and fraudulent acts aplenty. While it may seem that having no dead bodies hanging about seems a bit boring, that actually wasn't the case. Khavari upped the ante by giving us more of Saffron's backstory by having her return to her childhood home and struggle to maintain civility with her grandparents who had basically banished her when she left to attend university. We are also treated to Alexander's reception into that stiff and uncomfortable reunion. And of course, it wouldn't be a Saffron mystery without her best friend, Eliza, who also returns to confront her demons at home.

Sometimes I feel you just need a series book that is heavy on the character development, and this one definitely fits that bill. Both Saffron and Alexander are shown in a new light as they face uncertainty and trepidation in their welcome, Eliza's strength is showcased from its beginnings, and Saffron's mother (and deceased father) are becoming more fully fleshed out in their roles in Saffron's life.

I totally enjoyed this outing with special emphasis on Alexander's and Saffron's deepening relationship and their steadfast support of each other and Eliza's ... well, everything about Eliza. She's simply wonderful and deserves a series of her very own. :)

My sincere thanks to the author, NetGalley and Crooked Lane Books for providing the free early arc of A Botanist's Guide to Rituals and Revenge for review. The opinions are strictly my own.

Khavari does a great job of connecting a lot of loose threads from the previous books in this installment of her Saffron Everleigh series. Once the action picks up, it REALLY picks up and was hard to put down because I had to know what would happen next and if Saffron would be successful.

Taking place mostly at Ellington Manor, the change of scenery allows for Khavari to bring in Saffron's family. We've got an evil doctor who isn't who he claims to be, a spirit medium holding seances that might be more nefarious than they seem, and on top of all of that, Saffron has to introduce her family to Alexander.

The botanical mystery portion was fascinating and I'm looking forward to seeing where Khavari takes this series next.

Advanced Reader’s Copy provided by NetGalley and Crooked Lane Books in exchange for an honest review.

A Botanist's Guide to Rituals and Revenge
A Saffron Everleigh Mystery
Kate Khavari

This is the fourth installment in the Saffron Everleigh Mystery series and I can’t believe I waited until now to give this series a try. In my defense, I usually shy away from historical mysteries but the cover art just intrigued me, not to mention the unique character name, Saffron. I was not dissapointed with this multiplot story that included family angst, rules of proprietary, an unusual amateur sleuth, Downton Abbey vibes, a medium, a Moriarty, and afternoon tea. The story is set in the late 1920s and the location is England; Bedford to be exact, and Saffron has been called home to the family estate due to her grandfather’s ailing health. It sounds like a good opportunity to bring along roommate and BFF Elizabeth Hale who has family issues of her own. Plus the added bonus of introducing the family to work colleague and beau, Alexander Ashton. Chances are that researcher Alexander will feel like he is under a microscope.

The story has a Miss Marple feel to it. Just imagine Miss Marple as a young botanist who worked at a university conducting research on the most usual or unusual of specimens. While at the same time, there is a Holmes-like aspect because of the villain, Bill Wyatt, who is a Moriarty of sorts and claims to be a doctor. I have not read the three previous books which puts me a little in the dark but not so much that I cannot enjoy the character interactions. Bits of backstory are sprinkled throughout the plot and subplot to keep the reader informed. Bits like the history of the tumultuous relationship between Saffron and her grandparents which is not any better than Elizabeth’s relationship with her parents, the Hales. Family drama and strong willed characters sure does add that little extra bit of spice to the interactions and keeps me turning the pages.

As the story develops, we see that Saffron and friends are caught between a charlatan and a narcissistic sociopath hard place, while trying to keep with social norms, make good impressions, race between London and Bedford, locate Thomas Everleigh’s research materials, and all the while endeavoring to be on time for dinner. I was intrigued with the nuances of the séance especially after reading the notes at the back of the book. So much research went into crafting the story details from the hallucinogenic properties of mold to the specific military uniform details including the gas mask. It is these attention to details that really added to the story and kept me turning page after page. I was so entranced by the story that I didn’t even realize that there wasn’t a murder to be solved. I will need to go back and start from the beginning before the next book comes out. I sincerely hope that there is a next book.

In this fourth installment of the Saffron Everleigh series, Saffron returns to her childhood home when her grandfather suffers a heart attack. Saffron has brought her beau, Alexander with her, and family tensions are high. There is a mysterious doctor who has been hired, who is not who he claims to be, as well as a spiritual medium who is seeking the attentions of Saffron's mother. Saffron is still trying to solve the mystery of her father's legacy while all of this is going on, and she just might do it! I thoroughly enjoy this series! Saffron is whip-smart, and I have enjoyed the way her and Alexander's relationship has developed through the series.

This will be most appreciated by those who have been following the story of Saffron and Alexander as it leaps right in without any worldbuilding or recap of their previous investigations. That said, this does see more back story for Saffron as she heads home. Home is not, of course, a safe place when there are villains afoot. I've liked these stories for the strong protagonist and her interest in and commitment to science. Alexander is a good partner and the rest of the cast fits well. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC.