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.

The 4th installment in this series was just as enthralling as the others. I like the main characters in this book, Alexander and Saffrons relationship only becomes stronger. They work so well as a pair, always supportive and in tandem.

Saffrons family is challenging, but we get to see the inner working of her relationships with each of them. The mystery plot itself was good and continues to revolve around FMCs father's main work.

Thank you netgalley for the eARC! I enjoy this series and book four continued the vibe. Cute and fun, mysterious but not too dark, feminist and pro science, it's always fun to see what Saffron Everleigh is up to. There were hints of a possible future book setting too (Turkey, hopefully!) to keep me waiting for book five.
This one is set in the English countryside and has a very Downton Abbey vibe, as opposed to the earliest books in the series which are all set in London. But she does go on a few trips into the city, and one to the royal gardens which are now on my bucket list.

Book four in the Saffron Everleigh Mystery series delivers exactly what fans have come to expect — high-stakes sleuthing, botanical intrigue, and deliciously layered character drama, all wrapped up in the charming-yet-tense world of 1920s England.

This time, Saffron is pulled away from her beloved university to return to Ellington Manor — the family estate she’s been keeping at arm’s length ever since she chose the scandalous path of using her mind over marrying a lord. Her grandfather, Lord Easting, is gravely ill, and lurking in the shadows of the manor is none other than Bill Wyatt — yes, that Bill Wyatt, back from book three and up to no good. Masquerading as the family doctor, he’s clearly there to sniff out details of her late father’s secret botanical research. Suspicious doesn’t even begin to cover it.

The Everleigh family is as prickly as ever, still unimpressed by Saffron’s career ambitions and thoroughly unprepared for the idea of Alexander Ashton — her partner in escapades and in life — becoming a permanent fixture. And yet, that’s exactly what’s on the table now. There’s no more ‘will they, won’t they’ with Saffron and Alexander. They will, and they know it. The focus now is on building a life together and navigating the social hurdles that come with it. It’s lovely to see them this grounded — united, unwavering, and making plans, despite the drama swirling around them.

Elizabeth, as always, is a standout. Still processing the trauma from the previous book and wrestling with the suffocating expectations of her own family, she brings grit and vulnerability in equal measure. Her reluctance to return home is palpable, and her rebellious spirit, now seasoned by pain, adds real emotional depth to the story. She's by far my favourite character.

One of the most satisfying developments in this book is the nuanced look at Saffron’s relationship with her mother. What initially seemed like a predictable if shallow dynamic begins to shift — and it becomes clear that one must never underestimate an Everleigh. There’s more beneath the surface than you might expect, and her mother in particular proves to be far more interesting than anyone (including Saffron) may have given her credit for.

Then there's her cousin John and his family, also bowing under the pressures of his inheritance and what that means for his wife and child. While providing some comic relief there's plenty of depth to his sub-plot.

It may seem that Saffron is up against powerful odds but she does have some strong allies.

There’s a spiritual medium, specters, more villainy from Bill, and a fast-paced plot that blends mystery with a dash of gothic thriller. The historical details remain impeccable, the pacing is spot on, and the emotional arcs — especially those of the core trio — continue to shine.

I’ve loved this series from the start, and this instalment is no exception. Action-packed, emotionally resonant, and just so much fun to read. Five stars, again.

I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley. All opinions are my own — no shady doctors or séance spirits involved.

Introducing Alexander to her family becomes so much more fraught when Saffron discovers that the dastardly Bill Wyatt has infiltrated her family home as a doctor. It’s up to her to find what he’s looking for, before he follows through on his violent threats.

This one is definitely my favorite of the series so far! It felt so much tighter, there were no love triangle shenanigans, we had a super interesting B plot that I was equally invested in.

I also loved the introduction of Saffron’s family. Meeting her grandparents and her mother gave so much important context for her character. The romance is also much more solid here, Saffron and Alexander trusted each other and relied on each other while dealing with Wyatt and a scam medium. And as always Elizabeth continues to delight me to no end. I would happily read an Elizabeth novel in this series.

Thank you to both NetGalley and Crooked Lane Books for the opportunity to review this arc!

I’ve read the earlier books in this series and I know I enjoyed them, but I couldn’t remember much about the plots of them. So it was a little difficult to follow the plot for this one. There are a lot of references to earlier plots, but not enough to spark my memory. There is a villain who is somehow blackmailing the heroine to find some research that her deceased father had been conducting. I never figured out why the bad guy had this hold over her except for maybe threatening her family.

So it was all quite mysterious and I didn’t feel that it was cleared up enough by the end. So I found it all rather disappointing.

I voluntarily reviewed an advanced reader copy of this book that I received from Netgalley; however, the opinions are my own and I did not receive any compensation for my review.

Ugh, this is another DNF... I hate doing this with ARCs - but it's especially sad to DNF a series that I did love at one point in time. I was already a bit hesitant going into this one because I really struggled with 'Society and Secrets'. I had hoped this might pick up again like the first two in the series but I got about 18% in and realized that 1) I have no idea what's going on (I don't even remember who Bill is??) and 2) I simply don't care to figure it out.

Let's start with that - I was quite surprised at how little recap we got in the start of this book, which is the say NONE. It really did just jump right in and, I'm sorry, but I have no desire to re-read the last book to get back into the story - nor should I have to. A simple recap should always be involved in setting up a new book regardless of where we are in the series.

Also, since I found Saffron and Alexander both to be quite boring in the last book - both individually and as a couple - there was an extreme disconnect with them going into this one and nothing happened to bring them both back to life the way I would have liked. So, combined with not feeling invested in our two main characters as well as being lost in the plot, I just did not want to continue on and I've decided to step away from the series at this point in time.

I hate rating DNF'd books but since I have to on netgalley, I'll go with a 3 since these are fairly subjective critiques and maybe others will feel differently.

No matter how hard I tried to get into this book I just could not. Even half way in it has not captured me at all. I found the book to drag on without any idea what is happening or what they are trying to resolve. It’s a shame as I was really looking forward to reading this book A Botanists Guide to Rituals and Revenge. It is not often that I cannot finish a book but I just could not get there.
In saying that I know the book will appeal to others and that is great, it’s just not my kind of read that I can get into or enjoy. No disrespect for the author at all in my commentary. Sometimes you cannot appeal to all readers.
Thank you to Net Galley and Kate Khavari for the opportunity to read and provide this review. I am truly sorry I could not get into the book but feel free to give it a go yourself, you may just like it.

The newest in the Saffron Everleigh series. I’ve been waiting for this one! Saffron returns to her family home to visit her ailing grandfather, only to discover that the sinister figure who menaced her in her previous adventure has installed himself as the new family doctor. Bill demands she find the information he wants or her family will pay the price. This is a little different type of story for this series as for the first time it’s clear from the beginning who our villain is. I thought the author did a good job of making Bill menacing without him being cartoonishly so. I loved getting the perspective of meeting Saffron’s family, and Elizabeth’s as well. I loved that Elizabeth got to play a more prominent role! I continue to adore Alexander and his faith in Saffron and her abilities, and their relationship in general. The story was well paced and kept my attention from beginning to end. I’m looking forward to the next in the series!

I realized when I started this book that I had missed the one before it and had to get that one and read it to get the background to really understand everything in this book. That said, this one COULD be read as a stand-alone, but you would miss a lot of nuances.
Saffron Everleigh, her beau, Alexander, and best friend, Eliza have returned to Saffron's home at her mother's request due to the illness of her grandfather. She had left 3 years before to continue her education and work at the university, a choice NOT endorsed by her grandparents. Eliza had escaped her parents on the neighboring estate after a surprise "engagement party" to a man old enough to be her grandfather. Alexander was still dealing with the aftermath of his war injuries.
They find, Bill Wyatt, an old enemy, posing as a cardiologist treating Saffron's grandfather. There is also a medium preying on Eliza's estranged family. Are these related or separate problems?
Bill had previously told Saffron that she would give him research (unspecified, but that she apparently had access or could get) or her family would suffer.
As they race to find what Bill is after, and to discredit the medium and her assistant, some (more or less) reconciliation comes from both families and Alexander is proven to be "good enough" to court Saffron.
Saffron's mother, Violet. proves to be far more than she ever thought, especially after her refusal to leave the house when Saffron's father was killed in the war.
This is a wonderful between-the-wars historical series amid social upheaval and changing roles of pretty much everyone in society.
Highlights the contributions of women in science that have been hidden, sometimes in plain sight as their publications contain only their initials.
Very interesting to see Saffron and Eliza try to balance their love of family with their own drive to succeed in the greater world.

The fourth Saffron Everleigh historical mystery has a very Gothic feel. Saffron has been called home because her grandfather has had a heart attack. She brings her boyfriend Alexander Ashton and her best friend Elizabeth Hale with her. Saffron hasn't been home for years. She left after a disagreement with her grandparents about her future. They want her to live a standard aristocratic life. She is a botanist who wants a future in academia.

She arrives home to find that her grandfather's new "doctor" is her old nemesis Bill Wyatt, a mysterious figure she has clashed with before. Wyatt threatens harm to her family if she doesn't help him unearth her deceased father's secrets. But her agoraphobic mother has destroyed all of her father's papers and journals.

Added to the tensions at her home, the Hale home is also hosting a spiritualist who has offered to connect to a young man who died during the war. The man was Eliza's brother and Saffron's first love. The spiritualist is also angling to be hired by Saffron's mother to connect with Saffron's father who also died in the war. But the spiritualist or her assistant is using drugs to make those who attend the seances more susceptible to suggestion which plays right into Saffron's strengths both as a botanist and a woman who has solved a number of crimes.

The story was exciting and engaging. I like the relationship between Alexander and Saffron and Saffron's ability to stand up for herself.

Ok, I made a minor misstep here and did not realise it was the fourth in a series when I requested this on NetGalley. It was only after when a character was introduced and the lead goes white and I did not understand why that I twigged I was missing something important here. That said, by and large Khavari does an excellent job of making most of this flow without you needing to know the back-story. She sets in enough hints and throwbacks that most important aspects are given to you through conversation or memories. So even if you are a muppet like me, you can still follow this. The use of them is subtle enough that it wouldn't be repetitive to someone coming straight in from the prior books either.

I will say here and now that I can't believe I've managed to completely miss this series in honesty. Having read a novel recently based around women going out of their historical box that was underwhelming, this was a breath of fresh air. Saffron is an intelligent, capable woman and the first woman to hold a research position at University College London. She's also an amateur sleuth in her spare time and it sounds like she's had enough adventures over the last four books to last a lifetime. What made this very different to the other book I read (Lessons in Chemistry) is that all the characters were well formed and realistic to the time and Saffron's struggles to be seen and heard as the scientist she is were both intrinsic to the plot and absolutely on the nail in terms of the social stigma and pushback she receives. Nothing was over-egged, it was just part of the time and the place.

This has a little bit of everything. There's science, there's sleuthing and mystery, there's threat and tension, and family drama and politics both spoken and unspoken. There's even a sprinkling of romance. Whilst it took me a while to get to grips with the cast of characters - most readers won't have this issue as they will have actually read the preceding books and be familiar with many of them - once I'd got a handle on it, all of the characters leapt off the page. The setting came to life and the old family home felt very real. The science felt intrinsic to the plot and the characterisation of Saffron.

All in all, this is a series I'm going to go back and read in the actual order it was intended as it would be a shame to miss out on the adventures that preceded this. I came in at the wrong end of the series and it's a testament to the author that it still worked and I thoroughly enjoyed my time with the novel.

Many thanks to NetGalley, the author and the publishers for my free review copy of this title.

This is a charming story. I’m glad to have spent some time with Saffron, Alexander and Elizabeth again.

This wasn’t my favourite book of the series, but still enjoyable with one or two unexpected plot twists.

I will be looking forward to their next adventure.

This felt like the lost apothecary meets mystery (Agatha Christie like) which I enjoyed and appreciated the cozy vibe.

The characters were likeable and I enjoyed the relationships. It was a light read which is what I appreciated.

I did feel the world-building was stronger than the character developemrnt as I wanted more depth and expla is on to the main characters.

Plot was interesting enough to want me to read more from this writer

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.