Book Review :: A Botanist’s Guide to Parties and Poisons by Kate Khavari

A Botanist's Guide to Parties and Poisons by Kate Khavari
ISBN: 1639100075
Published by Crooked Lane Books
on 2022-06-07
Genres: Adult, Historical Fiction, Mystery
Pages: 304
Source: NetGalley
Goodreads

Saffron Everleigh is in a race against time to free her wrongly accused professor before he goes behind bars forever. Perfect for fans of Deanna Raybourn and Anna Lee Huber, Kate Khavari’s debut historical mystery is a fast-paced, fearless adventure.

London, 1923. Newly minted research assistant Saffron Everleigh attends a dinner party for the University College of London. While she expects to engage in conversations about the university's large expedition to the Amazon, she doesn’t expect Mrs. Henry, one of the professors’ wives to drop to the floor, poisoned by an unknown toxin.

Dr. Maxwell, Saffron’s mentor, is the main suspect, having had an explosive argument with Dr. Henry a few days prior. As evidence mounts against Dr. Maxwell and the expedition's departure draws nearer, Saffron realizes if she wants her mentor's name cleared, she’ll have to do it herself.

Joined by enigmatic Alexander Ashton, a fellow researcher, Saffron uses her knowledge of botany as she explores steamy greenhouses, dark gardens, and deadly poisons. Will she be able to uncover the truth or will her investigation land her on the murderer’s list?

Last updated on 13 February 2023

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London 1920s. Botanist Saffron heads to a party full of academics and people in high society, London. What she expected to be just another party will well-to-do people turns into a crime scene when Mrs Henry drops to the floor. Saffron’s mentor, Doctor Maxwell, is top of the suspect’s list, and Saffron will stop at nothing to clear his name in A Botanist’s Guide to Parties and Poisons. 

Together with Alexander Ashton, Saffron starts to piece together to puzzle and gets closer and closer to discovering who murdered Mrs Henry and why.

My thoughts on A Botanist’s Guide to Parties and Poisons

A Botanist’s Guide to Parties and Poisons was a fun read! What I really liked was diving into London in the 1920s, and not only that but in the science and biology sector of a university. It was a really quirky mix and not one that I had been familiar with before.

Saffron, donned with a name I still can’t get on board with, was a straightforward, scientific sort of character (not unexpected), determined and resilient. While I didn’t feel a connection to her at all and I didn’t really grow to love her like I have other protagonists (granted, not actually that many), I did enjoy her relating to Alexander Ashton and their inevitable blossoming romance.

The plot follows Saffron and Alexander gallivanting around London trying to find planets and poisons and figuring out the truth, but it was a slow start for me and a chapter in I had to re-read the description to remember what the book was about. It wasn’t until I was well into the book did it pick up interest for me.

Just a comment on the names in this book: some of them were too similar. Alexander Ashton was the love interest/partner in crime-solving, but then we also had Dr Aster. Then we had Dr Henry and Mr Harper, and a Berking and a Blake. All different, I recognise that, but perhaps there were too many characters to keep up with and remember who they were.

I would have liked a bit MORE. More intrigue, more romance, more unpredictability, more … something! Also … I would have quite liked it if they had all actually gone to Brazil like the original plan. For these reasons, while it was a fun historical fiction read, it fell a little short of my expectations.

Will you give A Botanist’s Guide to Parties and Poisons a read when it’s released in 2022?

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I received this free copy thanks to Crooked Lane Books and NetGalley. This does not affect my thoughts and all opinions are my own.