When I randomly picked up the first book in this series a few years ago, I knew I was reading something special. While not necessarily and earth shattering read or even something ‘new and different’ in the saturated genre of historical mysteries, there is something about Lord Wrexford that just makes me swoon and I just love him!

Charlotte and Wrex have been solving murders and falling in love for the last five books and finally here we are just as they are planning their nuptials and Charlotte’s reentrance into society when another body pops up! This time Charlotte and Wrex don’t really have a reason to investigate this murder but some how they end up getting pulled into the investigation and as expected, readers are treated to another fun filled mystery!

This book is the fifth in the series and while not 100% necessary with some of the books in the series, for this one I recommend reading at least the book before this one as there is some carry over from the previous book. And to be honest, these books are so fun and it would be silly to miss out on all the wonderful sleuthing in this series by starting here so do yourself a favor and go back and read the other books because it will help you to fully appreciate all these characters.

Summary
The upcoming marriage of the Earl of Wrexford and Lady Charlotte Sloane promises to be a highlight of the season, if they can first untangle–and survive–a web of intrigue and murder involving the most brilliant scientific minds in Regency London…

One advantage of being caught up in a whirl of dress fittings and decisions about flower arrangements and breakfast menus is that Charlotte Sloane has little time for any pre-wedding qualms. Her love for Wrexford isn’t in question. But will being a wife–and a Countess–make it difficult for her to maintain her independence–not to mention, her secret identity as famed satirical artist A.J. Quill?

Despite those concerns, there are soon even more urgent matters to attend to during Charlotte and Wrexford’s first public outing as an engaged couple. At a symposium at the Royal Botanic Gardens, a visiting botanist suffers a fatal collapse. The traces of white powder near his mouth reveal the dark truth–he was murdered. Drawn into the investigation, Charlotte and the Earl learn of the victim’s involvement in a momentous medical discovery. With fame and immense fortune at stake, there’s no shortage of suspects, including some whose ruthlessness is already known. But neither Charlotte nor her husband-to-be can realize how close the danger is about to get–or to what lengths this villain is prepared to go…(summary from Goodreads)

Review
While I love the series overall, this book was just ok for me. I think readers were primed for more to happen between Wrex and Charlotte. This reentrance into society is a big step in their relationship and the books but in this one, it felt like it lost some of its significance. Wrex and Charlotte didn’t really grow much in this one—as a couple or independently. Charlotte spent a lot of time perseverating on her future but she never really included Wrex in her confidence which I found surprising. One of the biggest things I love about their characters was how well they communicate and their time discussing and listening to one another but in this book it felt like Charlotte was alone in her fears.

The murder mystery was well done, but nothing special. I had hoped that the carry over plot from the previous book (no spoilers!) would be more impactful. I was hoping that the character making a reappearance would take on a bigger role in this book and frankly the overall series. He was a great menacing villain and to not have him play a larger role in this book and the larger series felt a little disappointing to me. But the murder mystery itself was interesting and thought out and as always fun to read I just had hoped for the potential for something more sinister to come in later books.

This book was good, not great but good. I wouldn’t call it my fav in the series but it was a good read and I enjoyed the familiar characters and getting a little more of the larger story but frankly I hoped for more. I wanted more character growth and a little more chemistry between Wrex and Charlotte. In many ways they felt like strangers to one another and up until this point, they were anything but! I don’t really know what happened with this one. It wasn’t awful but it wasn’t great either. I love this series and am happy to continue reading the series but I am hoping that the next book has more of the old Wrex and Charlotte and less worrying about things that haven’t happened. Also I need more McClellan and Tyler—especially more Tyler! I really like his character and I need to know more!

Book Info and Rating
Format304 pages, Hardcover

Expected publicationSeptember 28, 2021 by Kensington Publishing Corporation

ISBN9781496732507 (ISBN10: 1496732502)

Free review copy provided by publisher, Kensington, in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own and in no way influenced.

Rating: 3 stars

Genre: Historical fiction, mystery

The engagement of Lady Charlotte Sloane to the Earl of Wrexford has recently been announced and, on the night they attend their first public event together at the Royal Botanic Gardens, a scientist if found dead. While the death appears accidental, on of the dead man’s friends suspects foul play, and asks Wrexford to investigate. Soon, Wrexford, Charlotte, and their friends and families are involved in a dangerous race to find the murdered man’s scientific discovery and his killer.

▪ Found family. I loved the unusual family that Wrexford and Charlotte have built, with two orphans from the streets, their friends and servants, and Charlotte’s aunt. They are a fascinating group, tightly-knit and supportive of each other. I just love them. Not only are they entirely lovable, they are completely necessary to the solving of the mystery.

▪ Independent woman in the 19th century. Charlotte is a career woman, running her household and raising her adopted sons, so she is rightfully worried about losing her rights after her marriage. The characters discuss it, and Wrexford is not only understanding but willing to take steps to ensure his future wife can retain her independence. I don’t know how historically accurate his attitude is, but I appreciated their discussing the issue and finding solutions together.

▪ Complex mystery. Mysteries tend to be complex and convoluted, but this one took turns that were wholly unexpected. Plus, it involved action and chases, which was very exciting. Very well woven tale.

▪ Acknowledgement of darker sides of the Regency period. I love how Penrose manages to weave in topics like slavery and the evils of capitalism in what essentially remains a cosy-ish mystery. Too often, novels set in this period gloss over the uglier sides of life, such as the class divides, the rights of women, and the abject poverty of so many citizens of London, so it was nice to see these acknowledged, even if just in passing.

Solid, complex mystery, with an interesting, lovable cast of characters.

I just thoroughly enjoyed all the elements of this historical mystery. I read it,. Left it awhile,. Came to review it. Ended up reading it again . And am now only finally reviewing it. I'll probably read it again!

The storyline was complex and intriguing. A few red herrings and some surprises along the way. Well done To the author.

I loved the way the dialogue between the main characters; Earl of Wrexford and Lady Charlotte Sloane was composed. It expressed tension, love and respect for one another. Their commitment to and relationship with the youngsters, Raven and Hawk added to this. In fact, the ensemble cast was put together in a way that they all had significant roles, both within the story and amounts them personally. This added a richness and enjoyment of the read.

I haven't read any of the others in the series but found the thread easy to pick up.

With thanks to #Netgalley, Kensington Books and the author for my advance reader copy in exchange for an honest review.

This was the fifth and perhaps final installment to this series. I have always found the relationship between Charlotte and Wexford interesting. While the mystery was okay, it felt like nothing new or interesting occurred. It was almost like this series has stalled. I enjoyed the ending and will never regret my time in this world.

Thank you to Kensington Publishing Corporation and NetGalley for my review copy.

Wrexford and Sloan's partnership continues. As they prepare for their upcoming nuptials a body is under their feet. An old foe also re-enters their lives. Are the boys, Hawk and Raven under threat? This is the fifth book in the series by Andrea Penrose. The series is an enjoyable historical cozy mystery series well worth spending your time with. Thank you #NetGalley for allowing me to give my honest and voluntary opinion of #MurderAtTheRoyalBotanicGardens.

I tried reading Murder at the Royal Botanic Gardens but just could not get into it either the plot or the characters enough to finish reading it. The botanical premise was good and interesting but couldn't carry the book for me.

The Earl of Wrexford and Lady Sloane have recently become engaged and make their first outing as such to the Royal Botanic Gardens. Alas, all doesn't go well and before the night is over, a botanist has been murdered. With all the wedding preparations, the plan is that only preliminary investigation will be done by the pair and then they will leave all the Bow Street Runners. The appearance of a villain from the past changes the plan and soon the couple and all those associated with them are involved in solving the murder.

This book is the fifth in a series of mysteries and it's really quite enjoyable. I did find it slow going at first, possibly due to this being the first book I've read. But once I got going it moved along quite nicely and I began to really enjoy the characters, of which there are many. It seems everyone has a part to play, no matter how minor. Along with the murder mystery, there is the ongoing story of the upcoming nuptials and the t0-ing and fro-ing on the part of Charlotte about losing her independence or not. There's a fair bit of feminism put into the story and it's fair to say it's not necessary that everyone plays by the rules of the day all the time.

Overall this was a great read and I will give it 3.5 stars. I want to thank Netgalley and Kensington Books for providing an advanced reader copy. I provide this review voluntarily.

Murder at the Royal Botanic Gardens is the 5th Wrexford & Sloane regency mystery by Andrea Penrose. Released 28th Sept 2021 by Kensington, it's 368 pages and will be available in hardcover, audio, and ebook formats. It's worth noting that the ebook format has a handy interactive table of contents as well as interactive links. I've really become enamored of ebooks with interactive formats lately.

This is an engaging and well written series addition. It's an ensemble character driven cozy(ish) historical murder mystery with a strong element of romance. The author has written the story around a framework of fictionalized historical characters and she does a good job of interweaving the historical facts with the fictional narrative allowing for some minor poetic license regarding names, dates, and times.

Although self-contained in the narrative arc, the cast of characters have a long history together, so it works well enough as a standalone, but I strongly recommend reading the series in order because of character development spoilers (in fact the titular series characters have progressed from near-enemies in book one to betrothed in this entry). The language is very clean, there's some violence used in context, and little sexual content.

The author does take some thinly veiled pokes at racism, slavery, unscrupulous profiteers, and the for-profit medical industry in this book which have distinct takeaways for our modern world. The narrative arc and denouement and resolution are satisfying for the genre (a little swoony and overwrought, but not egregiously so).

Enjoyable cozy murder / romance. Four stars.

Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.

Another good addition to this excellent historical mystery series.
Charlotte and Wexham are two great characters and I love their investigations.
Good character development, a vivid historical background and a solid mystery that kept me guessing.
Highly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine

Good historical mystery with a group of nice characters.

We have quite a large group of interesting characters here. Starting with the main ones - Charlotte Sloane and her fiancé Wrexford. There are also Charlotte's wards as well as employees and friends of her and Wrexford. I really liked the relationship between all these characters, based on deep respect and love if not family ties. As you can see clearly in the case of Sloan and Wrexford, for example. I also think that the story has been well spread between different characters, reflecting their skills and personalities.

The plot was very interesting and nicely twisted. The entire book begins with a strong scene in which the body of a scientist who was about to present his groundbreaking discovery is found. Our main characters Sloane and Wrexford are soon drawn into a search for the murderer. The action is fast-paced, and the MCs show intelligence and insight. The ending is well thought out and original.

This was my first encounter with these characters, and this is the fifth book in this series. But it was not the slightest problem. I quickly got to know all the characters and understood the relationships between them. I also have only minimal and necessary knowledge about the events in previous books, so if I decide to read them, I won't have everything spoiled.

I like the characters and would love to meet them again in the next books in this series. I recommend this book to anyone looking for a good entertainment in historical mystery, whether or not they have read any previous books in this series.

I am sorry to say but the next installment in Wrexford and Sloane series turned out to be disappointed.

The whole story felt like a bad play where actors keep forgetting their lines and stand on the stage waiting for prompts.

Lord Wrexford and Charlotte are getting ready for their wedding but murder at the Royal Botanic Gardens interferres together with old enemies and family reunions.

No, don't get me wrong. The characters are still fun and loveable, including Weasels, house servants and even villians. But the dynamics of the story is lacking. Suspense is practically non-existent. Both Charlotte and Wrexford are too busy soul-searching and philosophising about this or that.

Plot is very slow to unfold and energy is lost on the way. I guess this could be the end of the series.

A cool mystery set against my favourite back drop! I really like how sneaky and witty the main character had to be to get the information she wanted considering the forces she was up against! A good read and I look forward to trying more by Andrea Penrose in the future.
Thank you to netgalley and the publishers for providing me with an arc for an honest review!

Josiah Becton is an American botanist and is attending a symposium sponsored by the Royal Society of the Royal Botanic Gardens. He is preparing to discuss his new discovery that will also save lives. Before heading inside, he is offered a glass of champagne. He sips it and falls dead. Now, his new discovery has been stolen.

Lady Charlotte Sloane and her fiancé, the Earl of Wrexford, are attending the symposium as he is also a botanist. When Josiah’s body is found, Wrexford is called in to view the body as it is suspected that the man had been poisoned.

Lady Charlotte is a well-known satirical artist in London who writes under the pseudonym, A. T. Quill. Few people know her true identity. She writes about scandals of high society.

As I read more of this book, I became more and more confused. The beginning of the books seemed promising and then there were all kinds of characters thrown out that make no sense at all to me. I guess that one has to be a follower of this author to know what is going on in her books. This is the first time I have read one of her books so I guess that explains my confusion. Sorry, not for me.

Copy provided by the NetGalley in exchange for a fair and honest review.

I really enjoy this series. The characters are well developed, and their close relationships with each other are charming.
Penrose usually includes fascinating details about science and technology of the era in the Wrexford and Sloane series; this time, her subject is botany and the exploration of new medical cures.

My only complaint is that Andrea Penrose isn’t writing new books quickly enough!

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

I was so happy to get an advanced copy of this book through NetGalley!

Andrea Penrose's Wrexford & Sloane series has become an insta-buy for me. I absolutely adore these characters, and I get so excited when I hear of a new addition to the series.

This newest story did not disappoint. Murder, intrigue, and secrets are all rolled into this installment, and some of my favourite secondary characters got a bit more face time... not to mention we get to revisit an old foe.

The mysteries are always clever, the dialogue is snappy, and the romance between our two leads is enjoyable to read.

I highly recommend this series, and look forward to any new installment!

The coming wedding of the Earl of Wrexford and Lady Charlotte Sloane is threatened by a murder during a symposium at the Royal Botanic Gardens. That does not even hint at the mystery and plot twists in this story that is sure to please all fans of this series and newcomers alike.

This is one of my favorite historical mystery series. It has more substance than most; the plots often involve scientific discoveries and technological innovations that took place during the Regency period. This book deals with botanical remedies for diseases that decimated populations and killed more troops than battle.

The series also includes well-developed characters who evolve over time and in their relationships with each other. This extends to the side characters as well, such as the friendship that develops between Wrexford and a Bow Street runner and their banter that often centers around food. It is a delight to see the familial relationship that grows between the Weasels, two street urchins, and Charlotte and Wrexford.

The action takes a little while to get going and I thought there would be a little more chemistry between Wrexford and Charlotte, particularly since their wedding is so close, but it is more than made up for at the end with some big surprises and action.

I really like this series and this is a good addition to it. Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC in return for an honest review.

Murder at the Royal Botanic Gardens is the 5th title featuring the Earl of Wexford and LadyCharlotte Sloane. It might work as a stand-alone for some readers, but with such a delightful series, I recommend reading the four previous books first. This outing finds Wexford and Charlotte enjoying their recent engagement and beginning to plan for their future when once again they find themselves in the middle of a murder investigation when an American is found dead at the Botanic Gardens during a reception. Although it appears that the man died of a heart attack or other natural cause, but after viewing the body and seeing mysterious crystals, Wexford concludes that the man was likely murdered. To make things even more tricky, Charlotte's ward Hawk saw someone disposing of what very well might be the poison that was the cause of death.

Despite intentions to avoid any investigation to allow for the couple to focus on Charlotte's re-emergence in society and their wedding, Wexford and Charlotte quickly find themselves trying to discover the murderer. As always, I found the mystery to be well plotted with enough twists and turns to keep me guessing. I really enjoy the secondary characters in this series including Wexford's valet Tyler, the Weasels, Sheffield, Cordelia, and Charlotte's aunt. I look forward to future installments in the series as we get to see Wexford and Charlotte adapt to married life.

The publisher generously provided me an Advanced Reader Copy of this book; all thoughts and opinions are my own.

Murder at the Royal Botanic Gardens
By @andreapenrosebooks
Thanks to the publisher @kensingtonbooks for my Arc

The upcoming marriage of the Earl of Wrexford and Lady Charlotte Sloane promises to be a highlight of the season, if they can first untangle—and survive—a web of intrigue and murder involving the most brilliant scientific minds in Regency London…

Despite those concerns, there are soon even more urgent matters to attend to during Charlotte and Wrexford’s first public outing as an engaged couple. At a symposium at the Royal Botanic Gardens, a visiting botanist suffers a fatal collapse. The traces of white powder near his mouth reveal the dark truth—he was murdered. Drawn into the investigation, Charlotte and the Earl learn of the victim’s involvement in a momentous medical discovery. With fame and immense fortune at stake, there’s no shortage of suspects, including some whose ruthlessness is already known. But neither Charlotte nor her husband-to-be can realize how close the danger is about to get—or to what lengths this villain is prepared to go . . .

The author does a superb job with creating a wonderful atmosphere in the Regency era. The character development and growth is something that definitely stands out in this book. The writing continues to get better with each new book.
If you enjoy historical mysteries what are you waiting for. This is wonderfully written series. I am excited to read the next book by this very talented author


h a s h t a g s :
#MurderattheRoyalBotanicGardens
#Kensingtonbooks #historicalmystery #mustreadmystery

Another terrific installment of this reliably terrific series. Penrose does a great job of balancing her intricately plotted and interesting mysteries with a central love story that always rings true. She doesn't neglect the historical aspect either -- as always, this volume was beautifully evocative of its time and place, with no pesky anachronisms to spoil the fun.

Thanks to NetGalley for providing an ARC copy for my review.

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher, Kensington Publishing for the opportunity to review “Murder at the Royal Botanic Gardens.” All opinions are my own.

Josiah Becton, famous American botanist, is dispatched in the prologue. Luckily, the friend that attends the body recognizes murder when he sees it. Thus begins “Murder at the Royal Botanic Gardens,” the latest in the Lady Charlotte Sloan/Earl of Wrexford series of historical mysteries.

Charlotte and the Earl are just about to embark on marital bliss. This is going to create quite the dilemma, for Charlotte is also the satirical artist A.J. Quill, whose barbs at the upper class are part and parcel of her character. How will this upcoming marriage change her? Any reader of the time period (Regency London) knows that women had very little status; any reader of these books also knows that Charlotte Sloan will never be happy without her independence. Our author, Andrea Penrose has written of this dilemma for five books now, showing us how Charlotte deals with the world she has become a part of (again). She’s always done it well.

The murdered man was to announce “a potion that will save countless lives,” according to the narrative. One that he was going to offer up free of charge. This would not set well with people that like to make money off things like this, so someone has killed to get these secrets.

Other bodies turn up, and Charlotte’s family is soon involved. And there is a hint of international intrigue that involves America. There’s a lot going on in this book besides the initial murder, including the usual thrilling action and “in harm’s way” that Charlotte and Wrexford and all of their associates like to indulge in. It’s always a little over the top. Finally, as Charlotte says, “we use our imagination and intuition” to bring about an end to the affair, and to bring justice to all.

And we get a wedding. At last.

An author’s note explains the emphasis on botany in this book; the series always has as part of the plot a concentration on science and/or some form of technology. Real scientists like Alexander von Humboldt and David Hosack are mentioned in the text, and the importance of research gardens as a means of furthering knowledge is explained. Readers of “Murder at the Royal Botanic Gardens” will come away with some interesting facts while becoming engrossed in in a thought-provoking murder, and that’s all to the good.