Another thrilling and fun installment in the Sloane Wrexford series….culminating in Lady Charlotte and the Earl of Wrexford’s wedding….caricatured by A.J. Quill! The procurement of the botanical treatment for malaria and stopping slave smuggling is at stake as Sloane. Wrexford, the Weasels and the rest of their family and loved ones take on murderous and greedy men with a history of dastardly deeds.

Andrea Penrose's Wrexford and Sloane series is composed of what I would call "Historical Cozies." There are villains, people (at least one per book) die, but the novels don't contain anything graphic—and the point of these novels is as much to give readers time as observers of an unusual and deeply connected group of amateur detectives as to provide a puzzle to be solved.

There's lord Wrexford, known as a short-tempered man who doesn't suffer fools gladly (and who sees a great many people around him as being foolish). There's Lady Charlotte, rejected by her family and earning a living producing satirical political drawings. We also have "the weasels" and their many friends—Raven and Hawk have been adopted by Lady Charlotte, but remain in contact with their guttersnipe friends, several of whom have found a place to live at Wrexford's country estate. There's a remarkable valet who's also an expert in chemistry and a lady's maid/cook/sharp-shooter. And a dowager who wields a dangerous cane. Who wouldn't want to spend time with this crowd?

The mystery around which Murder at the Royal Botanic Gardens is built is satisfyingly complex, with several threads that are gradually pulled closer and closer together and that include a botanical convention, a possible cure for malaria, the illegal slave trade, and tensions between Britain and the U.S.

Penrose does a nice job of slipping in backstory at appropriate moments, so you can easily read this volume even if you aren't familiar with the series. If you like your mysteries a) historical and b) cozy, you have a treat in store if you pick up Murder at the Royal Botanic Gardens. I received a free electronic review copy of this title from the publisher via NetGalley; the opinions are my own.

[I am also posting this review on LibraryThing and Edelweiss.]

In the fifth mystery of Charlotte Sloane and the Earl of Wrexford, the two can't resist being dragged into another murder investigation despite their impending nuptials. At a social event at the Royal Botanic Gardens, a visiting botanist is found dead. The botanist was getting ready to reveal an important discovery and Charlotte and Wrexford are determined are racing to discover who wanted the secret for themselves. The mystery was well plotted, but I was hoping for more exploration between Charlotte and Wrexford. Their romantic tension that has been present throughout the series was absent. Though they both claim to be excited about their marriage, their connection seemed lukewarm. The story continues to detail Charlotte's struggles on reentering society (which occurred in book 3) and I found that storyline has gone stale. Even though some elements of the book are lacking, it is still a mystery to be enjoyed by fans of C.S. Harris or Deanna Raybourn.

Can we talk about how gorgeous this cover is, for starters? Wonderful job, Kensington art department. I’m happy to report that the book lived up to my expectations as well. Series readers and historical mystery lovers will delight in Murder at the Royal Botanic Gardens.
Charlotte and Wrexford are moving forward with their wedding plans and have a new murder in the form of a botanist who was poisoned. Their ward, Hawk, was an inadvertent nearby witness to the murderer disposing of evidence while he was sketching other plants.
The deceased’s death ties in with his potential discover that could make pharmaceutical millions (proving that, to no one’s surprise, humans and corporations have not changed there). The glimpse into the intrigues of the plant world and discoveries move the mystery along as there are additional deaths and adventure.
One of my favourite parts is when Charlotte is concerned for some threat that Wrexford is about to face, and he calmly assures her there’s “not a chance in the world that I will miss my wedding night.” I swooned a bit more than Charlotte over that one. Looking forward to them investigating as a married couple in the future. They’ve both grown as individuals and as a couple over the series and seeing how solid they are in this instalment is a real testament to that.

Sadly, this series is going downhill for me. I really enjoyed the first 3 books but the last one and now this one were just...dull. The mystery was convoluted and there were so many obvious red herrings. For a couple who have been solving murders for a while, both Wrexford and Charlotte are really quick to jump to conclusions about people, based on nothing much more than appearances.

It also wasn't entirely obvious why they got involved with this case. Just because one of her wards happened to be nearby when the murder happened? It seemed very contrived.

And the constant navel gazing by both main characters, though more so with Charlotte, was tremendously tedious. Yes, we get it. You're getting married. Life will change. Ugh.

At least the villains weren't referred to as "dastards" every few lines.

I received a copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for my review.

Murder at The Royal Botanic Gardens by Andrea Penrose is a really enjoyable historical mystery set in Regency Period (1810) London. It is part of the Wrexford & Sloane series involving Lady Charlotte Sloane, a famous satirical artist, and her now fiancé the Earl of Wrexford. Penrose notes in the Author’s note that she includes a “new scientific breakthrough” in each book. The breakthrough in this book is “botanical science” and the discovery that there are plants that can cure diseases and eradicate pests.

Wrexford and Sloane and their young wards make a great mystery solving crew. In this story they are pitted against a gang of men willing to murder anyone who stands in their way in a race to cultivate newly found plants. Penrose has given us an accurate picture of Regency Society without making it too stuffy.

The mystery is intriguing and hard to figure out, plus there is a hint of romance to add to the plot. I thoroughly enjoyed this book.

Wrexford and Sloane are now engaged, and must navigate the social whirl of London with Lady Charlotte now under extra scrutiny as Wrexford's fiancé. Or at least, that's the idea. In practice, they don't do much mingling and dealing with society, because as usual, they are on the track of a murderer. These are pleasant enough books, and I do enjoy the development of The Weasels, but there is quite a bit of repetition. For a run-away lady who eloped with her art teacher in her youth and lived abroad before returning to London to live by her wits in the worst areas of town and adopted 2 street children to raise, Charlotte seems awfully...timid. She is constantly worrying about her new place in society (although it has done her nothing but good, as far as anyone can see), she doesn't seem like she really cares that much about the opinions of society except as they may interfere with her work or her husband's reputation, and she ought to have the experience to use it for what she wants and ignore it the rest of the time, especially with the support of her fearsome aunt. And yet it's nothing but worry, worry, worry all the time. Not only the worries repeated over and over, the exact same language is used to describe them, as well as other thoughts the characters have in the stories. For example, a character will get an impression that another character is "driven by hubris and ambition," only to describe them to another character 2 pages later as "driven by hubris and ambition." (I'm paraphrasing here, it's usually a longer phrase, but the point remains that it is odd to have characters constantly repeating an exact phrase...it makes them seem more sock puppets on the hands of the author, driving home a description, than real people. In the end, this series is similar in tone to, but not as accomplished as, say, the Captain Lacey series by Ashley Gardner, or the Lady Sherlock series by Sherry Thomas, or the Lady Darby series by Anna Lee Huber.

I want to thank NetGalley and the publisher for providing me a copy of this book for review.

The story starts at the botanical gardens in London with a symposium of highly intelligent botanists from around the world. A man named Becton is found dead. They found white powder on his mouth which ends up to be poison. Thus starts the murder investigation. The death is because he discovered a cure for malaria and was going to give the information to the folks at the symposium. It turns out the formula is with a rare plant which made into medicine is worth a fortune.

I didn’t know that this was a sequel to 4 previous stories, that aside it was an enjoyable story. A Lady Charlotte Sloane, a satirical artist, and Lord Wrexford a man not to cross were planning a marriage. The exchange between them and described setting were enjoyable. The two kids Raven and Hawk also played a part in solving the murder. It was a family affair.

The solving of the murder starts in the second half. There were many characters that enter the story. The murder suspects continue to expand as well as the entry of a group referred to as weasels. Had I read the previous books this wouldn’t have been so puzzling to me.

I totally enjoyed the book, it does include a twist to the solving of the crime, which kept it interesting. I also enjoyed the historical references in the book.

Set in Regency England, this delightfully witty series takes readers into a different world where men are in charge but women are also starting to show their mettle. In this book we see chemistry between between people as well as a theme in the story as scientists leave their mark. However, one needn't be a slave to the periodic table to get a lot of joy from this.

Enter Charlotte and Wrexford, a couple engaged to be married. As their wedding draws closer nothing could possibly dampen spirits or cause a ruckus, right? Wrong. Murder seems to follow these two sleuths wherever they go which is a good thing (!) as their skills and talents are well suited and are in demand. Charlotte's pseudonym allows her to inveigle and dig. Her quirkiness and quick mind are complementary to Wrexford's scientific and serious side. The Weasels are back and add splashes of colour throughout with their antics and adventures. I adore them! Secrets and deceptions are revealed as the murder investigation goes forward.

The Royal Botanic Gardens is the venue for murder this time. And what a venue it is! As a master gardener, I visit botanic gardens on my travels and am particularly enamoured by those in the UK. Mentions of bromeliads and other plants captured my scientific mind and the story captured my heart.

Do be sure to read the author's notes as well. Thought fictional, she inserts real people into the story. Historical bits mixed with fictional work beautifully...if done well. And it is here. The cover is lovely as well, making the book a sweet package in and out to sink your teeth into.

My sincere thank you to Kensington Books and NetGalley for the privilege of reading this light and gratifying book!

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for this e-arc. All opinions are my own.
When requesting this I didn't realise it was part of a serie. Nonetheless, I finished reading this book and liked it so I will probably start the serie from book 1. I gave it only 3 stars because obviously picking up a book in the middle of a serie isn’t ideal. I may get back to this rating later when I’ve read the entire serie.

With wedding nerves already frayed, Lady Charlotte and Wrexford find themselves facing a familiar villain. But how can they protect a plant-based miracle cure from falling into the wrong hands when they don't even know what it is? Once again Lady Charlotte and her crew outpace the enemy. This is a terrifically entertaining series and I look forward to the next book.

Murder at the Royal Botanic Gardens by Andrea Penrose may be the fifth book in the series but the mysteries are always fresh. From the first page to the last I did not want to put the book down.

A swiftly paced plot, diabolical villains, suspects that were from all social levels within England and Europe and deft twists and turns that kept me guessing as to who was behind the evil deeds. I loved how Ms. Penrose allowed me to see how Kit has turned his life around and the doubts that are now clouding Charlotte's mind as the wedding looms closer. It was interesting to see how Wrex's devotion to Charlotte, Raven and Hawk has grown as they become his family. Murders, trust issues, friends, family and a touch of romance kept the story moving at just the perfect pace to the exciting rescue. I have read every book in this series and find that each one becomes my favorite until the next one comes out.

Author Andrea Penrose created an amazing series about Charlotte Sloane, an artist who makes her living with satirical graphics. She solves mysteries with her 2 young wards and Lord Wrexford. Murder at the Royal Botanic Gardens is the fifth book in the series and recommend reading the prior 4 simply because Penrose writes great books. I finished the newest mystery in a day and loved the story, as well as the interaction between all the characters. Sloane and Wrexford are intelligent and articulate, with a wide variety of interesting secondary characters. I can't say enough about Penrose and her work - she is a great writer with creativity and intelligent dialogue. I highly recommend all of her series and particularly love Murder at the Royal Botanic Gardens.

I didn’t finish this. Between this book and the last one, this series has become so utterly boring, toothless and domesticated, I can’t stand it. There’s no atmosphere, too much pointless detail, and in this case all Charlotte does isn’t fret. Wrexford, meanwhile, has morphed into some kind of one-dimensional knight in shining armor at all times. Lame.

Lady Charlotte Sloan and the Earl of Wrexford are about to get married but at their first social outing as an engaged couple, someone dies. Finding a murderer while planning a wedding isn't easy, particularly when one suspect was friends with Charlotte and her first husband in Italy and another is an American in London on a secret assignment. When Charlotte reconciles with her long estranged brother, it comes out he has ties to the dead man as well. But becoming a family means working together and with everyone pitching in, they discover the guilty party and the wedding goes off as planned! I love this series and look forward to their next adventure! Thank you to #NetGalley for the opportunity to read an advance copy of #MurderattheRoyalBotanicGardens.

4 stars

Oh my, what fun this book is! I have not read the previous books in the Wrexford and Sloane series, but I am now determined to read the entire series backlog. It is generally my impression that in a mystery series, each book can be read on its own, and that held true here; reference was made to past events and previously-encountered characters, but it was perfectly easy for me, as a new reader in this world, to pick up.

This mystery, stumbled upon and ultimately solved by a ragtag found family of scientifically- and progressively-minded aristocrats, frankly reminds me a great deal of the Amelia Peabody series by Elizabeth Peters—high praise from me, as that series is my all-time favorite cozy mystery saga. The only downside is that, perhaps thanks to this comparison, I find the actions and attitudes of the characters (both main and peripheral) more at home in the Victorian period than the regency; references to Napoleon were my main reminders of the actual time period in which the story is set. Perhaps the other books are more firmly set into the Regency period due to the scientific and technological advancements discussed, and my rather slight knowledge of botany is what allowed me to mentally drift further into the century.

All of the characters are frankly delightful. The novel balances a series-length arc of family relations with the action of this particular story’s murder mystery in a way that I found satisfying. The juggling of characters’ various social identities was also treated in a way I found entertaining without belaboring, which it easily could have been. I truly look forward to reading more from this author, and seeing Wrexford and Sloane (er, Wrexford) in the future as they grapple with combining their households.

Penrose brings Kew's Royal Botanic Gardens and the social and intellectual landscape of Regency England alive in her impressive fifth Wrexford and Sloane mystery. In addition to its range of colorful characters and clever mysteries, the series excels at conveying the contrasts of the Regency, capturing both its constraining traditions and its cutting-edge innovations. The sometimes complex dynamics between Wrexford, an accomplished amateur chemist, and artist Charlotte Sloane always add an interesting emotional thread to their sleuthing collaborations; this time around, the plans for and implications of the couple's approaching nuptials add appealing warmth, struggle and surprise. MURDER AT THE ROYAL BOTANIC GARDENS finds Penrose at her best; the latest installment of the Wrexford and Sloane story will delight existing fans and win her new ones as well.

I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. This book was good but not great, while I enjoyed the the botany aspect of this book, it was almost a bit much at times. I loved Charlottes interactions with both Hawk and Raven, it was very sweet. There was a large portion of the book where I had to force myself to read through it because I felt that nothing was happening. The ending of the book was very sweet though.

<b>Partners in Love & Murder Solving in the Regency Era.</b>

<u>Synopsis: </u>

Josiah Becton, an expert botanist on the precipice of sharing a cure for malaria that promises to bring him professional acclamation, is poisoned by a glass of sparkling wine. A fate that <I>could</i> have been prevented if Becton did not succumb to drinking peer pressure; don’t become a statistic kids, just say no! <i>This has been a P.S.A. </i>

Lord Wexford's reputation as a sardonic dabbling chemist, and murder investigator precede him, and thus he is brought into the fray early on by Dr Hosack who knows this was no accident. Wexford, together with his fiancée and partner in solving crime, Lady Charlotte Sloane- creator of satirical comics, that shed light on social injustice under a pen name- will have to ferret out the culprit before they are wed.

<u>What Charmed: </u>
♡ The Weasels.

♡Lady Charlotte has an interesting backstory and her qualms about marriage after being independent and rejoining the '<i>beau monde</i>' after her long absence I found refreshing in a HR heroine.

♡The villain and motive.

<u>What Marred:</u>
✗ I never connected to the characters, I felt they lacked chemistry.

✗ I wasn't overly enthralled with the story, I had to focus to finish.

<u>The Brass Tacks: </u>
➭It is perfectly suitable for any fan of historical fiction and whodunnits, and although I count myself in that camp, and found the writing up to par, it never managed to capture my focus or heart. It crawled in the first half and although the second half was more exciting, and even at times thrilling, by then the lot of it could be categorized in my mind as sluggish.

I received an ARC of this book from the publisher through NetGalley for an honest review.

I am a big fan of this series, but I couldn't finish this one. I enjoyed "visiting" the characters, but there was much talk here and not a lot of action. I felt that there were modern sensibilities pressed on characters who would have thought very differently.