So I’m not saying that I’ve put off writing this review for a long time because I loved it so much that I don’t really know how to talk about it…but that might be what’s happened.

I knew going in that it was going to take a lot for me to dislike this book, it’s the exact type of story that I love, but it was even better than anticipated and it absolutely blew me away. I don’t tend to read mysteries unless they’re cozy ones, and this one definitely feels like it’s in that vein, but it also just is so much richer? I don’t really know how to describe it (and I don’t want anyone to think that I’m talking bad about cozies because I really do love them) but the writing in this book absolutely made it an incredible reading experience.

The world that the story takes place in is so vivid without being infodumpy, I read a lot of historical fiction and some authors tend to give you so much information so that there’s no question of what time and place the story is taking place. And I have no problem with that, but this author just…placed you where the story was taking place. There wasn’t an overabundance of info but there was also no doubt that the story takes place in London in the early 1920’s. I also loved the academic setting of this, it was so lovely seeing how Saffron navigated this world as a woman and how all the different characters reacted to her chosen profession. It felt incredibly believable and made me root for them that much more.

And on that note I just have to talk about these characters! They were so well fleshed out and they all felt so real. From Saffron herself, to her colleagues at the university, her best friend and her love interest, they were all so GOOD. I’ve literally run out of positive ways to describe the writing in here so just take my word for it? Okay thank you.

So if the writing and the characters are fantastic then there must be a flaw with the plot right? NOPE. Not at all! This is one of my favourite mysteries that I’ve ever read, I had no idea what was going on (not that I ever really try to guess but still) and the plot twists and suspense kept me reading.

I literally read the last 60% of this while sitting in my car during a snowstorm without the heat on. I wasn’t wasting gas but I also wasn’t putting this book down. My fingers were frozen and I don’t regret it one bit. This is one of my favourite books of the year, I can’t wait for it to come out so I can own a physical copy, and I will definitely be reading more by the author in the future. Hopefully more in this world but I’ll take whatever I can get.

If you are looking for a cozy mystery that is plot-driven with major dark academia vibes, this is the book for you! We follow Saffron Everleigh, a young woman in the botany department of her post-war London university, as she tries to clear the name of her mentor for the attempted murder of the wife of a fellow professor. Along the way, we get to witness her academic prowess as she looks in the dark corners the police refuse to explore. Overall, this is a quick read rooted in the magical powers of plants and the ways people manipulate them for power. This would be the perfect fall read.

A Botanist’s Guide to Parties and Poisons is a slowly-paced historical mystery.

Set in 1923 at the University College of London, where Saffron Everleigh is attending a dinner party when Mrs. Henry, a professor’s wife, suddenly collapses. The police begin an investigation, which soon reveals that someone poisoned Mrs. Henry. Further investigation leads them to believe that Saffron’s mentor Dr. Maxwell is the primary suspect.

Saffron refuses to believe that Dr. Maxwell could have committed such an act. And thus, she commences her own amateur investigation, determined to uncover the actual culprit. Alexander Ashton, a fellow researcher, finds himself joining her case.

The university was supposed to embark on an expedition to the Amazon in a few weeks’ time, but with the poisoning, things remain uncertain.

This cozy mystery alternates perspectives between Saffron and Alexander. Aside from the central plot, it explores PTSD, women working in a male-dominated field, and sexual harassment in the workplace.

I wasn’t a fan of the casual racism that appeared a couple of times in this story and went unchecked. In the context of this story, it doesn’t surprise me, but the fact that it’s just there without any discussion around it offends.

Overlooking that, the story itself didn’t hold my interest and the romance felt forced.

There were a few things that I did enjoy: Saffron’s research of poisonous plants and her best friend, who was supportive but also gave her much-needed reality checks. The ending was quite satisfying as the pieces started coming together.

Other reviewers have enjoyed this much more than I did, so be sure to check those out.

Thank you to Crooked Lane Books for providing an arc via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

https://booksandwheels.com

My many years of reading this type of intelligent, well researched novel has given me an undeserved reputation for being smarter than I am. I stuck around for the fun mystery, the engaging characters and the evocative historical setting, and ended up with a bunch of interesting botanical facts as a bonus. Win-win.

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

A fantastic historical fiction full of atmosphere, twists, and a female lead with loads of moxie!

It can be hard to make a highly academic setting and subject feel well-paced and enthralling, but Khavari does it with elegance in this book. The author's historical and botanical research were obviously extremely thorough, which I appreciate as a cultural anthropologist myself :)

This was such an interesting, highly cerebral murder mystery that also packed a ton of heart and meaningful commentary on societal and academic gender inequalities. I appreciated the author's messaging without being disparaging toward anyone.

A fantastic read, I cannot wait to tag along on Saffron's next adventure!

A Botanist's Guide to Parties and Poisons tells the story of Saffron, a research assistant and botanist that gets embroiled in a scheme when her favorite professor and colleague is accused of poisoning his wife. This book reads like a mystery, but it wasn't quite what I thought it would be. This was a little to "cozy mystery" for me, with all the loose ends tied neatly up by the end. Also, there was a touch of romance, with a budding relationship between Saffron and Alexander, a fellow professor and World War I veteran.

This book wasn't really my cup of tea, in the end. I find myself having a difficult time focusing and staying with cozy mysteries, and although this wasn't exactly billed as such, it reminded me greatly of a "cozy". I had a hard time paying attention to the recording, and found myself not really caring one way or the other with what happened to the characters in the story. It was too "light" for my tastes, but that is not to say that this would appeal to a very wide audience of people, generally speaking. There was nothing in particular wrong with this book, it just was, in the end, not my type of book.

I found it to be well written, with fairly relatable characters. I didn't love the name "Saffron" but it seemed perfect for a "cozy mystery" type.

Thank you to the author, publisher and Net Galley for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

3.5 stars

Debut mystery set in 192os England, still suffering from the after effects of the Great War. Botanist Saffron Everleigh has followed in her late father's footsteps and is attempting to establish a career in a male dominated field as a scientist. She meets with a lot of resistance and sexual harassment.

When her mentor and boss is accused of poisoning a colleague's wife at a party that Saffron attends, she can't help but investigate to try and exonerate him. She has the help of biologist Alexander Ashton. The two are drawn to each other but both are fairly prickly personalities.

Saffron is young, and not always logical. She bristles about her male co-workers on one hand but then is not above flirting and manipulation to conduct her investigation. But I would read another and expect to see Saffron mature and come into her own. Thanks to the publisher and to Net Galley for providing me with an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

A must read for 2022. The main character was such a pleasure to read. She was so fun, smart and over all perfect. Book was entertaining, intriguing but so easy and pleasant to read. We need more characters like these. Will keep and eye out for this author and any future books.

Reviews posted on May 21, 2022

I am not usually a big fan of mystery books, but I actually had a lot of fun reading this one and defiantly felt invested in the plot and the characters. I think there was a good balance between the plot and characters, which I tend to feel is missing from mystery books.

The mystery felt very reminiscent of Agatha Christie's books and Knives Out. I liked that there were so many moving parts and so many characters to blame the crime on. I don’t think anything was particularly revolutionary or done better than others, but it was still a fun mystery to try and figure out with the characters. The ending wasn’t super predictable, but it also wasn’t out of nowhere. I like that it was a nice in-between.

What stood out for me in this book was that the author really focused on developing the character's personalities and backstories. This allowed me to care about what happened to them regarding the mystery but also allowed me to care about their personal lives.

Overall a pretty solid read, but nothing that blew me away. If you are a person who enjoys mystery books, I think you will really enjoy it, and if you are looking to get into this genre, I think this is an excellent introduction.

This was a great story with great characters. Saffron was someone I would've totally been friends with! She's a badass!! Mystery, thriller and romantic novel all in one. Loved it!!

Saffron Everleigh serves as a research assistant in the biology department at University College in London. As the department members prepare to embark upon a scientific expedition, mysterious circumstances evolve and Saffron is caught in the midst of them. A poisoning at a faculty party sets off the action at the outset of the novel. Saffron uses her knowledge of poisonous plants in an attempt to clear the name of her beloved professor and mentor. A touch of romance, some evil educators, and a race against time add interest to this quickly moving story. The academic setting forms a fitting background for the shenanigans of the many characters. The wrap up at the end provides enough chills to keep readers turning pages.

Readers who are looking for a mystery with a twist will find some unique themes and story lines in this novel. However, as a heads-up to readers with a sensitive nature, this book contains graphic violence at the end, so be ready. Those expecting a "cozy" mystery will not find it among the pages of this intriguing offering, the first from this author: but hopefully not the last book featuring Saffron Everleigh. The author has provided enough cliff-hanging clues to skillfully transition to the next book in the series.

I received this novel from the publisher and from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. The opinions expressed here are entirely my own.

A BOTANIST'S GUIDE TO PARTIES AND POISONS is a charming and engaging historical mystery that gives exotic plants and all their dangers a spotlight, which I really enjoyed. As someone who has always wanted to see a poisonous garden, the accessible but educational information about poisonous plants as potential murder weapons in this book was very fun. I also really liked our protagonist Saffron Everleigh, a research assistant at a 1923 University who wants to become a valued member of academia much like her late father, and who has to face hurdles in place due to her gender and the time period. I also liked the themes of WWI and the fallout on Britain as a whole, but also on various characters. Whether it's Saffron who lost her father and her betrothed to war, her friend Elizabeth whose family lost their social standing and wanted to marry her off to bring it back, or Saffron's fellow researcher Alexander who suffers from PTSD, the War is a lingering presence that isn't overwrought but does carry weight. As for the mystery, it's serviceable and entertaining enough as Saffron tries to clear her mentor's name in the poisoning of a fellow Professor's wife during a department party. I liked seeing Saffron experiment with various plants, and get closer to Alexander as they worked together to try and gather clues towards who the real culprit is.

I plan to continue in this series, as A BOTANIST'S GUIDE TO PARTIES AND POISONS is a grand start to a new historical mystery series!

A Botanist’s Guide to Parties and Poisons by Kate Khavari transports the reader to 1920’s London, the stuffy rooms of academia, and the rampant misogyny against women. With the last part of that sentence you would think this book could get heavy handed, but the way Saffron and Anthony handled it shows the reader that they were ahead of their times.

I really enjoyed how Khavari was able to intertwine the analytical mind of a scientist and have Saffron use those abilities to help her solve the mystery. Sometimes with how quickly her mind worked it would led her into troubling situations before she actually slowed down to think of what might happen. This led to some interesting and fast paced scenes.

Besides writing very layered characters, especially for a first book, Khavari’s descriptions of the college campus, the architecture, and dress styles of that time period were done exquisitely. As an herbalist, I was fascinated with all the science surrounding the various plants and felt that Khavari was able to make it interesting for the reader and not dry like some scientific writing can be. And the mystery was well written with numerous suspects and some red herrings.

I’m looking forward to more adventures with Saffron and Anthony, and hope you’ll pick up this book and give it a read.

This book is basically a terrible tale of what it was like to be a pretty woman in academia in 1923 in the sciences (this was before women could even vote in England!). The main character was harassed by male professors, treated as a glorified note taker, and mostly frowned upon. And this was all before the wife of one of the most prominent professors was nearly murdered, which is what the story is actually about!
I liked Saffron Everleigh (what a name!). She was determined to earn a place for herself in the botany department at the University College of London, defying the will of her wealthy grandparents for her to marry well. Instead she would rather study plants, following in the footsteps of her deceased father. During a dinner party for department members and those going on a research trip to Brazil, Mrs. Henry, the wife of the philandering though prominent Dr. Henry, is poisoned. Unfortunately the suspicion falls on Saffron’s mentor, Dr. Maxwell, who had recently argued with Dr. Henry and had access to and knowledge of a deadly array of plant specimens. Saffron promptly sets out to clear Dr. Maxwell’s name and find out who really tried to murder Mrs. Henry - was it a jilted lover or perhaps the poison was intended for Dr. Henry?
The mystery aspect was less of the Sherlockian variety and more a slow untangling of the complicated social and professional history within the university. Saffron does a bit of snooping and solving, but mostly she eavesdrops and chats up various people who might have information, all while swooning over the handsome Alexander Ashton. I appreciated Saffron’s dedication to her mentor and her determination to become a successful, respected researcher in what was primarily a man's world at that time. I also enjoyed the slowly building relationship between her and Mr. Ashton - it was cute and satisfying.
This was an enjoyable read, though it doesn’t rank among my favorite mysteries. To me the plot felt a bit contrived at times, but I did think it was quite fun and it wasn’t a heavy, stodgy read. Once again, this was a good choice for a vacation read. It wasn’t a stressful book where your favorite hero is in dire peril (or horridly embarrassing themselves) and while clearing someone’s name and figuring out who’s the poisoner is high stakes, it’s not saving the world!

I had very high hopes for this academic historical mystery, but alas, I found myself disappointed in the end.

The concept and setting for this are great, and the characters are fine, but the plot (though it begins with potential) is an illogical jumble with several elements that absolutely tanked an otherwise promising concept.

This book has the feel of a romp, which makes the constant threat of sexual violence against the protagonist both as gross as it always is and distinctly out of place in tone. It doesn’t fit with the otherwise adventuring feel of the narrative, and I don’t care for plot devices that place female characters in perpetual danger purely because they are female, particularly when the plot leaves plenty of room to avoid this (in tone, in subject, in narrative arc). It just feels unnecessarily gross and like a lazy way to create tense atmosphere.

I also don’t love faux academics and fake science in a book that is not fantasy and takes much of its tone and atmosphere from its academic setting. Using a fake plant or poison in a real-world setting always feels like cheating, and the way the author explains this in the end note just made it bug me more.

The cartoonish incompetence of the villains at the end of the novel didn’t help, especially when it was paired directly with the icky and lecherous threat of rape.

I loved the setting for this and the idea behind it was good, but the book itself disappointed me greatly.

Mystery meets history with a twist of romance in Kate Kmhavari's novel.
Gorgeous cover and the potential for a sequel!

Thank you to Netgalley for the eArc of this book.

I was intrigued by the cover of this book when I spotted it on netgalley, its absolutely stunning and the book sounded just as promising. Set in 1920's post war London, the story is centered around a budding botanist called Saffron Everleigh who is trying to make her mark in a very much male dominated environment. It is among her colleagues that Saffron finds herself caught in a murder mystery of sorts and has to use her knowledge and wits to solve the crime.
This was very much a cosy mystery set in a post war historical fiction backdrop. I really enjoyed the botany references and found that side of the book very well researched and informative.
I also enjoyed the characters themselves, particularly Saffron, they were all very individual and it reminded me very much of watching a episode of Poirot on TV, I think this is the start of a very successful series.

The atmosphere in this novel with the 1920s London university setting and a mystery involving a poisoning feels like a dark, rainy evening in the best way possible. You know that kind of evening when you have nothing to do other than listen to the rain and read under a blanket. Then to add a little brightness to that, the novel has the loveliest main character named Saffron and a cute little romance. And the cover looks pretty as well!

Definitely would recommend and will be picking up the next book (which apparently comes out next year)!

Thank you netgalley and the publisher for the arc!

Historic fiction, cozy mystery, and academic. What more could you ask for?!

This is a super fun murder mystery taking place in 1920’s London. The story follows the only female botanist at her university trying to earn respect among her peers. The main characters are excellent, intelligent, and witty. Also lots of fun botanical info! Also didn’t expect the plot twist!

This was an awesome cozy who done it mystery mixed in with some historical fiction. I enjoyed this but I felt like it kind of dragged on towards the middle with waaaay too many orchestrated romantic scenes. It started to feel a little dull to me. I’m a huge plant lady so I really enjoyed the references of them and poisons though. I get like the author did a great job with the research on that part.