3.5 stars~

~Thanks to Netgalley for providing a digital ARC of A Botanist’s Guide to Parties and Poisons in exchange for an honest review. ~

I was so excited when I received an ARC of this, because of this cover? Freaking gorgeous. The premise made me think we were getting a historical fiction thriller, but this is more of a historical fiction cozy mystery.

The start of this book introduces a lot of characters very quickly, all bland, academic men, which does make it hard to keep them all straight. We also meet Saffron, who’s smart, wistful, strong-willed, but she does give off ‘Not like other girls’ energy. She did grow on me by the end and even became more fun, utilizing her femineity to get what she wants. Alexander, who is obviously the love interest from the first time we meet him, feels a bit underdeveloped in comparison. We slowly start to see more from him as the book progresses (and eventually see from his POV,) but I still felt like we didn’t know him very well. I did like that the author utilized WWI by mentioning the impact it’s had on the characters, without putting the focus of the story on the war itself. But the relationship that develops between these two felt thin and didn’t really convince me. Being considerate and having intellectual conversations doesn’t necessarily make for romantic chemistry.

Speaking of, I was a bit surprised that this shifts POVs since this is supposed to become a series revolving around Saffron solving mysteries. I just would have expected that everything we see and learn would be through her eyes, so I’m not sure what was the necessity in seeing through Alexander and a police officer’s eyes, apart from convenience, but I think most of what’s learned from their POV could be explained to Saffron later, without needing to change characters.

This is pretty slow-moving, which reinforced the fact that this definitely isn’t a thriller, but I do enjoy that a lot of investigating included gossiping. While early scenes of suspense didn’t really pack an anxiety punch, the final climax certainly did. The tone overall is very prim and proper, with word choice having an old-school feel, but apart from that, the atmosphere is not particularly strong for what I’d expect from a historical fiction book.

In the end, I enjoyed this, but I don’t know if I’ll continue the series. It’s an easy, quick read that mixes many genres and has a gorgeous cover.

Thank you to NetGalley, the author and publisher for my eARC in exchange for an honest review.

This is a lovely little "cosy-up under the blanket on a rainy day" type of read. It's not too intense and maybe even a bit predictable at times. My favourite character by far is Saffron, our MC and female lead - the author manages to make Saffron very relatable despite the fact that she is a female scientist in 1920's London! I really enjoyed watching the romance between Saffron and Alexander develop too, and look forward to following them on their next adventure.

I really enjoyed the main characters bravery and boldness during a time when societies view on women in science and the academic field was vastly different compared to today.

Next to her studies Saffron, a young assistant to a professor for botany at University College of London during the 1920’s, usually "just" has to navigate through academic politics and dinner parties held by important benefactors..
At one such party, right before a research team is supposed to head out for an expedition, a guest is poisoned and the professor Saffron works for ends up being the main suspect, due to his work with rare and poisonous plants. So now she also takes on solving a murder to help clear her professors name.

With Saffron’s tendency to act first, think later, it isn’t always easy for Saffron to stay away from trouble. But she is talented in her field, aware of her knowledge and abilities and trusts herself enough, to go as far as to try yet unknown toxins on herself to prove someone else’s innocence.

This book has a little bit of everything for everyone! It’s a “who did it” book for any crime solving fans and it’s full of plant energy for any science fans. I was absolutely in love with the hints of romance of this book because it was well balanced by a strong female lead. Sometimes the characters are a bit difficult to keep track of, but if you are in to “Clue”, this is the one! This book also gives you a glimpse into the past with a historical fiction lens! I can’t wait for this book to release!

Saffron Everleigh would rather spend her time as a newly minted research assistant studying plants at the University College of London than at a stuffy dinner party. Saffron is expecting to spend the night listening to conversations about the university's upcoming expedition to the Amazon, so when one of the professors' wives drops to the floor, poisoned by an unknown toxin, Saffron is just as flabbergasted as everyone else. When the crime is pinned on her mentor, Saffron decides to launch her investigation to clear his name. Saffron enlists the help of a fellow researcher, Alexander Ashton, but will the pair be able to track down the real murderer before it's too late?

I was initially drawn in by the cover, but once I read the synopsis, I knew it'd be right up my alley. I can't say no to a historical mystery with a plucky heroine. I liked Saffron right off the bat. I thought she was smart, capable, and held her own against all the men who would belittle a woman in her field. She and Alexander had a nice dynamic together, and I enjoyed how they bounced off one another. They had great banter that I loved. I thought the plot was good, but it felt too simple; as did the writing. It was easy to read, and I flew through it in almost one sitting, but it felt clunky. However, I still liked this and would recommend it if you're looking for a cozier mystery.

Thank you to Crooked Lane Books and NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review!

A Botanist's Guide to Parties and Poisons by Kate Khavari is a historical mystery that will appeal to fans of Sherlock Holmes or Agatha Christie. The story is set in London in 1923, which is a lovely time. The story revolves around Saffron Everleigh, a research assistant who gets involved in a murder investigation when a woman is poisoned. Saffron's mentor is the main suspect, so she decides to use her knowledge of botany to find the true murderer. Along the way, she teams up with a handsome fellow researcher. Will they be able to clear her mentor's name before it's too late?

Here is a lovely excerpt from Chapter 1;

"Light poured from the windows of the grand house, illuminating the front steps and graveled drive. The taxi rolled to a stop and Saffron emerged, then was led up the stairs by a liveried footman. A maid took her coat, and for a moment, Saffron stood in the doorway to the lavish sitting room, where about twenty people were gathered. The room was vast and cool despite a fire in the large marble hearth. With tall walls papers with green silk and coutnless pieces of highly polished heirloom furniture, it reminded her very much of her grandparents' house; it was the sort of place that was heaped with family treasures that were ignored by everyone but the maids."

Overall, A Botanist's Guide to Parties and Poisons is a wonderful blend of multiple genres. It would make the perfect gift for the Victorian-era lover in your life. One highlight of this book is how historically accurate everything felt. I'm no expert, but the author's writing style definitely evoked the Victorian era. I felt like I had been transported back in time to early 20th century London. Another highlight of this book is how it blended historical fiction with mystery. I felt that the story was very masterfully written. If you're intrigued by the excerpt above, or if you're a fan of historical mysteries, I highly recommend that you check out this book when it comes out in June!

Firstly, thank you to Netgalley and Crooked Lane Books for the opportunity to read and review this book.

I think the premise of this book is really good. I love a university setting, a mysterious whodunnit and poisonous plants, but I just don't really think it was all delivered that well.

The cover is beautiful and the discussion of plants is interesting, but I struggled with other parts of the book. I found some of the characters to be too similar and I had trouble differentiating them. It took me a while to realise it was set in the 1920's. I didn't love Saffron as a character and wasn't invested in her progress or her relationship with Alexander.

I think some of the grammar and sentence structure could have been improved. (words were repeated in sentences, many sentences in a paragraph started the same way s.g. Saffron thought, Saffron went, Saffron asked).

I think the thing that annoyed me the most was the plot. It just needed a bit more development to make it more believable and connections more convincing. For example, because Saffron's supervisor discovered a poisonous plant, they arrested him because that meant he probably poisoned Mrs Henry...? And Saffron connecting that straight away so taking the poison and using her symptoms to positively conclude that isn't what Mrs Henry took? What if Mrs Henry took more and her symptoms were different? It all just seemed a little unbelievable to me and the characters made weird connections between events and things that didn't make sense to me.

I think this book had a lot of promise but it didn't quite fulfill it's potential. 2.5 *

I typically struggle with historical fiction but I liked this more than expected.

Saffron Everleigh is an imaginative and creative thinker, a scientist who seems to know an awful lot about poisons. This comes in handy as she is thrown in the middle of an attempted murder plot which her advisor and mentor is accused of. Saffron teams up with veteran Alexander Ashton and sparks fly.

The pacing lagged a bit in the middle and the suspense that was so ramped up in the beginning lost some steam. Some components require more suspension of disbelief than I was willing to give but overall, I enjoyed this.

I might read the next in the series, which I rarely say about historical fiction novels.

Did not get to finish, an interesting take on historical mysteries mixed with STEM and a heaping does of the lady deserves better!

Welcome to 1920s London in this quasi-cosy mystery. Saffron is a smart, ambitious woman living in the man's world of Science (1920s, remember). She makes for an engaging main character; intelligent but a bit impetuous. The story kicks off with a party. When Saffron's teacher is accused of poisoning a guest, she gets to work finding the real perpetrator. Along the way, she partners with Alexander Ashton (the charming love interest).

There is so much to like about this book! The story did drag a bit in the middle and (to be honest) the actual perpetrator seemed a bit unlikely to me. That is all that kept this charming tale from being a 5 star read.

Thank you to NetGalley and the author for sharing this ARC with me.

What a cozy murder mystery! The characters were really lovable and it was just comfortable and entertaining. It wasn't super original and the plot twists were not surprising at all, but I did enjoy it and will read the next books, if the author decides to write more. I would have liked to see more of botany and even microbiology, those were the things that I was most interested in when I picked up the book. But still, it's a light read, good for when you just need to sit down and relax with a book.

In this mostly cozy mystery set in 1920s London, we meet Saffron Everleigh, a young botanist working as assistant to a kindly, fatherly older botanist (her biological father, also a botanist, died in the First World War, as did her first amour). Unfortunately, most of the other scientists in their group are thoroughly sexist, which makes things very difficult when the wife of one is poisoned at a party and Saffron's mentor is hauled off to jail. Luckily for Saffron, her best friend and roommate is supportive, and even more luckily, she's able to team up with a handsome bacteriologist to help her figure out what's going on.

This was a fun read and pleasantly unlike the other books I've been reading just lately. I did feel that the role of Elizabeth, Saffron's best friend, was a little too small here, and that Saffron's friendship with the bacteriologist Alexander Ashton developed perhaps a little too quickly. Saffron also sometimes shows poorer sense than one might expect from a scientist. However, this should be the start to an enjoyable series that many readers will enjoy.

Painful style. Stilted and overwrought. REALLY needed a beta reader to catch awkward sentences and oddities. At first we have no idea when the story is set. Saffron's father's science study would probably be normal for his era, not an oddity. Should have been set at Wye College, Univ of London, not UCL.

Really loved this completely new and out of the box storyline! The characters truly jumped off the page and kept me wanting more and more. Additionally, the aspect of a woman playing front and center in such a male dominated field and time was great as well!

A Botanist's Guide to Parties and Poisons is a great cozy mystery that will give you all the dark academia vibes. When I first saw this book pop up on NetGalley, I had visions of it being the next The Lost Apothecary (one of my favorite books of 2021). While I enjoyed the book and it kept me guessing, I also found it a bit too slow for my taste.

I loved the historical aspect of it and all the descriptions surrounding the plants and the university location (I literally was picturing a Harry Potteresque school - anyone else?!). The action started right from the start, but then the middle of the section slowed a bit before it really picked up at the end. I really liked Saffron's character, and I certainly hope there will be another book featuring her; the ending certainly left it open.

3.5/5 stars from me, simply because it moved a little slower than I normally would like, but overall a good read.

Thank you to Crooked Lane Books and NetGalley for the digital ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Historical mistery with a side of romantic tension, in the style of Deanna Rayburn books

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. Both the characters and the mistery were very compelling and the tension was very well built. The historical details and botanical curiosities were nice touches that brought the book to life. I hope to read more in the future.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with an ARC in exchange for my honest opinion

A Botanist's Guide to Parties and Poisons introduces us to Saffron Everleigh, a research assistant in the botany department of a London university. Saffron is at a party for the university staff where she witnesses a poisoning. *Gasp!* When her mentor at the university, Dr. Maxwell, is arrested and blamed for the incident, Saffron goes to great lengths to find out if he is truly responsible - or if he's being framed. She's joined in her efforts - usually reluctantly - by fellow researcher Alexander Ashton. Can the unlikely duo use their knowledge of science to uncover the truth?

I was drawn to this book because it combines my love for historical fiction and mystery. To quote my coworker - who often tells me - "You do love a good murder." I sure do... I was not disappointed. The story was thoroughly engrossing and I finished the whole book in less than a day. The plot was thick and tense and laden with plenty of juicy morsels to keep a reader on their toes and guessing what will happen next - all hallmarks of a wonderful mystery. I enjoyed the creative inclusion of science and the puns and creative plays on words that were spotted through the book. The story was action-packed and full of the twists and turns that make for a future classic and I sincerely hope I get to devour more of Saffron's exploits in the future.

Thank you to Crooked Lane Books and NetGalley for providing me with a digital copy of the book to review. The opinions expressed here are my own and do not reflect those of the author or publisher.

It was extremely difficult to get through the initial chapters. I believe the author assumed we are familiar with all the characters already and didn't spend much time in introducing them.
Every now and then a new name pops up and leaves you ever more confused.
Not the best kind of mystery.

Quite a quarky "whodunnit" story line reminiscent of Agatha Christie, Sherlock Holmes, and Clue combined. The main character Saffron is a botanist research assistant. At a party, a guest is poisoned. Saffron shares her whit and cleverness to help solve the crime.

Overall, well written with a backdrop of the post-WWI England, and all it comes with it, with some science, humor and romance for good taste. It is filed as "Historical Fiction", which I suppose is accurate, though really it's a work of fiction in a historic time, without significant ties to any events in particular.

The author does well describing the characters, building the plot and tension. I only wish to have seen more closure at the end, though of course, that is my personal preference.

The comments above are mine without influence.

Original Review on Goodreads

We began in the year 1923 with research assistant, Saffron Everleigh, doing work for the botany department at the University College of London. While attending a dinner party for the university, there is a murder, her mentor is wrongly accused and thrown in jail, it’s up to Saffron, her botany knowledge and fellow reseacher Alexander Ashton to find the truth. With such a riveting story and crazy adventure, this story takes out of the real world and into one of murder mystery and intrigue. When I first read the books’ blurb I knew I was in for a day of devouring each page and all the adventure. I loved every character and the storyline so much! A love of good mash up of genres from murder mystery to historical fiction to slow burn romance! I think a lot of readers would enjoy this book as much as I did! I need so much more of Saffron and Alexander!!!!

Thank you to NetGalley and Crooked Lane Books for access to this ARC in exchange for an honest review!