I was thrilled to discover this book. It's well researched and contains a wealth of information about plant based poisons. Definitely some surprises in this fast-paced plot. Smart,, clever dialogue in this delightful mystery set in the 1920's. Saffron is an engaging character and if you enjoyed Miss. Fisher's mysteries, who will enjoy this delightful debut.

A Botanists Guide to Parties and Poisons

9781639100071

304 Pages
Publisher: Crooked Lane Books
Release Date: June 7, 2022

Fiction, Historical Fiction, Mystery, Suspense, Thriller

It is 1923 and Saffron Everleigh is a research assistant to Dr. Maxwell studying plants, especially poisonous ones. She is invited to a dinner party with the professors at the college. Dr. Henry, a colleague is also attending with his wife when she is falls ill. The doctors determine she was poisoned by an unknown toxin and since that is Dr. Maxwell’s specialty, he is the main suspect. Saffron knows that he is innocent and sets about trying to find evidence to clear his name.

The book has a steady pace, the characters are fully developed, and it is written in the third person point of view. The story is well written, and I hope to read more books by this author in the future. If you love a good cozy mystery, you should give this one a try.

Not a bad read, but not a great one. A light, cozy mystery. Character development wad weak and leaned little too much toward romance genre for me.
I received an ARC from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

A Botanist’s Guide to Parties and Poisons drew me in right off the bat. The cover is gorgeous, the setting and time period is right up my alley and the plot is intriguing. This was a cozy historical mystery thriller. The characters were well thought out and the book had a slightly whimsical feel to it. I enjoyed this one.

4.25/5 stars
This was such a fun read! I was on the edge of my seat trying to figure out “whodunnit” the entire time. The only reason I didn’t give this book 5 stars was because of the ending (it wasn’t bad, I just needed one of the loose ends tied up better). The characters are fun to get to know and the author does a great job of giving them depth and a life of their own. The pacing of the book is spot-on, not too fast and not too slow. I highly recommend this book!

I am intrigued! If this is just the beginning, wow, oh, wow, I can't wait for the other books to come out. I found out about this book on Instagram and knew I had to request an ARC based on the title, the premise, and because I've been wanting to read more historical mysteries. I was not disappointed. I love a good historical mystery, and this fit the bill (especially since it was also science related)! I loved Kate's end notes about her love of plants and how it influenced her to research and write this book; you can feel it in the world she created. And, Saffron! I loved her, hands down. This book reminded me a little bit of Jess Kidd's "Things in Jars," which I absolutely adored!

Thank you, NetGalley and Crooked Lane Books, for providing me with an advanced reader copy of this book!

I think that fans of Anatomy: A Love Story will like A Botanist’s Guide to Parties and Potions as it shares many similarities such as women attempting to live in a man's world, and "star-crossed lovers"!

Thank you so much for the opportunity to read this book in advanced in exchange for my honest review! A Botanist's Guide to Parties and Poisons was a really fun book! The characters were fantastic and really well done! I loved the 20's vibe and the mystery was so addictive.

I was really excited about this one as I do love a good mystery.

Following Saffron as she works as a research assistant in the botany department at University College in London set in the 1920s. While attempting to mingle with coworkers at a celebration party for an upcoming expedition, someone is poisoned. Saffron is thrown on the case as fingers point at her at her mentor as the culprit.

This was a cozy and light mystery. I didn't guess whodunnit, which always gets bonus points. The historical aspects felt genuine and well researched. The botany was well done and not so overly scientific that a plant dummy (i.e. me) couldn't keep up. A little slow burning romance that felt fitting of a 1920s time was just a bonus. You can see it coming, but you still want it because Alexander is just lovely.

The book started off fast and with the bang happening quickly. The middle bits did suffer a bit in the pacing department but anytime Saffron really buckled down on the investigation, the pace picked right back up. Saffron's fantastically poor decisions actually drive the story forward rather than annoy like it usually does, possibly because of Alexander's counterbalance. My biggest gripe is the names of characters became a bit confusing as many were similar.

This is one of those books that is perfect for curling up on a rainy day. It is not a heart pounding mystery but instead fluffy, cozy, and easy to read.

I freaking devoured this book! If you are in the mood for a cozy mystery with twists and turns and excitement - this is the perfect book. Khavari spins the story of Saffron, an intellectual daughter of an intellectual who finds herself caught up in a bit of a mess when her mentor is accused of poisoning a rival's wife! She intends the solve the mystery herself to save her friend and makes allies along the way that are eager to help. Add a small dash of romantic intrigue that stays politely PG and this is just cute wrapped in interesting! The writing style is easy and relaxed, which gives for a fast read. The only small critique I have is there were far too many characters, IMO. I know that adds to the intrigue, but I found myself a bit lost at times as to which man we were talking about when, especially when some of the names were quite similar. Otherwise, a perfect comfy read about characters I can't wait to visit again in the sequel!

The Botanists Guide To Parties and Poisons - Kate Khavari

London, 1923. Research assistant Saffron Everleigh attends a dinner party at University College. Expecting to discuss the Universities expedition to the amazon, she doesn't expect Mrs. Henry, one of the professors' wives to drop to the floor, poisoned.
Dr. Maxwell, Saffron's mentor, is the main suspect and as evidence mounts against him and the expedition's departure draws nearer, Saffron realises she will have to prove his innocence herself. Joined by enigmatic researcher Alexander Ashton, Saffron uses her knowledge of botany to try to uncover the truth.

This was a highly entertaining read, it took me a little while to get into it, which may in part be down to me reading it on an e-reader rather than a physical book. I took some time to establish who the different characters were in my mind but once I had fixed that I was off!
Saffron is a great character, a bit reserved initially she gets feistier as the story develops and I loved that the lead character is a woman in science. She is smart, full of gumption and charm, sleuthing her way through a really well plotted puzzle. I loved the banter with Ashton, it really made me smile and the touch of romance that we get tops off a wonderful little gem of a historical mystery!

✩✩✩✰

London University during the 1920s, where we meet Saffron (what a name!) an assistant to a university professor. Beyond the stunning cover, this novel is a lovely and cozy thriller. Saffron must work hard to save the professor she works for from accusations of murder! You’ll love these characters, especially Saffron!

I thought this was a fun read and a unique concept. Where it was lacking for me was the character development. The female protagonist kept saying she was strong, but her thoughts and actions made her seem a little flaky and indecisive. The male character also saved the day every time, but I felt like the story really wanted her to save the day. Something was just missing to really make this an amazing read. Overall, I did enjoy it and would recommend it, however it is a three star read for me.

Holy cow did I love this book! Drama, mystery, scheming, sleuthing, and so much more! It was a thrill of a ride following along on Saffron’s experiments, love interest, and detective work. Not only was I pulled into the story, but I learned a little bit about plants along the way. So good!

I felt like this was a rip-off of the Veronica Speedwell series and not nearly as well done. While I appreciate that the main character was a woman working in a man's world (a university science department), she wasn't the sharpest knife in the drawer.

I really enjoyed this book! The 1920's setting was a lot of fun. I like how the war is touched on and the topic of ptsd and "shell shock" is talked about which is not always common. The characters were enjoyable. Alexander was my fav! I liked how he was down for anything even if Saffron had a ridiculous idea (and she had many haha). The romance plot line is cute but its really not the center of the story and I was okay with that. The actual story and mystery were really entertaining and had some good twists. Overall, it was a really fun cozy mystery with some really fun characters.

An engaging read, overall.

There are a few too many anachronisms and over-use of Americanisms - a common fault among US-author-written books set in the UK (note to US authors: do your research - and get a good copy-editor); such as, 'hiking through the hills and fields of Bedford' (a large town, unless the author means the Borough of Bedford which wasn't created until 1974; or, Bedfordshire?); the main protagonists ordering pasta in an ordinary restaurant (not unheard of, but unlikely, in the 1920, even in London); 'checkbook'; 'paying them no mind'; 'favors'; 'center'; 'ice box; etc.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publishers Crooked Lane Books for the ARC in return for an honest review.

I really love plants and cozy mysteries, so I was very excited to read "A Botanist's Guide to Parties and Poisons" by Kate Khavari. I thoroughly enjoyed heroine Saffron, a spunky research assistant in a University's Botany department. I read a LOT of mysteries, and I know that many of them slow down a bit in the middle, but I did struggle a little with this one, in that I enjoy seeing the potential villain's character developed as much as the hero/heroines.
It does seem as though this story has the potential to continue in other books, and I would definitely like to see what the author does with Saffron next!

A Botanist's Guide to Parties and Poisons, centres around a Botanist society in a university; on the evening of a party someone has been near fatally poisoned. Not only Saffron's job is jeopardy but her mentor is a prime suspect, so she begins sleuthing... Was Mrs. Henry really the target? Is the expedition planned worth killing to be a part of? Or is there something else going on?

Im so glad this book was enjoyable and didn't bore me with its botanical stuff... Because I'm not really into that, but this book managed incorporate both the plants and the mystery very well. The only downside would be how some important topics were handled like ptsd, I get that the story takes place in the 1920s, so I believe management was limited. Moreover, people mention. He can have unpredictable temper but I haven't seen it (unless you count in the cold shoulder).
We have quite a list of characters, given its a mystery, but I'd say Elizabeth is hands the best, she was the most fleshed out and believable character,. Unlike Alexander, whom I felt was lacking some substance to be honest.
Our MC herself was a tad bit annoying, she's too headstrong and suddenly impulsive it seemed a Lil out of character, However her role as an aspiring scientist /Botanist plus temporary sleuth is well down,

All in all,
A really enjoyable read, you don't only get a mystery but you get dive into the 1920s botany world.

A Botanist's Guide to Parties and Poisons
by Kate Khavari
Pub Date: June 7, 2022
Crooked Lane Books
Thanks to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for the ARC of this book.
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.
Cozy mystery meets historical thriller with romantic vibes and a stunning artsy cover is a dreamy package for my suspense cravings!
I enjoyed this book. It was fun to time travel and read an intriguing suspense story from the early 20th century of London which earned four stars.
4 stars