"A Botanist's Guide to Parties and Poisons" was a good book. The story begins with a party to celebrate an upcoming Amazonian expedition that includes multiple faculty members from University College London. Among those in attendance is Saffron Everleigh, the research assistant for Dr. Maxwell, a botany professor. The expedition is being led by Dr. Henry, a history professor. During the party, his wife collapses and goes into a coma, having been poisoned. Dr. Maxwell is arrested on suspicion of poisoning Mrs. Henry and the suspected attempted murder of Dr. Henry (whom the police believe was the intended victim). Dr. Maxwell had been overhead arguing with and threatening Dr. Henry, who had denied Maxwell's request to go on the expedition. Also, Dr. Maxwell had brought back a toxic vine from Mexico decades ago, which he had named xolotl (after the Aztec god of death and lightning), and which was growing in one of the college greenhouses. Saffron is convinced that Dr. Maxwell is innocent and sets out to prove his innocence, which involves investigating other faculty members, as well as other people connected to the expedition. Saffron enlists the assistance, somewhat reluctant, of Alexander Ashton, a professor in the biology department, in her investigations.

I liked the character of Saffron Everleigh, especially her intellectual/scientific curiosity and her desire to defend and protect those she cares about. The interactions between Saffron and Alexander were enjoyable. The plot was creative, and there are multiple possible motives for targeting Dr. Henry and/or Mrs. Henry and multiple plausible suspects. One villain is particularly reprehensible. However, despite all the good aspects of the story, the book was not as good as I had expected/hoped. It feels like something is missing, although I cannot really pinpoint what I think is lacking.

I received a copy of the e-book via NetGalley in exchange for a review.

I received this ARC via Netgalley and Crooked Lane Books, in return for an honest review. I loved the cover of this book, the title, and the premise. I’m always wary of historical mysteries, given the limited roles and options for women but hoping the author can weave that deft balance of an interesting story with historical accuracy. While Ms. Khavari managed the latter, the story didn’t hold my attention that well after the well-written opening party scenes.
Set in 1923, Saffron Everleigh is the first female research assistant in her university’s botany department. Sadly, she must cope with misogyny, inappropriate advances, boorish comments and, to top it off, her mentor being accused of murder by poisoning. She develops a relationship with an interesting and handsome biologist, and they join forces to solve the crime. That allows the author to add important points to the story, including WWI PTSD issues and other real challenges of the time. So, this is probably more me than Ms. Khavari as I seek escapism, not dealing with some of these real-life but difficult situations. There is a great deal of potential with her protagonist in future stories and situations. I wish her the best.

Saffron, our intrepid protagonist, is an assistant at a botany department at her college. As such, she gets to assist others with their dreams and experiments, without driving much of her own. But then, at a party she attends with other faculty, someone is poisoned, and the main suspect is the professor that she works under. She knows it's not him, but how to prove it.

For a scientist, Saffron is wont to take risks and not really think things through. This made the plot drive along, but maybe didn't help her image as someone who can critically think. In fact, she had to rely on her counterpart to save the day at least. Which I didn't really want to see. Well, that and the romance just seemed kind of forced. I would have much preferred they stay friends and drive the plot that way.
I truly enjoyed this book, even though it had some slow parts where nothing seemed to be moving. The characters are both believable and likable, and there’s a lot of snooping around, making for some interesting scenes. There’s also some good cooperation with police (though limited), which is seldom seen in cozies, which was a nice change. But it also has something that’s seldom seen in cozies; rather than the sleuth confronting the culprit, something else happens, and teamwork between side characters is ultimately what unveils and captures the villain. That made it feel a bit less satisfying, but it’s a good story nontheless.

I enjoyed reading this book! As a fellow academic, I could relate to the department drama and issues (even though this book is set in the past). I liked the character development and the book contains come unexpected twists and turns that I didn't see coming. Perfect for a fall day and for when you want something that you cant put down for a few days.

In a time when girls definitely didn't run the world, Saffron held her own. She was an interesting character... you can feel her pain in certain situations but she knew how to make the best of her abilities.

(A few slight spoilers ahead... nothing to do with the mystery itself.)

While some cozies tend toward the humorous side, there were definitely some darker aspects to this book. Deadly poison aside, the story touches on workplace harassment (it still exists certainly, but it was disgustingly acceptable in previous times), women's opportunities, and a veteran with what we now know to be PTSD. These all tie together to add depth to the storyline.

I'm very much hoping for the continuation of Saffron's adventures, as I'd like to see where her career takes her, what might come of a certain relationship, and how she grows and matures.

Thanks to Net Galley and Crooked Lane Books for a complimentary digital review copy of this title.

Overall, this is a strong academic mystery with a great backdrop (1920s London). The book was a breeze to read and an enjoyable start to the series. 3.5/5.

Our female lead, Saffron, is smart, curious, and at times reckless. She's the first female botanist in her university's department and is determined to carve a place for herself. The author really leans into Saffron's botany expertise, as she conducts experiments and identifies various poisonous plants to aid the police. The attention to detail is great and definitely adds a layer of authenticity. At times, Saffron's actions are questionable, as she has a tendency to make hasty decisions without planning, which isn't really inline with most scientists, but that's part of what makes her so compelling. While I appreciate how strong and capable Saffron is, I thought her love interest, Alexander, was even more developed. A fellow researcher, Alexander aids Saffron with her investigation while also PTSD from the war. The budding romance between Saffron and Alexander is very sweet, but not particularly deep or surprising.

The weakest part of the book ended up being the villains. While definitely nefarious, they were a little too heightened to feel believable. That said, I was fairly swept up in the world and was able to suspend my disbelief and enjoy the ride.

First of all, I have to say; what a gorgeous cover! It doesn’t really scream cozy, but it’s something I could actually wish to have in a frame.
Anyway, the story is about a female botanist who works as an assistant, and when her boss is framed with putting a woman in a coma, she sets out to prove his innocence.
I truly enjoyed this book, even though it had some slow parts where nothing seemed to be moving. The characters are both believable and likable, and there’s a lot of snooping around, making for some interesting scenes. There’s also some good cooperation with police (though limited), which is seldom seen in cozies, which was a nice change. But it also has something that’s seldom seen in cozies; rather than the sleuth confronting the culprit, something else happens, and teamwork between side characters is ultimately what unveils and captures the villain. That made it feel a bit less satisfying, but it’s a good story nontheless.
Something I really found funny and true is that the protagonist and her interest in studying botany really shines through, allowing for a brief moment of glee in an otherwise appalling experiment.
I’m not entirely sure when this novel takes place, but my guess is in the 1920s, with second main character having troubles coping, in a believable way.

Anyway, I believe this is a mystery that cozy-readers who like that historic time will enjoy. Final score is probably 4.5 stars, with a little knocked off because of the slow part.

I would say that this is between 3.5 and 4 stars, but since I was reading an ARC, I decided that this should be 4 stars.

Firstly, I loved the cover! This is what immediately caught my attention, I loved the choice of colors, the font, nothing is too much or too little, and you instantly want to have it in your shelf. Hats off to the person who came up with the idea for the cover! :)

The story and characters can be improved, but I was reading an ARC so I have to say that this would be probably done until the publication day. I enjoyed the idea author has, here we have a character named Saffron who is trying to figure out the truth and while doing so, she will have to overcome many obstacles. The story starts lightly, there is a party with academics from the university where she is pursuing her PhD, but one of the guests is murdered, or to be precise - poisoned. Since the police suspects it was her mentor who did this with the plant he was doing the research on. Saffron is determined to help him prove his innocence.

I know that many other reviewers said that it was a fast paced read for them. For me, it was completely opposite, it took me some time to get in the story and start liking the characters, and also having opinions on them. I would say Kate Khavari did the great job and I wonder how her final publication would look like! Thank you Netgalley, Kate Khavari and Crooked Lane Books for an ARC!

In 1925, Saffron (silly name) is the only female member of the botany department at her university. When her mentor is accused of poisoning the wife of a colleague she decides that she needs to investigate to prove his innocence. She drags a handsome biologist into her plan and it goes about how you'd expect it to.

I wanted to love this book but just didn't. It was merely ok.

A young, female botanist is working to navigate graduate school as one of the only women in a male dominated field. If you thought that was tough, imagine learning that your advisor is being accused of murder! Saffron Everleigh quickly changes gears from her research to figuring out who poisoned someone, and how exactly they used botany to do so. As she tries to investigate and find the real killer, the story follows Saffron through the exciting drama that ensues!

I really enjoyed this book, and am hoping it's the start to a series. Saffron, Alexander and Dr. Maxwell are all likeable and relatable characters, drawing me in to the story from the start. As she uncovered new hints, I was hooked by the suspense waiting to see how the next scenario would play out. I've always loved the show Bones, and this honestly makes me think of that, just with botany.

I would definitely recommend this book to friends interested in science based mystery/thriller books!

I loved the opening scene in this novel: 1920’s London, a fancy party filled with academics and members of high society. I was trying to soak up all the details about each character, knowing that something tragic could happen at any moment and that one of them would be responsible. Khavari created quite the cast of characters, each with their own secrets and flaws. Solving this mystery is going to take some digging, quite literally.

Our protagonist, Saffron, is the sole woman working in a biology department/boy’s club in University College of London. I was so frustrated by the way she was treated by many of her male colleagues. I liked many of Saffron’s attributes. She is smart, hardworking, and she has a great relationship with her best friend and roommate. She could be clever and funny. However, Saffron could be careless and impulsive at times, and I wasn’t sure why she was so determined to solve the mystery herself, rather than leave it to the police.

There were some parts of the story I had to push through, as it slowed down after the opening party scenes, but the final 100 pages really picked up, and the climax was more action-packed than I expected. Overall, I enjoyed the story and would gladly read a sequel. 4 stars.

First let me say this book has a beautiful cover. The story line of a historical mystery with adventure sounds intriguing. Unfortunately, this book falls flat. The majority of the book is spent giving backstories and explanations while little of the book has story movement. It seems to spin in place as the main characters continually try to discover who is responsible for the murder all the while the story really doesn't go anywhere. I powered through to the end hoping it would pick up the pace- not really. Compared to the rest of the story, the ending was rushed. Disappointing read.

A fun spooky read for the witchy reader! There is a lot of science based reading in this, so not for someone trying to find a fast read. But the romance is fun and so is the girl power!

Trainee botanist Saffron Everleigh attends a party at a posh London house in 1923. But while the guests are gathered to celebrate an upcoming expedition to the Amazon, one of the toasts turns deadly, and Saffron's mentor is suspected of murder. Now she's teamed up with a handsome biologist to try to clear his name.

I should like this? But it's all over the place - Saffron has no clue what she's doing - she just starts randomly suspecting people with incredibly far-fetched theories. The POV switches back and forth between Saffron and fellow researcher Alexander Ashton, which was confusing at times. The action is a bit ludicrous, and Saffron makes some incredibly stupid choices that it's hard to root for her. This feels like it needed another turn or two through the editing process before being released to readers.

Unfortunately it wasn't as good as I wanted it to be: the plot it's interesting, the characters had a lot of potential, it touches several important topics (mysoginy, ptsd,sexual assault), but it was all a bit bland: just a couple of mentions, a bit of telling, but not real conversations on the subjects...I would have loved a bit more depth in, well, everything. Also, the pace was a bit off: it started very slow (it's understandable when your setting up your story), but it picked up the pace to a run in the last third, I felt it a bit unbalanced So, just an ok read for me, entertaining but a bit forgettable.

I was drawn to this book from the title and cover. But was disappointed in the story itself. First I loved the 1920's female in a man's world and how smart she is. I loved the attraction with her fellow scientist, but wanted more of that, I didnt feel the romance expand. The pace lagged, the "action" seemed far fetched, I thought scientists would be smarter! All in all an enjoyable read, but I wanted it to be better!

Thank you to Netgalley for the advanced readers copy I received for the purpose of reviewing this book.

This book has been an excellent read for my holidays, I enjoyed the atmosphere of a 1920’s University and the first female botanist in a University apartment.

I enjoyed Saffron Everleigh as a character and look forward to reading more of her adventures, she is well created as an actual person with a genuine curiosity and I enjoyed reading of her explorations. I felt the characters surrounding Saffron added to the world and provided a good perspective on who she is and who she surrounds herself with.

The historic setting for me mad the text enjoyable and the character traits understandable.

In some ways Saffron makes me think of a young and new Miss Phryne Fisher and I enjoyed the book.

I highly recommend this book if you want an enjoyable read and a light adventure.

Thanks to NetGalley, Crooked Lane Books, and Kate Khavari for an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Synopsis: Set in 1923, Saffron Everleigh is a research assistant in the department of botany at University College of London. When Saffron’s beloved mentor is accused of poisoning a professor’s wife, Saffron finds herself in a race against time to help clear his name and discover who is actually to blame. With the help of her colleague and friend, Alexander Ashton, Saffron won’t rest until she finds out the truth.

Review: Wow. Hats off to Kate Khavari. This is a stunning, fast-paced, engaging, absolutely beautiful piece of work!

The story itself is a classic whodunnit—at a dinner party for the University College of London, a guest collapses and is presumed to be poisoned. It felt like playing a game of Clue! I was excited to try and figure out the real perpetrator while reading.

The main characters are amazing, in a word. The development of Saffron and Alexander as well as their relationship was really the main selling point for me. They work incredibly alongside each other and have some really interesting, fun banter (as well as some tense, chemistry ridden scenes). They also have a connection relevant to the era that attaches them and helps strengthen their relationship.

The writing was really enjoyable and I loved all of the descriptions of the University, the greenhouses, and the characters themselves. I felt like I good really picture each scene and I love being able to do that. The writing made me want to make an aesthetic mood board of this book (as well as go water my plants...)

And of course, this cover and this title are to die for. A title like this feels like it should be an absolute requirement for mysteries.

Overall, really, really amazing work by Kate Khavari. I can’t wait to get my hands on a print copy of this when it comes out next year!

(Trigger warning for mentions of past sexual assault and attempted sexual assault)

I have not read a book this fast in quite a while. It hit some of my favorite things; It took place in 1920s London. It had a murder mystery. And we had two very cute, very nerdy main characters. And as a fan of Agatha Christie or any book/movie/tv show that captures the essence of Agatha Christie, A Botanist's Guide to Parties and Poisoning perfectly captured that.
And while I do love solving fictional crimes, the two main characters are the reason why I loved this story so much. They were just too cute. We had Saffron who is a research assistant for a doctorate professor in botany at the university, but being a woman, she is looked down upon or assumed she slept her way to her spot. But her excitement and affection for botany is contagious and I loved reading her talk all about the science of it, even as someone who does not have a science-oriented mind. And then we have Alexander who is the biologist who will be representing their department in an upcoming expedition to Brazil. He starts off a little distant, a little aloof, but that makes him opening up even sweeter.
Honestly, I loved this story so much that I am at a loss for words. Like I wish I could do a better job convincing you to read this book, but you will just have to trust me when I say, READ IT. Especially if you like murder mysteries, it is going to be your next favorite book.

Review of A Botanist’s Guide to Parties and Poisons by Kate Khavari

Thank you NetGalley and Crooked Lane Books for access to this eARC in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

This book is a historical fiction and mystery novel starring Saffron Everleigh, an assistant to Dr. Maxwell of the botany department at the University College of London. Saffron is attending a party where a colleague’s wife is poisoned, and she falls into a coma. When her boss is accused of the poisoning, Saffron investigates and along the way, she develops feelings for one of her coworkers who assists her in the investigation. The prose in this novel is beautiful. The mystery is compelling and there are new twists and rising stakes at every turn. The romance in this book is sweet and I appreciated that it wasn’t the main focus of the story. I really loved this book. It has some hard to read moments, but it’s an exciting story and the romance was really lovely. Saffron is a funny and impulsive protagonist and I can’t wait to read more of her adventures.

5 out of 5 stars

Trigger warnings: mentions of a past sexual assault, a description of an attempted sexual assault, and violence

A Botanist’s Guide to Parties and Poisons by Kate Khavari is scheduled to be published on June 7, 2022.