I liked the mystery part of the book - though it's not a whodunit that the reader has information enough to guess, watching Saffron begin to investigate and solve is fun. There is just a little romance, and it is very innocent in nature.

What I didn't like: best friend/roommate as plot device, character interactions that felt a little awkward, the end was cliffhangery.

This mystery novel was such a fresh and exciting read! As a cautious consumer of historical fiction, I was worried that this book wouldn’t hold my interest (I’m a little picky with historical novels). It took me a bit of time to become invested, especially with the botany jargon sprinkled throughout, but I’m glad I continued on because I loved how it all unfolded.

Saffron Everleigh is an interesting main character and I loved being introduced to her. A woman of academia who is not afraid to take risks and finds herself in the midst of solving the mystery of someone being poisoned…what’s not to love? I also thought Alexander Ashton was a great addition to the novel. Although he was a love interest, he brought a lot more to the table than just romance.

What kept me hooked most of all (and what I believe is crucial to any good mystery novel) is discovering who committed the crime in question. I thought the last few chapters involving the reveal were full of intrigue and written perfectly, but also left open the possibility of more to the story which just makes me hopeful for a second book!

Thank you to NetGalley and Crooked Lane Books for allowing me to read this book early! I will be posting a review on my Bookstagram account (@janinesbookcorner) upon publication.

A Botanist's Guide to Parties and Poisons is a delightful cozy mystery. Set in post World War I, this novel explores the adventures and agonies of being a woman working in a male dominated field. With a great deal of detail, the reader is swept into an exciting underworld of academic infighting and intrigue. I thoroughly enjoyed reading this novel and hope it is the first in a series.

A Botanist’s Guide to Parties and Potions by Kate Khavari is an excellent historical fiction and mystery novel that has it all: history, mystery, intrigue, fabulous character cast, science, botany, and plenty of twists to keep me engaged.

This is such a great book. It seems it is the first in a new series: A Saffron Everleigh Mystery.

I loved the complexity and depth of the novel, yet it was presented in an addictive and easy-to-follow flow and format.

There is a fascinating murder/mystery involving Saffron, a research assistant in the academic standing, and her quest to find the culprit in a murder that has the authorities pointing fingers at her mentor, Dr. Maxwell. Saffron, with the help of others, is determined to get to the bottom of it and also clear his name.

The author takes us into the fascinating world of London 1920s and into the world of academia of biology, science, botany, and research. I loved all of the descriptions, information, and history that was presented within the story and the obvious research that was done for such a great plot and storyline.

I enjoyed the surprises and I really like Saffron. I am looking forward to more in this series.

5/5 stars

Thank you NG and Crooked Lane Books for this wonderful arc and in return I am submitting my unbiased and voluntary review and opinion.

I am posting this review to my GR and Bookbub accounts immediately and will post it to my Amazon, Instagram, and B&N accounts upon publication.

4 stars

An interesting read. The heroine Saffron wants to solve a mystery about her mentor. He has been accused of poisoning a colleague's wife. Saffron was at the party so could see how the poison worked. She meets another researcher and they become friends. There's a restrained relationship building between Saffron and Alex and I wonder if the author hopes to add other books.
I found it incredible that Saffron would experiment on herself with a concoction of a suspected poison and the searching of offices and gardens for evidence was a bit over the top but on the whole I enjoyed the book and would be interested to read a sequel. Does the romance with Alex continue? Is Saffron able to progress in her career

Loved the cover!

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

A fun and interesting read about murder and botany. It’s an extremely well written novel with great historic detail. The story itself has some twists and turns and clues spread throughout the chapters. It certainly kept me interested and wanting to read more. A very nice mystery novel that I highly recommend!!

First of all, thank you to the publisher for approving my request, seeing as I still have a long list of to be read ARCs!

This has been a really interesting read, it got my attention from the get-go. I like the characters, even the unsavory ones. The relationship between Saffron and Alexander is endearing without being cheesy. I'd really like to know more about the era that they live in. I do hope this would be the first in a long series. Because I'll be looking forward to the second book!

London in the roaring 20’s has research assistant Saffron Everleigh attending a party at the University College of London. Amidst talk about the latest botanical discoveries and the cures being made from them, one of the professor’s wives, falls down, dead from a mysterious poison. As authorities look for a likely suspect, fingers are pointed at Dr. Maxwell, who was overheard having a heated argument with the dead woman’s husband shortly before she was killed. Saffron, who has been looking forward to a plant harvesting adventure in the jungle with Maxwell, her mentor, realizes that she must find the real culprit before her once in a lifetime adventure goes up in smoke. What a fun, adventurous romp through the golden age of botany! Loved it