The story line is brilliant no boring parts and kept me guessing to the end. Great author Can't wait for the next one!⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Murder macabre!

Oh my goodness! This second foray into the perils of ingenious botanist Saffron Everleigh is as mind bending as the first.
Alexander Ashton, whom Saffron is strongly attracted to, the botanist who helped with tracking down the people who’d tried to poison her, is now off in Bolivia with the University College of London’s expedition into the Amazon. Saffron tries valiantly to read tender messages into his scientific letters.
Since her close call with death and the unveiling of the culprit, Saffron has been granted a research position in the University’s Botany Department. This doesn’t mean that her male colleagues give her any more respect. In fact the very opposite is the problem.
Saffron’s been paired with Dr. Lee to research further into poisons and their effects. They are working together “to examine the effects of certain local botanical toxins more specifically.”
Only now Inspector Green needs their help. A woman’s been found dead with an unusual bouquet of flowers nearby.
Green needs Saffron to identify any possible poisonous blooms and Dr Lee to identify the cause of any symptoms. The bouquet includes of a pomegranate branch, foxgloves, buttercup, aconite and other delights.
The hunt for relevance, for possible perpetrators will take Saffron and Lee into the more racy clubs of London haunted by the elite. A dangerous choice, but as the stakes rise Saffron finds herself going forward relentlessly. As others receive deadly bouquets the chase becomes critical.
Lee has reasons for wanting to bow out as one person they meet is the enigmatic and dangerous Lord Vale. A man his Uncle Matt, the Baron Carmichael, an influential politician had warned Lee against. By the way, Saffron is the granddaughter of Lord Easting, of Ellington in Bedford. He is friends with Lee’s Uncle Matt. Saffron’s grandfather doesn’t approve of her work.
Clever, and intricately woven, the plot takes us into places of danger. It pulls us into wondering about old and newly discovered relationships, leaving Saffron at least unclear about either.

A Crooked Land ARC via NetGalley.
Many thanks to the author and publisher.
Please note: Quotes taken from an advanced reading copy maybe subject to change
(Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.)

3.5 Stars

When I requested this ARC, I wasn't aware that this was a sequel. I read it anyway as the book was readable without reading the first book. I found the MCs to be enjoyable to read about, though the side characters could've been fleshed out a bit more. I originally thought Saffron and Lee would play a bigger part in the overall investigation, I enjoyed the things they did do anyway. I hoped there would be a bit more romantic development between Saffron and Lee, as there was a good amount of tension but it ultimately went nowhere (technically). However, the overall reading experience was great

I loved the first installment in the Saffron Everleigh series, and this one is an excellent second chapter. I've discovered that while I love a good murder mystery that is set in present times, there is a certain charm about ones set in the past. The lack of modern technology adds a suspense to the book in an intriguing way, and even if the story develops a bit slower, it is still a page turner. This is the case with Flowers and Fatality, and I am so glad that Khavari has chosen to bring back Saffron for another adventure.

A BOTANIST'S GUIDE TO FLOWERS AND FATALITY is Kate Khavari's 2nd installment of The Saffron Everleigh Mysteries and I loved it just as much as the first!

Saffron is continuing in her research assistant role in the University College of London despite having to continually prove her worth in this 1920's culture. She has been helping Dr. Lee in accidental poisoning reports when Inspector Green asks for help in a case where bouquets of flowers are being left with murder victims. When Saffron identifies both the poisonous nature of the flowers as well as the Victorian era practice of floriography, she can't help but delve deeper into the mystery. Her best friend Elizabeth helps her to process it all and as they get closer to the truth, Saffron herself may be at risk of a fatal bouquet!

I have really enjoyed reentering Saffron Everleigh's world! With a long unused degree in horticulture, I love the plant and flower discussion and felt it was informative without getting into the weeds (pun intended). I had no clue about the whodunit or the full motives until the reveals, and thoroughly enjoyed the ride. I also had a fun time with the romantic tension Saffron experienced and absolutely loved the ending. It felt right for this character. I am excited to keep following Saffron in her adventures!

I paired this digital arc with the audiobook and loved the audio! Jodie Harris does a phenomenal job with the various characters and listening at 2x speed, I had no issues at all following the action or changing voices. I love the accents and wish I could do them justice in my head when I read without the audio!

Both formats were great and I would absolutely recommend any format when this story is available on June 6th! The cover is so gorgeous, this series will make a stunning shelf addition.

I was sad to miss Kate's visit to my bookstore, but I hope she comes again when I am in town! I love coming to author chats and supporting both local shops and authors!

A huge thank you to @crookedlanebooks @netgalley and @dreamscape_media for the advance copies of this story and letting me share my thoughts.

This was a fun second outing with amateur detective and botanist Saffron Everleigh, a post WWI Londoner whose expertise in plants has her tapped in by the police to help solve a murder mystery. With poisonous bouquets! There was a lot to like about this novel, whether it's Saffron's tenacious spirit, the so well done time and place that Khavari evokes, or the fantastic insights into societal customs from more than a century ago. I really loved how Khavari brought floriography, or the language of the flowers, into the story, as the using flowers as communication custom has fascinated me since I worked at the Ramsey House. But it's also the perfect device to bring Saffron into a well thought out and unique murder mystery. I also liked the addition of the sardonic and charming Dr. Michael Lee, a fellow researcher who has become Saffron's research partner and also fellow amateur detective as they dive into the upper class of London to try and figure out who is killing women from wealthy circles, with snide bouquets left at the scenes. My one issue was a cobbled together love triangle between Saffron, her previous love interest Alexander, and Lee, as Saffron doesn't need this kind of silly conflict to keep her interesting. If anything it made the story a little more stilted, and it painted all players (ESPECIALLY ALEXANDER, my goodness) in a bad light. It really off set the strength of the rest of it, which was a bit of a shame.

It was fun diving back into this cozy mystery series! Khavari has already set up the next one at the end, and I will be interested to see where Saffron is going from here.

I actually think I loved this book more than the first one. The story kept me on my toes and guessing and wanting more. The murder investigations were thrilling and I definitely think this is worthy of a binge read

I really enjoyed the first book in this series which came out last year. And I enjoyed this one. My one problem was that I didn’t remember much about the first book, but the author assumed that readers would have read and remember the characters and plot from that book. There would be references to the earlier one and I just didn’t remember. I bet I’m not the only one. I know it’s a pain when writing or reading books in a series to have that page or two summarizing what happened previously, but it’s necessary sometimes for the reader.

What I did remember is that there was one man who was the potential love interest for Saffron, the series’ protagonist. But in this book, he’s off stage for most of the book and a new guy is on the scene. So we’re set up for some sort of a triangle that doesn’t really get going until the last few chapters. And, spoiler alert, it doesn’t get resolved by the end of the book.

So I guess that is to make us eager to read the next book in the series which I hope will come along soon.

Saffron is a botanist and she’s consulting with the police because several women have been delivered bouquets of deadly plants prior to their being murdered. It seems like the murderer is going on their way to drop clues that can bring in our heroine. Why not murder these unrelated individuals without the bouquets so the police don’t look for connections between them? It seems more like a literary excuse bring the heroine into the case.

And Saffron seems to be finding meaning in her life by trying to solve the case. I’m wondering how many future murders there can be when the skills of a botanist are needed.

I still enjoyed the book and will happily read future entries into this series.

I voluntarily reviewed an advanced reader copy of this book that I received from Netgalley; however, the opinions are my own and I did not receive any compensation for my review.

I voluntarily read an advanced copy of A Botanist's Guide to Flowers and Fatality by Kate Khavari. All thoughts and opinions are my own. Thanks to NetGalley and Crooked Lane Books for this ARC.

A Botanist's Guide to Flowers and Fatality was such a fun cozy mystery. I loved the protagonist and her profession as a poisonous plant researcher. It is a great setup and gives the story a unique perspective from a very saturated genre. The mystery was good, and I look forward to reading more from this author. 5/5 stars.

Saffron Everleigh is still struggling to claim her place at the University College of London. But she finds renewed vigor when the Detective Inspector asks her to consult on some new poisoning cases. Eager to help, Saffron uncovers clues relating to bouquets that have been found with recent victims and believes they’re being used as warnings or threats. With the help of her “insufferably charming” colleague, will she be able to find the murderer before they claim more victims?

First things first, that cover is stunning. I did love the inclusion of floriography (the Victorian practice of attaching specific meanings to flowers and using them to send messages) and how well it was explored in the book. I’ve always found the topic fascinating, and it was a treat to watch Saffron decipher the meanings of the bouquets. But the addition of a love triangle (and Saffron’s repetitive inner dialogue relating to this), unexplained character choices, poor pacing, and a simple/predictable mystery detracted from this work.

Unfortunately, the characters left me wanting much more. They were just okay but never really felt alive. There wasn’t much (or any) growth for Saffron in this book despite her declaring many times that she’s changed; I found her passable in the first book and was hoping for more from her in this one. But she remained static, and I didn’t find her to be an engaging protagonist. Similarly, the one character that showed promise in the first book wasn’t present in this read until the last quarter, and then was cast simply as a jealous boyfriend. It seemed that there wasn’t much consistency between the characters between book one and two. And then the author made sure to include Saffron’s male colleagues being rude, pretentious, and typical for the times, but it wasn’t incorporated in a meaningful way and felt more obligatory.

While the mystery is wrapped up in this one, it’s set up for a sequel but I’m not going to continue this series. My thanks to NetGalley and Crooked Lane Books for allowing me to read this book, which will be published 6 June 2023. All thoughts and opinions expressed in this review are my own.

I liked the first book, and I loved the second.

Even though I was cheering for Saffron and Alexander in Book One, I ended up finding Lee's cheeky character irresistible and at some point I even felt like punching Alexander in the face. Dear author, thank you for coming up with such a clever solution for the romantic plot! I am so happy with it.

The investigation into the murder cases was exhilarating, and I couldn't not binge read this. Can't wait for Book Three!

Many thanks to NetGalley and Cooked Lane Books for an Advance Review Copy.

"Brilliant botanist Saffron Everleigh is back and ready for adventure in Kate Khavari's next mesmerizing historical mystery.

1920s London isn't the ideal place for a brilliant woman with lofty ambitions. But research assistant Saffron Everleigh is determined to beat the odds in a male-dominated field at the University College of London. Saffron embarks on her first research study alongside the insufferably charming Dr. Michael Lee, traveling the countryside with him in response to reports of poisonings. But when Detective Inspector Green is given a case with a set of unusual clues, he asks for Saffron's assistance.

The victims, all women, received bouquets filled with poisonous flowers. Digging deeper, Saffron discovers that the bouquets may be more than just unpleasant flowers - there may be a hidden message within them, revealed through the use of the old Victorian practice of floriography. A dire message, indeed, as each woman who received the flowers has turned up dead.

Alongside Dr. Lee and her best friend, Elizabeth, Saffron trails a group of suspects through a dark jazz club, a lavish country estate, and a glittering theatre, delving deeper into a part of society she thought she'd left behind forever.

Will Saffron be able to catch the killer before they send their next bouquet, or will she find herself with fatal flowers of her own in Kate Khavari's second intoxicating installment."

Just like my favorite Enola Holmes mystery! Never discount the danger of the language of flowers!

Thank you to NetGalley for an advanced copy of this book.

I was looking forward to this as it is book 2 of a series.
I enjoy Saffron, she’s a good main character, strong but flawed. I liked seeing Elizabeth again, I love how quirky and modern she is.

I was a little put off by the introduction of Dr Lee, her new science partner. It was clear from the start that there was chemistry there. But he came out of nowhere. A prologue or some sort of recap about the previous book. I remembered that Lee wasn’t in book 1 nor the main love interest but couldn’t remember why Ashton wasn’t around (a few chapters later a letter was received).

The plot was good. I enjoyed figuring out who the killer was. The side characters were interesting!

I enjoyed reading about Saffron’s new adventures. She’s gotten a little more daring since the last book, but has also learned from her past mistakes. I loved the fact that she and Alexander exchanged letters while he was on the expedition. The mystery itself was complex and interesting. I thought the use of flowers to convey meanings was a nice touch.

I really liked the introduction of Dr. Michael Lee. I’m usually not a fan of love triangles, but I think it worked for this book, especially given Alexander’s current stance on some of Saffron’s choices. It was really nice to see another male colleague who valued Saffron for her skills as a botanist and researcher rather just seeing her as a silly girl playing at science.

I have read the first Saffron Everleigh mystery, and was interested in reading the second.

1920s London sees Saffron Everleigh continuing as a research assistant of botany at the University College of London following her near miss with death. Though it is a male dominated environment, Saffron is conducting a study with the assistance of Dr. Michael Lee, traveling the countryside in response to possible cases of poisoning. However, Inspector Green has remembered Saffron’s disdain for his colleague’s lack of forensic insight, and enlists her expertise in a case. Women have been murdered and each one received a bouquet of poisoned flowers. Using floriography, the language of flowers, Saffrom discovers that there is much more going on than even the inspector knows. With Dr. Lee’s help, the two traverse a jazz club, lavish country estate, and a theatre all in the hopes of stopping a murderer.

I love how determined Saffron is to make it in this world. She isn’t relying on her name, in fact she appears to have shunned all of that. I will admit that I took a point off because of the potential love triangle, and I sincerely hope that is not the case with book 3. I did miss Alexander Ashton in this one, but he does make an appearance. The cliffhanger ending has me on gasping to want the next book sooner rather than later.

The mystery was superb. I admit to having a feeling of the killer, but it wasn’t confirmed until the very end. I did flip flop between two, and then was pleasantly surprised to see I was 50% right. Plenty of red herrings, plenty of motives, plenty of suspects, and a wonderful dose of practical with hints of emotional.

Overall, I rate this novel 4 out of 5 stars.

Thank you to NetGalley for the advanced reading copy of abotanists guide to flowers and fatality. This was pretty good for historical fiction and worth he read even though it gets a bit long at some points.

First, this is the second book in a series. If you haven't read the first book I highly recommend it and I think it will help to make this story understandable since this book references things that happened and characters from the first book often.

I like how Kate Khavari references the era and the limitations that the time period puts on her main character, Saffron, while portraying her as a strong and smart woman. These books have just enough mystery, drama and romance to keep me reading.

I also enjoy how the author ties up the ending nicely while also leaving room for a third book (which I hope we get).

Saffron Everleigh is a researcher for the Botany department at University College London working on a botanical poisons and toxins project with Dr. Lee. When Inspector Green is assigned murder cases where the victims have received bouquets containing poisonous flowers he reaches out to Saffron for help. A Botanist's Guide to Flowers and Fatality is another interesting historical mystery by Kate Khavari. Thanks to the author, Crooked Lane Books, and NetGalley for the opportunity to read a complimentary copy of this ebook. The opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own.

The Botanist’s Guide to Flowers and Fatality is the second book in the historical STEM novel set in 1920’s Britain. Following amateur detective and botanist Saffron Everleigh, she’s once again thrown into a mysterious series of murders where the only clue is the flower bouquets the victims received before death.

This book takes the things that I enjoyed from the first book and did them better. The writing is more solid, and the mystery has even more twists and turns. I also adore the fact that this book has focused on floriography, the Victorian language of flowers. I’ve always been fascinated by flowers and their meanings, so to see it included here was fun. Saffron was just as badass as in the first book, but I didn’t like the “maybe something there” romance/ possible love triangle that was in this. I missed Alexander Ashton, and his cozy romance with Saffron.

If you like your historical fiction with a murder mystery, or are looking for books with similar vibes to Miss Fisher’s Murder Mysteries - then you should give this series a go!

I enjoyed this one more than the first one! I love a good mystery and Kate is turning into an author I can trust to deliver a good one with a great cast of characters. A little slow to start, but I really liked the multiple POVs throughout the novel and though I thought I had it all figured out, there were a couple of twists I didn't see coming! Definitely looking forward to the next one.