I wanted to love this book. The first half I was really focused and the storyline started off strong with solving crimes and identifying poisonous flowers. After that, I felt that book began to drag and became more informative and missed the entertainment part of a book. I understand that the book was meant to be more scientific but I wished there was more character development that brought more connection to them.

A Bontanist’s Guide To Flowers And Fatality is the second book in the Saffron Everleigh series. Saffron is a research assistant of botany and has been known to help London police in murder investigations. This historical murder mystery this time around is using Saffron’s knowledge of plants and flowers to interpret the bouquets left behind at different murders. I really enjoyed this audiobook and would recommend it to anyone who enjoys a good historical murder mystery!

Thank you @dreamscape_media and @netgalley for allowing me to listen to this audiobook ahead of publication in exchange for my honest review.

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.

Back in October 2021 I was approved for a review copy of A Botanists guide to parties and poisons by Kate Khavari and was super pleased this week when I was approved by Dreamscape to review the audiobook of the sequel A Botanists guide to flowers and fatalities.

Set at University College of London in the early 1920's a few months after the first book. It is told from the points of view of young botanist Saffron Everleigh, her work partner in the study of poisons, Doctor Michael Lee and World War one veteran, biologist Alexander Ashton who worked with Safforn in book one. Alexander is on expedition in South America for most of the book and only appears in letters until the last third of the novel.

Several woman in London have been murdered, each by a different method but within days of receiving bouquets of mostly poisonous plants. Inspector Green of Scotland Yard, who also appeared in book one asks for Saffron's help with identifying the plants.

This series is set a few years after World War One and the post war changes in society are one of the main themes of the series. Shown through Alexander's PTSD, Saffron's grief over her father's death and her new freedoms as a 1920s woman.

The investigation becomes focused on a group of upper class, fast living friends (flappers?) and throws Saffron and Doctor Lee into a world of night clubs, parties and drugs. Saffron thinks Dr Lee is a bit of a cad but she gets to know him better as they work together to solve the case.


Slightly spoilery from here on in....

This second book did throw in a love triangle but as I am as undecided between Saffron's two potential love interests as she is I guess it was a well written triangle?

The ending of this one was frustrating from a romantic standpoint point but I liked that she chose work over boys and the ending did open the door for more collaboration between Saffron and Alexander as another murder occurs in the last few pages so clearly we are getting a third book.

I received an ARC of A Botanist's Guide to Flowers and Fatality from Net Galley. It was a great second installment in the Saffron Everleigh Mystery series. To start off, this book was more fast-paced than the first book in the series, which I enjoyed. I was also happy that the audiobook had the same narrator as the first book. The plot was well written, and even though the ending was predictable, I didn't really mind.

When I first started listening to this series, I fell in love with Alexander Ashton (the first books love interest). So, when I started reading A Botanist's Guide to Flowers and Fatality, I was not happy with the new love interest. Dr. Michael Lee, who stepped in to fill Alexander's shoes while Alexander was in the Amazon, was flirtatious and charismatic. Luckily, Dr. Lee's character very quickly grew on me, and his addition to this story increased the liveliness of the book. So when Alexander shows up at the end of the book, wild and cranky from his trip in the Amazon and the thought of Saffron putting herself in danger, I was a bit irritated. I still really like Ashton, though, and I hope he and Saffron get another chance in the next book.

Luckily, the author left the door to their relationship open a crack with a surprise ending to the epilogue. With Alexander's brother in trouble with the law, will the next book force Alexander into another investigation he doesn't want to be a part of? Will he ask Saffron for her help? Will the two of them be able to bridge the gap that has spread between them, all while saving Alexander's brother from imprisonment? So many questions. This second book hasn't even been released, and I already need the next.

All in all, I give this book 4/5 stars.

A Botanist's Guide to Flowers and Fatality
Book 2 in the Saffron Everleigh Mystery series
By Kate Khavari, Narrated by Jodie Harris

Saffron Everleigh is leading a research study at the University College of London, with her own office which she has to share with her research partner, the handsome and charming Dr. Michael Lee. The narrator voices the audiobook wonderfully and I took an immediate dislike to Lee, because who is going to trust someone as handsome, smooth, happy, and charming as this man? But I was wrong to do so, Lee is much more than his charm and good looks and I realized this because of story gives us more than just Saffron's POV. When we see things from Lee's POV, it's obvious this is a man who can read people and who can care about them. Actually he is finding his feelings about Saffron might be turning into something more than the teasingly antagonist relationship they have with each other.

You don't have to read the first book to understand what is going on in this one because this one fills in any missing information you might need. When Saffron last saw Alexander Ashton, another researcher who is on a research trip out of the country, things were left in such a way that she hoped they would grow even closer once he got back from his research trip. As this story progresses, Saffron has a war going on inside of her since Lee is making quite the impression on her against her will.

Oh my! One must keep their mind on their work but it's hard. Not only that, Saffron can't help getting right into the middle of things. It's not like she wasn't asked to help with a murder case. Detective Inspector Green asked for her help since the murder victims had been left bouquets filled with poisonous flowers. Each bouquet is picked and designed to leave more than one message about the woman who was murdered. With Dr. Lee, Saffron enters the dark world of a shady jazz club, coming way too close to the wealthy drug scene of those possibly connected to the murdered women. More than one person suggests that Saffron back off but that's the last thing you say to this independent and determined woman. I enjoyed the first book in this series but enjoyed this book even more. There is more to come and I can't wait to see Saffron, Alex, and Lee again.

Thank you to Dreamscape Media and NetGalley for this ARC.

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC of this wonderful book in exchange for my honest review.

As I finished the first book yesterday just after getting approval for this one, everything has been fresh. I love that book 2 continues just a few months after the first with Saffron not left pining for Alexander after he left on the expedition.

This book pairs her up with a research partner, Dr Michael Lee who later assists her in her investigation of socialites being offed with bouquets of flowers as their only clue.

I continue loving that Saffron just does what she wants. She's not letting anyone, especially not a man, stop her. But she is treading slightly more carefully and a tad bit smarter after her last escapade.

I will still say there was yet again a part in this book where I wanted to shake her because how didn't she clue into what she was walking into?!

There's more to say but how can I without spoiling? I like where the author is taking Saffron and I really like that end with a new book obviously on our horizon. I'm hoping a certain character wises up so I can be happier by the end of the third.

Saffron is back, she has a new partner, and a trio of murders to consult on because of her knowledge of botany. While we still see a brilliant woman navigating the misogynistic waters of a 1920s university, this installment in the Saffron Everleigh series has the heroine at jazz clubs and parties looking for villains in London society.

Alexander, Saffron’s love interest from the first book, is still on his Amazonian expedition as the book starts. She’s been paired up with a physician to do field research on poisonings. The resulting paper will be a boon for her, as she hasn't even started her Masters program at the University. Along the way, the police ask her to help them with some murders because a bouquet of flowers has been left at each crime scene.

It’s impressive to see the seemingly disparate storylines merge in the second half of the book. The audio production by Dreamscape with narration by Jodie Harris was wonderful, with great voices and accents.

Thank you to Kate Khavari, Jodie Harris, Dreamscape Media, and NetGalley for allowing me to listen to a free eaudiobook in exchange for an honest review.

Despite all the hullabaloo surrounding the first Saffron Everleigh book, I didn't find it all that unique or captivating. I enjoyed it, though, and looked forward to this second installment.

To my dismay, it introduces a love triangle. I personally find love triangles to be unnecessary manufactured drama; two people can produce adequate drama, thanks very much. Jealousy is not attractive, especially if not handled well, and especially because it often goes hand-in-hand with entitlement and/or selfishness, and I'm afraid it besmirched Alex's character for me. I didn't particularly like Lee, either, so now I don't want Saffron with either of them, unless they can demonstrate an impressive development of maturity. Sigh.

The mystery was interesting, but I'm afraid Lee's presence often detracted. Overall, I enjoyed the book well enough to look forward to the next one, though not with much eagerness.

Jodie Harris did an excellent job narrating.

Botanist, Saffron Everleigh is a research assistant in the 1920s, trying to succeed in a role occupied hitherto only by men. She has little patience for the patriarchy and, once again, aids the police in their investigation into the murders of several women. All the women had received a bouquet of deadly flowers shortly before their untimely deaths, flowers, that in the Victorian language of flowers, were a nasty accusation against the recipient. The story weaves in and out of nightclubs, and parties with illicit drugs, and through it all, Saffron refuses to act like a terrified maiden in need of a man to protect her. She is a strong, independent woman, well ahead of her time and her spunk is a bit more captivating than the mystery

This was an enjoyable second entry in the Saffron Everleigh Mystery series. Saffron is busy investigating poisonings with Dr. Michael Lee, whom she can barely tolerate. It has been six months since her last investigation and since Alexander left on the Brazilian expedition. While she maintains correspondence with Alexander, she begins to wonder what type of relationship she will have with him upon his return. To her surprise, Detective Inspector Green asks for her input on bouquets that were left at murder scenes, and so begins the investigation. On a lark, Lee joins Saffron with inquiries. While I figured out the culprit early on, it did not detract from the investigation. I also enjoyed the interplay between Saffron and Lee (more than Saffron and Alexander in the first book.) A love triangle does develop and is not fully resolved (Saffron has made a decision by the end of the book, but I think it will be temporary.,) I did not find it detracted from my overall enjoyment. The ending is a bit of cliffhanger and leads me to believe there will be another installment in the series, which I very much look forward to. If you enjoy an intelligent, independent woman who enjoys solving mysteries, then give this series a try. Note. the story takes place in the 1920s, and Saffron deals with quite a bit of sexism, and is oftentimes the only woman in the room. I feel characters like Lee and Green are effective in counterbalancing this throughout the novel.