Every time I read a Saffron installment, I think, "oooh, this is my favorite." So, in keeping with tradition... Ooooh this is my favorite. But I think it is. Because beyond the Stem and the fierceness of Saffron (and Eliza!) and the continuously budding romance with Alexander, the setting of ABGTRAR had that lovely gothic edge that speaks to my emo soul. I don't think the poor characters had a clear day. They were always bogged down by rain and fog and I LOVED IT. Khavari has this unparalleled knack for the slow burn between Saffron and Alexander all while making the reader fall in love with Lee at the same time. Okay, I may have cheered when he came on the page. All in all, another five star read for me and like I always say, I cannot wait for the next book and anything else Khavari writes.

I love historical mystery and this entire series is a hit! I felt like I was in the 20’s! Saffron is such a likable character! The romance is slow but I like a slow burn! I love the botany, the more interaction between the characters and the new setting, her home!! Really enjoyed this book! Thank you NetGalley for an advanced copy.

I was given an ARC by Netgalley for a review.

Review of A Botanist’s Guide to Rituals and Revenge by Kate Khavari – ★★★★☆ (3.75/5)

This sequel to A Botanist’s Guide to Parties and Poisons (and the following 2 novels) it is another fun 1920s mystery, though the first book in my opinion is still the stand out of the series.

Agsin we follow along as Botanist Saffron Everleigh investigates a suspicious death at a wedding, mixing science, danger, and romance.

What’s Good:

Great 1920s Vibes – The setting feels real and interesting.
Smart, Strong Heroine – Saffron is clever and determined.
Cool Plant Science – The mystery ties in with botany in fun ways.
Romance Adds to the Story – Slow but sweet.
Some Slow Parts – The pacing drags at times.
Not as exciting as book one, but still a solid historical mystery!

England, 1920s: Botanist Saffron Everleigh has been summoned to the one place where she’d prefer to avoid: home. She had left several years earlier to study botany in the footsteps of her father against the wishes of her grandparents, Lord and Lady Easting, but after Lord Easting suffers a heart attack and is being attended by ‘Dr. Bill Wyatt,’ the villain of the previous book, she feel she must comply. When she arrives, Wyatt demands she give him what her late father was researching (a potential botanical poison that be used as a weapon) or members of her family will be harmed.
As if that wasn’t enough, there’s additional background tension. Accompanying Saffron is her best friend Elizabeth Hale, and Saffron’s beau Alexander Ashton. Elizabeth grew up next door to Saffron, running away to London when her parents tried to force her to marry a much older neighbor. She hasn’t been back since. And Alexander is probably not on the top 1000 list of people her grandmother would want Saffron dating. Further complicating things, there’s a medium who’s enticed Elizabeth’s parents to multiple seances and now appears to be after Saffron’s mother. They know that she’s a fake, but why do they feel drugged after attending one of the medium’s performances?
First: as with all the books in the series, the cover is gorgeous! I’ve read other books in the series and have enjoyed them. I love how Ms. Khavari weaves historical pieces – especially those concerning the challenges of being an educated woman in the 1920s – without going overboard and distracting from the story – we hear about getting married, changing one’s name, and then having to face challenge of building one’s reputation again under the new name, but we don’t hear the challenges of opening a bank account under that new name; as a friend said, it’s not so full of gender and other issues that there’s no room for a story.
I also enjoyed the side plots - the medium, Saffron’s mother, Elizabeth’s backstory and dealing with her parents - all helped round out the story. And unlike others in the series, this was less of a whodunnit type mystery and more of digging into the past to find clues to Saffron’s father’s research.
Highly recommended. I received a copy of this book through NetGalley.Com which I voluntarily reviewed.

Saffron, Alexander, and Elizabeth are back!!

I enjoyed this mystery, even without a mu*der to solve the gang has a lot on their plates during this book. A number of ongoing plot lines see progress in this book and I can’t wait to see what happens next!

Saffron Everleigh returns home to protect her grandfather and search for clues about her father's research. Wonderful to see her in a new setting as she explores her past and considers her future. Great fun to read!

The fourth installment in the Saffron Everleigh series was an action packed, mystery filled read. In Rituals and Revenge we leave the more academic setting of London and the University for Saffron’s family estate where she, Alexander, and Elizabeth find a wolf in sheep’s clothing, a charlatan, and a ghastly apparition. In order to secure her family’s safety, Saffron must once more dig into her father’s past to solve a mystery.

This is such a fun series and while I sometimes struggled to keep everyone straight, I enjoyed seeing Saffron in a different setting.

This book gives you about the same vibes as Knives Out, but without the murder (still a lot of mysteries though) and set in 1924 instead of today. It makes for an interesting and entertaining story. The rituals and revenge taking place in Ellington manor offer a nice change of scenery.

If you liked the previous books, you’ll like this one as well. With the focus on Saffron, Alexander and Elisabeth, you get more meaningful interactions and moments with them in the spotlight (which is something I missed a little bit in the other books). Their actions felt more in-character for them as well. Some minor plot holes and an abundance of descriptions keep me from giving this book 4 stars, going for 3.5 instead.

Thank you Netgalley and Crooked Lane Books for this eARC.

4.5 stars

A good story but I think I missed out as I haven't read book 3 because of this I didn't know who Bill was and how he impacted Saffron.
Saffron's and Alex's romance is continuing which is great and though I found the story very convoluted I enjoy the writng. At the end I usually learn something new and I found it fascinating the author's link to Petrov's illness and BEN, As the AI tells me: "Ben disease" likely refers to Balkan Endemic Nephropathy (BEN), a kidney disease linked to the consumption of contaminated wheat flour containing seeds from the plant Aconitum clematitis. These seeds contain toxic compounds that can damage the kidneys.

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

Saffron is up to another mystery; and this time, it's happening inside her house.

Her original plans to return to her childhood home for a visit by the urging of her family turns out to be very interesting. Her nemesis has infiltrated her home and disguises himself as her grandfather’s doctor. Their family relations are already difficult, as no one really understands the rest. And the cherry on top? There is a new guest at their neighbours: a mysterious woman that poses as a spiritual medium, and who shows an odd interest to Saffron's mother.

Will she, her best friend and her beau manage to uncover the secrets before it's too late?

Set in the 1920s, this (delightful) book is the fourth in a series starring Saffron Everleigh, a woman of academia with a propensity to adventure, and it will be published at June 10th. I haven't read the first three, but it was easy to follow through the events and the people in this one. However, I will definitely seek the others as well, because I enjoyed it too much and will be happy to read more Saffron Everleigh adventures!

My thanks to Kate Khavari, Crooked Line Books and Netgalley for providing me with an ARC copy in exchange to my honest review.

When I saw this book was available to review on NetGalley, I immediately jumped at the chance. I was so excited to be approved! I read the previous three books last year. Of which, I had pre-ordered the third book and eagerly awaited its release. I have this book, the fourth one, pre-ordered for its June release. I think this series is absolutely fabulous.

Of the series, A Botanist's Guide to Rituals and Revenge has to be my favorite so far! I adore the setting of Ellington and finally stepping out of the U. It was interesting to see Saffron operate on terms that were not quite her own. It was nice being able to meet all of these people who made Saffron who she is as a character. It also feels like we returned to Saffron's character from the first book. In the second, and especially the third book, Saffron was angry most of the time and felt like we'd stepped away from her root. Rituals and Revenge feels like we get go along with the Saffron we met in the first book. Not to mention seeing how her relationship with Alexander has bloomed and her family's reactions to it. This installment is definitely the best of the series so far, each one keeps getting better!

Hopefully, there will be more Saffron Everleigh mysteries in the future - I can't wait to read them all !

I plan on posting my full review of it on my blog next week - https://whisperingspineslit.wordpress.com .

This wasn't my favourite book but I still adore this series. The beginning was slower than usual and there was less sleuthing than in the previous books. The second half however compensates well enough.

Saffron Everleigh's fourth outing, A Botanist's Guide to Rituals and Revenge doesn't disappoint. We finally get to meet Saffron's estranged family and learn more about mysterious work her father may have been involved in before his death several years prior. Despite her intelligence and hard work as a botany researcher, her grandmother's disapproval for turning her back on living a life in society, shapes Saffron's relationships with her mother, grandfather, and other family members. Saffron's pursuit of a murderer at her family's country estate, assisted by fellow researcher Alexander Ashton, is entwined with unresolved intrigue and heartache in the year's following World War I. Alexander has reconciled himself with his role in supporting Saffron's pursuits and proves himself to be a worthy partner, recognizing Saffron's brilliance and abilities as he begins to overcome the same societal expectations her grandmother still dreams of for Saffron. I can't wait to see where there adventures take them next as Saffron aspires to make her own research dreams come true!

Thanks to NetGalley and Crooked Land Books for the opportunity to read an eARC!

#ABotanistsGuidetoRitualsandRevenge #NetGalley #CrookedLaneBooks

Hostile wealthy relatives, many secrets, stalker, and a missing thesis are the highlight of this twisty unputdownable excellent mystery!
I requested and received a temporary uncorrected e-galley from Crooked Lane Books via NetGalley.
#ABotanistsGuideToRitualsAndRevenge by @authorkkhavari #SaffronEverleighMysteriesBk4 @crookedlanebooks available 6/10/2025!
#historicalfiction #mysterybooks #womensleuths #detectivebooks #tbrlist #bookstagram #cozymystery #historicalfiction #familydrama #postWW1 #spiritmedium #threats #suspense

Saffron Everleigh, botanist and amateur sleuth, returns to her childhood home after her grandfather has a heart attack. While there, she discovers she must navigate tense family relationships, neighbours in thrall to a spiritual medium, and a man who engages in selling government secrets while posing as a doctor to Lord Easting. And let’s not forget her romance with her beau, Alexander, and the old research documents belonging to her late father.

So, Saffron has a lot on her plate.

As the story develops, we see how Saffron uses her puzzle-solving skills, common sense and knowledge of botany to sort through the clues and resolve the mysteries. This is the fourth in the series and Saffron is still a feisty role model for women who want to take their places in any fictional world.

Thanks to Crooked Lane Books and NetGalley for the opportunity to read an advance copy of this novel. A Botanist's Guide to Rituals and Revenge will be published on 10 June 2025.

Saffron Everleigh traveled back to her childhood home to see her ailing grandfather, but also to find the missing research papers from her deceased father that Dr. Bill Wyatt demands she turn over. Dr. Wyatt has been summoned from London to take care of her grandfather, but is he really helping to heal? What is Wyatt's real reason for being at the estate? Elizabeth and Ashton join her at Ellington as the mystery builds surrounding a mysterious Madame and her seances at Elizabeth's parents home. Saffron also unravels the mystery behind Bill and his demands that includes a few trips back to London. The seances result in some unusual dreams and hallucinations that Saffron needs to unpack and resolve as well.
The first half builds slowly to give the reader the necessary background about the characters and situations. The second half takes off and it becomes a page turner with so much going on with all the characters. Saffron continues to be a sleuth with the help of Elizabeth and Alexander. Saffron and Alexander's relationship continues to build and takes a new direction.
For those looking for an entertaining historical mystery, especially for fans of books 1-3, I definitely recommend book four!
Thank you Crooked Lane and Net Galley for a complimentary copy. All opinions expressed are my own.

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The fourth title in the Saffron Everleigh series, this book shifts the setting to Saffron’s family estate. Saffron has been summoned home due to her grandfather being ill, and when she realizes a nemesis may be present, she brings Elizabeth and Alexander and dives in. Many plot points are satisfied in this installment, although there’s plenty of room to expand into further books. An enjoyable read.

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

February 13, 2025
Thank you NetGalley! 3.5⭐️ rounded up. This book deserves a full 4⭐️ if not higher but due to my ignorance, I requested this book without realizing it was book #4 in the series. That said, this reminds me of old school mysteries that I love. Saffron, Elizabeth and Alexander leave London at the urging of Saffron’s family request for her to return home from university due to her grandfather’s health. She is accompanied by Elizabeth, her dear friend and Alexander, her beau. Multiple mysteries ensue and the trio must find the answers and stay safe. For those who read the series, it seems instances are recalled and even play a part in this installment. Very enjoyable but really need to read the series to get the full effect. Would recommend!

Enter London and get acquainted with the beloved botanical researcher Saffron Everleigh. Once again, she finds herself tangled in another mystery as she finds a former flame's brother being investigated for murder. Alexander asks Saffron to step in and lend her expertise with Inspector Green.

Just like a long lost, forgotten vine, things gets entangled quickly. Luckily, Saffron is an expert in all things botanical and has the perfect green thumb to unravel this mystery. Question being, will she get to the truth in time?

Saffron navigates treacherous secrets and past woes when she comes home to care for her ailing grandmother. She encounters the mysteriously charming Bill Wyatt, whom she has known since childhood. He's much more than he seems. Watch their story unfold as secrets and lies reveal themselves in this funny, stirring, and heartwarming tale.