Name: Lara Engle's review of A Botanist's Guide to Parties and Poisons by Kate Khavari
Item: A Botanist's Guide to Parties and Poisons
Rating: 4
Author: Lara Engle

Kate Khavari

Saffron Everleigh is in a race against time to free her wrongly accused professor before he goes behind bars forever. Perfect for fans of Deanna Raybourn and Anna Lee Huber, Kate Khavari's debut historical mystery is a fast paced, fearless adventure. London, 1923. Newly minted research assistant Saffron Everleigh attends a dinner party for the University College of London. While she expects to engage in conversations about the university's large expedition to the Amazon, she doesn't expect Mrs. Henry, one of the professors' wives to drop to the floor, poisoned by an unknown toxin. Dr. Maxwell, Saffron's mentor, is the main suspect, having had an explosive argument with Dr. Henry a few days prior. As evidence mounts against Dr. Maxwell and the expedition's departure draws nearer, Saffron realizes if she wants her mentor's name cleared, she'll have to do it herself. Joined by enigmatic Alexander Ashton, a fellow researcher, Saffron uses her knowledge of botany as she explores steamy greenhouses, dark gardens, and deadly poisons. Will she be able to uncover the truth or will her investigation land her on the murderer's list?

A Botanist's Guide to Parties and Poisons

Caroline Clutterbuck Kapulkin

She looked at him for a long moment, eyes searching his. “Why are you helping me? Truly?"

Alexander considered all the excuses he'd come up with for why he was so willingly roped in. He chose the simplest one. "I’m a scientist, same as you. I like solving puzzles."

Saffron saw the same idle doubt on the inspector’s face as she’d contended with a hundred times. She could handle it again.

Genesis (@whisperingchapters)

Lara Engle

The mystery was not particularly complex, but it has a fun, cute story with a bit of a fun, cute romance. The characters are sweet, so I'm looking forward to the possibility of a series.

Mae Erceg

Overall I enjoyed this book ! The story and plot is wonderful. I was hoping for more scenery and descriptions. There were supposed to be these tantalizingly “dangerous” greenhouses and since it’s set in 1920s London, I wanted more influence of the dark academia university setting and posh, elitist parties vibe. Because the setting wasn’t a major influence to the plot, I feel like it wasn’t as prioritized as I thought it was going to be (and that sucks, since the setting is what personally made me want to read it so much). I would recommend reading still because the whole plot line is a fun story and the characters are great, especially Elizabeth, she’s my fave. We all need an Elizabeth in our lives. Great book!

Very charming! This was a brisk & endearing cozy mystery, with lovely short chapters that kept me reading longer than I had planned. Saffron is an affable protagonist, and I liked her surprisingly reckless streak! The novel also dealt very seriously with trauma and grief in a post-WWI London, the echoes of the war carrying throughout the story. I always appreciate a book with a thoughtful author’s note at the end.

grace richards

don’t really have much to say about this book other than it was an okay book and an easy read

Elizabeth Hagenlocher

A Botanist’s Guide to Parties and Poisons is a historical mystery that is plenty entertaining. It’s 1923, and Saffron Everleigh is a botany assistant at the University College of London. At a dinner party to celebrate the college’s upcoming expedition to Brazil, a dinner guest falls into a coma under mysterious circumstances. When Saffron’s department advisor is under suspicion, she must race against the clock to clear his name before the expedition begins and the poisoner gets away scot-free. 

This book was enjoyable, though not perfect. There are things Khavari does very well in this story, and things that are a bit lackluster. For one, Khavari does an excellent job of making the reader care about the characters. Saffron, Alexander, and Elizabeth all felt very real to me (if at times they weren’t the brightest). The main characters all felt like their own people, with their own motivations and quirks. I could see why they cared for each other, and that’s important to me as a reader. That said, some of the main characters did some pretty impulsive and even pretty stupid things. One of the most idiotic things Saffron does seems like a complete throwaway decision until it later comes into play, which makes it feel a bit predictable. Though the author did a fine job setting up this piece of plot so at least it made sense in the grand scheme of things.

Furthermore, some of the side characters felt a bit “mustache-twirly,” though all in good fun. In my opinion, this is more of a light-hearted mystery than Sherlock Holmes level sleuthing. Therefore, the stakes are moderate and everything Saffron unravels is believable. It’s less “unmatched genius” and more like stubborn-expert-in-the-discipline-who-sees-things-the-cops-don’t-know-that-they-don’t-know. What I’m getting at is that Saffron is clearly an expert in her field, but she wouldn’t do much good in an investigation that didn’t involve botany or her workplace. (Though she does certainly Nancy Drew her way into situations, so maybe she could.)

The characters also do a few very dumb things, and that could be a bit annoying.

Another thing Khavari does well is anchoring the reader in time. I’ve read books that are SUPPOSED to be set in the 1920s (*cough* These Violent Delights) that are indistinguishable from any other time or place. While reading this book, I felt as though we were firmly in the 20s.

Overall, this was a perfectly good time for me, but nothing revolutionary. If you like fairly uncomplicated/light historical mysteries with just a touch of romance, you’d probably have a good time. 

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This was such a fun book! I loved the characters and the plot had enough twists to keep me thinking, but not too many to feel overwhelming. 

It took me a chapter to really get into the book. I had a bit of a hard time figuring out exactly what was happening. But once I did, I had such a fun time reading this! 

The plot was really interesting, but it was the characters that truly drew me into the story. I loved getting to know all of the different people and their personalities. I especially enjoyed Saffron and Alexander's characters and their relationship. 

If you enjoy historical mysteries, I would highly recommend giving this a read! I'm excited to see what Khavari comes up with next!

Thank you to NetGalley and crooked Lane Books for the chance to read this book in exchange for an honest review!

Laura Kehoe

This was such a fun book! I loved the characters and the plot had enough twists to keep me thinking, but not too many to feel overwhelming. 

It took me a chapter to really get into the book. I had a bit of a hard time figuring out exactly what was happening. But once I did, I had such a fun time reading this! 

The plot was really interesting, but it was the characters that truly drew me into the story. I loved getting to know all of the different people and their personalities. I especially enjoyed Saffron and Alexander's characters and their relationship. 

If you enjoy historical mysteries, I would highly recommend giving this a read! I'm excited to see what Khavari comes up with next!

Thank you to NetGalley and crooked Lane Books for the chance to read this book in exchange for an honest review!

Heather Harrington

I was initially drawn in by the cover, but once I read the synopsis, I knew it'd be right up my alley. I can't say no to a historical mystery with a plucky heroine. I liked Saffron right off the bat. I thought she was smart, capable, and held her own against all the men who would belittle a woman in her field. She and Alexander had a nice dynamic together, and I enjoyed how they bounced off one another. They had great banter that I loved. I thought the plot was good, but it felt too simple; as did the writing. It was easy to read, and I flew through it in almost one sitting, but it felt clunky. However, I still liked this and would recommend it if you're looking for a cozier mystery.

Alexandra P

An ARC of this book was provided by Crooked Lane Books via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. 
This book is as rich and beautiful as it's cover and I really enjoyed it. It's full of mystery, romance, fun and thrills and is similar to the type of book I'd love to write myself. The setting was very academic, which I think many will love. With regards to the mystery itself, Saffron does a great job at gathering clues and piecing things together in front of the reader. I really liked that we were just as able to make conclusions as she was and a lot of the evidence was clever and original. A downside to this is that there isn't necessarily a big reveal or massive surprises, but it is easy enough to enjoy the journey rather than just the destination. I am excited to continue with Khavari and the characters if another book is written.
Content warning: sexual harassment and assault

Genesis (@whisperingchapters) &
A Botanist's Guide to Parties and Poisons by Kate Khavari

Reviews

Highlights

Join the club

Genesis (@whisperingchapters) &A Botanist's Guide to Parties and Poisons by Kate Khavari

Reviews

Highlights

Join the club

Genesis (@whisperingchapters) &
A Botanist's Guide to Parties and Poisons by Kate Khavari