A Botanist's Guide to Parties and Poisons by Kate Khavari - Book Review

A Botanist's Guide to Parties and Poisons by Kate Khavari

Publication Date: 7th June 2022
Genre: Historical Cozy Mystery 

3.8 Stars 

One Liner: Promising start to a new series 

****

London, 1923: Saffron Everleigh is a botanist and the only female assistant on the campus and works with Professor Dr. Maxwell. The man is her mentor, guide, and murder suspect. He has been arrested on the suspicion of murdering Mrs. Cynthia Henry, the wife of Dr. Henry. Dr. Maxwell had a row with Dr. Henry a few days ago bout a Brazilian expedition. 

The toxin that killed Mrs. Henry is unknown, and the case is getting stronger against Dr. Maxwell. Saffron knows that he would never be capable of such a crime, and it’s up to her to prove his innocence. 

Dr. Alexander Ashton, a fellow researcher, reluctantly helps her uncover the truth and get to the bottom of the matter. Dr. Ashton has demons of his own but cannot resist helping Saffron. Can the duo use their expertise in botany to identify the killer before it’s too late? Given the secrets surrounding them, can they come out alive? 

The requested the book for three reasons: 

• The title
• The cover 
• The alliteration in the author’s name

My Observations: 

• The narration is slow almost throughout the book. The saving grace is that the story kept me hooked enough to read more. The book is the first in the series, which explains the ‘slowness’. 
• There are no cliffhangers (the case is solved) though there is enough to start the next in the series. The mix of mystery, suspense, romance, and light action works well for the plot. 
• The characters are well-etched, though I’m in half a mind to knock sense into Saffron. Alexander has lots of promise and is an intriguing character. Inspector Green and Elizabeth are promising. 
• Saffron is fiery and has a tendency to act first and think later, which doesn’t do well to keep her out of trouble. She’s strong, kind, funny, and talented in her field (and yet to attain that level of expertise in investigating crimes). 
• The book is well-researched and yet doesn’t feel heavy or dense. We can follow the investigation even if we aren’t botanists and scientists. Still, I wished there were a couple of illustrations of the plants. 
• The book shows how women had to deal with assumptions and indecent proposals to make a career in the field. Sadly, things haven’t changed a lot in this aspect. Women still need to prove their worth time and again. 
• Some of it seems a little too farfetched towards the end, but then it’s a work of fiction. I can let it go (and roll my eyes, of course).
• Quite a lot of adverbs to read, and I tried my best to ignore them. :/ 

To sum up, A Botanist's Guide to Parties and Poisons is a promising first book in the series. It’s a decent historical cozy mystery and keeps you interested most of the time. It’s a tad predictable, but that’s fine too. I’m looking forward to the next book. 

Thank you, NetGalley and Crooked Lane Books, for the ARC in exchange for an honest review. 

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