Rating: 3 1/2 ♥’s
Published: June 7, 2022
Genre: Mystery/Historical Fiction
Pages: 304
Book Description: 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?
I received this book as an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
First off happy book publishing day!
I am a big fan of Deanna Raybourn so when I saw the description on NetGalley saying this was for fans of Deanna I thought well then I must read this! Plus have you seen the cover it is beautiful!
This was a great start in this series, and it kept me intrigued from the moment I started reading it. It has been a while since I have read a book this fast. The book flowed nicely and the pace worked well. You felt like you were working alongside Saffron and Alexander to uncover who was really the poisoner instead of the gramed Dr. Maxwell. I thought the plot was similar in the sense of the type of book, however, I think it was also unique because you have a botanist who is a female working hard to make a name for herself and is getting to use her knowledge to help solve a crime. There was humor, adventure, mystery, and some slight romance in this story, so it had a lot of everything.
The characters I thought were well done. I liked Saffron she stood up for herself and didn’t let anything keep her down. I was definitely rooting for her to succeed. I like that even though you can tell the Inspector doesn’t really believe/like her you get glimpses that she is growing on him and by the end I think he knows her value. Alexander I also thought was a good character and I liked how he played an important part from the beginning and it wasn’t just purely for romance purposes. It is good that you get some background on him and Saffron, as well as I really like Saffron’s friend and roommate Elizabeth she made me laugh with some of her interactions.
I think overall this was a really fun read and I am looking forward to reading the next book in the series and seeing what mystery Saffron, Alexander, Inspector Green, and Elizabeth will be involved in. I hope Elizabeth comes along for more of the adventure just because I really liked her character. So definitely check out this new series you won’t be disappointed.
Book Challenges:
- Around the Year in 52 Books #13 – About a woman in STEM
- 52 Books in 52 Weeks #46 – A job title in the title
- Booklist Queen #30 – A catchy title
- Popsugar #38 – Featuring a party
- O.W.L.S Reading Challenge #37 – Contains a character with a herbology related name
- Linz Bookworm #9 – By an author that’s new to you
- A-Z Title – B
- A-Z Author – K
- Magic in the Books #7 – Read a book with a brave character
- Wizarding World Tour #42 – Involving potions
- Mount TBR, Virtual Mount TBR, Netgalley/Edelweiss, Historical Fiction,
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